Hip-Hop News

Collection of all the instrumental versions of BMD-2. An essential dub album !

• 180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL
• LIMITED EDITION OF 750 INDIVIDUALLY NUMBERED COPIES ON ORANGE COLOURED VINYL

John Holt was known as a member of The Paragons, before establishing himself as a solo artist. Like a Bolt adds up to all the singer’s output with Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle label. When this album was first released in 1973, John Holt was already a veteran in the Jamaican music scene. John wrote most of the songs himself, a different approach from the covers he recorded before. It features a lot of his best work from the early years. His classic voice is backed by a musical landscape full of melodies and rhythms. Like a Bolt is a true gem of original reggae.

Like a Bolt is available as a limited edition of 750 individually numbered copies on orange coloured vinyl.

This 40th Anniversary 7” collection has been curated by Jerry Dammers, selecting his favourite 12 singles released on the label between 1979 and 1984. Presented with their original sleeve designs in a bespoke 1960’s style carry case along with a Two Tone 7” slipmat and an art card signed by Jerry Dammers.

On this new 7" on All Nations Records, French undercover talent William Stepper teams up with veteran DJ Little R to deliver a powerful message on refugees struggling to reach safer shore. “No Place On The Boat” gets an even more meanings through the deep riddim of Simon Nyabinghi. The devastating dub mix on the flip of this single makes it a people’s favourite since its first play a couple of years back as a dubplate.

Barry Issac- Herb Street / Chazbo - Herb Melodica / Dave Crispy Horns - Herb Horns / Herb Street Dub

Rising High LP is a debut album of Bristol's own Tubby Isiah - brand new project launched by Jevon Ives (De-Tu) & his dad Jason Ives.

Liam Bailey comes out swinging with "White Light," an instant-classic, dancefloor filler. The rough and tough drum break intro catches you from the first beat before the track gives way to an infectious and uplifting reggae-dis- co number. Liam's instantly recognizable voice showers his muse with praise over deep round bass lines and a four on the floor beat. The combination of Leon Michels' crushing production and Bailey's lyrics like "You love yourself, you're so exciting, like no one else"... is sure to make this a staple in dj sets around the globe. The B side "Cold & Clear" is a proper lighters in the air, slap the wall, top ranking tune. The track struts in the door with a natural and undeniable confidence. Liam weaves a heavy metacognitive story over the one drop drums, perfect basslines, and organ stabs that will have people stepping in rhythm. The lo-fi production weaves elements from the finest early rocksteady era with touches from the late 70s / early 80s digital era and takes the entire vibe into the present with unorthodox arrangements and vocal treatments. Bailey has a tune here that will hold up next to the classics in the dancehalls from the yards of Jamaica to the discotheques in his homeland of England. Also Available From Liam Bailey: Champion / Please Love Me Again 7”

Recorded and produced in the late seventies with Lee Perry, the album which Congolese artists Seskain Molenga and Kalo Kawongolo recorded together is one of the most mysterious projects to surface from the Black Ark Studio during the late 1970s. Its also one of the most misrepresented of Perry’s productions, with myriad explanations for its existence falling far short of what actually happened.

The intention of the original band, formed in France by the producer Bernadette Duget and composed of a mixture of Congolese, Senegalese and French musicians, was to head to Jamaica to record a rock album with African undercurrents in Lee Perry's Black Ark studio. However, in Jamaica things didn't go according to plan and the project turned out to be a failure. The Congolese duo Seskain Molenga and Kalo Kawongolo continued working with Lee 'Scratch' Perry and this collaboration would eventually bear an unexpected reggae fruit. These recordings were originally released on LP in 1979 and re-released in 1991, yet the vinyl album remains highly sought-after .

Now finally re-issued with extensive liner notes by the American journalist, author and reggae aficionado David Katz sheds more concerted light on the complex tale that lies behind the work. Most notably thanks to the emergence of new eyewitness accounts such as Seskain Molenga, Wasis Diop and Lee Perry.

The debut album by Seskain Molenga and Kalo Kawongolo remains a unique slice of musical ingenuity, an intoxicating sonic storm that resulted from their temporary presence at the magical space of the Black Ark. Tribal grooves coagulate in a thick swirl beneath trademark Black Ark bass lines. The two cultures connect in electrifying ways, while the reggae beat thrives in a more ancient setting. The songs are sung with gusto in Lingala and there’s an exuberant spirit to proceedings. This record is a document to what happens when fate intervenes and fetches victory from the clutches of defeat. There is blood and there is fire.’

Until Now, All Is Well is the latest track to be shared by The Nix, a loose collection of uniquely talented musicians corralled together by Nick McCarthy (ex Franz Ferdinand) and Seb Kellig around their Sausage Studio in east London.

