Tradition - Captain Ganja and the Space Patrol (2017)

Bokeh Versions light up a necessary reissue of Tradition’s long-lost outer-dub oddity Captain Ganja and The Space Patrol, pressing up a damn fine and deeply psychedelic reminder of North London’s contribution to the worldwide dub sphere c. 1980 - years before Scientist and Jammy battled the space invaders.

As a secretive and sought-after outlier in Tradition’s catalogue of lovers rock and dub aces, Captain Ganja and The Space Patrol represents the group’s most esoteric and experimental urges in full effect, springing dub’s mutable framework with a sample bank of crying babies, radiophonics and library soundtrack FX and then swirling the whole thing in Paul Thomson’s cosmic synths and keys.

From the red-eyed bachelor lounge vibes of of The Breathtaking Blast thru the lush recoil and tumble of Subaquatic Swerves and the pealing oddness of The Creepy Crawl to the bawling infants perfused around Rocket Repairs’ warbly melodica and decaying drums, it’s clear to hear how this album provides perfect context for Bokeh Versions’ previous releases, from the loose schematics of Seekersinterntional to the plasmic plong of Jay Glass Dubs, and even the label’s colourfully warped charisma on the whole.

It’s totally primed for a long, hot summer…

Tracklist:

01. Tradition - The Breathtaking Blast
02. Tradition - Subaquatic Swerves
03. Tradition - Alien Circus
04. Tradition - The Creepy Crawl
05. Tradition - Frenzied Friends and Fiends
06. Tradition - Morning on Mars
07. Tradition - Planet Play / Laser Games
08. Tradition - Rocket Repairs
09. Tradition - Escape and Return