Rob’s Album Of The Week: Satori vs. Dr. Echo’s Dub Defender Sessions

Whether you want to call it reggae, dub or ska, it all comes from the same elements. There are mellow rhythms with profound horns accented by numerous instances of reverb and feedback to create a psychedelic vibe. Overall, it’s relaxing music that can put the senses at ease. Doesn’t that seem like something we could all use these days? Multi-instrumentalist Steven Jess Borth III, under the moniker Satori, teamed up with live sound engineer Justin DeHart, also known as Dr. Echo, to curate a record that brings out the best in this particular style. It’s called Dub Defender Sessions and it’s being released on May 22 via the New Zealand based label Anicca Records.

Fans of the Orange County experimental punk act RX Bandits might recognize Borth from being a part of the band’s horn section along with handling the percussion and keys during the mid-2000s. It makes sense that he started this dub side project in 2005 due to RX Bandits’ early ska influences. This record with Dr. Echo has an ensemble cast of musicians involved with a different group performing in each song. It’s a refreshing approach and there’s an assortment of sounds that aren’t replicated. Each track has it’s own special quality while the album itself maintains a steady amount of brilliance.