lithuanian based label sodai started its journey in 2016, making it a label still in it’s infancy but making a big impression. owned by artist gardens of god, who started the label to create his own ‘no limits’ plat-form for his experimental sounds and projects. while at the same time a platform to give other artists the chance to also have freedom with art and music. with releases from raxon, few nolder and third son under their belt, the label shows no sign of slowing down, next in line is italian producer alex schaufel (suara, diynamic) who is welcomed to the label with a his heavy hitting four track ep entitled ‘roots’.

the music contained in this album invokes the vibes and spirit that were so crucial to much of the music recorded during the 1960s & 70s in jamaica. if you talk to the musicians and singers of this era, they will tell you that the driving force behind the songs they created was the sheer love of music. this is one of the reasons these recordings are so powerful and move listeners to this day. music like this can only be made by those who were schooled in the studios and yards around kingston and is not something that can be easily reproduced outside jamaica. the kingston all stars represent some of the most legendary musicians to ever grace the little island & it is thanks to their passion and dedication that we have a lifetime of music to enjoy.

the music contained in this album invokes the vibes and spirit that were so crucial to much of the music recorded during the 1960s & 70s in jamaica. if you talk to the musicians and singers of this era, they will tell you that the driving force behind the songs they created was the sheer love of music. this is one of the reasons these recordings are so powerful and move listeners to this day. music like this can only be made by those who were schooled in the studios and yards around kingston and is not something that can be easily reproduced outside jamaica. the kingston all stars represent some of the most legendary musicians to ever grace the little island & it is thanks to their passion and dedication that we have a lifetime of music to enjoy

la rioja in spain may not be thought of as a hotbed of avant garde techno and electronica, but psychoskunk has been quietly issuing an uncompromising salvo of proudly underground releases since as far back as 2004. error etica, an alias from label boss victor martinez, is at the controls for this tenth vinyl release on the label, and he s sounding as proudly left of centre as ever. diatonic scale locks into an insistent groove, but the real magic of the track lies in the grubby notes punching their way around the drums, capped off with artful distortion that gives a wonderful bite to the production. tetratonic scale keeps things fuzzy but blows the rhythms wide open for a more poised, patient kind of techno incantation. r2pis remix of the track meanwhile clamps it back in order with a stern beat and a slow-release minimalism guiding the evolution of the track.

steppas records presents ‘osaka steppas’ vol. 3, the third in a series of releases showcasing the japanese underground dub movement. this edition features osaka producers hiroshi and roots masashi in collaboration with spanish producer ojah and well-respected uk singer rudey lee. the osaka steppas’ raw and unrelenting sound developed in the subterranean clubs of osaka, a port city famous for its counterculture night life. inspired not only by the sounds of jamaica, but also drawing inspiration from uk and european soundsystem culture with enough bassweight to test even the toughest of soundsystems. presented in a beautifully designed full colour sleeve inspired by the works of the legendary ukiyo-e woodblock artist, hokusai. this release is not to be missed. side a features an earth rocker riddim from ojah & hiroshi, with conscious lyrics sung by the legendary rudey lee. side b features a much sought after dubplate from osaka producer roots masashi, a deep, dark & mystical steppa.

third roots united ep called “kisko kisko” comes from one of the finest electro producers from finland, mesak (tatu metsatahti), who is also known from his legendary projects like mr velcro fastener and harmonia skweee label.
this 4-tracker features another finnish underground hero mono junk (vocals on b2 track) and includes a real ghetto-remix by grand master dj overdose straight outta the hague.
all of these tracks were produced in 2018 especially for roots united in a true hardware style.

we are proud to announce the latest addition to the moonshine recordings artist roster - halcyonic & g roots - two young talented producers out of bristol, uk. their debut moonshine release entitled “future” with vocal support from junior dread and additional remix by violinbwoy will be released on the 6th of july on 180 gram vinyl.

