combo lulo returns to names you can trust for their sophomore single, digging deeper into the diversified sounds of the caribbean that helped define their debut. while the first single took a jamaican foundation south into the neighboring continent, fusing the sensibilities of rock steady with those of classic afro-latin orchestras, this single goes far east. inspired by the heady and sublime sounds of foundational ska mixed with east african influences, (think buster s islam, don d s addis ababa or further east), the sieve & the sand is a brand new composition within this natural order, albeit with the fortune of different reggae eras and studio styles to draw from. divided into two parts (but also available seamlessly as it was played in the studio), combo lulo s talented players move effortlessly from the galloping shuffle of ska into a deep and dark, roots radics-styled instrumental. its a lovely ode to the original styles of reggae, but also another impressive accomplishment that will surely leave listeners and new fans in anticipation of the shape of things to come for combo lulo.

more jamaican influenced latin american songs from the 60s & 70s on volume 4 of the latinameriska series.

more jamaican influenced latin american songs from the 60s & 70s on volume 3 of the latinameriska series.

a compilation of some of the very first recordings mr. onuora, father of jamaican dub poetry, made upon release from prison.

limited ddition of 750 individually numbered copies on orange 180 gram vinyl.
the jamaican reggae producer harry j recorded some of his most successful artists during the late 60’s / early 70’s. the first local hit he recorded was the beltones “no more heartaches”. this compilation album puts down the focus on the classics from his first years in music business. it’s one of the long players from trojan’s early years when boss reggae ruled the dancehalls all around the uk and jamaica. the fine production of songs by king cannon, herbie carter and trevor shield can all be found on this 12-track lp.

limited ddition of 750 individually numbered copies on orange 180 gram vinyl.
red red wine is a compilation album compiled by the jamaican producer brother dan, better known by his stage name dandy. the album consists of some of his most popular productions like tony tribe’s “red red wine” and israelites “games people play”. the reggae version of the neil diamond title song became a hit in the uk in the summer of 69. with his own showcase label downtown dandy entered the music world, including his popular release “reggae in your jeggae”.

7 inch singles were instrumental to the development of the jamaican music industry, more affordable than full lengths for the consumer, they also allowed the labels to turnaround what was being recorded into music played from their booming sound systems as quickly as possible. in that spirit, get on down will be reissuing some of the most crucial jamaican sides on 45, staring with the maytals “monkey man.” recorded in 1969, the cut was a smash hit in jamaica and hit number 47 when released in the uk in early 1970. “monkey man” went on to be highly influential on the british two-tone movement of the later 70s with the specials offering up a ripping version of the cut on their 1979 debut. the b side, “night and day”, though not a chart-burner, is certainly one of the most solid rock-steady cuts you’ll ever encounter rife with bubbly keys, tight snares and toots hibbert’s incredibly soulful vocals.

limited ddition of 750 individually numbered copies on orange 180 gram vinyl.
one of the founding figures of the jamaican music industry, arthur duke reid produced many of the classics of the ska, rock steady and early reggae eras. and when, in the mid-1970s, dub music took hold, he was able to call upon one of the most talented soundmen in the business, errol brown. utilising some of reid’s most memorable rhythms, performed by the producer’s legendary session crew, tommy mccook & the supersonics, brown created some of the finest dub mixes of the period, a dozen of which were gathered on treasure dub vol. 1, one of the most acclaimed collections from the golden age of reggae.

limited ddition of 750 individually numbered copies on orange 180 gram vinyl.
hot shots of reggae is an recording on which a bunch of popular reggae songs are brought together. the album was originally released in the autumn of 1970 and compiled by the legendary chinese-jamaican producer leslie kong. he had enjoyed many hits in in europe and selected some of the true pearls from the reggae music to shine on the album. the album includes the maytals hit monkey man, the sparkling so much love by joe white and the fine rythms of ken boothe’s freedom street. the influential producer leslie kong once discovered jimmy cliff and recorded him on his own record label beverley’s. in 1962 he recorded bob marley’s first single and through the 60’s het became known as the producer of many big artists, like desmond dekker and joe higgs. he died of a heart attack, at the age of 38, in august 1971.

