Caribbean Taste of Technology

by Matt WhalleyCaribbean Taste of Technology is a 1985 digital dub album. Mad Professor dubs some solid rhythms and takes advantage of the less appreciated steel drum. Reverbed and echoed the steel drums play very well over deep bass and drums. Like the xylophone on Augustus Pablo's El Rockers, it adds another layer to the sound and makes the music sound distinctly Caribbean. Caribbean Taste of Technology should be instantly recognised as Jamaican if not by the sound than by the cover art. The lame overtly hokey drawing of Mad Professor enjoying a drink on the beach so large the islands can sit in it should be enough of a tip off that there will be something interesting on the album inside. Mad Professor's skilled dub technique is proportionate to the weakness of the artwork on the album sleeve. He dubs in vocals from Pato Banton and Glen Brown, mixes violins and flutes, in addition to the well-used steel drum. The unique choice in instruments and the way the vocal samples are treated make Caribbean Taste of Technology a digital album that still stands up. Roots fans may be disappointed by the clean, smooth sound of the tracks. They lack the grittier edge of the roots era in favor of heavy low end and blended horns, percussion and guitars, in the same Mad Professor dub style that he brought to Massive Attack's B-sides and No Protection albums is all here, with a firmer base in the reggae tradition. It is not quiet "Technology Gone Crazy" as the album cover states but it is an interesting album.