joseph white aka joe white is a foundation of jamaican music. he started singing in the late 50 s and did his first recordings for duke reid in the early 60 s. while disco sound was bumping into jamaican people mind, he formed the group roots, trunks & branches to release several tracks on the label splendour heights. “rising / power disco power” is taken from the album the weak will be strong released in 1978. a beautiful extended disco reggae tune mainly played by joe white (drums, piano, vocal). this issue was fully remastered on a disco 45 vinyl record to give respect to the dynamic. on the other side you will get the reggae lovers roots rock tune “ain t no way / the monster”, an extended version with deep dubwise. you ve got it!

joseph white aka joe white is a foundation of jamaican music. he started singing in the late 50 s and did his first recordings for duke reid in the early 60 s. joe white formed the group roots, trunks & branches to release several tracks on the label splendour heights. “forward to zion” was released in 1979 and became a truly reggae roots stepper banger for sound system across the globe. probably electronic music fans will appreciate the futuristic dubwise. “forward to zion” is a song of peace, love, freedom and emancipation of people. uplift your selection, listen to the words of the prophet, it s time for us to get together, we are going forward to zion. jah don t care whether you are a natty dread or you re a baldhead, just as long as we unite and stop the fight, we are going forward to zion!

hell yeahs next project is to revisit a collection of jazz covers of dance classics. back to new roots (serotonin fuelled jazz covers) was first released in 2011 by 3io, a band lead by double bassist manuel moretti and including richard maggioni on piano and matteo giordani on drums. they were veterans on the italian jazz circuit and put out a couple albums, but they are no more

this limited edition record store day release offers a much desired vinyl issue of a special collaboration between betty wright & the roots. only on cd since it’s initial release in 2011, “betty wright: the movie” is considered among betty’s best albums after having not had a new release in nearly ten years. there is so much good music here expansion have spread over a double lp at a time demand for such quality releases on vinyl is at a highpoint. the lead single was “grapes on the vine” featuring lil wayne, other guests on the album including snoop dogg and joss stone. betty has co-written most of the songs, her voice still at its finest after a 50 year career while triple grammy award winners the roots add a magic touch to this incredible project. there will only be 1000 pressings of the album.

roots underground records presents the 4th ace release signed by marcello napoletano who’s back in the guise of anthony parasaula. the gifted mind of the italian producer has been digging through visceral, rough, genuine or physically concrete meanderings of the underground electronic culture while sublimating the sound by his peculiar treatments to drive it to a certain diverse sophistication.

babe roots are a relatively young duo from turin, italy, making a unique brand of atmospheric, techno-infused dubwise. on our radar since their splendid debut 7 inch on rohs! records in early 2016, we are very pleased to invite them into the zamzam fold with two mesmerizing and contrasting tunes. * be still* is a deeply meditative yet driving dub techno trek in classic fashion, featuring rastaman kojo neatness intoning on righteous living, working the land, guarding the tongue, and avoiding babylonian schemes and traps laid by the wicked. maternal bass and shimmering reverbs envelop a heartbeat rhythm of kick, shaker and distant snares for a timeless vibe that shows mastery of the idiom while updating it for contemporary sound systems. * rawness* is an extraordinarily deep 140 journey that opens with rich pads and swirling atmospherics, creating a psychoactive ambience that builds into a steady kick. the full riddim hits and plunges us even deeper with restrained, syncopated drums and percussion. churning bass powers us through the dense, hallucinatory fog as tendrils of electricity probe and zap, and serrated snares cut through the tape haze and studio clouds in the last third. carving out a gorgeous edge between deep dubstep and dub techno, * rawness* hits all the marks and will find a home in a huge range of sets.

heres a real gem from the vaults of don 1 and randys studio 17. the roots voicing an herb anthem on the killer rhythm used on the immortals babylon. unreleased for over 40 years and out now, the roots are one-hit wonders no longer!

dark clear cassette – c20 limited to 50 copies
treated equally, with same cruelty.

the levels of deep that trinidadian deep can reach with his sound are almost unfathomable, and he s at it once again for deepartsounds. as if he needed any help getting down low, sarignia bonfa lends her steamy vocals to i need you- and the trademark trini sound gets into a whole new realm of sensuality. fusion pulls things out of the boudoir and into the sunlight, bringing some of that infectious, uplifting soul to the table that he made his name on. future funk places some synths at the front of the mix and sharpens the edges of the drumming, giving the brain one last blast before allstarr motomusic steps up for a remix of i need you that goes down very smooth indeed.

massive wackies dub album from prince douglas, originally released in 1980 - essential!

max romeo has teamed up with uk based, grammy nominated producer daniel boyle, to create a stunning return to form, roots reggae album with accompanying dub versions. max is noted for his critically acclaimed work with lee scratch perry in the 1970 s, and for his timeless classic songs penned over the last 50 years - such as war ina babylon melt away one step forward and the worlds most sampled reggae song ever - chase the devil . picked up by artists such jay z, kanye west, the prodigy and blockbuster hit movies. max and daniel have teamed up with an all-star cast of musicians to create a true part 2, to max’s legendary, ‘’war ina babylon’’ album. using strictly studio equipment ranging from between the 1950’s – 1970’s, recorded and mixed in 100% analogue format, and presented with stunning artwork in physical format.

desolat label boss loco dice kicks off 2018 in fine style with a huge new single which sees the him reflecting on his musical roots and his connection to dusseldorf, detroit and beyond, whilst giving a taster for a brand new long player to come later in the year. dices recent past has seen the master of robust house and techno funk serve up killer remixes of mobys classic ‘go and release his underground sound suicide album, whilst continuing to headline the biggest clubs and festivals around the world. at the same time, he has directed his endless passion and musical sensibilities to bare upon his desolat label, with a stream of records released from some of the most exciting artists around and supported by djs across the globe. now though the stage is set for the first new loco dice original recording in some time and it is sure to see him once more at heart of the global scene. the bristling ‘roots is a typically forceful track that blurs the lines between house end techno. it has twitchy synths bringing the energy to hurried drums as smooth chords add real soul. the claps are coarse & edgy, whilst dices own dark vocals bring a brooding atmosphere and the whole thing is a synapse firing rave-up that cannot fail to detonate any dance floor. an instrumental is also included for even more visceral thrills. this timely new single is the lead track from dices latest album project, entitled love letters and to be released later in 2018.

grand ancestor’s eleventh release in the catalog features the legendary dub controller, ras muffet, of roots injection fame who’s had his tunes played by the likes of channel one, aba shanti, and jah shaka. with decades of dub experience, ras muffet dug deep into his vaults to produce two eerie dubs focused on the bottom frequencies and the continued evolution of the genre. steppers enthusiasts worldwide will be delighted to get this weighty 12” onto their turntables before this limited pressing is all gone.

heavy roots reggae album from 1988 by avant-jazz horn player jamaiel shabaka. remastered and released as a double lp gatefold sleeve in an edition of 500 !

heavy dub rhythms with lush techno chords and a huge remix by stenny. jamaican dub structures strongly influenced by 90s chain reaction/basic channel atmospheres and uk trip hop elements. tip! this version is 12- only (without 7 - bonus)

american musician aaron spectre turns up the volume with four tracks of jungle punk rock intensity, continuing his mission of uniting cultures at their roots. here we have four tunes of guitar, relentless amens, deep bass, and soulful soundclash vocals, ready to rumble your space of choice. also on the menu is a collaboration with fellow ragga junglist feyder, rounding out a brilliant ep which inspires and shakes foundations.

another root ready to bloom has been found in yann polewka. his opener is a filter laden, vocal drenched affair that holds the ever present rfb groove. all i dooo is next and holds that similar french filter style this one focusing on heavy strings and driving drums. the b side sees up ramp up a gear, luv me baby is looping and relentless. the piano and bass loop is short and repetitive but is constantly changing with filters vocals and interweaving percussion, this one works great on the dance floors. with b2 we see rfb take an unusual path for the label. all around is reminiscent of drum and bass almost liquid vibe with seductive vocals and ramped up tempo.