limited edition of 750 individually numbered copies on orange 180 gram vinyl.
the jamaican sonia pottinger was once called “the most important jamaican woman involved in music business”. dancing down orange street is a collection of some of her famous productions for different artists. the album captures the moment when rocksteady transformed into reggae by speeding up a little and moving towards a more jerky and less smooth musical palette. famous singers as delano stewart and ken boothe are present on the album with multiple tracks. the vocal trio the melodians (known for their hit “rivers of babylon”) provide a couple of beautifull songs. even after all those years (released for the first time in 1969) the compilation remains a treasure of showcasing some of the finest songs produced by sonia. sonia pottinger was married to music producer lyndon pottinger and started to record musicians in 1996. during the late 60’s she produced songs for joe white, the melodians and toots & the maytals.

hey-o-hansen is a dub duo from berlin. helmut erler and michael wolf are originally from austria, their blend of folkloristic melodies from their home country with the bass-loaded echo chambers of jamaican roots has been called austrodub.

numa crew and killa s army join forces on this banger that will represent the first release of the brand new label numa recordings. the first release of numa recordings is all about a mediterranean and jamaican alliance, an explosive blend of grime and reggae vibes.&#8232, killa s army is a crew from london formed by killa p, irah and long range, one of the most powerful trios in the contemporary uk grime scene, their own original style is distinguished by a -heavy- jamaican dancehall & reggae influence. the italian collective numa crew has developed their unique sound over the years, ranging from dubstep to jungle, through a limitless exploration of the different styles in the wide spectrum of genres in the uk underground scene. in the production of -we nuh tek talk- lies the essence of this musical journey. the main theme of the tune is the legendary motive of courtney melody s ‘ninja mi ninja chorus, adapted to a modern day grime beat. backing the title track is the we nuh tek riddim version by numa crew, the beat and the bassline are simple and heavy at the same time. it will be fire in the dance

micah shemaiah teamed up with fruits records’ studio band the 18th parallel earlier this year to produce the unanimously acclaimed “roots i vision” album on evidence music label. the album hit every charts in the reggae world and is seen as one of the best effort of 2018! in collaboration with evidence music, fruits records is proud to release on 12” maxi vinyl two of the toughest tunes of the album in their eight minutes extended versions : a side features heavyweight stepper “zion trod” and b side gives the rub a dub anthem “soul rider”. this one is a sound system must have! killer tunes + ultra heavy pressing in a early 80’s jamaican simmons style!

the legendary gig that joe strummer, singer from the punk rock band “the clash” attended and inspired his writing their classic ‘white man in hammersmith palais’ took place on the 05th june 1977. at the hammersmith palais venue on shepherd’s bush road w6, london during the height of punk mania. the full line up for the show were all jamaican artists dillinger, leroy smart, delroy wilson (all the first time from jamaica) and ken boothe. “ken boothe for uk pop reggae” who had already scored some hits with ‘everything i own’ and ‘crying over you’ in 1974. joe strummer was expecting roots, rock, reggae but the sound system this evening ‘admiral ken sound’ was playing ‘four tops all night’ as in soul and northern soul that were staple crowd pleasers at the time to warm up the audience, but in joe’s eyes the music should have reflected more jamaican roots based music. the song also deals with bigger issues of black and white unity, but some people including the punk rockers. “they’re all too busy fighting, for a good place under the lighting”. joe strummer himself was looking for fun. “i’m the whiteman in the palais... just looking for fun”.

quarion is back on drumpoet with an enchanting new ep that leaves nothing to be desired. cobblestone takes the dancer on a deep sensual journey, builds up continuously and subtly into a truly emotive peak. sunday night pt. 2 tops it by captivating with rhythmic chords, which remind of the early 90ies. jamaican morse is a driven drum track, spiced with dubby sounds and a higly addictive beat. once again, quarion proves his outstanding quality.

