the loop is the new lp by los angeles based polymath shafiq husayn, an epic project which saw its inception in 2012 through a series of studio sessions at shafiq s home, including collaborations with the likes of thundercat, erykah badu, flying lotus, bilal and anderson paak.

as one third of sa-ra creative partners shafiq husayn helped change the world, producing, writing and collaborating with a diverse cast of artists, from common to kanye, jill scott to j dilla and erykah badu, the aspects of music that sa-ra helped reintroduce to hip hop and rnb can be heard today throughout the current musical climate. citing the influence of the greats like george clinton, prince, herbie hancock and jimi hendrix, shafiqs sky high level of quality and musicality is noted and admired all over the world. featuring anderson paak (formerly know as breezy lovejoy), *it s better for you* is the first song lifted from forthcoming album the l&#8734,,,p, a project that includes collaborations with the likes of hiatus kayote, thundercat, miguel atwood ferguson, fatima and many more. due for release early 2015. this is the first solo work from shafiq since 2009s the critically lauded album en-a-free-ka.

eleventh and conclusive ten inch of the la series comes from two thirds of the sa-ra creative partners shafiq husayn and om mas keith. working solo on each side shafiq is first with seven minutes of funk split into three parts. >dna splice mix< is an intense mix of hip hop and funk beats, chopped vocals, jazz and soul combining to form an infectious for-the-heads downtown la sound. flipping over om mas goes uptown and gives us a more polished sound with a leftfield r n b - hip hop vocal track >girls a player<. instrumental plus accapella included for potential remixers.

electro-disco made by adam sky & shafiq ettienne in 2004 for crosstownrebels. comes with remixes by frankie flowerz and glimmer twins.

a-free-ka: a kemetic term, from ancient egypt, meaning spirit. being in a-free-ka means no limitations. no boundaries. infinite. as the myth-scientist sun ra said: the only limit is your imagination.

incl vinyl only track casement remix on b2

for the 3rd release in the series, moonshine artists team up with vocalist rider shafique.

incl. somah , digid remix

rider shafique & ishan sound & kahn

melbourne’s idle minds workshop team up with rider shafique.

egoless remix of enter the gates by dubkasm & rider shafique.

remixes from hypho and moresounds on clear and black mixed vinyl.

forward thinking dub is the ethos of this highly collaborative future stepper from scrub a dub records. us production duo alter echo & e3 have linked up with bristols ishan sound to create an awe inspiring warrior stance anthem. ah mi guide features a hypnotic sample from rider shafique, over an unrelenting beat crafted by e3 and ishan then mixed in dub by alter echo. the flipside remix comes via ascendant dubstep producer egoless, who transforms the stark original into a slow burning fire, garnished with a flourishing flute refrain. either side is guaranteed to shake up and mesmerise a dance! a. ah mi guide

meditative and off-kilter, dubkasm’s new 12” is, unsurprisingly, completely unlike any other tune out there, and pays tribute to a too-frequently overlooked part of reggae tradition: dub poetry. originating in a collaboration between dubkasm and their long-time friend, norway-dwelling heavyweight bass guitarist, bajan steppa, enter the gates is a discomix built on a tuff bassline, skittering drums and retro synths, and features reflective, courageous lyrics about the enduring power of black liberation movements and consciousness, from gloucester vocalist rider shafique. the b-side contains an upfront instrumental cut, followed, in true dubkasm style, by a collaboration with a musical titan. mad professor’s incredible dub flips the original into a propulsive soundsystem killer, retaining the tune’s heart and spirit, but driving and percussive where the original is deep and soulful. mastered on to 1/2” tape at stardelta studios, and pressed on 180g vinyl.

