Volcanic Dub (M, 2001)

*GUEST REVIEW*
A mate of mine who reads Wire magazine is always talking about how much they enjoy listening to Twilight Circus.  Strangely, he never mentions Lee Perry, King Tubby, or any other producer or reggae artist.  Could this be due to the connection Ryan Moore has with The Legendary Pink Dots, Steve Barrow's enthusiasm, the quality of the packaging or the quality of the music?  Whatever the reason, it's nice that Twilight Circus may be helping a few more music fans enter the chamber of dub.  Ryan Moore produced, performed and mixed all the tracks on Volcanic Dub.  The music is effected dub that improves with repeated listens.  Despite the effects there are still tunes bubbling away close to the surface, some of which are funky.  Unlike an Adrian Sherwood dub, the tracks on this album could quite easily slot onto one of the many classic dub compilations without anyone noticing.  Volcanic Dub is a nice contrast to the bashment, ragga, dancehall, and dubtronica you may encounter in the record shops.

- ragudave

Foundation Rockers (M, 2003)

*GUEST REVIEW*
Ryan Moore has attracted some high status guests onto his latest album project. They include Big Youth, Luciano, Ranking Joe, and Brother Culture. The overall theme of the album is one of peace and forgiveness with Big Youth suggesting that war is not the answer; only love can set us free. Normally Twilight Circus albums are instrumental dub albums, but the addition of vocals increases the accessibility and quality of this LP. It's easy to be dismissive about the quality of modern roots and dub, but this album may just open your mind up. This interesting and fresh dub album deserves to be heard by a wide reggae audience. If Blood & Fire Records are still going in 20 years, let's hope they do a Twilight Circus compilation.

- ragudave

Dub From the Secret Vaults (ROIR, 2004)

*GUEST REVIEW*
What have Robert Pollard, Mike Patton, John Zorn, Kid 606, and Merzbow got in common?  Well, they rarely get mentioned in reggae reviews.  Additionally, they also appear to release practically everything they record solo and with collaborators.  Dub From the Secret Vaults is Ryan Moore's attempt to document the tracks that have been gathering dust on tapes, hard drives, and DATs around his studio.  The album title may remind you of second-rate dross disguised as rare lost dubs.  However, the beats on Secret Vaults are something different entirely.  They include twisted E2 E4 beats, trip-hop, a human heartbeat, global roots, and funky keyboards all doctored up to give that special Twilight Circus sound.  This is an atmospheric and experimental album that’s surprisingly accessible.  It would be easy to label this as just another dub album.  However, that would ignore the quality of this collection.

- ragudave 

Cultural Roots Showcase (M Records, 2006)

*GUEST REVIEW*
Ryan Moore, one time dubmeister, is slowly gaining a reputation for roots reggae. His latest album is a vocal showcase with contributions from Michael Rose, Admiral Tibbett, Ranking Joe, and Mikey General. This limited edition six tracker is one to be savoured. The instrumentation is spot on. It's tight and as distinctive as Sly and Robbie at times. Showcase is more uptempo and rockers than his previous releases. The directness and four vocalists gel well together. It's a pity that heavily promoted artists like Pama Internation don't have the quality and depth of production that Moore offers.

- ragudave

Cultural Roots Showcase (M Records, 2007)

*GUEST REVIEW*
In my opinion, there just aren't enough reggae albums inna showcase style -- that is, where the songs are extended mixes that go directly into their dub versions with no gap in between. It's a best-of-both-worlds approach to reggae, and the added "Cultural Roots" aspect noted by this CD's title makes for a prime example of the form. M Records, started a decade ago and presided over by multi-instrumentalist and producer Ryan Moore, has been a big boost to the re-invigoration of the roots. One need look no further than the artists represented here and the subjects they address to see that Mr. Moore is still championing the cause. The three selections by Ranking Joe find his nimble tongue-tripping consciously, Prince Alla urges repatriation from Babylon, Admiral Tibet and Mikey General testify to the need for strength and candor and Michael Rose continues his M Records high arc with the same militant might he brought to his Black Uhuru years. And the riddims? Well, they're lean but layered modern roots all the way. Moore handles many of the instruments himself and brings in the expertise of Sly Dunbar, Chinna Smith, Style Scott, Dean Fraser, Skully Sims and others for extra potency. Some of the bass lines could be weightier, and the final track ends in five minutes of unnecessary silence, but other than that, this one's a killer.

-Tom Orr