Based around the original composition ‘Warm Canto’ by Mal Waldron, the track features founding member of the avant-pop band Stereolab Laetitia Sadier.

Out on Moshi Moshi Records, Seb of The Nix said about the making of the track:

A night at Sausage Studios and nothing falls into place...we talk, we laugh, we mess about. But the 'record' button remains un-hit.
Time is not on our side, we need inspiration, and we know where to find it:
We saddle our bikes and ride into the mild London night. Down to Homerton, along the Canal, passing Springfield, we end up in Tottenham.

The mighty Jah Shaka tears the place apart. Low ceilings, the place is filled with smoke and bass. One love, unity, another version....the mids, the tweeters - in perfect harmony. Familiar riddims, unknown dubs. Shaka on the wire.

We get back to Sausage as the sun rises. Our senses are numb. We can't hear, don't want to see, how good it feels not to be guided by ears but by the heart. We close the curtains and plug in.

Demon Records presents three new reissues from the cool ruler of Reggae, Gregory Isaacs.

Often described as the ‘ultimate rude boy Reggae star’, Gregory Isaacs recorded some of the greatest Reggae albums of all time and became known for his iconic, laidback vocal style.

‘I Am Gregory’ was first released in 1993 on Jet Star’s Charm label and was co-produced with Gregory’s wife June. Highlights include ‘Goosie Gander’, ‘Mommy Doesn’t Understand’ and a cover of Bob Marley’s ‘I Am Still Waiting’.

Demon Records is proud to present the first vinyl reissue of ‘Work Up A Sweat’, pressed on 140g black vinyl and featuring a printed inner sleeve.

This is a Dubquake Sign Series #1

2 dirty steppers for a pure dark electro dub banging sound !

A collaboration between dub producer Manasseh and virtuoso violin-viola player Praise, this is the culmination of their work together over the last ten years and follows the 2011 single 'Matter of Struggle'. An audiographic blend of classical and reggae music, the unique result of the artists' backgrounds, creates a heavy rhythm that carries many layers of feeling and reflects the calm within the chaos of city living.

The multi talented 'Nathan 'Flutebox' Lee' joins Manasseh & Praise on 'Nathan The Prophet' his majestic flute lines cascading through the echo chamber on 'dub the Prophet'.

After featuring on Prince Fatty's 'In The Viper's Shadow' album last year, Shniece has played a key role in Fatty's productions ever since. They have covered Kraftwerk's 'The Model,' Tom Browne's 'Funkin' For Jamaica' and also worked together on Shniece's highly acclaimed debut EP 'Disco Deception.'

A real journey of a record, "Black Rabbit" features 60s mind bending guitar, trippy samples from a public service broadcast on drugs, plenty of delay and reverb with a heavy pounding hypnotic backbeat. With Shniece's vocals taking on the melody, this is euphoric dub at its finest. On creating the record, Prince Fatty added: "A tough arrangement is always good in the studio and risks tend to bring dub rewards. Reborn as Black Rabbit in a down tempo twist featuring
the immaculate Shniece McMenamin on vocals."

Between them, Prince Fatty and Shniece McMenamin have worked alongside some of music's most respected names. Their collaborative efforts span from Blur's Graham Coxon to Lily Allen, Hollie Cook, The Last Poets, The Skints and Mungo's Hi-Fi. They've also received heavy radio support from David Rodigan, Craig Charles and Don Letts to name a few. It's becoming more and more apparent that this duo has an inimitable energy that shines through on every single release.

Devon Russell originally recorded his sublime version of the Curtis Mayfield club anthem back in 1984 ultilising his own falsetto vocals to a fantastic soul reggae rendition . Years later in 1993 he subsequently record a whole album of Curtis Mayfield versions for the Darker Than Blue album from which his lesser known version of 'Give Me Your Love' is taken from. Both tracks here are lovingly remastered for this special Mukatsuku dinked 45 .

12" EP, Official Reissue, Remastered
Two early digi-reggae super rare masterpieces by Arnold Brackenridge, made available again, now on 12" format, remastered and restored from the artist's master tapes.

With the help of Lisbon friend "Dedy Dread", Matasuna Records has managed to reissue two outstanding songs from the debut album of Angolan musician "Chalo Correia" on a hot & fiery 7inch. Although the album was originally released in 2015, only a handful of people outside Portugal were lucky enough to get their hands on one of the coveted copies. This is unfortunate, as Correias music uniquely combines traditional Angolan styles with new melodies, creating a intoxicating & exotic mix. For this release the tracks were remastered and the title track was even completely mixed again to achieve the best possible sound.

