Barack Before Obama

Dub Revolution explores the most innovative and sonically adventurous sub-genre of reggae: dub. Dub emerged in the early 1970s through the work of legendary producers like Lee 'Scratch' Perry, Prince Jammy, Scientist, Mad Professor, and in particular the late King Tubby, who was tragically murdered at a young age. Adopted by punks in London and later a crucial influence on underground dance music culture both there and in New York, the culture and legacy of dub still echoes and resonates today, reverberating from sound systems in Kingston and around the world. It's no exaggeration to say that without dub, there would be no hip-hop or house music.<BR><BR> ​The evolution of dub marks the birth of the remix and the emergence of the studio as an instrument in itself, a place where songs and their constituent parts could be pulled apart and re-shaped into wild new cosmic sounds. The history of dub is also inseparable from the often violent and troubled history of post-colonial Jamaica, gang culture and Kingston's relationship with Britain and the USA. David Katz's monumental and forensic history of a musical form that continues to astonish and sound like the future five decades after its inception stands as the authoritative book on a form that continues to fascinate generation after generation.

The most abstract, playful and confounding of reggae subgenres, dub is a vital component of sound system culture that has wielded disproportionate influence. Emerging as an underground phenomenon in Kingston during the early 1970s, dub was wrought by sonic alchemists such as King Tubby, Lee 'Scratch' Perry, Prince Jammy and Scientist, conjuring musical mutations at the mixing desk. Dub reached other lands through the Jamaican diaspora and as Lloyd 'Bullwackie' Barnes furthered the form in New York, Dennis Bovell, Mad Professor and Adrian Sherwood conjured their own dub masterworks in London, Jah Shaka and his acolytes subsequently helping dub to achieve global reach. Widely adopted by post-punk producers and later a crucial influence on the underground dance music scenes of several continents, dub indelibly changed the techniques and aesthetics of music production with far-reaching effects; it's no exaggeration to say that without dub, there would be no hip-hop or house music.Dub is made from studio trickery, its auteurs fashioning something new by subtraction rather than addition, reversing standard recording techniques. It is a music of absence and deception, a ghostly sonic doppelganger with bass primacy and torpedoed song structures, full of holes and unexpected twists. The evolution of dub marks the birth of the remix and the emergence of the studio as an instrument in itself, a place where songs can be pulled apart and given wild reshaping, rendering a disembodied new form that is often cosmic and typically jagged. Dub's progression is also inseparable from the troubled history of post-colonial Jamaica, blighted by caustic Cold War interventions, attendant gang culture and communal breakdowns. Through first-hand testimony with dub's most noteworthy creatives, David Katz's monumental forensic history of an astounding subgenre that sounds like the future five decades after its inception stands as the authoritative book on a musical art form that continues to fascinate, generation after generation.

'David Katz's in-depth portrayal of his genius is to be commended and is an essential addition to any serious music fan's collection' David Rodigan MBE OD'For the complete picture of this musical genius you can't get better than David Katz's People Funny Boy - if you're into Scratch, it's essential' Don LettsArguably the most influential force in Jamaican music, Lee Perry brought Bob Marley to international stardom and has since collaborated with artists such as Sir Paul McCartney, The Clash and The Beastie Boys. The book delves behind the myth of Perry to give a fuller examination of his life and work through extensive interviews with family members, fellow artists, friends, lovers, enemies, as well as the man himself to present a complex portrait of a unique soul driven by unseen spiritual forces. This revised and expanded edition has been thoroughly updated and completely overhauled to render a more nuanced, accurate and accessible read, with new information on Perry's later years, including his Grammy Award, cessation of herb smoking and final passing, as well as previously unpublished information about his early life, his unique relationship with Marley, and his fabled Black Ark studio.

A People Pick of the Week One of USA Today’s 5Books Not to MissOne of Forbes’ 5 Books toRead in DecemberA personal, intimate photographic celebration ofPresident Barack Obama, featuring over 200 rare and never-before seen imagesfrom the years prior to his presidency, from photographer, friend, and formeraide David Katz In 2004, David Katz worked alongside then Senate-hopefulBarack Obama as a photographer and personal aide. He spent approximately sixdays a week alongside the future president as Obama campaigned across downstateIllinois, and the two developed a close, professional, and personalrelationship. What began as a long-shot Senate run culminated with the electionof America’s first African American president in 2008, which Katz alsophotographed. During this time, David was never without his camera,capturing quotidian scenes from the life of a man who would soon become knownthe world over: a dad playing with his small daughters; a young unknownpolitician walking the streets of New York by himself with no one noticing; adevoted husband lovingly making faces at his wife in an elevator. In 2004,after seeing the unique and touching photographs David had amassed, Annie Leibovitzgave him some advice: “Don’t release these photos of Obama for at least fifteenyears. They need time to age.” Now, fifteen years later, Barack Before Obama is thetreasury of these photographs. Pulled from an archive of more than ninetythousand images, every photograph in this volume is like nothing that has beenseen before: the ease in which David captures the spirit and essence of one ofour most beloved first families is unparalleled, and it is in this affectionatefamiliarity that his photographs sing. Warm, engaging captions tell the storiesbehind the photos—the surprise meeting with Nelson Mandela, the back roomconversation before the rally, the emotion after sending one of the Obamas’daughters off to school—bringing readers closer than ever to the spirit andmotivation behind the extraordinary man who became our forty-fourth president.Barack Before Obama is a unique collection of images illustrating the making ofan American icon. A moving document of an historic moment, it’s the perfect giftfor all those who want to remember it.