It was only last year that Mark Nelson aka Pan•American released his latest album, »The Patience Fader«, which sounded largely organic on the record with increased guitar use. »In Daylight Dub«, which is the fourth catalogue number from the London-based Foam On A Wave, does it the other way round. That is easy to explain: The four tracks, three of them hovering around the ten-minute mark, come from an earlier phase of Nelson’s creative work. The label classifies the bass-heavy pieces, which were created around the turn of the millennium, as »ambient dub« and »dub techno«. Those who envision encountering deep dives like with Porter Ricks or an adaptation of dub culture to Berlin techno contexts like Basic Channel will be disappointed. »Esso« sounds like a reggae piece with its powerful, up-and-down bassline, which invites you to spend a lengthy periods of relaxation on the couch with its lush echoes. The slightly too bright piano strokes on »Quarry A« hurt the ears, while the soft, metallic percussion does its utmost to repair the damage. You don’t always get the feeling on the record that Nelson knew exactly where he wanted to go artistically. He seems to be audibly influenced by minimal dub masterpieces like Vladislav Delay’s »Multila«, while at the same time still being interested in producing at least some kind of dance music – like on »Running Dog (Reborn)«, which sends a brisk techno beat through the jumble of noise. Stertorous dub that chiefly functions as a document of the times.
In Daylight Dub
