Bass Videos
Latest Bass Music Video Finds: Reggae and Dub Bass Part II: Bass Videos With Mark von Bergen
Meet Mark von Bergen –
Part II of our series on great reggae bassists focuses on dub music. Dub was pioneered in the early 1970s in Jamaica by studio engineers and producers such as King Tubby, Lee “Scratch” Perry, and Errol T. Thompson. Today, elements of dub have found their way into hip hop, techno, house, jungle, ambient, and trip-hop, and form an important part of the remix culture of today’s pop music. For an excellent treatment of this area, read Michael Veal’s “Dub: Soundscapes & Shattered Songs in Jamaican Reggae” (Wesleyan University Press, 2007).
Since dub music traditionally involved the isolation of bass and drums on vocal reggae songs, important reggae bassists – including those featured in the last installment – have been featured prominently in dub music, most notably perhaps Robbie Shakespeare.
We will focus here on bassists who are important figures in what can be referred to as “designer dub” – music that is conceived as dub in the first instance instead of as a “version” of a recorded song. The most important producers of this style of dub include Adrian Sherwood, Neil (the “Mad Professor”) Fraser, and Dennis Bovell, all from Britain, and Bill Laswell from the United States. Among the bassists who are major figures in this genre are Bovell, Laswell, and Jah Wobble (also from Britain).
Dennis Bovell
Multi-instrumentalist Dennis “Blackbeard” Bovell backed touring Jamaican artists on their visits to London in the 1970s. He later formed the Dub Band, which backed dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson, and has worked with artists as diverse as the Slits, the Thompson Twins, and Fela Kuti. He is best known for his work in reggae and his pioneering dub albums. Here is short clip of Bovell performing with the Dub Band at the Boss Sounds Reggae Festival in Newcastle in November 2006.
Bill Laswell
Bassist Bill Laswell’s major commercial breakthrough came in 1983 on Herbie Hancock’s electro-funk-jazz hit, “Rockit.” Many of his projects since then have been heavily dub-influenced, from his controversial “Dreams of Freedom,” an ambient dub remix of Bob Marley songs, to many “designer dub” projects under his own name. Laswell is shown here with one of the many incarnations of his group Material at Tokyo Jazz in 2005.
Jah Wobble
Jah Wobble, formerly of Public Image Limited, today owns and operates his own record company, appropriately named 30 Hertz Records, and recently has released projects such as Molam Dub and Chinese Dub, in which he has combined the music of Thailand and China with dub reggae with critically acclaimed results. His main axe is an Ovation electric four-string, year unknown, so gearheads be forewarned. Here, Jah Wobble performs with his group Invaders of the Heart in 1998; Wobble’s bass starts at around 3:30, but don’t skip the percussion extravaganza that leads up to that point.
This month, we discuss right-hand techniques to minimize injury while playing bass.
Dr. Randall Kertz is the author of The Bassist’s Complete Guide to Injury Management, Prevention and Better Health. Click here to get your copy today!
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Adam Russell, bassist for Story of the Year, hasn’t slowed down for a second.
With the band’s latest album A.R.S.O.N. dropping on February 13, 2026, they’ve not only delivered new music but also pushed their creativity further through a series of visually striking videos, several of which Adam himself co-directed and edited.
In this interview, we dive into the making of the new record, explore how Adam shapes his signature bass sound, and get the inside scoop on the band’s upcoming Camp Screamo Tour with Silverstein and Origami Angel.
Here’s Adam Russell.
Photo: Ryan Stephens
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Get ready for a conversation with one of Southern rock’s enduring forces, Tim Neilsen. For over 35 years, Drivin N Cryin has been delivering a powerful blend of grit, melody, and heart, and they’re not slowing down anytime soon. With their brand-new album “Crushing Flowers” set to drop on April 10th, the band is gearing up for another exciting chapter.
At the core of that signature sound is bassist Tim Nielsen, whose driving grooves have helped define the band’s identity and earned them a place in the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.
In this interview, we sit down with Tim to talk about the new album, the secrets behind his unmistakable tone, and what lies ahead for Drivin N Cryin.
Here is Tim Nielsen.
Photos: Chris Neilsen, Carlton Freeman, Ted Lanthangue, and courtesy Tim Neilsen
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Oteil Burbridge & Lamar Williams Jr. Champion Love Over Hate in New Single “Hush” | New Album ‘The Offering’ Out May 1.
Bassist Oteil Burbridge and vocalist Lamar Williams Jr. continue the rollout of their forthcoming collaborative album The Offering, with the release of its second single, “Hush”. A slow-burning Southern soul meditation rooted in love, peace, and emotional clarity, the track is a centerpiece on the album with a potent, thematic statement, in Williams’ words to “block out all of that nonsense” and “remember that there is more love in the world than hate.” The full-length album arrives May 1 via Flóki Studios, recorded on Iceland’s northern coast and produced by drummer, engineer, and Soulive co-founder Alan Evans.
While much of The Offering grew out of Burbridge’s banjo-based writing, “Hush” emerged from he and Williams’ shaping a deliberate sonic vision. Burbridge says they were “trying to capture a more old school Memphis, Macon, Muscle Shoals vibe,” leaning into a Southern soul feel that fits Williams’s phrasing. The end result is a song that is unhurried with a deep pocket that allows the groove and the song’s message breathe and stand at the forefront.
The album features an all-star lineup of drummer John Morgan Kimock, percussionist Weedie Braimah, organist Melvin Seals of the Jerry Garcia Band, pianist and violinist Jason Crosby, guitarists Tom Guarna and Jaden Lehman — musicians whose overlapping histories connect the Allman Brothers Band, Dead & Company, the Jerry Garcia Band, Soulive, and West African percussion traditions.
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When I heard that American Vanity, formerly known as Burn the Jukebox, was gearing up to release a new album this summer, it felt like the perfect moment to catch up with bassist and vocalist Virginia Franks.
With a fresh name unveiled just this past January and a clear shift in musical direction, the band is entering an exciting new chapter, one defined by both sonic evolution and a deeper, more focused message.
In this conversation, Virginia opens up about the inspiration behind the upcoming record, how she crafts her distinctive bass tone, what fans can expect from their upcoming tour, and where she sees both herself and the band heading next.
Join me as we dive into it all.
Here is Virginia Franks.
Photo, Devin Kasparian
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