Scientist Interview — Dub Reggae Legend on King Tubby, Jamaica & Recording at Channel One (Playback)

In this bonus episode of Playback, we sit down with legendary Jamaican recording engineer and producer Scientist (Hopeton Overton Brown) for a longform conversation about his life, career, and the evolution of dub. A protégé of King Tubby, Scientist rose to fame in the late 1970s and ’80s by pushing the mixing console to its outer limits, helping define the sound of modern dub reggae.  We talk about his early days in King Tubby’s studio in Kingston, learning electronics, winding transformer coils, and getting his first shot at the mixing board; his time at Channel One and Tuff Gong; the classic dub albums and riddims he worked on; and what it meant to turn engineering into an art form.  Throughout the interview, Scientist shares personal stories about King Tubby (Osbourne Ruddock), the sound system era, Roots Radics sessions, producers like Henry “Junjo” Lawes, and how dub techniques shaped reggae, dancehall and beyond.  👉 This is an abridged version of our full conversation. The FULL unedited interview (over an hour longer) is available on Patreon as a standalone purchase or at the $5+ tier. In this interview we discuss: • Scientist’s upbringing in Kingston and how he got into electronics and studio work • Getting his name “Scientist” from King Tubby and Bunny Lee because of his technical ideas at the console  • Stories from Tubby’s studio and the early dub days • Mixing at Channel One, working with Roots Radics and key producers • How dub techniques influenced modern music far beyond reggae  • His philosophy on sound, low end, space, and the role of the engineer 🎧 Watch more Playback episodes (reggae, dub & album deep dives): Playlist:    • Playback Podcast – Album Deep Dives & Long...   📌 Full unedited Scientist interview on Patreon:   / full-unedited-135120412   📌 Follow & support Playback: • Patreon – bonus content, ad-free episodes & early access • Instagram – clips, studio shots & behind-the-scenes This episode is for fans of Scientist, King Tubby, dub reggae, roots reggae, sound system culture, Jamaican recording history, and longform music interviews. #Scientist #KingTubby #DubReggae #ReggaePodcast #MusicPodcast