"Chalo Correia" is a talented singer and songwriter born in 1968 in "Luanda", the capital of "Angola". He grow up in the most intense and blazing musical period of Angola - the 70s. In a time when musician fought for independence, reinventing the Angolan sound in order to re-establish their identity. In his late youth, Chalo met musicians from revolutionary bands like Os Merengues and Os Kiezos, who would influence his future music.

In the early 90s Chalo moved to Portugal, where he practiced guitar and harmonica. Far away from his country, music was the only way to connect with his roots and so he started to create original songs based on traditional & urban music styles of Angola and on early childhood memories. During the last 20 years his music went through a long process of maturation, which resulted in the recording of his debut album "Kudihohola" in 2015. In 2016, this album was nominated as one of the best popular music album at the Angolan Music Awards.

Chalo is a very versatile musician: you can find him with his explosive 5-piece band at concerts in Europe, Brazil and Africa, prestigious world music festivals, or mixing a Portuguese guitar from the traditional Fado with Angolan music in his trio. But you can also meet him at a tireless one-man show, where he plays traditional Angolan guitar chords, handled by syncopated and percussive complex rhythms like Semba - the precursor of Brazilian Samba - among other traditional urban Angolan styles like Massemba, Kilapanga, Rumba, Kazucuta, Kabetula and RebitQa. His vigorous voice sings about the Angolan daily life stored in Chalo's childhood memories, combined with his life experience as an Angolan immigrant in Lisbon. The harmonica joins his instrumental compositions with energetic melodies that fit perfectly with his new music, combining an old, festive flavored style with a contemporary way of songwriting.

The A-side of the single starts with the title song "Kudiholola". Kuhohola (correct term in the Quimbundu language of Angola is Kudiholola) which means to heal from a hangover, but where Chalo Correia, takes the title as a restart and a return to the traditions and roots that had been stuck in the past. The melody is embedded in the Angolan Kazukuta style that manages to give life and brilliance to this instrumental where the harmonica fills the contours of the music. Kudihohola is an imaginary microcosm of Angolanity in terms of culture in general, but also the image of interpersonal relationships.

"Chercher Crioula" on the B-side, sung in "Quimbundo" and the choirs in "French", reports an incessant search for a love that insists on not appearing. This search is not limited to one country or continent but to many places in the world, which makes the author adapt to the places, as time prolongs that same search.

First record work of the Valencian Ska Jazz band «Jamaican Jazz Lovers» feat. Payoh SoulRebel & Alberto Tarin led by trombonist Jonas Sánchez (New York Ska, Skatalites, Mediterranean Roots) consists of 6 tracks, 3 vocals and 3 instrumentals, edited by Newentun Resistance & Solidarity (Valencia) and pressed by Krakatoa Records (Castellon)

Havazelet's story is both fascinating and mysterious. She was born in Aden, Yemen, in 1936 as Havazelet Damari, she immigrated to Israel when she was 8 years old and grew up in the disadvantaged Ezra neighborhood, in south Tel Aviv. Havazelet discovered her love for singing when she was a teen, when she would sing at feasts and family events. At one of these events she was discovered by an impresario who decided to take her under his wing.

He asked her to change her family name from Damari to Ron, as there was already a young singer called Shoshana Damari in Israel, who was becoming quite popular. In March 1960 Havazelet Ron's only Israeli album, "The Music of the Desert" was released, produced by the "Makolit" label, featuring Yemenite folk songs. Both songs on this 7" are from that album. The identity of the promoter, the album's recording date and location, and the identity of the musicians, could not be found.The album was ahead of it's time in that it introduced an innovative sound, comprised of drums, electric guitar and an organ, making it one of the first albums in Israel to record this type of composition.

... However, it confused the Israeli audience of the time: The vocals were in Yemeni-Arabic, preventing it from being played on the radio, which mainly played Hebrew music, moreover, it was too innovative and far from traditional music for the Yemenite scene. The album fell between the cracks and her big breakthrough to mainstream did not happen.

Following the album's failure, Havazelet left Israel in 1963 and went to Germany, where she performed in festivals, TV shows and recorded several more albums. All of this was made possible by her unique singing talent in five languages - Hebrew, Yemeni-Arabic, German, English and Yiddish, her impressive appearance and remarkable stage charisma. The European audience enjoyed the original music she produced and her Yemenite-style cover versions of Hebrew songs.

In 1968 Havazelet married and a year later retired from the music scene. In 1980 she returned to Israel but she left again four years later, this time to Los Angeles, where she worked as a kindergarten teacher. Havazelet Ron passed away in Los Angeles, in 2013, after a long battle with cancer. In Israel, her name is almost unknown among music lovers in general and among record collectors in particular.

