Hip-Hop News

Joining the ZamZam ranks with # 43, Versa (AKA Michael Nickless AKA Michael Versa) is well known to sound system music addicts from a string of wicked releases beginning in 2009, most recently a pair of highly sought after plates on the mighty System label. Versa's productions are known for extremely powerful basslines, a deeply dubwise production sensibility and masterful sound design.

A Midsummer Night's Dub' is a truly blissful 130 stepper, let by an unforgettable, filigreed melody threading Occident and Orient. Washed out yet insistent hi hats and claps locked with a deeply melodic bassline drive the riddim, augmented by beautifully delayed guitar licks and mixing prowess reminiscent of classic Dub Syndicate updated for the modern sound system dance.

Versa is joined by frequent sparring partner Rowl on the B side, Trimorphic,' an extraordinarily deep and emotive journey into 140 space. Powered by a tight staccato kick and equally clipped sub line, the tune revels in deep pads with a pedigree in the best of classic dub techno. Accented by fluttering percussion, gorgeous synth washes and restrained, masterful dubbing, Trimorphic" is a journey for those who like to plumb the depths unchained from convention - real Sounds from The Well.

Dieses Hip-Hop-Ding ist eine flotte Angelegenheit: Während es im Schlager, beim Rock oder in der
Volksmusik mindestens 30 Jahre dauert, bis die einst großen Namen aus Geldmangel, wegen Midlife-Crisis
oder aufgrund Bandauflösung wieder auf Tour gehen und schreckliche Platten rausbringen, geht das im
Sprechgesangskosmos um bis zu 20 Jahre schneller. Kaum, dass das Publikum von Gestern das Studium
oder was auch immer abgeschlossen hat, warten bereits die ersten Old-School-Clubs und "Alte Helden
machen mal wieder die Runde"-Konzerte. Kein isoliertes Phänomen, sondern eine seriöse Tendenz. Doch
bei den drei Münchenern von Main Concept ist das ganz anders. Die haben nämlich, seit inzwischen
geschmeidigen 25 Jahren, Skills, wo andere nur mit vermeintlich basketballgroßen Eiern glänzen. Konkret:
Skills am Mic, an den 1210ern und am Pult. Dafür gibt es keine Goldenen Schallplatten, aber Props und
Fame von den Heads. Das macht "Hier und Jetzt" zum Highlight für die Ewigkeit. Word.

Current UK steppers production; in beuatiful silk-screened Zam Zam sleeve

South African born, New York living Brendon Moeller, man of a thousand guises - including Beat Pharmacy, Echologist and Mono Blanco - is a prolific producer known especially for his hard yet dubwise brand of techno. Founder of the prolific Steadfast label, Moeller has releases on a number of excellent imprints including Echocord andSoul People. For ZamZam, Beat Pharmacy indulged his deep love of heady dubwise, crafting two totally unique and uncompromisingly experimental tracks that provide a window into a singular creative soul.
Moeller says, 'Beach Dub and Bowling Dub were both recorded in early 2014 in my own studio... At the time I was coming down from 5 years of nonstop techno production and touring, and was feeling a huge urge to record some spaced out dub - so I did. Both tracks were recorded using hardware and software combined.'Beach Dub is firmly rooted in the history of dub techno in which Moeller has been such a key figure for many years. Unlike most dub techno, however, it leads with the bass and atmosphere, lush texture and melody washing in at steady intervals, waves and tides that carry the riddim rather than the other way around. Bowling Dub creates a cavernous sound world rich in reverb and sparkling detail that reaches into hip hop/electro-dub territory with huge bass, skittering drums and pinballing percussion pointing the way to an as-yet-unnamed genre of dubwise whose time is ripe.

ZamZam is proud to present a massive and mighty steppers tune from Ariel Tagar, better known to the worlds of reggae and electronic music as Kalbata.

