One of the most prolific men in music,
Bill Laswell doesn't release albums under his own name as often as he once did, which makes Book of Exit, the fourth in his "Dub Chamber" series, especially worthy of attention. While the previous "Dub Chamber" releases leaned more toward hard Jamaican-style
dub music, with instruments dropping in and out and plenty of reverb and delay, this is altogether a different beat, in large part due to the vocals of Ethiopian singer
Gigi. And what
Laswell,
Gigi, drummer/tabla player
Karsh Kale, and percussionist
Aiyb Dieng end up with is really
ambient dub -- something lighter and more flowing because it adapts itself to the vocals. And
Gigi is in excellent form, possibly better than on her own debut, whether on "Ethiopia" or the memorable, beautiful "Jerusalem," which mixes a slight
r&b inflection with
dub for something outstanding, beautiful, and ethereal.
Laswell's light hand at the controls (even the disc's heaviest track, "The Lower Ground," is hardly the stuff of
Lee "Scratch" Perry and
King Tubby) works subtly -- shifts happen gradually, making for a sense of movement and focus about the pieces. And his work on guitar, bass, and keyboards is as accomplished as his colleagues. Slightly unearthly but always lovely, this
dub chamber is a place worth exploring. ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide
