Review: Partial are busy reissuing a series of the best works from pioneering UK dub outfit Alpha & Omega. They are known for the likes of their timeless 1991 reggae album Overstanding and seminal 'Shashamani' tune which came on a 1996 long player called Voice in the Wilderness. This 7" offers up 'Bush Ganja' which came originally back in 2006 and was made as a one-off with Gregory Isaacs, the late and great Jamaican singer. It has pretty much been sold out since the day it dropped but now comes back to a sound system near you with its ice cold dub, head twisting electronics and impassioned vocal. Check the flip for a mad dub.
Review: Alpha & Omega is a legendary dub duo and despite them having many superb sounds to their credit, this one is a real standout. 'One Culture' pens with heavy bass as you would expect, but the alluring Indian vocal up top is even more hypnotic. It has a transcendental feel and is soulful and smoky while warped synths rumble away beneath the dusty drums. It's a real mental trip. On the flip is 'One Prayer' which is paired right back to dubby rhythms and subtle vocals are smudged and smeared throughout. Both of these are perfect for lazy Sunday afternoons in the sun.
Review: The Disciples & Creation Stepper came together for 'True Nazarite' back in 1991 and it was an instant classic on the dub circuit. It has long been sought after by collectors and now comes back as a reissue from Partial Records who have done a fine job of cutting it so that the deep, heavy UK roots sound, which has become pricey on the second-hand market, is as clear as possible. Produced by Russ D, the crucial tune has thunderous sub-bass and bouncing keys and dubbed to the max across three extra mixes. 'True Nazarite (Version)' carries traces of the vocal, while the B-side 'Nazarite' dials up digital keyboard melodies and echo effects. The fourth mix strips it all down to skeletal toms and shivering bass for a stark, raw dub experience.
Review: Timeless digital roots and dub from The Disciples here featuring the late Jamaican singer Creation Stepper, who i most famously well known for his iconic 70s roots reggae classics. This release includes a fresh take on Stepper's 1978 track, 'Kill Nebuchadnezzar' and it is paired with another vocal gem, 'Ozone Layer,' plus two powerful dub versions. Originally mixed and produced by Russ D in The Disciples' studio in 1991, this music finally saw the light of day in 2011 on the Disciples Vintage label where it quickly sold out. Now back on a great sounding 12", this is a must for roots and dub heads.
Timeless digital roots and dub from The Disciples here featuring the late Jamaican singer Creation Stepper, who i most famously well known for his iconic 70s roots reggae classics. This release includes a fresh take on Stepper's 1978 track, 'Kill Nebuchadnezzar' and it is paired with another vocal gem, 'Ozone Layer,' plus two powerful dub versions. Originally mixed and produced by Russ D in The Disciples' studio in 1991, this music finally saw the light of day in 2011 on the Disciples Vintage label where it quickly sold out. Now back on a great sounding 12", this is a must for roots and dub heads.
Review: For Those Who Understand is a collection of raw dubs as played on the Boom Shacka Lacka Sound System between 1991 and 1995. Eight of the best have been collated for this hard hitting long player which is often spoken about as something of a classic of the genre. Each of the tracks has been twisted, tweaked and laden with plenty of effects so that synths squeal and you can really feel the bass in your chest. Some rumble on like a weighty elephant, others strike you over the head like a hammer, but the impact either way is inedible.
Review: The Disciples' Russ Bell-Brown has just dropped a great collection of instrumentals on the Experiments LP on Thank You and now Partial serve up a couple of remixes of the group's 'Sabotage' and 'Steppers Nah Sleep' tune. The a-side features 'Sabotage' (Destruction mix), an absolute thriller with oodles of echo and reverb, head-mashing cosmic sounds and alluring kick patterns. It's the same with the deeper, even more heady flipside. These are more highly regarded sounds from this well-respected dub outfit.
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: Roots and reggae masters Partial know which EPs need reissuing and once again they prove that this month by casting it back to 1992 for Earl 16;s revered Natural Roots. For those who were there back then, it is well known that Jah Shaka played the tunes of this EP at every gig for almost 10 years and they never failed to get you moving even though you knew he was still only warming up. An original copy will set you back 50 odd quid so don't sleep on this great sounding reissue, which features the exact same play list as first time round.
