You Don't Love Me (No No No) (feat Delroy Williams) (3:38)
You Know How To Make Me Feel So Good (5:01)
Review: Susan Cadogan is an esteemed reggae vocalist who has been since the 1970s. Now she continues her musical journey with this cover single which is taken from her excellent 2020 album Hurt So Good - Storybook Revisited, distributed by Burning Sounds. Side-A features a rendition of the reggae classic by Dawn Penn, while Side-B offers a sweet soul interpretation of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes' track. Enhanced with Japanese-inspired artwork on the jacket, this release showcases Cadogan's timeless talent and versatility as it bridges the gap between reggae and soul music across generations.
Review: The magical 'All in My Life' is an unreleased and heartbroken lovers rock steady track sung by a humble figure over a smooth rhythm. While missing the glamour of a horn section, it's driven by a lilting organ reminiscent of Buster Allstars. The B-side, 'Dancing Floor,' is the only song Gregory Isaacs recorded under Buster's production and so it is a rather rare gem. It features a melancholic melody and Isaacs' signature sweet voice that very much come from the golden age of early reggae. Both tracks showcase a raw side of the genre and as they are lesser known, they are sure to make a big impact whenever played.
Review: Tabou 1 is on a roll right now and their latest offering features reggae icon Johnny Clarke teaming up with the legendary rhythm duo Sly & Robbie. 'Every Knee' is an archetypal roots reggae anthem that has everything you want in a tune. It demands to be played loud and proud and blends Clarke's soulful, spiritual vocals with Sly & Robbie's masterful bass and drum foundation. The rest of the tracks here also have deep grooves and heartfelt lyrics that resonate with themes of devotion and unity and are enhanced by the signature dub-infused production.
Review: 1978 was a standout year for the great Al Campbell, with five album releases across various labels. This particular album, originally released on Phil Pratt's Terminal label, was originally released in 1981 and stands as one of his most notable. It features powerful roots tracks like 'Foot Stool,' 'Soul Sister' and 'No More Running' which combine militant rhythms with Campbell's soulful vocals fusing conscious reggae and emotional depth. It is a true classic of its genre that now comes on nice coloured wax that looks as good as it sounds.
Review: Reggae Charmers was originally released in 1970 and it showcased the best of Lloyd Charmers, who was born Lloyd Tyrell. His career spans Jamaica's vibrant musical eras from the late 50s shuffle r&b and ska boom to the rocksteady and roots reggae of the 60s and 70s. Across those years, Charmers excelled as a vocalist, session musician, and producer and after taking up the piano in 1966, he soon formed his own band. It backed artists like Ken Parker, Max Romeo, Pat Kelly, John Holt, and Slim Smith & the Uniques while Charmers also sang with the Uniques and gained a reputation for delivering some of the era's most compelling rhythms.
Review: French-Spanish, Latin soul and Afrobeats singer-songwriter Manu Chao returns to the fore with Viva Tu ('Long Live You'), a heartwarming Latin ska and worldbeat album dedicated to uncovetable, amicable neighbourly relations between members of the public. After the release of the eponymous lead single, the full record comes now in full cordial force. With its sleepily descendant vocals giving off the sense of a narrator too sunkissed to care, Viva Tu is an al fresco listening experience, one that also nonetheless betrays Chao's seasoned, well-tanned skin in the game. Now 63, this is a comeback album "inspired by (Chao's) travels and people's daily lives", and it hears him hark after something like a universal language, flexing his multilingual chops by singing in Spanish, French, Portuguese and English. All this forms part of Chao's mission to address the various global issues facing humanity today, in such a manner as only he can do best; he treats music as a vehicle for a humanistic global activism, aiming to promote anti-capitalist, antifascist and without-borders content.
Review: French Latin ska/dancehall artist Manu Chao (Los Carayos, Hot Pants) shares 'Viva Tu', his latest single pre-empting his upcoming solo summer stomper of an album. A wholesome ode to the neighbourly charms of his Chao's home city, 'Viva Tu' translates to "long live you!", and sports a universal message of simple merriment and streetwise hobnobbing. From "the one who sells tickets on the subway, to the street-sweeper", Chao's call for love - mediated by the irresistible sweetmeats of rhythm guitar and trilling ad-libs - excludes no-one. It's also a great, sweet-hearted song.
Review: A key figure in Jamaican music who first gained recognition with The Uniques before branching out as a solo artist and producer. By the late 60s, he'd honed his skills in arrangement and keyboard-driven reggae, culminating in Reggae Is Tight and Reggae Charm. Reggae Is Tight bursts to life with the insistent chant of '5 to ', riding a thick organ groove. Charmers reinterprets The Uniques' 'Watch The Sound' as the flowing piano instrumental 'Follow This Sound'. He transforms classics like 'Blue Moon' into reggae gems, while 'Psychedelic Reggae' leans into dubby echo effects. The album thrives on tight, dancefloor-ready rhythms, with 'Stronger' capping off the set in style. His deal with Trojan Records led to Reggae Is Tightia stunning example of his keyboard prowess over driving, fast-paced rhythms. Blending infectious organ grooves with classic boss reggae energy, the album captures the golden era of Jamaican sounds. Now reissued as a limited edition on orange vinyl, Reggae Is Tight remains an essential listen for vintage reggae enthusiasts, highlighting Charmers' innovative touch and deep influence on the genre.
Review: Dub producer Herman Chin Loy who was one of the pioneers of the style in the early 70s, and this reissue of two formerly unnammed and mislabeled, all but lost LPs - now combined to make up a compilation known as Musicism Dub - perfectly captures the earliest incarnation of the sound. 'Musicism' is a good term to describe the spectacular character of Loy's dub. Dub as a genre itself has been at times described as one of the first popular music styles to use the sound of the beat as a point of intrigue in itself, rather than relying solely on melodies or lyrics. The Chin Loy sound flaunted here is as indicative of this approach, though it is also staunchly rooted in the vintage style of analog production, with the likes of 'Armagideon War' and 'Don't Fight The Man' nailing that undeniably early chillout sound: nicely-glued lows and spitty tops.
