Hypnotix: In tune with the pulse of the world beat Although it was born in Jamaica, reggae-music has its innermost origins in the cultural traditions of the "black continent", Africa. Despite its connections to home base and the "darkness" resulting from the present elements of Rastafarian philosophy, reggae has surprised the whole world with its ability to exist far away from home. Not only are there innumerable Jamaican musicians living and working all over the world, but many other artists from the Caribbean, Europe and the United States have dedicated themselves to this form of music. Germany, for example, is a powerhouse of dub which is a derivative form of reggae. This country`s economic power enables the development of small, independent cultural spheres. So it is no wonder that Hypnotix, a Prague-born band, mostly works west of its homecountry`s borders. This band started its career by making reggae-influenced music, and today is an ethno-dance formation good and universal enough to make it successful all over Europe. In the mid-eighties, reggae began inspiring the Czech music scene, and the most typical example of that was a Prague-based band called Babalet. The group, however, soon suffered through a struggle between two very different, almost opposing attitudes towards music. Some band members wanted to devote themselves to the jolly pop reggae while the others were moe more ambitious. The latter finally left Babalet and, in a garage/rehearsal room in Nusle, they