Instantly addictive, "Brimstone & Lightning" is a collaboration between Kalbata and a veteran yet little-known Jamaican producer called Leon Electronics. Kalbata'slegendary reggae obsession led him to seek Leon out with the intention of rereleasing an obscure tune of his from the 80's. After months of searching, Kalbata managed to track Leon down in Kingston Jamaica and met with him while recording his celebrated 'Congo Beat The Drum' LP. Going through the tapes at Boris Gardiner's studio, the pair stumbled on this unfinished tune. Leon dismissed it, but Kalbata became obsessed with the rough gem, so Leon gave him his blessings to finish, cut and release it. Started in Jamaica in 1990 and finished in Tel Aviv last year, the 100% analog mix is like a message from the future to the past brought forth in the miracle of the present - a pounding steppers whose kick, bass & space dynamics have to be heard to be believed.
Voiced on the original tape from 1990, the identity of the vocalist remains a mystery, forgotten even by Leon Electronics. But he lives again in this scorcher of a tune, at 160 bpm one of the most relentless yet buoyant steppers you will ever hear.

Das, was sich viele Fans und Anhänger von Macht-Rap über lange Zeit gewünscht haben, hat nun endlich
Form angenommen: ein Labelsampler, der es in sich hat. Acht Rapper haben sich zwei Wochen für ein
intensives Bootcamp im Hauptquartier in Stuttgart zurückgezogen, um als eingeschworene Einheit eine Platte
zu produzieren. Das Ziel: einen neuen Maßstab setzen. Nicht nur für das Label, sondern für die ganze Rapund vor allem Trap-Szene. Es sind insgesamt 29 Songs entstanden: 20 davon sind auf dem Standard-Album
"M8" enthalten, neun weitere gibt es exklusiv nur auf der Bonus-EP "NWO" in der limitierten Fan-Box. Neben
Macht-Oberhaupt Jaysus sind Acts wie Rapsta, Toon, Boysindahood (GoodG & Dieng), Davud, Mosenu &
Kell mit von der Partie. Allstar-Tracks sind auf dem Album ebenso enthalten wie Kollaborationen zwischen
einzelnen Künstlern und auch Solo-Stücke. "M8" ist kein Lückenfüller, um die Wartezeit für ein nächstes
Album zu überbrücken, "M8" ist ein starkes Statement: Es steht für die Gang und den Zusammenhalt: eine
machtvolle neue Allstar-Kombo. Die limitierte Fanbox enthält neben Album und exklusiver EP einen "M8"-
Bag, drei Sticker mit exklusiven Designs, von allen beteiligten Rappern unterschriebene Autogrammkarten,
ein DIN-A1-Poster und eine weitere exklusive CD mit den Instrumentals der Tracks zum selber Rappen oder
Mixen.

ZamZam is very pleased to welcome Compa to the family! With his sparse, tight & driving signature dubwise sound, his first 7' for ZamZam is a serious scorcher, the latest in a growing catalog of crucial releases on labels including Boka Records, Lion Charge and Deep Medi Musik. Compa's increasingly intense touring schedule is winning over crowds from Australia to Asia, and support is steady from luminaries including Mary Anne Hobbs, Gilles Peterson, Toddla T, the legend David Rodigan, Joe Nice, and of course Deep Medi boss Mala amongst many others.

Shaka's Truth' is a lean beast of stop/start riddim dynamics and meditative synth melodics. A massive oscillating bassline pumps in unison with the pounding kick, while a disembodied voice of wisdom intones on the nature of truth, and the importance of trusting the inner voice. Atha Dub' is a missive from deep space, marrying a shimmering melody to laser volleys and distorted echo trails. A melodic 808 bass doubles the merciless, staccato kick drum, while distorted snares are overtaken by reverb, and tape delay spools out only to be reeled back from the intergalactic abyss. Two 140 stormers for the system and the headphones alike.

Mastered & cut by the one & only Lewis at Stardelta UK.

ZamZam 40 is a milestone... as such we wanted to commemorate this chapter by coming full circle to where we began as a label - with another stunning Henry & Louis release from the vaults - this time featuring none other than reggae royalty Johnny Clarke.