rudder & kresy join the roots for bloom camp with a cocktail of deep house cuts. the title track stateless is emotional and grooving, with the likes of maya jane coles picking up on it immediately.

reissue of this 1983 talking heads classic. warehouse find

laesh another newcomer to roots for bloom delivers a club ready three tracker with ripples of early sneak influences and robsoul-ish vibes. all three run on a similar tip relying on samples fresh and more well known alike but all three will do the job on the floors.

the 2nd ep from japanese label “ugfy records”.‘ugfy’ by tokyo based dj ‘you forgot’ and producer ‘yuji namiki’ . hybrid sound of techno house breaks disco sounds. killer for dancefloor.

along with his rival, cornell campbell, johnny clarke was one of the most esteemed singers of the roots reggae era. having grown up next door to a popular sound system on waltham park road in western kingston, clarke s early fascination with music led him to hang out at studio one with jacob miller while still at school. he then made the rounds of talent shows with barry brown, sugar minott and the diamonds, which led to a debut recording in 1973, for the pianist glen stair, which remains unreleased. an early effort for clancy eccles, ‘god made the sea and sun,’ was not promoted properly, though ‘everyday wondering,’ for rupie edwards, impacted in britain, ‘golden snake’ for stamma houghton and a cover of smokey robinson’s ‘you really got a hold on me’ for glen brown were also false starts. the breakthrough finally came in 1975 when clarke linked with bunny lee, who had him voice the rastafari landmark ‘none shall escape the judgement’ (written by earl zero, who failed to muster a credible take), which kick-started the ‘flying cymbal’ craze. clarke’s resultant debut album, enter into his gates with praise, mixed hard-hitting rastafari devotional material with sympathetic cover versions of classics by the likes of the paragons, slim smith and delroy wilson, along with a few reggae renditions of some vintage american r&b.

log on records & signature sound studios in conjuction with isr records, present the latest collection of roots reggae vocals from esteemed producer martin campbell. the album features a plethora of new artists from the san diego area. the album was compiled during 2015/2016 stateside and then the final mix was produced by alien dread at ad studio (uk) late 2016.
this is the eagerly anticipated new release from martin, with his 5000+ fans on facebook giving the early demo tracks a rapturous reception. featured artists: louie castle, james mcwhinney, marcie lee, danny dread, ilex monique, pappa monte, ivan garzon, e.n.young, davey roots, adrian ak cisneros, jarrod king.

swiss-based, jamaican producer ezikiel returns to cadenza for his another outing, this time dropping the tales of roots ep. with this new ep he demonstrates his flair for the musical side of club compositions, imbibing his productions with sultry atmospherics, deep emotion and organic keys and strings. the title track tales of roots is a 15-minute opus, which unravels slowly but surely, working from a soft yet persistent bassline and a hypnotic rhythm. samples of tribal singers add a distinct human element, entrancing you with their organic vibrations. as the voices continue to sing out you’re transported to a vibrant sub- saharan landscape, captivated by the irresistible guitar riff on the flip we have makha poetry, a more experimental workout with a variety of warped and twisted effects spluttering and wobbling away at its foundation. the jaunty yet slightly eerie low end gives this track a naughty allure, as those strange bleeps and whirrs continue to bounce in and out of the background. theres a controlled restraint about makha poetry which gives it a devastating simplicity and a very unique aesthetic.

london duo kaleida return with their debut album “tear the roots” on lex.