Review: Reissued for the first time on vinyl, On the Rock was the third album by pioneering UK reggae band The Cimarons. Those who know consider it to be their standout masterpiece. It was originally released in 1976 on Vulcan and this reissue includes a bonus track which arrives via Lantern Records. The Cimarons are widely known as the first British reggae band and gained recognition by backing Jamaican icons like Jimmy Cliff and Bob Marley and as session players for Trojan Records. Their legacy has seen renewed attention thanks to the acclaimed 2024 documentary Harder Than The Rock and this album will add to their allure for a new generation of reggae heads.
UK Allstars (Congo Natty Meets Benny Page mix) (4:57)
Revolution (4:55)
Get Ready (5:21)
Jah Warriors (Congo Natty Meets Vital Elements mix) (4:48)
Nu Beginingz (3:53)
Jungle Is I & I (Congo Natty Meets Vital Elements mix) (4:11)
London Dungeons (Congo Natty Meets Boyson & Crooks mix) (4:49)
Rebel (4:35)
Micro Chip (Say No) (5:24)
Review: Congo Natty celebrates a decade of revolutionary jungle music with this anniversary reissue of a classic. Originally released in 2013, this album remains a cornerstone of the genre, blending reggae, hip-hop, and jungle influences into a powerful sonic tapestry. With timeless tracks like 'UK Allstars' and 'Jungle Souljah,' Congo Natty captures the spirit of the underground rave scene with infectious beats and socially conscious lyrics. This anniversary edition breathes new life into the record with remastered tracks and additional content, reminding listeners of the enduring legacy of jungle music and Congo Natty's vital contribution to its evolution.
Review: Hollie Cook, as well as being the daughter of a certain Sex Pistols drummer, is a modern-day lovers rock star who dropped her Happy Hour album last summer to great acclaim. It was the latest in a line of superb long players which now gets served up once more in dub form on both CD and vinyl. This heavenly set of dubs is Hollie's first since 2012 and is inspired by the fact she heard many parts of the album in isolation during the original mixing process and decided to use that as inspiration for these versions. Ben Mckone is the man on the buttons alongside Hollie while new vocal features by Josh Skints and Kiko Bun also make the cut.
Review: Hollie Cook's superb new album Happy Hour sees the modern day lovers rock star really mature her sound and come good on everything she has promised before now. She has a happy, feel good and lush singing style that has, since the 70s, become a British reggae signature and it is laid bare here for all to enjoy. Her lyrics are also hugely personal and really invite you in deep to her world with her General Roots band members Ben Mckone and Luke Allwood, and executive producer Youth, all in fine form.
Review: Although barely known outside of experimental electronic music circles, Simon Crab has been making avant-garde and cutting-edge music since the turn of the '80s. His latest album, and first for Leeds-based Space Ritual, delivers sci-fi daydreaming by the bucket-load, with the Hastings-based producer gently leading us on a journey through symphonic electronic ambient ('Headless Day'), shuffling ambient techno ('Invisible Cities'), gorgeous beat-free soundscapes ('Edgelands', 'Phantom Power'), low-slung IDM-dub fusion ('Battle of the Trees'), illbient influenced ambient dub ('Invaders') and bubbly-sounding, modular-powered electronica (the pin-sharp and wonderfully melodious 'By Product'). It all adds up to an immersive, evocative and emotive collection of vivid electronic workouts that more than stands up to repeat listens.
The Peoples’ Sound (Tribute To Daddy Veigo)/Off The Spectrum (3:18)
Review: Creation Rebel were the original On-U Sound house band, laying down some of the definitive riddims in the early days of Adrian Sherwood's voyage into dub. 40 years on from their last record, the trio of Crucial Tony, Eskimo Fox and Magoo have reunited with Sherwood at the controls for another masterclass in heavyweight sounds from a crack team of players. Originally they formed as a backing band for the late Prince Far-I, and some of his unmistakable tones manifest on this new record from archive tapes, while Daddy Freddy brings his famous fast chat flow to proceedings and Italian synth player Gaudi crops up on occasion too. Rather than dub-by-numbers, this is an exploratory record which takes in different grooves and influences, all filtered through the expanse of space-time manipulation the dub wise approach inspires.
Review: As part of a rather comprehensive looking back and reissuing of some of Creation Rebel's best and most enduring albums, On-U Sound pay due homage to their one and only in-house band. Close Encounters Of The Third World is one such album; it was first released in 1978, and draws a titular link between alienation and privation. The eight-track LP collates the instrumental talents of Lizard The Wizard, Dr. Pablo and Crucial Tony, and hears a fantastic mixing job by none other than Prince Jammy. With an initial charge to 'Know Yourself' before externalising the pilous inner monologue with 'Natty Conscience Free', Creation Rebel here demonstrate a stage of collective soul-searching and a subsequently serene set of songs.
Review: Pivotal players in both the nascent dub, dancehall and punk scenes of the late 70s, Culture (not, in our estimation, named as such for no reason) emerged from the fecund, twinned musical grounds of Jamaica and the United Kingdom; 1977's Two Sevens Clash was released during, and named after, that crucial year, and serendipitously found itself embraced by the new punks. Though it's famous for this association, this is an electronic/dub album through and through, and could have commanded just as much respect at any other time. A beautifully clear yet vintage sound abounds here, whether on the jabbing bubbles of title track, the lyrical privations of 'See Them A Come', or the prophetic professions of 'Pirate Days'.
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