Story

The DubLab Story

The DubLab is the result of a decades-long dub/reggae project named Dubital, also known as the first Italian dub band (1995).
Officially founded in 2000, as an independent label, The DubLab was also created as a virtual and real hub where the crossover of dub projects, from Italy and abroad, became the main engine of the laboratory itself.
The musicians’ collective was mainly formed by a group of long-time friends such as Rankin’ Alpha and Glove, respectively Dubital’s lead singer and dub master, Andrea De Witt, Jacopo Andreini, Luca Francini, Charly Bendje, Lelloman, Albedub and a mix of many other musicians and bands passing through and recording in various studios.

From 2000 to 2007 The DubLab label was active, under the direction of Dubital, in the production of several compilations, defining a fusion of reggae, dub and electronic styles. It then released “The Dub Lab Sampler” (2000) and  “Suitable #2 – The Dub Adventurers” (2001) for the Italian electronic label Suiteque. On the latter, track 12 – “Liquidation Dub” by Joe “Ariwa” Fraser, represents his very first released work, at the early age of 16, in a discographic project with established artists.
The following compilation was “Sushi Dub” (2002) for labels and distributors such as Suite-inc., Audioglobe, Vitaminic and Edel.
The list of international artists that took part in the series of compilations since 2000 is long and prestigious and includes: Mad Professor, Joe Ariwa, Zion Train & Tassilli Players, Twilight Circus Dub Sound System, Doctah X, Azara, Dubital, B.R. Stylers, D-Ready, The Delegators, Ragariddim, Flappa & Nagades, The Smokers, Rootz Band and many more.
This productive period concluded itself with The DubLab’s collaboration in the production of two albums: “Bomba Libera Tutti” (2004) for the Italian duo Bomba Bomba and “Mad Professor Present Dubital – Keep Cool” (2007), the last official Dubital’s album recorded and mixed in Mexico by Mad Professor. During this Mexican experience Dubital and The DubLab also compiled “Soundtrack 01”(2006) for Fashion Week Mexico.

Thanks to a long lasting friendship, there has been a continuous and important collaboration with the dub master Neil Fraser aka Mad Professor in almost all The DubLab productions. The Professor helped The DubLab label to consolidate its name by giving some of his Ariwa dubs for the track list of various compilations and by mixing the last Dubital album, affirming his pleasure in collaborating with the Italian dub band since their first EP in 1996.
For more than a decade, The DubLab has then only survived as a virtual musical laboratory and as a musicians’ collective, remaining active with live projects as The DubWise Gang.
The DubWise Gang became the live version of an “in studio” experiment which embraces the radical dub as the essential key to open any musical door.
Formed by Charly Bendje on drums, Albedub on Bass, Lelloman on keyboards, Skunk-P on guitar, Boncio on percussions and Rankin’ Alpha as MC and lead singer, The DubWise Gang performed all over Europe and has played as a backing live band for many Italian artists.
In 2014, for the occasion of the Pistoia Blues Festival (IT), the band added more musicians and changed its name to Alpha Band with Rankin’ Alpha on Bass, performing on the main stage as backing band for reggae/dub icon Lee “Scratch” Perry.

From 2020, The DubLab has made a comeback as a recording label with Charly Bendje establishing a recording and mixing studio in South London, starting a new musical journey. The Studio is based on a hybrid setup where the analogue valve equipment is imprinting a unique sound inspired by the original Jamaican’s dub and reggae sound from the ’70/’80.
The DubWise Gang is still the cornerstone of the laboratory but new productions and collaborations with UK labels, artists and Jamaican singers and musicians have started.
New on-going projects include collaborations with Rainbow Sounds Studio (UK), Mystical Roots Warrior (UK), Jam Ra Records (IT), Grass Roots Records (GD), and more.