Henry & Louis (AKA Jack Lundie and Andy Scholes) is a Bristol institution and UK sound system mainstay, birthed in 1988. The duo's 2Kings label, founded in 1990, is also a cornerstone of the 'Bristol sound', with releases including How Can A Man Be Happy' mixed at the legendary Smith & Mighty studio in St Paul's, Jah Jah NeverFail I' (first released on ZamZam's progenitor BSI Records), and many others, forming part of the city's musical iconography. Pinch, RSD, Prince Jammo, Sledgehead and other close friends round out the label's stable, and Andy Scholes DJs globally representing the 2Kings family.

A heavily edited version of Love and Understanding' was released on the seminal Time Will Tell LP (first on BSI, then 2Kings). This new ZamZam 7' is the first time the full vocal and full dub version have been heard in all their glory. The original lyric was penned by Andy Scholes and released on a 2Kings 12' - Johnny Clarke took hold of the words and laid down a magesterial version when Andy and Jack travelled to Jamaica in 1996. Recorded in a single take at 'Chunky's Studio,' Sherlock Crescent, Kingston 20 - what a moment that must have been.

The skeletal riddim and deeply melodic bassline form the perfect bedrock for his sublime performance. digi-percussion, clipped horns and subtle guitar plucks complete a truly revelatory tune. The dub version is a hallucinogenic ride that simply has to be heard to be believed. Stripped raw to the core of 4/4 kick, heavily reverbed snare and knocking percussion, the flavor borders on industrial - distorted and atmospheric, thick with tape hiss and impossibly long echoes - utterly unique and uncompromising. It is shocking

When will all this stupidness end And live in togetherness' pleads the mighty Big Youth. Stop killing the innocent ones.' We are proud to present this incredibly timely tune from the legend Twilight Circus, just the musical medicine the world needs in these days of division and strife.

"Why Can't We Be Friends" is a rockstone riddim with a driving heartbeat pulse and deep atmosphere reminiscent of Rhythm & Sound's classic Burial Mix releases. Fully organic in its sonics and construction, it nevertheless manages to recall the golden age of dub techno and late-night warehouse sessions. The dub version dives even deeper, bringing the hi-hats into crystal focus, letting the toms and rimshots rock, the skanks dub and invert, with occasional test-tones bubbling up as the riddim drives forward, ever forward...

Twilight Circus is the dub & reggae project of multi-instrumentalist Ryan Moore, former bassist and drummer of the Legendary Pink Dots. Originally focused completely on instrumental dub albums and singles, Twilight Circus moved increasingly into working with voices - in addition to Big Youth, Moore has worked with a roll call of seminal roots vocalists including Michael Rose, Ranking Joe, Cornell Campbell, Fred Locks and Luciano. The Twilight Circus discography is truly massive, spanning dozens of LPs and singles, and remixes galore. This new single is a crucial addition to an already stellar career in sound system music.

Moore recalls the extraordinary events around the session with Big Youth:
...the vocals with Big Youth we did at Steven Stanley Studio in Kingston JA, during sessions which later got derailed due to the arrival of hurricane Dennis in 2005! I will never forget talking with Bongo Herman in the studio parking lot & the wind went still, then started from the opposite direction - that was the point the storm announced itself.

The eye miraculously veered off at the last moment so JA was spared destruction, but it was a crazy time as people realized what was on the way & started boarding up, panic-buying supplies... I too got provisions, water, candles etc to survive on my own in the hotel... as it turned out torrential rains & floods hit, but no devastating winds..."

Pete Hazell AKA Titus 12 is a shadowy Bristol-based beatsmith, a producer of experimental dubwise dance music influenced by smoked out hip hop, sound system culture, and field recordings." Hazell says all of these influences came together in these tracks "cooked up while under the influence of Melbourne's incredible beat scene." Host of Ujima 98 FM's weekly Subsession radio show, he is well known in the city as a purveyor of deep, eclectic, bass-centric music of all stripes & hues - beats without borders. We are very pleased to be releasing Titus 12's first physical release.

'Bury Dem' marries a lurching 140-ish dub-hop riddim to a buzzing analog bassline, 8-bit skanks, haunting melodica - pure propulsive nod-factor dubwise, a molasses-soaked, ganja-infused confection that sounds like Lee Perry busting out some chopped & screwed. Titus 12 shows that an 'eyes-down' tune needn't be dark or bitter.