philippe cohen solal (of gotan project) celebrates the 50th anniversary of summer of love, covering one of its anthems “aquarius / let the sunshine in” of hair the musical which premiered on stage in october 1967. a complex but soothing modern reggae moombathon riddim carried by the ethereal harmonies of legendary jamaican reggae singer horace andy (massive attack, skylarking, ain’t no sunshine...) with a delivering coda sung by an empowering choir.
¡ya basta! records asked two legends of the underground scene, somewhat connected to the spirituality of the song, to remix this take. first with an afro house / deep-house take of the master of the genre @boddhi-satva, and jack of all trades, mashup virtuoso @jstar-1 (remixer of major lazer / dj vadim...) for a retro catchy drum n bass/uk bass remix. finally lazy flow and face-t deliver a dancehall filler of a remix.

soul sugar drop their own reggae version of marvin gaye’s -i want you-. french outfit soul sugar – the brainchild of guillaume “gee” metenier – deliver yet another soulful reggae 12”, this time a cover version of marvin gaye’s 1976 classic -i want you-. jamaicain native leonardo carmichael sings lead vocals and legendary drums and bass duo sly & robbie add their flavor to the mix, with two versions on side b. marvin gaye’s single -i want you- was a big step forward for his sound & vision and marked a change in direction – from hip motown soul to a more sultry, disco sound. marvin s vocals are notably intimate and the lyrics are more explicit, more personal. an original soul classic, -i want you- is memorable for its unique combination of lush harmonies, a mesmerizing groove and the apparent sexiness of the theme itself. soul sugar s discomix version combines a smooth mixture of reggae, soul and funk over beefy bass lines, designed for heavyweight sound systems. sly & robbie, rhythm duo known for their studio work on countless reggae classics since the 1960s deliver their version, taking us back to the golden age of reggae, the days when it was typical for jamaican musicians to record their own versions of american soul tunes ... ace producer jahno dubs the mix live and direct to tape, from his very own n.o.f studio

finally realized, here s one that was long on the dkr wish list. among the very finest moments from both artists, these brilliant interpolations of curtis classics have been unavailable too long. a mesmerizing rhythm adorned with the lovely sounds of hand drums, melodica and flute, mixed and dubbed to perfection by king tubby himself. this 12inch is a 6 track ep, with all four cuts as originally released on two separate 45s, plus two unreleased mixes straight off the original tapes. we like to think tubbs favored these cuts, as so many mixes were done! the dub titled super cool is, in our humble opinion, one of tubby s top 10 extant mixes. full disclosure, all tracks except super cool pt. 2 come from the original jamaican mastertapes. we suspect the pt. 2 mix was lost somewhere in nyc, but don t let that trouble you, this one should please all who have ears.

new blundetto 7inch. the second from his new album “slow dance” . after ken boothe, blundetto invited another legendary jamaican singers : little harry (dancehall figure and burner of dubplates) and cornell campbell (whose reggae falsetto can be heard on island productions from studio one to bunny lee) to add their voices to his burning riddims.

marvellous music from ronnie nasralla, one of the founding fathers of the jamaican music business. includes vital vocals from the blues busters and the maytals, eccentric chinese rock steady from stephen chang and one of the first deejay records, ‘ska-ing west’, from the legendary sir lord comic. incomparable!

jah mel sees himself as a musical bridge between the original reggae sound & the dancehall sound of today, representing what he calls the real dancehall revolution, merging the spirituality of the old school & the energy of the new school. “guiding star” and “stand up to it” are the perfect examples to overstand this definition. both song were produced by roydale anderson aka andy s. “guding star” will definitely give you thrills if you are into deep synth and heavy digital rhythm, while the superb piano notes will warm you in the analog style. beware of “guiding star” dub version called “guidance (dance mix)” that will break any bunker. “stand up to it” rhythm is an adaptation of one of the most classic jamaican riddim called “heavenless”. you will never know this riddim like before, this version takes the riddim to another level. a positive song with a bionic nuclear bomb dubwise! play it loud, jah is our guiding star!