On this limited edition 7” production heavyweight Prince Fatty puts his own unique signature stamp on Kraftwerk’s 1978 electro masterclass ‘The Model,’ with a helping hand from vocalist Shniece McMenamin and Drummer / MC Horseman. Includes a killer dub remix on the flip. Renowned for his collaborations with reggae and dub royalty, Prince Fatty’s reworking of ‘The Model’ maintains the essence of the original but with a smooth rock-steady twist. Replicating the famous synth melody on a rumbling bass groove, the foundations are laid for Shniece McMenamin’s impeccable vocal performance and Horseman’s experimental percussive rolls to flourish.

With infectious rhythm, the song moves effortlessly from start to finish and takes you on a euphoric journey of musical heritage.
On producing the track Prince Fatty added: “This one always takes people by surprise, The Model by Kraftwerk is a under cover roots rockers classic - Synthesiser melodies and echoes blend as one in sound system harmony with a sweet lovers rock vocal by Shniece and MC Horseman’s signature Rub a Dub Style - enjoy!”

Prince Fatty recently worked alongside Shniece McMenamin and Horseman in his latest album, ‘In The Viper’s Shadow,’ a 10-track masterclass of dub delights that featured a whole host of global talent including Cornell Campbell, Tippa Irie, Big Youth, George Dekker, Earl 16, Winston Francis and Marcia Griffiths. Working alongside some of music’s most respected names is now something of the norm. His collaborative efforts span from Blur’s Graham Coxon to Lily Allen, Hollie Cook, The Skints and Mungo’s Hi-Fi. Prince Fatty’s ever-growing reputation as one of the go-to producers of modern times is being recognised on a global scale and his new single ‘The Model’ is no exception.

A collection of contemporary reggae, dub and electronica, which marks a broadening of musical horizons for the label beyond reissues of lost African guitar dance music. The LP covers a range of Jamaican inspired sounds, including roots reggae, dancehall, dub and jungle, which may act as a taster for potential future releases.

Due for release in July 2019. Interest for airplay from Tom Ravenscroft and Gideon Coe from BBC 6 Music. Steve Barker plans to review for The Wire magazine

Steppas Records is back with another heavyweight single in collaboration with Dubzoic, Alpha & Omega and Fikir Amlak.

The earth-rocker sounds of Italian producer, Dubzoic, alongside A&O's mystical foundation style, blend with Caribbean/American singer Fikir Amlak's ethereal and enchanting lyrical and vocal talents to deliver a stand-out Soundsystem single.

This release features Dubzoic and Fikir's original vocal edit, with a mystical flute cut plus two incredible mixes from UK dub pioneers Alpha & Omega (Greensleeves, Steppas Records).

Until now played as an exclusive dubplate, Steppas Records is excited to unleash this tune to the world, beautifully mastered and pressed to limited edition vinyl.

holds vocal versions of the See Mi Yah riddim series w/ Sugar Minott, Willi Williams a.o.

Black Ark In Dub is another piece of Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry’s limitless musical puzzle.

Featuring a bedrock of deep and heavy rhythms recorded at the Black Ark just before its demise, Black Ark In Dub features bass heavy spooky dub deconstructions of ‘Jah Love Is Sweeter’, ‘Ethiopia’, ‘Lion A De Winner’, ‘Open The Gate’, ‘Guideline,’ and ‘Mr Money Man’, along with an embellished dub version of Ras Keatus I ‘Dreadlocks I’ and the much sought after ‘Guidance’ a longime Jah Shaka killer exclusive to this set.

Originally released in 1981 the hard to find Black Ark In Dub remains a frozen sonic timepiece, captured at the beginning of the end of one era and poised at the start of another.

Death Is Not The End digs deep to pull out some raw Sufi-Flamenco recordings from 1962, courtesy of the late Aziz Balouch.

Aziz Balouch moved to the Iberian Peninsula from modern-day Pakistan in 1932 in search of work and music. After a childhood spent studying Islamic mysticism and devotional songs in the Sufi shrines of his native Sindh he soon fell in love with the 'deep song' of flamenco and was taken in as an apprentice to the great heterodox cantaor Pepe Marchena after a chance encounter. He dedicated the rest of his life to flamenco and developed an elaborate theory of the South Asian and Sufi origins of the art which he propagated through live performances and publications in London, Spain and Pakistan.