'Everyone Should (Wake Me Up)' simply has to be skanked to to be grasped. Like the Skatalites with Todd Edwards on vocal duties, Madlib on the MPC and Zomby on bass, this one is for the 2-Tone 2-Step revival that is already in full swing on some glorious alternate Earth. If you, like us, weary of rigid genre-boundaries and want to be surprised again - trust.

Nach der "Toykis" EP 2013 hörte man von Waldo 2014 wieder auf Dexters Album "Palmen und
Freunde", danach hier und da Videosingles und Features. 2016 mutiert der selbsternannte
Würstchenmann aka Kartoffelmann zum Sonntagsvogel und zelebriert bestes Sonntagsleben

Gott sieht alles . Eisen . Eckkneipenhustler .
Mofa . Kleid deiner Mutter . Spiegel .
Gebrochener Knieboogie . Flatrate .
Schwarzer Krauser . Komm im Bimma . Spiel
des Lebens . Lass mal bleiben . Haram Ciphe

Nach ruhmreichen Auftritten bei der Freestyle-Battle-Veranstaltung »Rap am Mittwoch« und seinem
Erstlingswerk »Pilsator Platin« 2014 erscheint nun am 13. Mai Turbo, Karate Andis Debüt bei seiner
neuen Labelheimat Selfmade Records.
Auf 13 Tracks gibt der leidenschaftliche Eckkneipengänger Einblicke in seinen Alltag als spielsüchtiger
Vollzeitalkoholiker mit einem Dauerabonnement für das gepflegte Durchbeleidigen seiner
Deutschrap-Kollegen, macht aber auch vor den großen Themen nicht halt.
Produziert wurde Turbo von Bazzazian und Farhot aka »DIE ACHSE«, die sich mit ihren
Stand-out-Produktionen für Haftbefehl, Gentleman u.a. in den letzten Jahren einen ehrfürchtigen Ruf
erarbeitet haben. Die vorwärtsgewandten High-End-Beats mit ungeheurer Detailverliebtheit treffen auf
Karate Andis schier unerschöpflichen Fundus an mehrsilbigen Reimketten und respektlosen
Punchlines und machen Turbo zu einem der spannendsten Alben des Frühjahres 2016.

Zumindest südlich des Weißwurstäquators sind sie als Hip-Hop-Schwergewichte bekannt: Der "Bavarian
Barbarian" Liquid, der seit dem Album "La Le Lu" und seinem sechsstellig geklickten Polt-Remix jedem ein
Begriff ist, der Bayrisch versteht. Und der auf Englisch rappende Bayer Maniac, Live-Rampensau vom andern
Stern und Beatmaker von Weltruf. Dass sich die Zwei erneut für ein Album zusammengefunden haben, war
nur folgerichtig. Denn Liquid, ursprünglich aus dem oberpfälzischen Regenstauf, und Maniac, aufgewachsen
in South Carolina, gehören zu den spannendsten und produktivsten Hip-Hop-Künstlern ihrer gemeinsamen
Wahlheimat Regensburg. Die oberpfälzische Domstadt ist es auch, die man auf "Slang Funk Slam Dunk"
deutlich heraushört: Liquid rappt in Mundart. Denjenigen, die sich darauf einlassen und das Gesagte
verstehen, eröffnet sich ein vielschichtiges und entspanntes Lifestyle-Szenario zwischen Skateboard und
Konsole, das im postkartenidyllischen Bayern-Klischee nördlich des Weißwurstäquators eigentlich gar nicht
vorgesehen ist. "Es is hoid a Movement und koa Gimmick" und "Slang Funk Slam Dunk" dessen dopeste
Manifestation.

