Joseph Cotton & Earl Heptones - "Misty Morning" (4:00)
Room In The Sky All Stars - "Smoking Horn" (feat Eddie "Tan Tan" Thornton) (4:21)
Review: The latest from the Joe Gibbs label features a powerful roots rockers reinterpretation of The Sensations' classic rocksteady tune 'Everyday Is Like a Holiday.' The new version from Ruddy Thomas brings a different kind of energy while honouring the soulful essence of the original. It's packed with plenty of mad mixing desk effects and endless echo while warm vocals and deep basslines lock in a steady, hypnotic rhythm. On the B-side, Joe Gibbs & The Professionals deliver 'Holiday Style' which has happy horns and melodies that sparkle in the hot summer sun. Real roots authenticity and dub mastery make this another vital 7".
Review: Earl 16, renowned for collaborations with reggae icons like Lee Perry and Augustus Pablo, delivers a standout slice of early 90s digital roots here on the crucial Partial label. Originally featured exclusively on his 1992 album Boss Man (or, as it was known on the CD release, "Roots Man"), this track showcases Earl's distinctive production prowess. 'African People - HIM Speech' pairs conscious lyrics with a sleek digi dub vibe and future atmosphere. For this reason, Earl 16's influence extends through the reggae universe thanks to partnerships with Mikey Dread, Leftfield, and Dreadzone, all of which help to cement his legacy in the genre.
Review: First released way back in 1982 on Greensleeves, Eek-A-Mouse's 'Ganja Smuggling' is a towering example of early 80s "singjaying", a style of reggae vocal improv made popular by its combination of toasting and singing. Here we open with an asphyxial, spitballing steppers sound, as 'Mouse is heard scatting and bidi-bonging in his signature opening style, shortly before launching into a cautionary tale about working as a border lines marijuana smuggler. The track deals in a stoic, forborne whimsy, comically scatting and riff-licking through what is implicitly portrayed as an otherwise thankless and unforgiving task. This 7" reissue marks an important milestone in Greensleeves' release catalogue, harking back to one of Eek's earliest cuts laid down with kingpin producer Henry "Junjo" Lawes, the association with whom helped fuel Eek's early celebrity.
Review: Irie Ites is a French label that is back with two more reggae heavyweights and frequent musical sparring partners in the form of Eek-A-Mouse and King Kong. They tackle a relic of the 'Murderer/Hot Milk' rhythm, a production that will take you back to the 80s reggae sound in an instant. 'Musical Ambassador' comes first and is a happy-go-lucky sound with some slow, dubby drums and lazy hits as well as stylised vocals, while the flip from King Kong, 'Money Could A Buy' fleshes it out with more reverb and natty guitar riffs that hang in the air above the cavernous low end.
Review: Some proper sound system business here that deserves to be played nice and loud. El Indio's 'Rise & Shine' was recorded and mixed by Roberto Sanchez at A-Lone Ark Muzik Studio in Spain and is drench din sun. The horns are lazy and convey the feelings of a humid afternoon, while the vocals implore you to give all you can give and keep on rising. Interestingly they were recorded by Douglas Wardrop at Conscious Sounds Studios in London but sit perfectly in the mix. Lone Ark Riddim Force step up on the flip with their own lush dub which has plenty of effects and delay.
Bobby Ellis & The Upsetters - "Ska Version" (3:10)
Review: Bobby Ellis is behind 'Ska Baby', which was produced and directed by the Upsetter and now comes backed with a lush dub and a custom bag. It's actually one of the more subtle instrumentals to come from the famous Black Ark studio founded by Lee "Scratch" Perry and epitomises a warm day, beer in hand, dusty dry earth beneath your feet as you saunter though downtown Jamaica. Well, we assume this is how it must feel, never having been there during the 70s or 80s ourselves. Whatever, it's a perfectly organic and authentic vibe that is perfectly transportative.
Review: The Liquidator Music crew have been putting out classic Jamaican rhythms ice the mid-cities and still goes strong. This is an all new one from Jamaican act Roy Ellis who sings over his backing band, Cosmic Shuffing, from Switzerland. They are acclaimed in ska and rock steady circles for good reason and help bring these tunes to life. 'Shine Your Light On Me' is an easy going roller with lo-fi drums and dusty riffs that hook you in while Ellis does his work up top. 'Merry-Go-Round' then cuts loose on a summery and swirling vibe with conversational lead trumpets and natty chords.
