Xterminator Presents MLK Dub

his album's title is something of a mystery -- the cover design incorporates the phrase "free at last," so there's little doubt that "MLK" refers to Martin Luther King, Jr. However, nothing in the program has anything to do with Dr. King or even, really, civil rights issues in general. Be that as it may, this is still a fine collection of dub remixes from Philip "Fatis" Burrell's Xterminator label, most of them based on singles by Luciano, Sizzla and Cocoa Tea. Fatis himself is responsible for some of the most compelling "digital" reggae sounds to come out of Jamaica in the 1990s, and this compilation doesn't disappoint -- building on such excellent raw material as Luciao's "Wicked Haffi Run Way" and Cocoa Tea's "Repatriation," Fatis fashions dub mixes with a deep roots influence and a modern dancehall sheen. There are also fine contributions from a few other singers and deejays, notably Ras Shiloh and Fred Locks. ~ Rick Anderson|