New releases last four weeks: Classics/Ska

Review: This first-ever CD anthology of Culture's earliest singles captures the trio in their purest, most incendiary form. Formed in 1976 by lead singer Joseph Hill, with Albert Walker and Roy Dayes, the Jamaican group emerged under the name The African Disciples before becoming Culture and signing with Joe Gibbsione of Kingston's most revered producers. What followed was a run of revolutionary 7"s and 12"s, including the seismic 'Two Sevens Clash', whose apocalyptic prophecy shook the reggae landscape. These recordingsinow collected in full, dub sides and allichart the group's 1977 to 1981 run with Gibbs, a period widely regarded as their peak. Tracks like 'Zion Gate' and 'See Dem a Come' show their power not just as writers of militant roots reggae, but as spiritual messengers, blending dread prophecy with hypnotic riddims. Even in dub form, these versions retain urgency and weight, anchored by Hill's unshakeable vocal tone and Gibbs's rich, bass-forward production. Later work with Sonia Pottinger would push their sound further afield, but what's here is raw, righteous and definitive. Eight tracks make their CD debut, finally doing justice to an era of singles that shaped both Culture's legacy and the wider trajectory of roots reggae itself.

Review: Junior Dell & The D Lites so often and so brilliantly work together and this is another fin example of it. Red hot vibes and sunny soul flow freely throughout the airy and breezy 'Watch That Girl (Little Fatty Boom Boom)', which muses on a passing beauty with a lovely behind. It's a single bursting with catchy hooks and tight rhythms topped by Junior Dell's charismatic vocals and all coated in nice authentic lo-fi fuzz and analogue warmth. The Woodfield Rd Allstars provide a Hammond organ-laced groove with brighter melodies and still lush, dynamic instrumental backdrops that elevate the song's lively edge.

Review: The elusive De Frank Kakra remains a mystery, his real name unknown, and his current whereabouts unclear. But the music tells its own story: rooted in Ewe heritage, Kakra cut his teeth as a percussionist and backing vocalist in the fray of Ghana's 70s highlife scene, with stints with K. Frimpong's Cubano Fiestas and the Vis-A-Vis band. Eventually fronting his own groups, The Professionals and The Diggit Ways, he went on to record countless scintillating sides with labels across West Africa, and this new compilation brings together many of said wax etchings from Nigeria, Ghana and Ivory Coast, handled with care by Michael Graves at Osiris Studio. It's the debut release from a label founded in gratitude to Kakra's music and the healing it sparked. Liner notes and archival sleuthing aim to piece together his story, and the hope is that someone, somewhere, might know what became of him.

Review: One of Bob Marley's most acclaimed LPs on reissue here, and it's an album that overflows with funk, poise, and defiant overtones. Marley recorded the album in 1977 after surviving an assassination attempt at his home in Jamaica. Following the attack, he left the country and relocated to London, and it's here that the collection was captured. At times a commentary on the political violence that blighted Jamaica during the era, other times joyful celebration, the music is some of the reggae icon's most potent. The hypnotic groove and chanted vocals of the title track are an obvious standout, as are the feel-good flex of 'Jammin' and the heartfelt vulnerability of 'Is This Love'. Presented as a double pack, all the music gets the groove spacing it so richly deserves.

Review: A real favourite ever since its initial 1976 release, Rastaman Vibration sees a welcome return to heavyweight wax here with Tuff?Gong's limited-edition reissue pressed at their Kingston headquarters and hand-numbered. This LP, which was the iconic group's eighth studio album, marked Marley's first US Top Ten entry and delivered enduring hits like 'Roots, Rock, Reggae' and 'War'. These are some of reggae's most enduring tunes and the ones that keep the legacy of The Wailers alive decades on, and with a deluxe booklet and Tuff?Gong stamp, this edition is the most essential of them all and another worthy celebration of Marley's cultural impact.

Review: A nice mix of funk, hip-hop and reggae influences go into the melting pot on the latest SuckaSide, with 'Even After All' proving to be a laid back, blunted jam that's backed up with some hard hitting, sturdy beat manouevres. On the edgier sounding flip, meanwhile, a female MC spits with impressive ferocity while a lovely warm - and somewhat familiar - analogue-edge loop works its magic. Both are key components for use at different points in the jam, some badly needed heavy weaponry that Donald Trump can't withdraw from service here.