Review: Jamaican vocalist Earl Sixteen's 1980 recording finally lands on 7" vinyl, produced by Earl Morgan of The Heptones and recorded at Harry J Studios. The vocal cut rides a familiar steppers rhythm also heard on tracks by Lacksley Castell and Black Uhuru - crisp, driving, and minimal in arrangement. Sixteen's delivery is measured that sits just above the groove without crowding the mix. The B-side features a dub version mixed by Sylvan Morris. It's restrained, focusing on dropouts and echo placement rather than full reconstruction. Both sides maintain clarity and space, typical of the era's late roots sound. A concise, well-pressed archival issue that foregrounds the essentials: voice, rhythm, and atmosphere.
Review: A heavyweight slab of UK roots and dub, originally released on the Jah Warrior label in 1997 and which now hears a welcome reissue via Partial Records. Presented in a showcase style, with each vocal followed by the dub counterpart, One Of These Days was produced by Jah Warrior and mixed by Dougie Wardrop in London. Clean but oppressively weighty in the sub-200-hertz range, every vocal and version here slaps harder than a frozen fish round the dome, but as evidenced by the top end, Warrior sees this as no excuse not to work in endearingly cute flute, Melodica and sci-fi motifs, to which the delays are applied liberally in almost every case. Prime your ears for snappy SFX-laden snake-rattlers such as 'One Of These Days', amid headier, heavier cuts like 'Pollution Dub'.
Review: UK dub label Partial Records welcomes dub cats Vivian Jones and Vinney Satta for a new split 7". Jones's 'Return Ticket' kicks off in slow, libidinous fashion with sparse wooden rim shots and joyous horns bursting out of the laid back rhythm while the wailing vocals bring a traditional touch. On the flip, Satta steps up for a dub out version of the original which is more roomy, liquid and heady for those late night sessions when you can hook on to the endlessly echoing chords and bass. Two classy sounds with a contemporary twist.
Review: Originally released on a Partial 10" in 2019, 'Mediation' became a staple in the underground roots and dub sound system scene and got heavy plays from the late Jah Shaka and others. This 12" includes the original vocal and dub versions along with two previously unreleased dubplate cuts. Eva Keyes, a rising artist from Limerick, Ireland, brings a distinctive and powerful voice, reminiscent of Sinead O'Connor and Dolores O'Riordan. This one has deep roots but offers a fresh take on classic sounds.
Review: The still-aptly entitled 'Money Run Tings' is a sought-after classic from East London's King General and Bush Chemists that was originally released in 1996. The original Conscious Sounds 7" has been out of print for nearly 30 years but is now getting a much-anticipated reissue. This version comes with a previously unreleased dub version that offers a fresh take on the standout London dancehall track. Produced by The Bush Chemists in the mid-'90s, it remains a top-tier example of the genre with its stepping beats and stylised vocals still sounding futuristic 30 years on.
Review: This wonderful horn-led instrumental gem from Chris Petter and Dave Fullwood in their Love Grocer guise makes its first ever appearance on 7". Originally released on a Dubhead 10" featuring a Cheshire Cat vocal in 2000 and then also on the Rocking with the Love Grocer album on Dubhead in 2001, this one has long been a favourite and rightly so: it shows their signature take on dubbed-out rhythms and finds them weaving in some nice hypnotic melodies with great trumpet pads bringing the good vibes.
Manasseh meets The Equalizer - "Conspiracy Dub" (3:44)
Review: Nick Manasseh and Jeremy The Equalizer pillage their vast vaults for a bunch of rare dubs here that date all the way back to 1998. The spaced out and heady originals 'Next Step' and 'Next Dub', are backed by two further gems in 'The Ark' and 'Conspiracy Dub'. These two have The Equalizer on production and date from a few years later in the early 90s. All four of these solid saes are perfectly designed to be played loud and proud of proper sound systems. This is their first time on vinyl.
Review: The peerless Partial is back with some brilliantly deep cuts from Nick Manasseh and Jeremy The Equalizer. A-side cut 'Absentee' showcases a robust part-digital rhythm and some warming dub low ends that are finished in style with Danny Red's commanding vocals weaving in and out of the mix to a heady effect. The single was originally a track from their popular 1993 album, and here it is served up on 7" next to a rare B-side dub mix that fleshes things out, adds plenty of reverb, and generally makes for more horizontal and heady listening.
Review: Bim Sherman and Sound Iration came together for this one in 1989 on WAU! Mr. Modo Recordings. Since then it has become a cult classic that will cost a few quid on the second-hand market. But it's not easy to find and so now comes a reissue by Partial. It features two of the three tunes that were on the original with identical artwork. In original form, 'Dream' is a blissed-out bit of sun-kissed electronic reggae. The drums are crisp, Bim's vocals are clean and the organ chords suck you in deep. 'Dream' (version part 3) is a subtle rework that brings out different leads.
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