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!

up until now, this dubplate has only been heard in session, a heavy nod to classic jamaican dub, fused with uk steppers and contemporary bass music. grand ancestor is thrilled to offer a limited run 12” to the public, no digital, no repress.

following the success of last years kunta kinte 2017 riddim, brooklyn-based label and collective dub-stuy add a new installment to their popular dancehall inspired series with a fresh riddim from in-house producer dj madd, featuring international vocalists from jamaica, spain and bermuda. jitta riddim is a brand new production from dj madd, a sturdy yet spacious riddim carried forward by a lilting melody and guitar stabs that are anchored by slapping snares, dub flourishes and a rolling bassline. this is a weighty but energetic riddim with the dancefloor in mind. bringing the riddim to life are a trio of vocalists representing the roots and global expansion of dancehall and sound system music. spains sr. wilson delivers an anthem in the making with zapatillas, a song dedicated to all the sneaker heads worldwide who like to sport fresh kicks when they hit the dancefloor. singing in his native spanish and english, sr. wilson shares tales of daily shoe addiction around a catchy refrain that name checks the best known brands. his blend of reggaeton-flavoured autotune and kicks geek outs is sure to resound loudly around clubs worldwide. backing him is jamaican veteran deejay cutty ranks, a man whos been lending his distinct flow to productions for over 30 years. on double trouble cutty speaks to the daily realities of life on the streets and the ills keeping people down, warning of the trouble that awaits those in charge. wrapping up the release is bermudas troy berkley who aims his vocal rifle straight to the orange-skinned resident of the white house, spitting rapid fire lyrics about the deteriorating state of things in 2018 america. lace up your sneakers and get ready to move and chant with dub-stuy’s new riddim.

emotional rescue and jamwax return to capo disco with the first ever-official release of a holy grail of the caribbean disco sound. fully licensed and remastered especially for this release, there is no now requirement for badly pressed rip offs. while little is known about the crashers, all leads point to an incarnation of the revolving “house” band of glen adams. as often the case, the floating nature of jamaican born labels, rhythm sections naming and renaming to fit occasions was endless.

junction - a six track ep produced entirely by samrai & platt - features vocalists from jamaica, ireland & the uk and rounds off an excellent 12 months for the label & crew whove toured across north america, mexico and europe in 2017. the set kicks off with st favourite alexx a-game (originally voiced at his studio in kingston in 2016) urging listeners to free up their mind and souls and let the good times take control. it sets the tone for upcoming jamaican talent blvk h3ro to step up on the soulful party number cant wait (recorded at equiknoxx’s studios in vineyard town in 2016), which has been a staple in swing ting sets over the last 18 months. slowing the pace is addiction, a link up with irish artist and frequent murlo collaborator gemma dunleavy who lays down an impressive vocal over the skittering drums, muted guitar and glistening keys. the listen is interrupted momentarily for an interlude from gavsborg whose moving voicemail is accompanied by a poignant piano line from jp aka without understanding. one for the clubs turn it up features equiknoxxs shanique marie riding a stripped funky-esque riddim with ease. fittingly the set closes with contagious which finds two of manchester’s finest vocalists fox & tyler daley searching for an escape from the reality of our turbulent times over a refined yet sparkling production. the 12inch vinyl will be limited to 200 copies

the magnetic buzz riddim brings us back to the jamaican early dancehall days where heavy rub a dub riddims used to rule the dance. fruits records studio band the 18th parallel travelled to jamaica and teamed up with reggae greatest bass player robbie shakespeare from famous duet sly & robbie to build the explosive and powerful magnetic buzz riddim. sylvan white, famous for hit songs like africans unite or mountain top recorded in the early 80s, comes back in the business after years off the scene with his beautiful song mother nature. then follows an experimental dub mixed by spanish wizard roberto sánchez featuring robbie’s crazy lead bass line. b side shows for the first time on vinyl record young promising artist from rockfort earth warrior followed by the sweet voice of veteran singer delroy melody whos famous for hit songs from 1980 like ease up the pressure and natty dread she want. heavy maxi 12inch record paying tribute to the early 80s jamaican reggae!

the magnetic buzz riddim brings us back to the jamaican early dancehall days where heavy rub a dub riddims used to rule the dance. fruits records studio band the 18th parallel travelled to jamaica and teamed up with reggae greatest bass player robbie shakespeare – from famous duet sly & robbie – to build the explosive and powerful magnetic buzz riddim. sylvan white, famous for hit songs like africans unite or mountain top recorded in the early 80’s, comes back in the business after years off the scene with his beautiful song mother nature. then follows an experimental dub mixed by spanish wizard roberto sánchez featuring robbie’s crazy lead bass line. b side shows for the first time on vinyl record young promising artist from rockfort earth warrior followed by the sweet voice of veteran singer delroy melody whos famous for hit songs from 1980 like ease up the pressure and natty dread she want. heavy maxi 12inch record paying tribute to the early 80’s jamaican reggae!

