Conscious Sounds

Tucked away in a back corner of London's well-known Camden Market, next to stalls selling vintage clothing, miscellaneous junk, and greasy sausages, Dougie Wardrop hawks the newest and oldest dubs inside the closet-sized Dub Shack, which he established in 1988. More than just a dedicated fan of King Tubby, Lee Perry, Scientist and the dub dynasty's of the '70s and early '80s, Dougie started making his own sounds in 1989 with a simple four-track owned by his friend, London sound system operator Nick Manasseh. The meditative yet militant "Stepping Dub" by Centry (a group comprised of Dougie and friends Nigel and Chris) launched the Conscious Sounds imprint soon after. "I didn't sell a lot of them, I ended up losing money I think," Dougie recalls of those first thousand platters. But his next sound caught the ear of roots singer Tena Stelin, who voiced Dougie's next single, "Cant Touch Jah." These two heavyweight 45s were my introduction to the Conscious Sounds label, which has gone on to release some of the hardest digital roots and crucial steppers in Britain. <P> Label mainstays the Bush Chemists (comprised of Dougie and partner Paul Davey) have especially distinguished themselves over several 12-inch singles and album releases. They have worked with such singers as Barry Isaacs, Hughie Isaachar, and Stephen Wright; done BBC Radio sessions for Andy Kershaw; and played out regularly as a sound system in the UK and Ireland. The Chemists have also done remix work for Zion Train, among others, as well as contributing a choice track, "Tribal Dub," to last year's Dub Revolution: UK Roots High Steppin' To The Future (RUSCD8207).