Review: Dutch label Fontoyard is back and doing what it does best early in this new year, and that is serving up fresh rhythms from some of reggae's best talents. This one is the sound of T Gibbs in collaboration with Empress Ahavah who is responsible for writing the original tune. It is a superb stepping riddim that is perfectly driven by a heavy bassline. Up top, like all the most crucial dub, is a mystical melody that captivates the imagination, and some silky smooth vocals. Flip it over and T Gibbs offers up a nice and tasteful dub that dials things back to the inviting low end.
Review: The Ethiopians were a big part of the 70s roots and reggae scene. Their catalogue has been pillaged here by the always-on-point Belgian label Roots Vibration, and they have come up with their 'Obeah Book' tune for reissue on this 45rpm. It was produced by Niney The Observer and is a deep steady and rolling rhythm that has some nice and playful piano up top, but the icing on the cake is the heartfelt vocals. On the back, Observer goes it alone with 'Back Weh', a nice head-twisting dub.
Review: Two twinkly slices of roots reggae from the late 1970s: 'Freedom Song' and its version, by Tyrone Evans - a Jamaican singer who was part of the vocal group The Paragons - is a wonderfully lilting and politically-charged track. A plea for liberation and justice over a militant riddim with horns and keyboards, its star element is perhaps its whirling guitar hook, which sounds almost sitar-like in its pentatonic melody. Park Heights All Stars, helmed up by boss Delroy Francis, deliver the dub version, providing a remarkably different interpretation of the track, albeit one that is no less punchy and immediate. This is a reissue from the one-time prolific Park Heights Records, a New York-based label that was prolific in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Review: The emotionally charged 'Rebel Man' is a powerful reggae rhythm imbued with a socially conscious message. It has a famously smooth groove and strong bassline that set a fine standard while the compelling lyrics that speak to themes of resistance and empowerment. The single comes in two parts with the first being a relatively direct sound laced with psyche out guitars and shuffling drums and the flip brings a more laidback and cavernous sounds with plenty of echo on the low end, dreamy guitar leads and lush vocal harmonies.
Review: Greyscale unveils its latest endeavour, the Spectrum Series, as a way to continue to evolve its offerings and this time it is with something that makes a vibrant departure from its traditional black-and-white aesthetic. The inaugural release features the iconic Lithuanian dub track 'Kasdienybes Sventykla' by grad_u & Eazystyle MC as a way of commemorating its 15th anniversary. It came as a double CD in 2011 but now gets a first vinyl pressing on a nice 10" slab of wax. The track itself taps into the earliest roots of dub in the 70s and traces a line through the 80s with its heavyweight drums and endlessly echoing bass topped by great mic work. A pared-back instrumental features on the flip of this latest crucial drop from the dub dons at Greyscale
King Kong - "Wake Up The Town" (feat Eek-A-Mouse) (3:29)
Irie Ites All Stars - "Wake Up The Town" (riddim) (3:30)
Review: As we continue to enjoy some warm weather here in the UK there will never be a better time to be dropping your finest reggae sounds. And this new 7" deserves a place amongst your collection with an original by King King featuring Eek a Mouse. 'Wake Up The Town' is a contemporary-sounding dub with some digital synth lines as well as nice echoing hits and dub-wise vocals. On the flip, you can find the Irie Ites All Stars seeing up the 'Wake Up The Town' (riddim) for a more paired back sound.
Hang On To Yourself (feat Fishbone & Jonnygo Figure)
Ziggy Stardust (feat The Skints)
Suffragette City (feat The Expanders)
Rock 'N' Roll Suicide (feat Macy Gray)
Five Years Dub
Moonage Daydream Dub
Lady Stardust Dub
All The Young Dudes (feat Kirsty Rock)
Review: Easy Star All Stars are back, refreshing a simple yet effective formula - melodic reggae covers of titanic rock albums. The New York natives have released several tribute albums to said figureheads, not least Pink Floyd, Radiohead, The Beatles and Michael Jackson. Ziggy Stardub, evidently, is a reggae version of David Bowie's 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Bowiemaniacs will be Bowie-led over by this 15-track collective vision in dub, which comprehensively serves up serene versions of 'Starman', 'Five Years' and 'Moonage Daydream' and four actual dub versions. To top it off, there are myriad features from fellow coverer fanatics, including Macy Gray, Steel Pulse, Mortimer and Carlton Livingston.
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