Reggae music‘s rhythmic tempo and relaxing beats make for an addictive musical experience, encouraging you to sit back, relax, and perhaps sip on some daiquiri!
Remixing first gained popularity in Jamaica’s dancehall culture. Producers such as Ruddy Redwood, King Tubby and Lee “Scratch” Perry created instrumental versions of popular songs.
Definition
Reggae music transcends borders and cultures alike to represent much more than simply a genre; for many Jamaicans and others worldwide, reggae represents not just music but an entire culture and way of life. Reggae embodies both hopes and struggles from exile communities around the world as well as struggles over oppressive conditions on Jamaica’s tiny island home. Reggae also stands as a source of national pride as well as being celebrated artform across boundaries and cultures.
Reggae music was coined in 1968 by Toots and the Maytals when using it for their song of that title, and refers to a genre derived from ska and rocksteady by slowing down rhythm while simultaneously adding an upbeat beat. Reggae is closely tied with Rastafarianism; therefore many reggae songs include religious or spiritual lyrics as themes in their lyrics.
Reggae music often explores social justice and equality, such as through Bob Marley’s powerful call for love, peace and unity in “Africa Unite.” Other reggae artists have highlighted black nationalism, antiracism and criticizing oppressive economic systems (“Babylon”).
Reggae music originated in Kingston’s urban ghettos; singers like Marcia Griffiths and Ken Boothe used their voices to express the sounds and pressures of daily gangster life through reggae’s signature guitar sound known as “skengay,” from Jamaican for “gunshot.” This sound reminds listeners of bullets rattling through the streets.
As reggae evolved, its appeal expanded, becoming a significant influence on other musical genres. Dancehall deejays of the 1980s and ’90s refined the practice of toasting over instrumental tracks; these dancehall deejays carried reggae’s politicization of music into dancehall deejay clubs across Caribbean islands while opening up new forms of popular music like hip-hop here in America.
Origins
Reggae music has charmed audiences across the globe. Its rhythms and messages of hopefulness have resonated across generations. Reggae can trace its roots to Jamaica during the late 1950s and early 1960s when ska and rocksteady dance styles were popular homegrown dance forms that were influenced by American R&B, jump blues as well as indigenous musical forms like mento and nyabinghi (religious drumming styles).
King Tubby and other studio wizards began mixing a distinctive new sound, coined dub music. This process involved layering an instrumental version of a song over its vocal recording, with dramatic pauses between each part to alter its original arrangement and rearrange parts as necessary. Early dub masters used effects like echo, reverb, tape delay to alter both vocal and instrumental segments for an ethereal, ambient rendition.
Dubbing was an essential step in revolutionizing reggae and other forms of Jamaican music, leading to new genres like reggae dancehall and raggae as well as modern popular music such as hip hop which utilized elements from Jamaican reggae in order to develop unique beats and styles of its own.
By the 1970s, reggae had adopted an element of social criticism and religion in its lyrics; songs by Bob Marley like “Get Up, Stand Up” and “Redemption Song” became rallying cries for a generation looking for relief from troubles within their homeland. Now its messages of hope and change can be found across multiple genres from rock to hip hop music.
Recently, many rappers have begun remixing popular reggae tracks by adding their own verses over an electronic beat. This trend is sometimes known as “dubstep,” and recalls how early dub masters altered music to make it DJ-friendly by amplifying beats with electronic effects and leaving out vocal parts they did not wish to include in the track.
Techniques
Reggae is an intricate musical genre, and requires specific techniques when mixed and recorded. A mix engineer must balance its relaxed vibe with an energetic rhythm section; careful EQing gives every element its place within the frequency spectrum; furthermore, since reggae often relies on dead space between beats it is essential that this be taken into consideration when creating stereo images.
Reggae music is known for its hypnotic basslines and distinctive drum patterns that often switch between 4/4 time and swing time, along with its signature guitar chords that perfectly compliment one another and cause an immediate urge in listeners to move their feet and hands. Furthermore, these elements often land on beat two and four for an easy reggae groove for dancers to pick up and follow.
Music from Jamaican culture has always been heavily influenced by ska and rocksteady dance styles from the early 1960s, along with elements from other musical genres including rhythm and blues, jazz, calypso and mento. Together these genres merged to produce what has now become an iconic part of Jamaican culture: Ska fusion.
Many songs in the reggae genre address various social issues, from materialist critique to Rastafarian beliefs and political topics like apartheid. Such songs provide a window into South Africa’s complex history and society – reggae has been described as an amalgamation of both relaxing world views with revolutionary revolutionary ideals that inspire change.
Early 1980s reggae producers introduced instrumental versions of songs on their B sides, providing DJs with more flexibility when working with these tracks and adding their own vocal improvisations and expressions. Mixes would emphasize the beat, drop any unnecessary vocal parts, or incorporate features that made the tracks more easily manageable by DJs.
Early dub mixes were instrumental in shaping contemporary remix and remastering techniques. While still maintaining the essence of original music, modern dub mixes utilize techniques such as compression, equalization, saturation/distortion/stereo imaging for more interesting and powerful dub mixes.
Creating a Remix
Reggae music relies heavily on an assortment of instruments. Producing a reggae remix requires striking a balance among these instruments and using subtle techniques to bring out each instrument’s strengths, and creating an energy-filled yet relaxing mix. To begin creating your remix, start by choosing your riddim (the instrumental or beat component of any reggae song). A riddim may feature electric or acoustic guitars, bass, keyboards or synthesizers among many other possibilities; Jamaican songs often contain numerous horns or brass instruments in addition to using riddims!
Reggae songs often utilize a verse-chorus structure similar to rock music. This helps build tension while producing catchy choruses that will draw listeners in.
Reggae beats are composed of a kick drum on beats 1 and 3, and snare drum on beats 2 and 4, otherwise known as the “money beat.” This basic pattern serves as the starting point for creating different variations; one way of changing this basic beat can be through various hi-hat patterns; another method could involve shifting hi-hat patterns up or down an octave, changing rhythm and feel of the beat altogether.
Reggae producers and artists are increasingly exploring various mixing techniques in order to produce more contemporary sounds, including reverb, echo and delay to create more atmospheric and ethereal atmospheres. Another popular technique being utilized more frequently is compression which acts like an equalization equalizing system by compressing high and low frequencies to make them louder.
Reggae music places an emphasis on chords with root notes that are altered up or down one octave; this gives a chord different feel while not detracting from overall harmony of the track.