arkology: fire dub / education dub

Arkology - standing for the science of the ark, was formed by Skorpi Gad I and Zanga – two like minded dance hall regulars. Right at the start of UK hip-hop - an emerging wave and sound of the youth, Arkology were pushed by young rappers from the area to produce them. This resulted in the launch of Positive Beats records in 1987. In contrast to hip-hop from the US which started to become more commercialised at that time, in the UK it took a different stance of awareness and consciousness, forming under direct influences of calypso and reggae music. It was rooted in sound system culture and Arkology was there at the beginning of this emergence. By experimenting with hip-hop and reggae, and through diverse collaborations with artists from the neighbourhood, their style was found within a strong community. Having met at Jah Shaka’s dance halls, they worked with the mastermind dub engineer Aba Shanti I, who was very supportive of young ‘street level’ passionates and played a big role in their development. Arkology started working closely with Aba Shanti, who mastered many of their early productions, and mixed their debut album The Blueprint in 1994. On ACTR002, two tracks resurface into a new context, sounding as relevant as they did during the time they were produced. Fire Dub is what a perfect union of hip-hop and reggae sounds like, accompanied by a shattering bassline. The B side Education Dub, carries the timeless message onto the streets of today, in a more percussive and digital style.