Zumindest südlich des Weißwurstäquators sind sie als Hip-Hop-Schwergewichte bekannt: Der "Bavarian
Barbarian" Liquid, der seit dem Album "La Le Lu" und seinem sechsstellig geklickten Polt-Remix jedem ein
Begriff ist, der Bayrisch versteht. Und der auf Englisch rappende Bayer Maniac, Live-Rampensau vom andern
Stern und Beatmaker von Weltruf. Dass sich die Zwei erneut für ein Album zusammengefunden haben, war
nur folgerichtig. Denn Liquid, ursprünglich aus dem oberpfälzischen Regenstauf, und Maniac, aufgewachsen
in South Carolina, gehören zu den spannendsten und produktivsten Hip-Hop-Künstlern ihrer gemeinsamen
Wahlheimat Regensburg. Die oberpfälzische Domstadt ist es auch, die man auf "Slang Funk Slam Dunk"
deutlich heraushört: Liquid rappt in Mundart. Denjenigen, die sich darauf einlassen und das Gesagte
verstehen, eröffnet sich ein vielschichtiges und entspanntes Lifestyle-Szenario zwischen Skateboard und
Konsole, das im postkartenidyllischen Bayern-Klischee nördlich des Weißwurstäquators eigentlich gar nicht
vorgesehen ist. "Es is hoid a Movement und koa Gimmick" und "Slang Funk Slam Dunk" dessen dopeste
Manifestation.

Alter Echo & E3 return for their third chapter on ZamZam with a dark, low-slung steppers featuring the one Rider Shafique of Bristol's esoteric Young Echo crew. AEE3's first collaboration with a vocalist, 'Heights' provides a rockstone riddim for Rider to step forward with a powerful lyric, a declaration of principles and intention to trod outta Babylon, tearing off mental chains along the way with total focus on the destiny of liberation for those with the will to persevere. Rider's presence transforms every track he graces into pure message music, as heard in recent months on collaborations with Gorgon Sound, Ishan Sound, Gantz and more.

"Heights" rocks with swirling atmospheres and pointillist detail, powerfully psychedelic dubbing at once organic and metallic, always with fundamental dub principles anchoring and propelling forward, ever forward. The version 'The Sound Tonight' strips the vocal out completely, using that space to push the kick, bass and ricocheting snares further forward with extra dub flourishes, mirages, and sample grinding.
Preferring quality to quantity, Alter Echo & E3 have become a duo to watch, particularly after last year's 'Nubian Dub' b/w 'Warning Dub' 7' on ZamZam sold out instantly, becoming an immediate underground hit. Both tracks have spawned heavyweight remixes by Egoless, Ishan Sound and DJ Madd, all of which will see release later in the year on a pair of limited Khaliphonic 10's. Stay tuned.

In 1971, despite his run of hits, Bunny Lee was still having to support himself with freelance producing at Dynamic Sounds,

but by 1974 he was fully independent and poised to dominate Jamaican music in the mid 70's.

The tracks on this compilation capture that moment of transition, when the smaller ghetto producers were taking over from the older musical establishment.

Listening to Bunny's unreleased master tapes, what bursts out of the speakers is the energy and excitement of the whole production process,

from the studio chatter of the musicians to the sonic experiments at the mixing desk.

These pioneering steps in deejaying and dub were the launch pad for remix culture and the core production techniques of today,

a creative explosion that altered the shape of our popular culture. In the words of I Roy, 'Striker Lee, him have the key!'

Vinyl & CD Track listing attached.

- Ich bin Antiheld - Mit ´ner Kippe zwischen den Zähnen, zertrümmert von meinen Tränen! Timeless ist erst 25 Jahre, kann aber auf eine beachtliche Vita zurück blicken. Schon als 18-Jähriger wird er von von Eko Fresh entdeckt und nimmt einen Song mit ihm auf. Es folgt ein Signing bei Freunde von Niemand, Tourneen durch ganz Deutschland und weitere Features auf Chartalben mit Vega, MoTrip und Raf Camora. Der Stoff aus den wahre Helden gemacht sind Nicht ganz... Timeless schrieb die vergangenen Zwei Jahre Tagebuch und brachte das tägliche Drama eines abgebrannten Rappers auf CD. - Antiheld erzählt extrem persönliche Geschichten von einem Leben zwischen dem Scheinwerferlicht großer Bühnen und dem Schatten der Kölner Plattenbauten. Schamlos ehrlich malt er Bilder von One Night Stands, Geldsorgen, Trennungsschmerz, Alkoholexzessen und dem verkaterten Morgen danach! Der Alltag des Kölners dreht sich um die Fragen, wie er am Ende des Monats seine Miete bezahlt und wer die 5 Euro für die Flasche Schnaps am Abend vorlegt. Wenig Heldenhaft...