Decades before the arrival of the academic discipline of ethnomusicology or the invention of 'fusion' Aziz Balouch painstakingly immersed himself into a completely different musical tradition seeking connections and drawing inspiration to create a unique performance style which has tragically remained hidden and ignored. These 4 tracks are taken from Aziz Balouch's only surviving recording, an EP released in Spain in 1962. On each track Balouch draws on his polyglottism to seamlessly merge Sufi poetry in Persian, Sindhi, Hindi and Arabic with various forms of Andalusian song in Spanish. Accompanied by a single guitar his voice pushes through into the profound depths of human experience to excavate the shared past of flamenco which had been submerged beneath the surface.

Blowing in like a cool breeze on a sultry Caribbean evening, LA reggae veterans the Lions drop by Names You Can Trust with a perfectly timed sentimental summer blast. Lovingly taken for another dance by the west coast crew, the Derrick Harriott 1967 rock steady classic "The Loser" is canon, a masterpiece of Jamaican sweet soul instantly identifiable from its first chiming piano notes. In a nod to the "disco mix" DJ versions pioneered by Harriott, the Lions mic man Black Shakespeare provides a period-perfect chat backdrop to the Impressions-istic harmonies of the band, giving the tune an au courant spin while staying wide of heavy-handed faux ragga. All said, we wouldn't have felt right about releasing this without running things by the family, so we consulted Duane Harriott who approvingly called it "a brilliant take on one of the best rock steady songs of all time! Not an easy one to cover well and the Lions smash it out the park."

Black Ark Vol. 2 is another piece of Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry’s limitless musical puzzle. It’s a bedrock of deep and heavy rhythms recorded around Jamaica =just before the demise of Perry’s famed Black Ark Studio. Black Ark Vol. 2 is the follow up album to the acclaimed Black Ark In Dub that unsurprisingly for an Upsetter release, took a different path. More vocal oriented, the album features extended dubwise cuts of (former wife and co-producer) Carol Cole’s ‘Ethiopia’, The Originals ‘Got To Be Irie’, Junior Byles ‘Mumbling & Grumbling and The Inamans remake of the Bee Gees hit ‘How Deep Is your Love’, along with an alternate take of the Silvertones roots classic ‘Give Thanks’ with flute overdub and a couple of solid covers from Third World lead vocalist Bunny Rugs. Originally released in 1981 the hard to find Black Ark Vol. 2 remains a frozen sonic timepiece, captured at the beginning of the end of one era and poised at the start of another.

Eight Unreleased Digital Roots tracks made in Nigeria in the late 80s, never released or pressed, if not on a couple of test presses made on recycled plastic. Now Ready to be spreaded worldwide!

Label says: "It's been a long journey from the day in Nigeria when we found, inside an Alpha Kuffa - Messiah I sleeve, a blank test press of the Yangaman Bob Lp with a little Top Rank sticker on it to the day we met the producer, the great and brilliant George Dureke, who gave us the test presses of the remaining unreleased albums from his Top Rank label, till to the complicated audio Restoration handled by Colin Young and Bassi Maestro. After two years of hard and intensive work it's finally arrived the time for this compilation to be ready and see the light!"

Uluru is a large sandstone rock formation in Australia. It's sacred to the Anangu, the local Indigenous of the area. For many years it had been deprived of its spiritual significance, due to mass tourism, capitalism, as well as greedy and selfishness of people who just want to make money out of it. However, as a result of the Anangu’s resilience, care and staunchness, huge changes took place in the national park around Uluru as well as in the broader public's consciousness, giving again to the Uluru the sacred identity that had been lost. You might be reading and thinking now: so what's the point? Actually, there's no real point. I would rather say, there’s hope. The hope of seeing humans all around the world following the example of the Anangu. The hope of seeing humans finally stopping to treat the earth and all what’s part of it, what’s on and what’s in it, as a slave without soul. The hope of changing today, and if not today at latest by tomorrow. This system is failing. It's no longer sustainable, and there's not much time left. So everybody, don't sleep, be critic.

The Geneva based combo Cosmic Shuffling strikes again with two superb Ska instrumentals taken from the "Magic Rocket Ship" studio sessions. The album release has been postponed due to the COVID crisis, but it’s our pleasure to give you a glimpse of what’s coming soon. These two cuts will not be on the upcoming album, 7" single exclusive, with beautiful silver ink labels! Pure fireball to make you dance and twist during the summer.