!! live au festival rock en seine !!

the house band of bunny ‘striker’ lee was formed in the mid-1970s by some of jamaica’s most prominent and musically expressive session players. the shifting core line-up spun off from the soul syndicate and thus typically featured earl ‘chinna’ smith and tony chin on guitar and bernard ‘touter’ harvey on organ. carlton ‘santa’ was the main drummer, but carlton barrett of the wailers band and ‘benbow’ creary were sometimes featured. most crucially, on bass, aston ‘family man’ barrett shifted to fully fullwood (and occasionally, earl ‘bagga’ walker), until robbie shakespeare took over, becoming the bandleader. the band was responsible for the popular ‘flying cymbal’ style that took jamaica by storm, and you can hear it in abundance on this killer dub set from 1975, its excellent cuts of cornell campbell and johnnie clarke material mixed at king tubby’s studio - a must for all serious fans of dub.

international reggae star alborosie returns with the dub version of his celebrated “freedom & fyah” album from last year titled “freedom in dub”. the distinctive production of these ten newly recorded dub mixes underscore alborosie’s skill and credibility as a master of dub. all tracks are produced and (mostly) played by alborosie and recorded at his shengen studios in kingston, jamaica.

as noted on another release (see ropin), cornell campbell has enjoyed one of the longest-running careers of any jamaican singer, and he is blessed with a readily identifiable style too. he began his career for clement ‘sir coxsone’ dodd in 1956, when rhythm and blues held sway in jamaica, and later cut some ska songs for king edwards. he then passed through the sensations in the rock steady phase and worked as a solo singer at treasure isle, before returning to studio one with the eternals, scoring huge hits such as ‘stars’ and ‘queen of the minstrel’ as the 60s gave way to the 70s. his greatest phase of popularity was them brokered by hit-making producer bunny lee, who kept him on top right through the 1970s and into the 80s. the 1975 album dance in a greenwich farm was first issued on the grounation label in the uk. along with a re-working of ‘stars’ re-titled ‘the sun,’ a re-working of ‘queen of the minstrel’ as ‘girl of my dreams’ and the sound system opus that is the title track, the album has the boastful ‘conquering gorgon’ and a number of keenly-observed cover tunes, including a cut of the gaylads’ ‘no good girl,’ a version of the heptones’ ‘why did you leave me’ and a killer cut of the uniques’ ‘watch this sound’ (based on ‘for what it’s worth’ by buffalo springfield).

one of the most important harmony groups in the entirety of jamaican music, the paragons have a long and complicated history. first formed in the ska years by bob andy and tyrone evans as the duo of andy and ronnie, the group soon expanded to a quartet through the addition of howard barrett and john holt, the latter naturally assuming lead duties, following the subsequent departure of andy, holt, evans and barrett made the paragons the quintessential rock steady trio. they had an incredible run of hits for duke reid and coxsone during the mid-to-late ‘60s, and also issued some self-produced work, before holt’s solo career skyrocketed, leaving the group on the back-burner. then, in the mid-1970s, the paragons reformed, cutting material for new york-based labels such as clocktower and clintones, which led to this intriguing album, which saw material recorded in jamaica at harry j for bunny lee mixed with work cut at bullwackie’s studio in the bronx, along with re-workings of classics such as ‘left with a broken heart’ and ‘memories by the score’ is a whole range of new material, dealing with contemporary themes.

more classic uk dub gets revived from partial records, this time in the shape of an instrumental from the legendary jah works label.
• the original release came on a jah works 7” back in 1993 and is now long out of press, demanding “silly money” on record auction sites
• produced and and mixed by rej forte, children of the father’ comes backed with a previously unreleased dub plate cut

pupil dilations - new ep by russian producer kausto (real name kuzma palkin) for roots united records. 5 tracks was produced in 2004 - 2007 in kausto’s hometown severodvinsk on a vintage pc using jeskola buzz tracker and old vst plugins. main source of inspiration - music of that time: baby ford, humanoid, 808 state’s newbuild, as well as analord series by afx.

italian based label roots underground records links up with japanese dj and producer fuminori kagajo for its second vinyl outing. four tracks that skip through house, disco, 70’s funk allure and jazz-fusion treatments. real summer time flavours on this one and strictly limited numbers so don’t sleep.