Standard CD + USB-Stick + T-Shirt + Comic + Poster

- Ich bin Antiheld - Mit ´ner Kippe zwischen den Zähnen, zertrümmert von meinen Tränen! Timeless ist erst 25 Jahre, kann aber auf eine beachtliche Vita zurück blicken. Schon als 18-Jähriger wird er von von Eko Fresh entdeckt und nimmt einen Song mit ihm auf. Es folgt ein Signing bei Freunde von Niemand, Tourneen durch ganz Deutschland und weitere Features auf Chartalben mit Vega, MoTrip und Raf Camora. Der Stoff aus den wahre Helden gemacht sind Nicht ganz... Timeless schrieb die vergangenen Zwei Jahre Tagebuch und brachte das tägliche Drama eines abgebrannten Rappers auf CD. - Antiheld erzählt extrem persönliche Geschichten von einem Leben zwischen dem Scheinwerferlicht großer Bühnen und dem Schatten der Kölner Plattenbauten. Schamlos ehrlich malt er Bilder von One Night Stands, Geldsorgen, Trennungsschmerz, Alkoholexzessen und dem verkaterten Morgen danach! Der Alltag des Kölners dreht sich um die Fragen, wie er am Ende des Monats seine Miete bezahlt und wer die 5 Euro für die Flasche Schnaps am Abend vorlegt. Wenig Heldenhaft...

Beat Joe has no need for Gangsigns. It's all about Rap. When Beat Joe is calling, MC's from each crew in Nuremberg get together to style, flex and spit.
Vegas Haus is a place where strong words and explicit announcements are meeting well rounded flows and deep statements accompanied by fine sample beats. Promising newcomers like Lazy Lou, NBG-Veterans like Laca or high flyers like Johnny Rakete showing us what rap can do.
Therefore, they are serving clichés without evoking feelings of surrogate shame.
Ignoring the German Rap of the 2000s, Hip Hop from "Keine Gangzeichen" brings the golden 90s back to the future,
Bitch!
Or to say it with Johnny Raketes words: "Ich habe Rap gerettet, aber keiner hats gesehen". // I saved Rap but nobody saw it.

With releases on Black Box, Box Clever, System - and of course firmly planted in the mighty Innamind camp of artists - ZamZam is proud to forward our first 7' from the enigmatic LAS (Love and Sound) AKA Lassi Vainionpää of Helsinki.

Well-known to those that have journeyed alongside LAS during his live shows the last couple years, Traveling" is a deep journey into the post-dubstep ether - a classic Upsetters sample rotates and swims in strange orbits around a rubbery sub and LAS' signature conga-led percussion. Half way through the tune a 4/4 pulse takes over and the dubbing goes recursive and non-Euclidian, even while it drives that much harder.

"Omega Dub" takes a turn for the darker - the darkness of space. A hollowed out lead that sounds like throat signing cyborgs navigates the craft, propelled by insistent skanks. Spectral key flourishes bloom from the beyond, and hats and snares are pushed into an ever deeper reverb void.

An entended mix of the 'Jah Love I' song written by Freddie McKay and voiced by David Isaacs.

David Isaacs was born in Denham Town and cut some excellent sides for Lee Perry in the late 60s.

This cut is a rarity that was only ever released as a 12 on Phil Pratts Chanan -Jah label.

Freddie McKays cut of the same song came on the Lucky Star label. David Isaacs delivers a soulful heartfelt slab of roots.

Backed with Freddie McKay on the flipside 'It De Hay' and version is a sparse slow rhythm with Freddie's sweet vocals gliding over the top. Comes in a hand stamped re-cycled card sleeve.

This release, 'Dub In Blood', is one of the rarest and most sought after dub albums of all. Issued in tiny quantities on Phil's Sunshot label, it now commands ridiculous prices in the collectors' market.
Dub In Blood come out on Sunshot, Yet confusingly the same LP was also issued in England with different track titles
and proudly renamed 'The Best Dub Album In The World'.

