If you were to ask 10 of your closest friends to name their five favorite bands of all time, without a doubt you would hear the Police over and over again. At the prime of their career in the ’70s and ’80s, the Police created a huge sonic assault on the post-punk movement by fusing a strong reggae element into their sound. To date, over 40 million Police albums have been sold, which wholly confirms the band’s test of time. With such worldwide success, and such a signature sound, there was no doubt that, at some time, someone was going to present a proper re-make album, tuned to the tone of dub.

Roxanne by Eased with Seed

The folks behind the Dubxanne project are those of a band called Okada, the backing band for Zoe, Maxim and Don Abi to name just a few. Producing tracks for Bootsy Collins, Jazz’min, Big Youth and the Beat, these musicians are as familiar with studio trickery as they are with their own instruments. Utilizing the smoothest of styles, rich synth work and plenty of tape delay goodness, the Dubxanne project has taken 13 original Police jams and reworked them into majestic, irie splendor. With the approval of EMI Recordings, the Police and Sting himself, this release has passed the ultimate test of authenticity. Some of the tunes that have been re-rubbed to perfection are, “Roxanne (Dubxanne),” “Walking On The Moon (Walking On The Dub),” “Message In A Bottle (Message In A Dub),” “Reggatta De Blanc (Reggatta De Dub)” and “Bring On The Night (Bring On The Dub).” With over two years of recording, remixing and license negotiations, this brilliant piece of art is finally here, and shall remain as influential as the original recordings have always been. (Praxis)