“i’ve said it before, but dancehall and its influence on uk music has been a massive inspiration for me, going way back to hearing chris goldfinger on radio 1 playing music that was like nothing else i’d heard before. i love that fundamental rhythmic pattern, and i love how within the same world you can have some tunes that are built around the sweetest melodies and harmonies, and others that are built around super-tuff minimal drums and crazy squeeks and bleeps.
when it came time to build another ep for critical, i decided to link up with my good friend and long-time collaborator rider shafique, who has a much deeper knowledge of this music than me, and together create something that references both old and new dancehall, while still being playable in the kinds of sets i ve become known for. there’s no halftime and no chopped-up jungle breaks here - we wanted to make something really focussed and even disciplined - and hopefully we’ve succeeded.
big shouts to the vocal collaborators - super hyped to work with stush on a tune, irah came through with the righteous fire, and tiffanie malvo absolutely bodied her beat - but ultimate biggups have to go to rider. this wasn’t a project where i made the beats and rider voiced them - for pretty much every tune, we worked and reworked the riddims together. we’re both stoked on the results, and it seems like people in the dance feel the same way.” - sam binga

vromm switches from his last ep on critical’s binary series to their equally outspoken systems series to bring another four pieces of future music. ranging from the minimal riddim of lead track level up with rider shafique riding the waves to the abstract industrial grind of ashes of shame, vromm’s sound design lends itself perfectly to the critical camp.
limited edition purple marbled vinyl with download code included.

infernal sounds are back with their 6th release on the label, this time with the combined minds and talent of japanese based artists, karnage and the infamous rider shafique on vocals. the a side, ‘realise’ providers a weighty influx, featuring the elemental voice of rider, backed by a rugged roller in the form of ‘bayside shakedown’ on the b side.

obeah serves up two hybrid tracks featuring the vocals of trim and rider shafique.

2x12 inch in gatefold sleeve

ltd to 200

black vinyl pressing

2023 repress on 180 gram vinyl, housed in generic sleeve.

2023 repress on 180 gram vinyl, housed in a generic sleeve.

2022 repress in original full colour sleeve, download code included.

wide spine, pressed on gold nugget vinyl with spot gloss printing on cover

2lp and 36 page photo booklet

ishan sound teams up with dread mc and rider shafique on “we a talk”.

blind prophet is back!

after countless eps, here’s finally rdg’s debut album on his own circle vision imprint. pressing on 180 gram double vinyl, housed in full colour sleeve with poster included.

ntroducing rockstone a fresh, bass heavy duo hailing from canada, who present 4 incredible diverse cuts. including the vocal talent of rider shafique, on their first ep for navy cut.

strong navy cut repress!

new album by cimm

the fourth instalment of dub-stuys riddim serie

ace current electronic reggae / dub reggae cuts

vinyl ep with download ciode included.

feat rider shafique

limited edition of 500 copies on white vinyl.

incl full artwork sleeve

om unit s acclaimed album -self- gets remixes from dbridge, skrs (aka seekers international), sorrow & o$vmv$m (aka neek & jabu young echo) a real deal remix package. genuine expansions and redirections from likeminded producers, selected by om unit. true experiments on self s flexible styles & vulnerabilities.

brought together by their mutual love for meditative music, onemind were born. the self-titled onemind album project blurs the gap between jungle, dub and electronica, with each production detailed enough that new sounds are discovered on every listen, something that the duo have stated they feel is missing from modern electronic dance music. the music created under this moniker consists of an array of ideas influenced by a melting pot of creative freedom, which onemind are now ready to share in the form of a 8-track album preceded by a 2-track sampler.

since jim coles took on the mantle of om unit, the english producer has sought to challenge himself and his audience by going beyond the confines of genres and styles he has so far explored. in the process he has found success by striving for more feeling, for a more human and daring electronic music. this journey continues with ‘self’, coles’ third album as om unit and a true follow-up to his 2013 debut ‘threads’.
‘self’ captures coles in a period of growth, change, and experimentation. inspired by personal psychological and emotional healing work, and a vision of the self as an egg — which coles later on discovered is a jungian archetype — the album blends dubwise, bass-heavy music with the space of experimental ambient compositions and the daring imagination of a cold wave science fiction soundtrack.
the first om unit album on coles’ own cosmic bridge label, ‘self’ offers new forms amid familiar touches. stripping away what people might expect, coles deconstructed and reimagined his work so far as a challenge to himself and, in turn, to his fans.

classy, stepping current electronic reggae