DON LETTS レコード& CD

Review: Given that he's been active musically since the turn-of-the-80s - most famously as part of Big Audio Dynamite - it's rather surprising to find that Outta Sync is Don Letts' debut solo album He's pulled out all the stops for the occasion, not only joining forces with dub artist Gaudi (who co-wrote and produced the album), but also a swathe of guests including reggae vocalist Hollie Cook, his old pal Terry Hall, Zoe Devlin Love and his daughter, Honor Letts. While there are plenty of nods to Letts' varied musical tastes, it is naturally rooted in weighty dub reggae rhythms, with the other constant being Letts' own spoken word vocals, which generally offer reflections on the Black British experience and his fears for the future. It may have taken decades, but he's finally delivered an artist album fitting of his legendary status.

Review: On the latest volume in the Late Night Tales series, Don Letts has dug deep into his crates to present a selection of some of his favourite dubbed-out reggae cover versions, alongside dub style remixes of more contemporary covers. It's a simple concept, brilliantly executed, with Letts offering up some exclusive, dubplate style remixes amongst the classic cuts and recent gems. Highlights include, but are in no way limited to, the full vocal dub of Capitol 1212's take on Joy Dvision's 'Love Will Tear Us Apart', Mad Professor's insanely weighty 2021 dub of John Holt classic 'You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine', Blackbox Recorder's oddball reggae-soul version of 'Uptown Top Rankin' and Easy Stars All Stars' deliciously mystical interpretation of The Beatles' 'Within You Without You'.