phat detroit deep house vinyl

from the italian dub duo babe roots comes the groups third vinyl release since their debut 7inch last year on the sardinian rohs imprint which sold out in record time. like the a-sides artwork suggests (a photo of the major league baseball pitcher doc ellis famous for pitching a no-hitter while on lsd), this record will take the listener on a trip. in classic babe roots fashion, each song was carefully crafted using traditional jamaican dub techniques, blending 90’s chain reaction / basic channel atmospheres and uk trip-hop elements. spiritual connection / brown walls aims to be their strongest release yet. us-based label visceral vibrations teams up with big horn sound (a sound system out of las vegas, nv) to provide a record worthy of any dub-heads collection, presented on 12inch vinyl and professionally mastered by beau thomas at teneightseven.

a-side discomix, one of the rarest and best wackie s 12inches, b-side previously unreleased wicked 70s roots! killer vintage bullwackies! the happy love song was originally released on a tribesman 12inch, one of the least known but most killer wackies 12inches of its day. a propulsive rhythm is behind the group licking back the tune cut by the iq s in jamaica a couple years earlier. the b-side was retrieved from tape, an unknown vocalist extolling the virtues of the roots rock reggae coming from wackie s studio in the turbulent new york city of the 1970s. a must have for all wackie s diehards, another level of the pyramid unearthed, and more to come!

l atelier hit back to the roots for bloom roster with a killer groove to start things off, sexy, moving and one to get any floor going. jamie trench follows with a nod to the old school of 80s drum machines and twisted vocal hits, with a disco twinge on the break. oli furness refurns after appearing on the last shag this one following in the same suite, heavy drums, killer sampling and an absolute heater. ghetto chords are the new boys on the block here for rootsforbloom bringing up the b side with a jazz, piano infused hit. again anyone who knows the series will be all over this.

during the mid-1970s, the aggrovators could do no wrong. this ace team of session musicians that was forged as an off-shoot of the soul syndicate were responsible for some of the biggest hits of the decade, recorded with bunny lees rising stars, such as johnnie clarke and his rival, cornell campbell. following on from the great shalom dub set of 1975, rasta dub 76 is another truly magnificent dub set culled from aggrovators hits (by johnny clarke, cornell campbell and others), this time, the entire album was given a scintillating mix-down at king tubbys studio by the great prince jammy, and the sonic excellence has stood the test of time. another must-have for all connoisseurs of dub.

cementing his reputation as the star toaster with the small but popular el paso sound system, based in the waltham park area, dennis alcapone was one of the first deejays to rise to prominence following u roy’s breakthrough in the late 1960s. born dennis smith in the rural district of culloden, he became immersed in sound system culture after settling in western kingston. once el paso became big on the sound system circuit, dental technician-turned-producer keith hudson brought him into the studio for his debut recordings, which led to a debut album for studio one and hit material for duke reid, some cut in concert with his deejay sparring partner, lizzy. alcapones longstanding links with bunny lee yielded the excellent guns don’t argue album, first issued in 1972, on which the toaster raps with style over some of lees all-time greatest rhythms, including delroy wilsons better must come, john holts left with a broken heart and slim smiths rendition of the temptations soul classic ain’t too proud to beg.

born roy samuel reid in saint thomas in 1944, i roy was one of jamaicas all-time greatest deejays. a natural-born toaster, his rhyming raps always sounded effortless, whether describing the harsh realities of the inner city, or making light of nonsense nursery rhymes. a former employee at customs and excise, he was first active on a sound system called soul bunnies in the rock steady era, moving to son’s junior in 1968, and later, to the legendary supreme ruler of sound, defecting to the rival stereo sound system after that. hits for harry mudie and other producers soon followed, and after the killer debut album presenting i roy impacted overseas, the toaster began spending frequent periods in london. his longstanding working relationship with hit-making producer bunny lee led to some of his most noteworthy albums during the mid 1970s, the 1977 set cant conquer rasta is a superb showcase-style album, on which the toaster blows hard lyrics over five of lees killer rockers rhythms (recorded with the likes of johnny clarke), each complete with a corresponding aggrovators dub on the flip, all mixed by prince jammy at king tubbys studio