Zentone: The Evolution of French Dub Music

Zentone represents the collaborative spirit of two foundational groups in French dub music: Zenzile and High Tone. Emerging from a shared passion for the genre’s origins in Jamaica, its subsequent evolution in England, and its flourishing within the French music scene of the 1990s, Zentone embodies a unique musical identity. A recent encounter with these “popes of French dub” backstage at a Paris concert on February 7, 2025, revealed insights into their latest record, Messenger, and the enduring legacy of their collective.

The Roots of French Dub

Dub music, born in Kingston, Jamaica, in the 1970s, is characterized by its remixing of reggae recordings through the innovative apply of effects. This art form resonated deeply with French musicians in the 1990s, inspiring the creation of numerous groups. Fabrice Oresta, known as Fabasstone and bassist for High Tone, explains the early influence: “Dub has always been an underground style, a music carried by people from the ghetto in Jamaica, but also by relatively poor people in England. This is how we, at 14, 15 years old, discovered the first vinyls of King Tubby, of Lee Scratch Perry, of all the sounds of Jamaican sound systems.”

Zenzile and High Tone: A Collective Vision

Beyond its musical characteristics, French dub fostered a desire for instrumental music and a pursuit of collective trance. Erik “Raggy” Sevret, saxophonist and member of Zenzile, notes: “There was also a desire for instrumental music and a search for trance, collective trance. Originally, we, like High Tone, when we played, the songs weren’t written, we played for a long time. And the attitude was quite demanding, we were defending left-wing values!” This shared ethos led to the formation of Zentone in 2006, a merger of Zenzile and High Tone.

African Influences and Oral Tradition

The roots of dub extend beyond Jamaica, tracing back to Africa. Raggy explains, “In Jamaica, there were maroons, descendants of the continent, who escaped as soon as they arrived on the island, so who were able to keep their African identities, in particular their drums and their ways of singing.” Fabasstone adds, “In Africa, there is oral transmission and the art of griots. And we find in sound systems in Jamaica people who take microphones to improvise on the music and that clearly comes from Africa.”

Continuing the Legacy with Messenger

As established figures in the dub scene, Zentone continues to explore latest sonic territories while remaining open to collaboration. The collective embraces a tradition akin to Jamaican griots, welcoming new voices and perspectives, such as Jolly Joseph, who emphasizes the activist potential of dub: “The most stunning songs will remain love songs, but music, dub, is another way of uniting people who come to dance and passing messages. Art creates society, creates civilization and creates living together.” After two decades, Zentone remains dedicated to its artistic quest, its social commentary, and its commitment to expanding the boundaries of dub music, continually seeking freedom through sound.

Zentone Albums

Zentone released their album Zentone on January 1, 2006. The album tracklist includes:

• The Source
• Zentown
• Crash Test
• Dub Invaders
• Organ Gift
• Pulse Weed
• Breathe
• Deeper

The album is available for streaming and download on Bandcamp.

You can also find the album on YouTube and YouTube.