Greensleeves レコード& CD

Review: Leeds' Iration Steppas have spent over three decades reshaping dub into a raw, high-voltage force, blending classic roots selections with futuristic, bass-heavy energy. Here, Mark Iration delves into the Greensleeves archives, curating a deep selection of foundation cuts that have fuelled their sets since the early 90s. The first disc centres on heavyweight vocal performancesiMichael Prophet's 'Righteous Are The Conqueror' and Johnny Osbourne's 'Mr Marshall' embody roots reggae at its most defiant, while Ranking Dread's 'Shut Me Mouth' and Wailing Souls' 'Busnah' channel the militant energy of early dancehall. The second disc turns up the pressure, diving into dub with Roots Radics' 'Conquering Dub', Augustus Pablo's 'Revolution Dub' and The Revolutionaires' 'Respect The Version'. Following the success of Down In Dub From The Vault, this latest Soundsystem series instalment reframes vintage selections through the seismic weight of Iration Steppas' vision.

Review: The Evil Curse Of The Vampires remains an all-time classic in the pantheon of early 80s dub albums. There have been some wranglings between Greensleeves and Scientist, commonly credited to this album which he mixed, but now the credit rests with Henry 'Junjo' Lawes who was credited as producer. Either way, the music remains unchanged, resting heavy on Channel One's sharp-shooting Roots Radics band to lay down the tracks, and with a second disc carrying some brilliant vocal turns from Michael Prophet, Wayne Jarrett, Johnny Osbourne and many more. Seminal stuff for anyone who takes their dub seriously.

Review: King Jammy's Unites The Nation With Dub is a timely and powerful return to his Dub laboratory, offering a sonic message of healing and unity amidst the chaos of the world. This album brings together Jammy's 21st-century A-team, including musicians Andre Dennis, I Sax and Brandon Harris, to craft ten fresh, vibrant boomshots. These tracks radiate positivity and precision, with a sense of urgency to unite the world through Dub. Jammy also nods to his illustrious past, pulling vintage samples from Sly & Robbie and the High Times Band to enrich two standout deep dives: 'Climate Action Dub' and 'Ceasefire Dub'. The production is flawless, with Jammy's signature engineering skills on full display, aided by Romeo 'Shemmo' Facey and John John. The result is a collection of Dubs that transcend their original versions, creating a sense of unity and peace that is both immediate and lasting. An essential listen, offering a sonic salve for troubled times.

Review: The Roots Of Dub is one of several albums from the one and only King Tubby to contain the word dub, and why not? He is the undisputed, unified and unbeaten heavyweight camp of that sound even now, decades after he first defined it. This particular record is a reissue from Greensleeves of King Tubby's impressive and utterly classic album from 1975. It's a follow-up of his Dub From The Roots LP with more Bunny 'Striker' Lee rhythms dubbed to the next level by the man like Tubs. There is proto-lovers rock in the title track, heavy bass on 'Immortal Dub' and the deep and funky goodness in 'Dread Locks Dub'.

Review: Blowing With The Wind is the second August Pablo album to get the reissue treatment this month following on from 1986's Rising Sun. This one came in 1990 when the legendary dubber had fully updated his original sound with more modern aesthetics and digital techniques. It picked up rave reviews and proved to be one of the artists' most successful records since the seventies. It is defined by a mix of nyahbinghi drumming and hardcore steppers that was fully embraced by the sound system culture of the tie and took Pablo to new heights in the Far East, culminating with a tour of Japan.

Review: They might be juvenile but you can't beat a nice loud ganja anthem on a hefty system in the sun. Which makes this new collection of such things from Greensleeves - on nice translucent green wax, no less - utterly unmissable. It features plenty of rootsy tooting-anthems and stoner classics from the dub swagger of 'Pass The Kutchie' to Wayne Smith's darker and more paranoid 'Under The Sleng Teng.' John Holt's 'Police In Helicopter' will always be well received by any crowd and Billy Boyo's 'One Spliff A Day' is a great tune a well as being advice to live by.