Ticklah vs. Axelrod (Easy Star, 2007)

You might not recognize the name Victor "Ticklah" Axelrod, but modern dub fans may have heard his musical touch on the popular Dub Side of the Moon as a founding member of the Easy Star All-Stars or on the excellent rootsy dub showcase Roots Combination. The concept behind Ticklah vs. Axelrod is that Victor Axelrod the keyboardist (Dr. Jekyll, as it were) and Ticklah the experimental dubmaster (Mr. Hyde) have converged to deliver a potent musical concoction. It's thus basically split down the middle: half dub and half vocal tracks, although vocal tracks like "Want Not" have echoing, dubby effects, and dubs like "Queen Dub" include vocal snippets in the mix. So, in the end, it's hard to differentiate one side of Ticklah/Axelrod from the other, but I'd stop short of calling the set-up pointless; it at least sounds cool. As far as the product goes, despite the groovy chill-out "Want Not," Ticklah vs. Axelrod struggles to build up steam, with the two most generic dubs on the album -- "Two Face" and "Scratch to Win" -- so early on, and when followed by the straight salsa remake "Mis Sonsito," I fear that regae fans might start to tune out. If so, they'll miss the meat of the album, though. While Mikey General's "Rescue Me" doesn't exactly "rescue" the album, it sets it on the right course, where Rob Symeonn's vibrant vegetarianism anthem "Pork Eater" picks it up, and the best instrumental, "Nature Loving Dub," piles on with its crisp drum and fierce bass line. The horn-fueled dub "Descent" follows in fine style, while "Si Hecho Palante" impressively warps a salsa classic into a slinky reggae number, and "Answer Me" streams a dreamy melodica (with a touch of vocal harmony) that would make Augustus Pablo proud. Ticklah vs. Axelrod is a nice combination of classic dub and roots with a modern, ecclectic streak, but apart from "Pork Eater," nothing dazzles like the powerful Roots Combination set.