Back catalogue: Reggae Classics/Ska

Review: Over the last couple of years, we've been treated to numerous reissues of classic cover versions by Japanese reggae/rocksteady combo Inokasira Rangers, including takes on Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', Pharrell's 'Happy' and New Order's 'Blue Monday'. Here we're treated to another, as the band's 2017 take on Underworld anthem 'Born Slippy' gets a fresh pressing. It's certainly a revolutionary revision, with Keichi Sokabe's surprisingly Karl Hyde-sounding lead vocal rising above a lusciously languid, sub-heavy reggae groove. Over on the flip they take on 'Groove Tube', a 1991 indie-pop-meets-acid house single from Japanese outfit Flipper's Guitar, reframing it as a baggy, glassy-eyed rocksteady number.

Review: Disco-infused reggae and soulful grooves are on the agenda as Prince Fatty takes to the controls with regular vocal colllaborators Shniece and Horseman along for the ride too. For the Disco Deception album, he raids the reinvents various classics in the image of his own signature low-end energy and impeccable production, giving us original and dub mixes to choose from in several cases. His version of Krfatwerk's 'The Model', which features both Shniece and Horseman, was an underground smash when it emerged a couple of years back and sounds as vital as ever. 'Fever', made famous by Peggy Lee as far as 1958, gets some soul-stirring vocals from Shniece, and Tom Browne's 'Funkin' For Jamaica (NY)' is a glory of funky basslines to shimmering horns. A magnetic atmosphere that keeps listeners engaged from start to finish, all with character to spare.

Review: Celebrating four decades since its original release, The Selecter's crucial Too Much Pressure receives a well-deserved anniversary edition reissue on clear vinyl. This timeless ska masterpiece continues to resonate with its infectious energy and socially conscious lyrics, upbeat rhythms and Pauline Black's commanding vocals. Together all that creates a potent blend that remains as relevant today as it was upon its debut. This special edition offers fans old and new a chance to (re)discover the album's brilliance, complete with bonus tracks and remastered sound. The Selecter's enduring influence on the ska genre is in part down to this fine album.

Review: Manchester genre bastardisers Sonic Boom Six have become renowned for their eclectic mashing up, and utter disregard for the parameters of genres such as ska, punk, metal, hip-hop, grime, dubstep etc. Whilst relatively creatively quiet since the release of 2016's fifth full-length The F-Bomb and the 2017 follow-up EP Cardiac Address, 2023 saw the release of the double A-side single 'Future Shock' b/w 'One Of The Boys'. Now it appears not only were those two new cuts designed to re-introduce listeners to the band, and whet appetites and beaks yet again, but rather they were the signifier of the arrival of the Re:Generation compilation, which places the two new bangers alongside a carefully curated batch of the band's personal favourite recordings from their definitive line-up over the past decade. What's more, there's also alternate mixes and freshly rejuvenated EQs of vital deep cuts and fan essentials. It mightn't be a new album, but it's the closest we're getting for now.

Review: More Specials is the second studio album from the Coventry band, originaly released in 1980 and reportedly splitting opinion among their fanbase, although it's come to be seen as a classic containing many of their best loved songs, from ska knees up 'Enjoy Yourself' to the deadpan reggae of 'Do Nothing'. Produced by the band's own keyboardist Jerry Dammers, it had a more eclectic and less obviously punk sound than its Elvis Costello-produced predecessor, with the band's constant disagreements on the direction of the sound proving a creative rather destructive force here, even if it would - barely more than a year later - cause them to eventually split.