new version of the track with jamaican legend ken boothe + dub version. ken everything i own boothe played a significant part in covering sir coxsones studio one walls with gold and goodness knows that label fostered its share of legends. collaborating with the master, blundetto could have laid it on thick with heavy production instead alongside his discreet partner blackjoy, he created a gorgeous production using the purest of jamaican music, proving yet again that time has nothing on the suave tones of mr. rocksteady.

following the release of their new album marble skies this january, django django will release a new ep focused on the single track surface to air, a track which features for the first time in the bands a guest as the sole vocalist: self esteem, aka rebecca taylor from the uk duo slow club. filtering a jamaican dancehall influence through a widescreen of dreamy psychedelic pop, the track is accompanied on this ep by its instrumental version as well as three remixes from canadian producer lunice, glasgow based dj nightwave and the multi-instrumentalist producer body in the thames.

the 70s saw a growing interest in so called dub versions, an approach based on deforming, stripping and rebuilding the original tune and came known as dub music. king tubby along with other dub wizards such as, lee perry & prince jammy, were responsible for this exciting new dimension to jamaican music. however, most of these dub albums were pressed in very small quantities and disappeared quickly. one of those albums is dub expression by errol brown and the revolutionaries. no gimmicks on this one, he uses simple echo and delay, a few vocals sliding in and out, separate instruments floating on top, with respect to the melody of the tunes. a mixture of dub and instrumentals. enjoy these super tracks!
limited edition of 750 numbered copies on orange coloured 180 gram audiophile vinyl.

get on down presents an often overlooked crucial reggae release from the 1970s with johnny clarkes rockers time now. the record is a mix of covers and originals, including ethereal versions of the the abyssinians satta massagana and declaration of rights, smash hits on the island just the year before. rockers time now was first issued in 1976, clarke had just been named artist of the year in jamaica for the second year in a row. this is just one of three full lengths he released that year as this was a very prolific period for clarke, in particular from 1974 onward when his output was directed by legendary producer bunny lee. the pairing resulted in a creative energy that resonates to this day. the release was recorded at channel 1 with bunny lee producing, which of course means the band backing the popular jamaican vocalist was the aggrovators, which at the time included robbie shakespeare, earl -chinna- smith, augustus pablo, and aston family man barrett. the release was mixed at king tubbys by osbourne ruddock…aka king tubby. crucial all the way around. now is the time to rediscover a classic of the genre, rockers time now.

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)

must have 12inch lee perry 12inch repressed. black vinyl press - as opposed to the 2017 bf red press. starting 2018, get on down brings you a beautiful package of roots reggae weirdness from the almighty upsetter: lee scratch perry. this 12inch single features the song disco devil, recorded by the legendary jamaican mad genius with the group the full experience, as a version of max romeos chase the devil. but dont jump to conclusions based on the song title musically this is as far as you can get from saturday night fever. thick, reverb-drenched dub/roots reggae laced with perrys dusted vocals and brilliant work behind the boards are on the menu throughout. this cut is undeniably underrated in perrys catalog and fans will eat this up, since it has always been hard to find on 7inch and 12inch for many years now

