Jah Wobble

Born John Joseph Wardle in Stepney, East London, Jah Wobble emerged in the late 1970s with a bass approach heavily influenced by dub, repetitive motifs and rhythmic space, first as a member of Public Image Ltd alongside John Lydon. His playing contributed significantly to the band's post‑punk identity in PiL's early years, before his departure around 1980 and the release of his first solo album, The Legend Lives On... Jah Wobble in "Betrayal" in 1980. He then developed a personal path combining dub, post‑punk, experimental music, electronics and influences from Africa, Asia and the Middle East, often working with the ensemble Invaders of the Heart. Milestones of this trajectory include Full Circle with Holger Czukay and Jaki Liebezeit (1984), Rising Above Bedlam (1991), Take Me to God (1994), Spinner with Brian Eno (1995) and Chinese Dub (2008) with Zi Lan Liao. Since the 1990s Jah Wobble has multiplied projects on stage and in the studio—group formats, occasional collaborations and releases on his own label—while retaining a sound centered on bass, dub pulse and cross‑cultural musical intersections.