Reissue of Lara's 1985 album with 2 added bonus tracks, a great blend of boogie funk, roots reggae and lovers rock here. Pressed on a double 12'' and cut at 45rpm..
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Produced by Black Solidarity Records in 1985, this album is a masterpiece from the Studio One princess. Recorded at Tuff Gong and Music Mountain studios in Jamaica, the rhythm tracks are played by some of the best musicians from the island in the sun: Lincoln 'Style' Scott (Drum), Errol 'Flabba' Holt (Bass), Robbye Lyn (Piano & Synthetiser), Dean Frazer & Ronald 'Nambo' Robinson (Horns). This reissue was carefully remastered from Black Solidarity master tape, now presented as a double LP 45 rpm DJ friendly edition. The original Limonious artwork was reloaded and a bonus track was added to complete the set: 'In My Time', an obscure slow synth groove, full of hope and melancholy.

Jennifer Lara was first taken to Studio One in 1969 by keyboardist Richard Ace, who was a session musician. She never left the Studio One family and became resident harmonist. She added backing vocals to the songs of some of the camp's biggest names, including Delroy Wilson, Freddie McGregor, Dennis Brown and Sugar Minott. In 1974, Jennifer Lara recorded her debut album with Coxsone Dodd at Studio One in Brentford Road. The results of the sessions appeared on 'Studio One Presents Jennifer Lara', which was an instant success. Jennifer Lara was one of Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd's protégés. One year after Coxsone passed, she died at the Kingston Public Hospital. She is survived by two children, daughter Ika and son Cheka. Jennifer Lara was a very likeable person, got on with everyone. She was involved in many benefit concerts to help to poor and the needy in Jamaica.

Steel drum cover of Grace Jones. Steel drum cover of Erykah Badu. Third full length album coming in 2021. Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band is back with another crushing two-sider that is guaranteed to set dancefloors on fire and get heads nodding around the globe. The mysterious steel pan outfit hailing from Hamburg, Germany has become a staple in DJ sets from Europe to Japan, from the US to Brasil, and anywhere else these tunes have found their way to speakers. They have released a slew of classic 7”s and two critically acclaimed full length albums. With that they have set a high bar for themselves, one clearly they intend on pushing higher with this new offering. Side A is BRSB’s take on Grace Jones’ nightclub classic “My Jamaican Guy”. They take the tune to a new height from the first beat, laying down an infectious groove that will get people out of their seats immediately. Heavy duty drums and bass shake the speakers through the intro then the pans reveal what they are covering as they play the instantly recognizable top line of the original. Rhythm guitar, heavily echoed percussion hits, and the different pan sets all combine to make this yet another instant classic from Bacao. BRSB has received a lot of praise for their choices of covers. Occasionally reworking hits, but, most notably pulling the album cut gems from artists typically more championed by the underground. Well...here they go again, covering Erykah Badu’s homage to the late great J Dilla “The Healer”. This is the type of thing to make Spice Adams jump on his kitchen counter and scream. From the instant this comes on, necks will be snapping and faces will scrunch up as they take the original beat produced by Madlib and give it a run for its money. Shaking subwoofers with the eerie tremolo bass they replay E. Badu’s vocal melodies on the pans adding their own flourishes. Glockenspiel plays the downbeat and a clap like thunder keeps the two-step swaying, all coming together to make this another must have two-sider from Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band

Our first release in 2020 is coming from Toni Wobble, who is providing four versions in a heavyweight Dubwise Style.

Heavyweight early 80's roots, with nyabinghi drumming in the echo chamber. Backed by Sly Dunbar, The True Persuaders will break down any bunker. Very limited copies, first come, first served.

Horace Andy first recorded 'Life In the Ghetto' back in the 1990's with Victor Cross and William the Conqueror as an anti racist broadcast. Here the Mad Professor and Horace vamp up the monster Lovers Rock meets

Roots track and with a flash here it is so slap this sucker on ya turntable and listen to a righteous tune! Produced by The Mad Professor and featuring Black Steel on keyboards, guitar

and bass, Victor Cross on piano and William the Conqueror the vibe is back with a bang.

Jackie Mittoo is one of the most important artists in the history of Jamaican music. As founding member of the legendary Skatalites, as in-house arranger/producer at Studio One and as a solo artist in his own right leading groups such as The Soul Brothers, Sound Dimension and Soul Vendors.

These classic and rare recordings were made in the mid 1960's at Studio One. The Soul Brothers bridged the gap between Ska and the arrival of Rocksteady mixing it all up with Funk, Jazz and Latin styles. The Soul Brothers recorded at Studio One between 1965-1967. This was the transitionary period between Ska and Rocksteady where the music was a mixture of Funk, Latin and Jazz sometimes with a reminder of Ska and the hint of Rocksteady.

The previous era of Ska had been dominated by the Skatalites, the first in-house band at Studio One who created classic hits such as "Guns of Navaronne", "Man in the Street", "El Pussy Cat" and many more. Unfortunately the strong personalities in the group meant that The Skatalites stayed together for less than two years. It was also around this time that the mentally unwell Don Drummond was arrested for the murder of his girlfriend, the dancer Margerita.

