Melbourne / Naarm’s most excellent imprint, Efficient Space has launched its digital offshoot, Extended Mix, with some dynamite, homegrown, Down Under, digi-dub. Rescuing two turn-of-the-millennium selections of bass-heavy electronics from Sydney’s Jeff Dread. Dubs, by definition, are minimal and stripped back, but Jeff’s stuff here, within its warm, womb-like bottom-end, has plenty of little percussive details for stoned minds to get stuck on. Clipped, treated, twisted, chords, echoed snares and cymbals, reverb-generated phased, ringing feedback, synths that squiggle in trippy trance shapes, all decorate the serious subs, and punchy rhythms. A deft use of delay giving the kick more clout. Gifting several songs with a forceful, funky, body-moving, slo-mo thud. Rocking the robotic rocksteady, the cyborg skanking. All of it, though, is mellow, meditative, not banging. The mixing desk manipulations, effectively melting the source instruments, have a wigged out, laidback, live vibe. 

The Merchant of Dub, Jeff’s debut, was originally released on CD in 1999. The album holds a number of highlights, including the brilliant blues harp, and TB-303, boasting Dub The Farmers Daughter, which Efficient Space recently pressed on a 45. Saucey Cow is a chain reaction of energetic effervescent explosions. Every emission spinning into infinity. Each giving rise to the next. It reminds me of a more party-starting take on Bandulu’s classic ambeint, dub-techno, diffraction, Phase Inversion. Vari-Speed tape effects mess with Blazing Face, whose fucked with fractured fanfares could be horns. It’s most definitely brass on the title track that provides the uplifting blasts. Sheriff Lindo`s “Barnyard” rerub of Melancollie Dub adds birdcalls, whistles, and an Orb-like cock crow. 

Jeff’s sophomore set, Return from Alpha One, from 2001, is more of the superb same, but features a few tracks with vocals. The voices sometimes whispering, spectral, haunting harmonies, buried way down deep in the mix. 

Scraggs is a standout. Wicked with wah-wah effects. Misfit Dub is another. A juanty upbeat, tropical Mad Professor / Ariwa-like moment. Angel Delight is an awesome, gentle, lovers rock reduction, that recalls the sought-after 12s of Don Winsome and the Sugar Records crew. 

Jeff Dread’s The Merchant Of Dub and Return To Alpha One are out now on Efficient Space Extended Mix.