hugh ‘redman’ james is one of the greatest jamaican music producers of the late 1980s. raised in a musical household in the west kingston slum of hannah town, with his mother a sound system selector, redman gained his initial schooling in the music business from none other than king tubby, the legendary sound system owner and dub mixer that was responsible for voicing and mixing some of the greatest reggae of all time. after being immersed in sound system culture during his youth in the 1960s and 70s, redman began sitting in on sessions at king tubby’s studio, but migrated to hartford, connecticut in 1978 in search of steady employment. returning to jamaica a few years later, he established a popular sound system in kingston and began producing music with king tubby’s assistance in 1985, working with the roots radics during a time of great uncertainty in jamaican music, as the new dancehall style came to prominence, early work featured gregory isaacs, sugar minott and frankie paul, as well as rising stars such as little john and horace martin. then, following the computerisation of dancehall, redman began producing some of the most popular music of the day, crafting durable and complex rhythms with a broad team of players that included steely and clevie, augmented by members of the browne bunch and other players. redman helped establish a number of total unknowns in this era, including carl meeks, dave bailey and wayne palmer, and became a serious contender for king jammy’s crown. but the producer was ultimately frustrated by the dramatic changes to sweep jamaican music in the early 1990s, and subsequently retreated from the music industry redman international dancehall 1985-1989 compiles the best work from his glory days, with half of the twelve vocal tracks coming complete with corresponding dub versions.

3 legendary jamaican artists, all born 60 years ago in kingston, jamaica show us that in the 21st century they are all still at the top of their game. michael prophet, earl 16 & rod taylor. uk dub master vibronics brings the heavy riddims and the singing legends bring their vocal prowess. the results, a magical collection of 3 limited edition 7” vinyl singles presented in beautiful colour collector’s sleeves.

3 legendary jamaican artists, all born 60 years ago in kingston, jamaica show us that in the 21st century they are all still at the top of their game. michael prophet, earl 16 & rod taylor. uk dub master vibronics brings the heavy riddims and the singing legends bring their vocal prowess. the results, a magical collection of 3 limited edition 7” vinyl singles presented in beautiful colour collector’s sleeves.

3 legendary jamaican artists, all born 60 years ago in kingston, jamaica show us that in the 21st century they are all still at the top of their game. michael prophet, earl 16 & rod taylor. uk dub master vibronics brings the heavy riddims and the singing legends bring their vocal prowess. the results, a magical collection of 3 limited edition 7” vinyl singles presented in beautiful colour collector’s sleeves.

kalita are busy adding more weight to their on-point reissue catalogue with this excellent single from caribbean funksters iwabo. reggae down does indeed feature a skank of sorts and all manner of sunkissed vibes, but there s a greater emphasis on laid back funk than you would find in typical jamaican output. smile on your face is a more light hearted track that equally draws on a variety of reference points to impart its infectious positive message. iwabo may have been a secret weapon of serious diggers for years, but now it s time for the wider record buying public to get in on the groove.

increasing access to new studio technology resulted in this splicing of dub reggae dna with cut-and-paste sampledelia. anticipating the later work of labels such as def jux, wordsound and anticon, this 1985 album paired crack jamaican session musicians such as the roots radics’ drummer style scott (by this point the instrumental leader of dub syndicate) and the congos’ ashanti roy with public image limited’s jah wobble and keith levene, not to mention the restless mixing desk boundary-pushing of producer and de facto member adrian sherwood. a more reggaefied take on the industrial funk sherwood was making with tackhead during the same period, lovers of digidub, outernational sounds and even the wilder reaches of 80s hip-hop will find much to get lost in here

the green returns with their first full-length release since 2013’s award-winning hawai’i 13. that record debuted at #1 on the billboard reggae chart and cracked the top 100, as well, before going on to win an unprecedented three na hoku hanohano awards in the band’s native hawaii. after years of touring to support that release, the band focused on making their next record with some longtime musical partners, including producers leslie ludiazo (j boog, hot rain) and christian mochizuki (graves). the band also solicited songwriter/producer brian fennell (ryan tedder, one republic, the fray, third eye blind) to help explore some new elements in their sound. the new release has an amazing mix of pop-influenced lovers rock along with the green’s patented island reggae. guests include jamaican dancehall superstar busy signal, grammy-nominees j boog and rebelution’s eric rachmany, as well as island music veterans fiji and the mana’o company.

born and raised by jamaican parents in london, england, alpheus developed a passion for singing after seeing an old recording of sam cooke perform on television, and performing on local sound systems in london as a youth. his love for ska rocksteady and reggae developed as he was exposed to singers like john holt, marcia griffiths, don carlos, dennis brown, frankie paul, michael gordon, keith douglas, thriller u, maxi priest, and many more great artists.

as the head of berlin s eminently respected oye records, it s no surprise markus -delfonic- lindner would come correct with the edit heat for his first outing on razor-n-tape. the record starts out smooth and summery with the flow, a club-ready rework of an underground jamaican disco classic, followed by the furious afro-boogie stomp of -spf.- on the b-side an extended percussion jam builds ferociously and finally drops into a lovely lesser-known revamp of a killer disco anthem. music is love indeed!

