Legendary bass player and vocalist Jah Wobble has released the animated video for ‘Tyson Dub Remix’, a solid gem from his new album ‘Dub Volume 1′, dedicated to his dear departed Staffordshire bull terrier.
Jah Wobble’s poignant account of his rescue dog, Tyson, reveals a bond that was both tough and tender. He recalls how the staffy, described by the shelter as “just absolutely sort of delinquent,” was a dog “full of love, full of fun” and a steadfast companion on their daily 10–12 mile hikes. Wobble reflects on the heartache of Tyson’s final days, a battle with cancer that ended peacefully in a final, heartbreaking moment: “And when he had to go, he just went to sleep in my lap. So that was it”.
Born John Wardle, his career has encapsulated genres from post-punk, dub and world music to experimental rock and electronic music. An original member of Public Image Ltd (PiL) from 1978-80, he made two groundbreaking albums with the band, which included the iconic ‘Metal Box’ (1979). He continues to tour with ‘Metal Box in Dub’, presented as a two-hour show with Jon Klein.
This is Wobble’s first solo release via Dimple Discs, having earlier participated in other label releases with Telefís (Cathal Coughlan and Jacknife Lee), The Ukrainians, along with Siouxsie & The Banshees / Specimen legend Jon Klein, and the Irish heritage project Bring Your Own Hammer.
A solo effort that sees him write, play and arrange everything, this long-play record features full-colour outer and inner sleeves based on paintings that Wobble created himself. The Limited Edition vinyl is clear with yellow and red colours dropped in to reflect the artwork.
Mastered by Anthony Chapman (Collapsed Lung) and cut for maximum clarity and volume, this solo deep dive into dub boasts astounding top layer sonics, guided by sonic pioneers like Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and King Tubby. This rich, immersive listen is full of low-end weight and intricately layered textures.
The album includes the groovy dub offering ‘Dub In The East’ and also ‘Old Jewish East End Of London Dub’, both of which were inspired by his East London upbringing – a deep dive into the historical influences that shaped his community, from the waves of Irish immigration and the perilous lives of his watermen ancestors on the River Thames, to the vibrant Jewish community that had long made the area its home.
Known for an original rock / reggae hybrid of his own, forged through a deep embrace with reggae, punk, world music and a DIY ethos, Jah Wobble’s heavy, hypnotic bass lines have defined a whole musical era and influenced many musicians for over forty years.
Wobble launched his solo career even before leaving PiL, forming Invaders of the Heart in 1982 and collaborating with Can’s Holger Czukay and Jaki Liebezeit, U2’s The Edge and producer François Kevorkian soon after. By the 1990s, he had achieved public notoriety, including chart success and a Mercury Music Prize nomination for his ‘Rising Above Bedlam’ album. After releasing the top-40 album ‘Take Me To God’ and ‘Heaven and Earth’ via Island Records, Wardle fled record company constraints, returning to more experimental and non-commercial sounding records.
He was part of the industrial supergroup The Damage Manual, worked with Julie Campbell aka LoneLady on ‘Psychic Life’, and worked with his wife Zi Lan Liao (guzheng player and harpist) on the award-winning album ‘Chinese Dub’, for which they won the Songlines Magazine World Music Award and toured with a large group of Chinese performers.
More recently, he has been playing and recording with Tian Qiyi, formed by his sons Charlie and John Wardle. Debuting in 2023 with the album ‘Red Mist’, he once again joins them for their newly-released sophomore effort ‘Songs For Workers’.
In 2024, Jah Wobble and Horace Andy released the ‘Timeless Roots’ album and, this year, Wobble released the ‘Old Fashioned Ways’ album with legendary Jamaican crooner Ken Boothe. He also played on Richard Russell’s latest album ‘Everything is Recorded’, including on the single ‘Losing You’ featuring London rapper/singer Sampha.
Wobble has collaborated with Sinéad O’Connor, Massive Attack, Ginger Baker, Björk, Brian Eno, Baaba Maal, Pharoah Sanders and many others. Wobble published his well-received autobiography ‘Memoirs of a Geezer: Music, Life, Mayhem’ via Serpent’s Tail in 2009, as well as a 2008 radio documentary on his old friend Sid Vicious for BBC Radio 3. 30 Hertz Records, the independent label Wobble launched in 1997, is still active, releasing music in collaboration with Cherry Red, including ‘Dark Luminosity – The 21st Century Collection’ and ‘In Dub II: Deluxe’.
‘Dub Volume 1′ is out now everywhere, including Spotify, Apple Music and also Bandcamp, where it is available on vinyl and CD. Jah Wobble tours extensively with Invaders of the Heart. They are touring the UK and Europe in October-November with tickets available at https://jahwobble.com/#live
CREDITS
Written & performed by Jah Wobble
Mastered by Anthony Chapman (Collapsed Lung)
Cover artwork & design by Jah Wobble
Released by Dimple Discs
UPC for vinyl – DEEDEE042LP
UPC for CD – DEEDEE042CD
Jah Wobble outdoor photos by David Guttridge
Jah Wobble live photos by Nick Haeffner
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR
TOUR DATES
OCT. 08 Huddersfield, UK – The Parish
OCT. 10 Margate, UK – Elsewhere
OCT. 11 Lewes, UK – Con Club
OCT. 24 Stoke on Trent, UK – The Sugarmill
OCT. 29 Newcastle, UK – The Cluny
OCT. 30 Edinburgh, Scotland – The Voodoo Rooms
OCT. 31 Glasgow, Scotland – Oran Mor
NOV. 01 Galashiels, Scotland – MacArts
NOV. 05 Exeter, UK – Cavern
NOV. 06 Newport, UK – Riverfront Arts Centre
NOV. 07 Bideford, UK – The Palladium Club
NOV. 08 Truro, UK – Old Bakery Studios
NOV. 09 Birmingham, UK – Hare and Hounds
NOV. 12 London, UK – Signature Brew
NOV. 14 Louvain, Belgium – Het Depot
NOV. 16 Gent, Belgium – Democracy
NOV. 17 Amsterdam, Netherlands – Paradiso
NOV. 19 Düsseldorf, Germany – Pitcher
NOV. 20 Hamburg, Germany – Monkeys Music Club
NOV. 21 Berlin, Germany – Quasimodo
DEC. 03 Galway, Ireland – Roisin Dubh
DEC. 04 Limerick, Ireland – Upstairs at Dolan’s
DEC. 05 Cork, Ireland – St Luke’s Church
DEC. 06 Dublin, Ireland – Whelans
DEC. 07 Bangor, N. Ireland – The Court House