ing Tubby was the unparalleled pioneer of the reggae spin-off form called dub, and this double-disc reissue seems like as good a place as any to realize exactly why that is true. These two albums, originally released in the mid-1970s, were some of the first albums to consist entirely of instrumental “dubs” -- essentially, reggae songs with the vocals mostly removed and production tricks (most notably, heavy hands on the volume faders) applied to the music. These two albums hardly hold just a historical relevance, however; even three decades and countless imitators later, this stuff sounds as fresh and exciting as the day it was made, still inviting dancing with every floor-vibrating bass line.

Both albums are presented here with incredibly clear, vivid sound, which certainly helps; this is music that is meant to be experienced first and foremost viscerally, with the rattling hum of the bass turned way up and everything else completely peripheral. With so much emphasis on setting a laidback, slow-dance, slow-sex atmosphere, it’s nearly impossible to pick out highlights, though the title track from Roots of Dub sports a gorgeous sax melody that nearly blows away everything else on either disc, even though it only shows up for a few brief moments.

The rest of the first disc profiles Tubby’s steady hand on the mixing deck, as he skillfully fades guitar lines up and down until they seem to be spiraling gracefully around the steady center of the bass. When vocals appear, which is rarely, they’re treated similarly -- on “The Stepping Dub,” some toasted vox float eerily in the very background of the track, sounding hollow and disembodied. “Dub You Can Feel” is another highlight of this disc, with a spry guitar melody periodically cutting up out of the heavily reverbed bottom end with some lovely skanking lines. This contrast between the steady low end and the more unstable, dynamic higher instruments is the heart of this music, and Tubby seems to know instinctively just how to create jarring and enjoyable effects. At the end of “Dub You Can Feel,” the guitar emerges triumphantly for just a few moments, the bass cuts out all together, the volume surges, and the trebly groove holds it down briefly before the almighty bass submerges it all again.

Dub From the Roots, the longer, somewhat later album that takes up this set’s second disc, is more of the same, only even better and more out-there. This disc is from nearly the same period as the first one, but Tubby’s techniques were clearly developing at a phenomenal pace at this time, and he goes even further with his style here. The opener alone, the title track, is a dense and layered construction that incorporates lovely horn parts, rumbling and manipulated guitars, and hollow cymbal crashes over the ever-present dub. The complexity of the guitar part alone is a massive advance over the previous disc, and the overall song structures have grown less basic too.

Which is not to say that the music isn’t still all about dancing and good times; it is. However, Tubby’s greater sophistication with his methods on this disc make it even better front-to-back listen than its predecessor. This is a phenomenal set, basically: making any distinctions between the dozens of King Tubby collections out there seems more than a little pointless, especially since nearly everything he put his touch on became instant gold. This is a fine place to start -- or finish, since this may just be all the dub reggae you’d ever need as a casual fan -- with the music of the original dub king.