On All Frequencies

The 2006 debut by Subatomic Sound System (which had been in existence as a record label and musical collective for several years) is a powerhouse exploration of reggae, dub, and hip hop sounds. It features an array of guest vocalists, but the real stars here are the dark, heavy grooves created by John Emch. On tracks like “Rise Up” and “Set the Drums Free” he layers percussion and keyboards in a way that creates real sonic density but leaves the grooves light and nimble, and elsewhere (as on “Doin’ It”) he creates old-school funk tracks that sound simultaneously new and ancient.