In August 1965, barely a week after the demise of the original Skatalites, The Soul Brothers (featuring ex-Skatalites members Jackie Mittoo, Roland Alphonso, Johnny Moore and Lloyd Brevitt) were up and running as the new house band at Studio One.

The Soul Brothers were essentially a collective, releasing material under their own name or under a nominal leader (usually Jackie Mittoo or Rolando Alphonso). The group line-up changed over time with Bobby Ellis (trumpet), Bryan Atkinson (bass), Dennis Campbell (Sax), Harry Haughton (guitarist) and Joe Isaacs (drummer) replacing various members alongside the ever present Jackie Mittoo.

REVIEWS

"Jackie Mittoo was a true star of Jamaican music; a founder member of The Skatalites, a prolific composer and the keyboard powerhouse behind many a classic tune. His simple, often hypnotic approach, to ska, rocksteady and reggae made him one of the most distinctive sounding musicians of the era." BBC.

"Jackie Mittoo was one of the great names in Jamaican music, manning the keyboards for the Skatalites, the Soul Vendors, and Sound Dimension-- three of the greatest house bands of the 60's
(and I mean anywhere, not just in Jamaica)." PITCHFORK.

***** PICTURE SLEEVE ***** LIMITED TO 1000 COPIES ***** RANDOM VINYL *****
Stephen 'Ragga' Marley, the second eldest son of reggae legend Bob Marley, indulges us with his fourth studio album Revelation Pt. II: 'The Fruit of Life', the second installment to his traditional reggae predecessor Revelation Pt. 1: The Root Of Life. It boasts a collection of stimulating collaborations with the likes of Busta Rhymes, Rakim, Waka Flocka Flame, to Pitbull, Iggy Azaelea, and DJ Khaled to name a few. There's no shortage of A-list contributors, making this record a grand amalgamation of reggae and its impact on all forms of modern music.

Stephen Marley The Fruit Of LifeHip-hop veteran Rakim combines with Marley in the record's third track So Unjust, flowing through conscious messages and hard hitting topics in this boom-bap piece. Golden era production elements are married well with King Tubby dub attributes, echoed horn interests and stabbed guitar reggae amplitudes. Mastered with sharp exactness, it manages to execute simultaneously care-free, powerful yet inspiring and calming feelings for all of its four minutes duration. Hip-hop is firmly rooted in history that reflects a lot of Jamaican cultures, no doubt this is thematically administered by Marley and all of the contributors on this record. You can also expect complete modernist reggae jams on the album, channeling a certain early 80's ska, rocksteady aura. The track Rockstone while commencing well, and keeping to a familiar flavour, loses the momentum as the last third of the track adds an unnecessary dubstep breakdown - distracting the comfort with an unpleasant confronting series of wobbles and over-saturated bass-lines. Walking Away is a reliable, flowing and gentle ballad giving a nod to an occidental, country, Amy Winehouse vibe. Strong Caribbean aesthetics emanate from some tracks like Ghetto Boy, envisioning truthful and honest street life perspectives with a reggae-heavy contemporary rap calibration.

Surprisingly, the tracks one would expect to unavoidably utilise the trap-filled heavy hip-hop shine, do well in fact to steer away from this, instead veer towards chilled out, subtle and fine R&B like elements. This is perceived favourably in Miami rapper Rick Ross' featured track - The Lion Roars. The track with Waka Flocka Flame, Scars On My Feet, even stays true to this easy going movement, as Waka raps urgently yet articulately reserved - letting the vocals and singing style of Marley do most of the work. Stephen meets with his younger brother Damian 'Jr Gong' Marley in the dancehall, Spanish guitar riddled volumes on the track Perfect Picture, whilst tracks like So Strong deftly empower a radio-friendly R&B love ballad with the distinct vocal additions provided by Shaggy. Revelation Pt. II: 'The Fruit Of Life' wouldn't be complete without a heavy dance music and mainstream direction, however. Reflecting this, it's the DJ Khaled featured club-ready anthem; Tonight (It's a Party). Fenced around a reggaeton, dancehall, and electro-trap housing, the track does well in bridging the historic waters between Kingston with the pop music skyline of Los Angeles.

Revelation Pt.2: 'The Fruit Of Life' is a proper-documented visit through contemporary relevant music that directly has influenced Stephen Marley, and shaped his overall musicality. It's not a traditional reggae album of sorts but succeeds in the feat of plugging into the unhinged contemporary potency of today, whilst carrying the flame of the Marley message. The multiple grammy winning, multi-instrumentalist continues to trickle forward a body of work capable of defining a genre, and time period, respectively.