Die erste Frage, die sich einem in Bezug auf Genetikk immer gleich am Anfang stellt ist klar: Wer
verbirgt sich unter den Masken Was steckt hinter Genetikk
Die Antwort: Viel mehr als nur das vermummte MC-Produzenten-Gespann Karuzo und Sikk aus
Saarbrücken, das mit seinem Debütalbum »D.N.A.« vor gut zwei Jahren einen modernen Klassiker
abgeliefert hat .

Last year's Dubkasm Meets Solo Banton 7' triple pack was a worldwide hit, packed with lyrical vibes and immense production that paid respect to the boombastic 90's digi-roots style of labels such as Xterminator and Two Friends. Powered by the breakout 'My Music,' alongside Bristol grime MC Buggsy, the awesome set was missing only two things - crucial dubs of My Music itself, and the equally wicked 'Never Let I Down.'

ZamZam had already been in conversation with Dubkasm about working together, when the label's selector E3 realized that in recent sets he'd been following My Music with an Xterminator B-side only because there was no My Music dub available... yet. Tracy/Polygon Press forwarded the idea of a "double dub." Both crews were immediately thrilled with the prospect of crowning the original My Music set with two mighty versions that also stand alone brilliantly.

"My Music (Version)" opens with a heavy piano lead and rock-hard riddim. Sparks fly from flint & steel hi hat, an addictive, powerhouse bassline, and Solo Banton & Buggsy floating in and out of dubspace. Banton's voice bursts forth again, with declarations of faith

in 'Crowned In Dub,' the version to 'Never Let I Down.' The tune rocks with another serious bassline and neck-snapping riddim, but is perhaps most defined by the unforgettable percussive steel pan melody, keeping the warm Caribbean roots alive in a dark, cavernous hall of reverb and echo.

Dubkasm (composed of Digistep & DJ Stryda) is one of the anchors of the worldwide roots, dub & sound system movement. Active since 1994, the Bristol institution tours constantly and has numerous essential vinyl releases on Peng Sound, Bristol Archive and most especially their own Sufferah's Choice and Dubkasm imprints.

Mittlerweile ist ein Jahr seit "Gott liebt die Geduldigen", dem letzten Release von Jaysus, vergangen. Als
letztes musikalisches Lebenszeichen hinterließ der deutsche Rapper griechischer Abstammung der
Öffentlichkeit das polarisierende Musikvideo "Tag des dümmsten Gesichts", das nichts Anderes als einen
amtlichen Diss seines alten Weggefährten Kay One darstellte. Offensichtlich war der Clip genau die richtige
Inspiration und Motivation für Jaysus, mit der Arbeit an "Sünde" zu beginnen, dem inzwischen sechsten
Album des in Stuttgart heimisch gewordenen Wortakrobaten. Denn was soll man sagen - Jaysus hat Blut
geleckt, und genau diese Haltung spiegelt sich in seinen neuen Stücken wider. Konsequent, kompromisslos
und schonungslos teilt Jasyus aus und gibt seiner aufgestauten Wut Raum zur Entfaltung. Das 17 Tracks
starke Album kommt in zwei Versionen auf den Markt. Die "Standard Edition" erscheint als Doppel-CD
inklusive Instrumentals aller Stücke, die limitierte "Premium Box" enthält zusätzlich die exklusive Bonus-EP
"Amartia", ein Shirt, eine Autogrammkarte, ein Doppelposter und Sticker.

