Keith Hudson

Although King Tubby and Lee "Scratch" Perry are the dub icons, Hudson's 1974 masterpiece is regarded as the first self-consciously produced dub album. This ain't no random collection of versions, and there's not one second of filler. More important, Hudson poured a dark, emotional potency into this music that has rarely, if ever, been matched. As spiky reverb pierces the head, knotty grooves wrap themselves around the soul like thorns. If you dig space in your dub, steer clear of this gnarled trip.