John Morrison’s Philly Top 5: Summer of dub

This month has been a fun mixed bag of activity. I’ve been doing lot more freelance writing, I’ve played a few DJ gigs, and had the chance to do some remixing. As I mentioned in last month’s column, I’ve been digging for and playing mad post-punk records, but July has also brought an increased interest in dub reggae (the two genres are actually linked sonically and historically via bands like Bauhaus, The Pop Group, Public Image, Massive Attack, etc.). I’ve been experimenting with dubbing techniques in my music production, and I got to remix a tune for Mendi and Keith Obadike’s SlowDrag, a public art project included in The North Philadelphia History Festival on July 26th. Applying dub-style delays to my production and DJing has been a revelation, and I feel like it’s pointing me in an exciting direction for whenever I make my next record. In addition to the rare post-punk records and dub experiments, I’ve been lending my ears to a lot of cool local music things, past and present. Here are 5 of the dopest joints I’ve come across this month.

Lee “Scratch” Perry – “Disco Devil” (Live at the Trocadero 9/21/13)

This is a great bit of footage of reggae legend Lee “Scratch” Perry captured in Philly in 2013. The tune he’s playing is “Disco Devil,” a goofy flip of Max Romeo’s all-time classic “Chase The Devil.” It’d make sense that Perry would reuse and play around with Romeo’s tune, as he produced the original. The result is a bizarre and funny inversion of Romeo’s anthem for spiritual warfare that only Perry could’ve pulled off.

Del Jones – “Dance of ‘de Elder”

The Universal Cave crew are back at it again with one of the best dance releases of 2025. “Dance of ‘de Elder” is a single from the late great West Philly activist, poet, and musician, Del Jones. The original is a gorgeous and uplifting ode to the power of music, and Universal Cave recruits a heavy-hitting cast of DJ/Producers to update and reimagine this magical tune. Lil Dave sets it off with a sleek and soulful deep house remix. The Pheels Respect Dub is a heavy meeting of breakbeat and reggae, while the Sweeter Remix pulls the tune into prime Arthur Baker-influenced electro territory. The Universal Cave mix is the closest to the original, but it adds a tasty 303 bassline, and Street Orchestra closes things out with a trippy and head-nodding take that retains a lot of the original song’s sauce. Highly recommended for DJs who like to smash a variety of dancefloors with different styles and sounds.

DELL-P – Transition of Power

DELL-P’s latest album, Transition of Power, is the best entry in the Philly MC’s already solid catalog. Packed with heartfelt songs based on dynamic wordplay, the album’s 18 tracks play out in relentless stream of heavy bars and dope beats. With standout production from J The Audiophile, DJ Flash, Trac-Queda, and others, the music provides a perfect environment for DELL-P’s insights into the music business, his family life, and the struggles of everyday people in our community.

Potatohead People & Slippery Elm (feat. Bahamadia) – “Up Close”

Potatohead People is the soulful Canadian duo of producers Nick Wisdom and AstroLogical. Their latest album, Emerald Tablet, is a collaborative effort with the singer / rapper Slippery Elm. While the entire album is fantastic, one of the tracks that local folks should keep an ear out for is “Up Close,” featuring Philly rap legend Bahamadia. Over a dreamy and buttery track, Bahamadia walks us through the joys and struggles of intimacy and emotional vulnerability. It’s a gorgeous tune with a bittersweet and universal message from one of the city’s best.

Christian McBride – The Movement Revisited: A Musical Portrait of Four Icons

Philly bassist Christian McBride is one of the finest contemporary jazz musicians in the world. The Movement Revisited: A Portrait of Four Icons is a fantastic entry in McBride’s long and rich discography. Dedicated to four significant figures of the Civil Rights Movement, these gorgeous compositions pay homage to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, and Muhammad Ali. Ambitious, joyous, and exploratory, the album offers music as a medium to reflect on the contributions that these great figures made to both the Black freedom movement and humanity at large.