Just in tme for Summer, Wrongtom emerges with a new vinyl EP on Tru Thoughts to take over the airwaves and sound systems across the festval season and beyond. Out on 12' vinyl in a full colour sleeve with an eerie, ouija board-inspired theme, the Possessed EP' contnues in the spirit of his series of 'Wrongtom Meets' projects, boastng collaboratons with Tippa Irie, JC Lodge, The Ragga Twins, Desta Zion, The Correctonal Horns and Deemas J as well as a bonus cut from his long-standing live reggae/dub collectve the Stoneleigh Mountain Rockers.
The Possessed EP' uses the killer rhythm from 'In East London' track Suzy Hangs Out', this inspired move sprang from a chat about beats with Mark Professor, who happened to pass the rhythm on to reggae singer JC Lodge 's husband Errol, who passed it on to JC. Oblivious to all this, Wrongtom was then contacted out of the blue a while later with the beautful Possession', showcasing the talent of the revered singer who was signed to Tommy Boy records back in the day and collaborated with Shabba Ranks and many others. So, with that brilliant track suddenly in my hand, I thought maybe I should get a few diferent people on this rhythm and do what the classic reggae producers did', says Wrongtom: release a set of versions'.
Wrongtom signed to Tru Thoughts in 2013, releasing the 'In East London' album under the Wrongtom Meets Deemas J collaboratve name, which brought praise from all corners for its uplifing and celebratory yet down and dirty, vintage dub-infused sound. The tastemakers who lined up to heap praise on the album ranged from The Quietus, The Wire and FACT to Record Collector, MOJO, Q, Clash and beyond.

Fine, current Dub excursions; in beuatiful silk-screened Zam Zam sleeve

ZamZam presents two fresh cuts of Bristol dubwise from King Rob Smith Dubs AKARSD. Rob has been ruling the world of dubwise dance music for two decades, helping to define the Bristol sound as More Rockers and Blue & Red, and as part of seminal UK dub/jungle/soul crew Smith & Mighty. His second outing for ZamZam, this 7' follows a string of massive releases the last few years, most recently on Moonshineand Astar Artes.

With 'World Hungry' and 'Dub Pride' we hear RSD at the height of his powers, intuitively constructing sound system music that pulls in influences from the history of UK reggae, dub, jungle, and that unmistakable Bristol vibe that keeps the people coming back for more. The sound is perpetual deja-vu, like a parallel-universe dance that is at once 90's, 00's, now, and next. Rob deploys his signature warm & massive bass sound with sophisticated, syncopated drum programming, strings, sweeps, samples and melodic elements that capture the past, present and future of Bristol with a wink and a nod. Listening to these tunes we hear the deft touch of a master with nothing to prove, displaying playfulness, joy, and total confidence.

"World Hungry" forwards a brooding vibe combining a steppers kick pulse with syncopated snares, dueling basstones and rich strings. "Dub Pride' is a summery shock of rocking, stuttering breaks, melodic figures that appear only to vanish, and vocal samples that will spread love and inity and get bodies off the wall and onto the floor as the warm weather settles in across the land.

Heights & Worship (AKA Ras Heights of Ital Sound System, and Rob Paine ofWorship Recordings and Solomonic Sound) return to ZamZam a year and a half after their lauded first release as a duo, 'Teach Dem.' For Zam Round Two, the Philly veterans teamed up with none other than reggae veteran Carlton Livingston.

"Crucify Me" is a unique and powerful vision of contemporary reggae and dub that combines a propulsive, percussive one drop riddim, massive bass, warm pads, snatches of harmonica, modulating synth and sophisticated filtering and dubbing for an almost psychedelic sound-world. In contrast to the current fashion of minimalism in sound system music, they pursue a full, thick, and enveloping sound that totally represents their point of view.

All of this frames Carlton Livingston's brilliant lyric, a snapshot of the razor's edge he has to walk to stay sane and spiritually intact in the world of politicks and badmen that is the reality of day-to-day living in East Kingston, Jamaica.

Livingston is true reggae royalty, having recorded for many of the greatest producers and labels in the history of Jamaican music, from Studio One to Techniques,Greensleeves, Jah Life, Power House, Digital-B, VP and countless others. He remains an active and powerful voice of conscience and ZamZam is proud to host him here, vocal and dubwise.

Manchmal muss man sein Rudel hinter sich lassen, um sich selbst zu verwirklichen. Liquit Walker ist
nicht mehr länger Unter Wölfen. Mowgli beschreibt den Prozess der inneren Zerrissenheit und den
Weg aus dem Dschungel des jungen Musikers. Mit 5 neuen Titeln meldet sich Liquit Walker nach 2
jähriger Schaffenspause und kreativer Phase zurück. So werden die Hörer perfekt auf das kommende
Album eingestimmt.