- 24 TRACKS
- HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL (3XLP)
- FULL COLOR LABELS + PICTURE SLEEVE

Early 1980, UB40 scored their first success with “Food For Thought”, reaching high positions in the charts. By the time they released their first album they were already so successful that they had signed off on unemployment benefit, leading to the stamped Signing Off featured on form 40, for the sleeve of their debut album. UB40 Collected has captured all the different phases of the band in one complete album, classic hits combined with the new!

The members of UB40 chose their name after a piece of paper most of them were all too familiar with: Unemployment Benefit, form 40, in short: UB40. The name was put on posters and the band was promoted even before each member fully understood his instrument. The first dub album ever to reach the album charts in the U.K. included “One In Ten” and “Don’t Slow Down”. In 1983 the band put on a new project, boasting ten cover versions of Jamaican hits and, contrary to low expectations, it became a huge hit and the band’s first number one album. Tracks included are “Cherry Oh Baby”, “Please Don’t Make Me Cry”, and “Red Red Wine”. The latter was a rather poppy song and became the band’s biggest-selling single ever, entailing their definitive worldwide breakthrough.

There have been lots of collaborations through the years and most of these became huge hit songs. Together with Chrissie Hynde, UB40 recorded two singles: “I Got You Babe” (1985) and “Breakfast In Bed” (1988). They teamed up with Afrika Bambaataa for “Reckless” (1988) and with Robert Palmer the band released “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” (1990), just to name a few.

UB40 Collected is available as a limited edition of 1500 individually numbered copies on transparent vinyl.

New album of one of the biggest Reggae/Dub french soundsystem starring MacGyver, Rooty Step & Pupajim (who worked with Alpha Steppa, Biga Ranx, High Tone, Mungo's Hi-Fi ...).

Available as super limited edition including 60x60cm Poster !

Since their inception at start of the 2000s, Stand High Patrol have rocked sound systems to their own riddim, assimilating and re-purposing the codes of the genre in their own unique style. From tiny bars in Brittany to huge festival stages, on independent radio or across national airwaves, the crew have quietly trod their own path, never compromising their core value of independence. Connoisseurs have long recognised Stand High’s credentials both as a dub group and a leading sound system, but they stand out from the crowd because of their ability to deliver the unexpected, whether live or on record. Their ability to draw such a diverse audience is testament to this atypical approach to making music.

In 2020, almost 20 years since their humble beginnings, the collective presents their fifth album, “Our Own Way”. As with their first two albums “Midnight Walkers” and “Matter Of Scale”, now considered as classics in their genre, this new opus asserts itself as the latest representation of the crew’s versatile approach to crafting sound. Their music, a blend of its own known as “Dubadub”, has always borrowed influences from multiple sources, and over the course of their career their roots in dub and reggae have intertwined with hip-hop, jazz, new wave, trip-hop and numerous other genres. The ‘Dubadub Musketeers’ have never ceased experimenting, forever seeking to increase the sonic territory they cover, day after day. Both live and recorded, they’ve made it a point of honour to never offer up the same thing twice. Any resemblance that “Our Own Way” might bear to those first two albums is a consequence of this obvious creative continuity, rather than of going “back to basics”.

In contrast to the last two Stand High Patrol records, the hip-hop inspired “The Shift”, or the Bristol indebted “Summer On Mars”, “Our Own Way” doesn’t have a unifying concept or theme. Rather than being limited to a single aesthetic, the LP pays respect to the entire canon of Jamaican music, all unified under Stand High’s inimitable production values. With the wealth of experience gained during the recording of their last two records, the collective decided to aim for a freer project, letting themselves be guided by their own music and their own instincts. The end result is a musical portrait of what Stand High Patrol is in the present moment.

The tracks that make up the new LP burst out of the studio, each born out of unbridled, impulsive creativity. Previously unheard compositions and specially re-tooled dub plates have been assembled into a tracklist that shifts and moves like a classic Dubadub Musketeer live set. Each step of the process has been refined by years of practice : composition, effects, and the final mix. Throughout “On Our Way”, the brutal dub stepper, though still a favourite for sound system sessions, is noticeable by its absence. Instead, it’s the full weight of the crew’s reggae heritage that’s expressed in the mix. It's not just the depth and weight of each tune that strikes the listener, but also the spaces heard between the notes that grab and hold their attention.. The sense of a trip, whether musical, internal or geographic, is omnipresent throughout the LP, linking each track to those before and after. “Our Own Way” finds Stand High Patrol exploring as usual, yet also narrating their journey as they’ve rarely done before