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.

u-roy was a true reggae pioneer, dubbed the originator for good reason. bursting onto the jamaican scene in the earliest 1970s, he pioneered the vocal approach called ôtoasting,ö which in addition to branching out jamaican music into a new era, was also heavily influential on an american genre in its infancy: rapping. on dread in a babylon, his third full-length, he stretches out over traditional roots grooves provided by the soul syndicate and skin, flesh & bones bands, riffing on topics including love (ôrunaway girl,ö a 1975 single released in the uk on virgin records), the bible (ôthe great psalmsö), walking the straight and narrow (ôlisten to the teacherö), and even his take on governmental policy goals (ôchalice in the palaceö). the album finishes with an instrumental version of bob marley & the wailersÆ ôtrench town rock,ö for good measure. u-royÆs style and charisma are always on display, and û as with all of his classic records û the groove rules all. presented on black vinyl with a poster of the glorious, ganja-drenched cover art, itÆs the perfect chance to revisit one of the more underrated voices in jamaican musical history.

in the midst of the storm brings together two exceptional talents and two generations of reggae musicians. jah9s previous release 9 was critically heralded as one of the most re-freshing reggae albums of 2016. and now, fans will get the fully de-constructed, dubwise version of the album with nine newly recorded dub sessions from the legendary dub master, mad professor. he s renown for hundreds of productions with the who s who of jamaican veteran artist like i.e. lee perry, u-roy, the congos, horace andy, and did also great dub re-mixes for massive attack, sade, depeche mode, grace jones and many more. this release marks the first mad professor title with vp records as well as the first commercial recording of mad professor and jah9 together. the press and media coverage will include interviews with mad professor and jah9. the great original cover illustration is by artist richard nattoo!

the third instalment of our amenizer series continues in the same vein as the previous two, with a generous serving of every junglist’s favourite breakbeat, on a no frills white label vinyl, with an undercover artist providing the ammunition. jedi hi-fi is an alias of one of our core foundation x family members, and if you listen keenly it shouldn’t be too hard to work out who is responsible for these four cuts, with a trademark jungle sound which is heavily influenced by 80 s jamaican dancehall sound systems and 70 s dub production..... reggae reggae sauce – as the vocal says “serious damage” and that’s what this track will do no questions asked..... sound check 1 – dubwise from start to finish, the signature sounds ofjedi hi-fi are evident throughout from the top to the very last drop. sound check 2 – jazzy intro vibes soon give way to a head nod amen patternand creation discoteq vocal samples bounce in between the beats and bass. problems – the final track of the ep sees some expert echo chamber work.

u-roy was a true reggae pioneer, dubbed the originator for good reason. bursting onto the jamaican scene in the early 1970s, he pioneered the vocal approach called “toasting,” which in addition to bringing jamaican music into a new era, was also heavily influential on an american vocal style also in its infancy: rapping. following up the record store day 2017 release of u-roy’s classic dread in a babylon, traffic entertainment group now brings us a very welcome reissue of the vocalist’s 1976 full-length (and fourth) album, natty rebel, which has been out of print for more than 30 years. produced by tony robinson (known for his work with big youth, lloyd parks, the gladiators and many more), the album’s 11 cuts range from bouncier and sometimes even disco-tinged grooves – “have mercy,” “go there natty” and the album lead-off, “babylon burning” – to the classic roots stepping that drew fans to the legendary jamaican vocalist over his long career – including “so jay jah say” and “natty kung fu.” at its core, this is a deep journey into the heart of rasta living, spoken by one of jamaica’s most underrated dub and roots legends, and it’s one of the strongest full-lengths in his expansive catalog. whether you are experiencing u-roy for the first time, or replacing your decades-old original lp, diving into this reissue of natty rebel is one hell of a way to spend an afternoon. or, if you’re not careful, a week or two.