Albert "Alchemist" Thompson - "Promise Land Version" (3:34)
Review: Albert "Alchemist" Thompson's Promise Land comes courtesy of Freestyle Records and has great appearances on the mic from reggae and dancehall greats Frankie Paul, Joseph Cotton, Prince Malachi and Anthony John. It has never before been released and has had a long maturation period over the last 30 years. Albert Thompson was chief engineer at I&I Sound Recording Studio once it left LA and head to Jamaica and he saw work with greats like Dennis Brown, Bunny Wailer and Gregory Isaacs. He laid down these rhythms in 1991 during some downtime and then added the vocals 16 years later in London when working with talented local and touring Jamaican artists.
Flesh & Blood Posse - "Rebel Muzik" (version) (3:35)
Review: The Flesh & Blood label kicks on here with a nice blood-red vinyl 7" featuring a hard-hitting new tune from Dixie Peach. 'Rebel Muzik' hits plenty of key dancehall hallmarks - the shiny, metallic digital chords, the stepping rhythms, the swaggering bass down low and some fine bars up top. On the flip, you can find a more heady and stripped-back version with some melon-twisting effects and dangling piano chords courtesy of the in-house Flesh & Blood Posse's own version. Plenty of damage will done with either of these providing they are played loud and at the right time.
Review: The newly formed Dreadlionsmusic label out of Austria debuts here with a fresh EP featuring the eponymous producer Dreadlionsmusic. They take charge of two tunes - the first features the mic work of Fitta Warri on 'Full Control' which has fleshy drums wobbling backwards and forwards and natty dub vocals with some fresh and futuristic synth work next to classic chords. Dreadlionsmusic then offers up a dub take, as they also do of the second tune 'Heart & Soul'. The original is another bit of well-made dub steeped in tradition but with fresh production bringing it right up to date.
Soundboy Killa (feat Natty Campbell - The Allergies remix)
Jump On It (feat Top Cat - Guadi & Don Letts dub remix)
Review: The proverbial 'Soundboy Killa' is an enduring trope in soundsystem culture at large, referring to the apparently inherent enmity and villainy of the turntablist. Said to have originated in the days of system clashes, the assassin in question presumably refers to the opposing MC, whose barraging verbiage may pack enough semiotic punch to K.O. the opposition through mere utterances alone. Here Natty Campbell and the Freestylers pay tribute to the theme as progeny of the 90s big beat scene; having come up in the age of Fatboy Slim and Chemical Brothers, the supergroup first faced off in a whirl of tricky dub and armour-plated cold cuttage, dispatching two honorary tracks in the style of each artists' respective greatest scene-hitters: Dub Pistols' 'Cyclone' and Freestylers' 'Roughneck'. Now 'Soundboy Killa' and 'Jump On It' in turn hear a remix from Allergies and Guadi & Don Letts, the latter of which is especially experimental in its use of a peaky, 2-step shuffle.
Review: Jamaican musical heritage in all its glory gets distilled into this super new collaboration between Newham General (son of the late, great soundman Farda Waz) and Bristol's Dubkasm. Dub, reggae and grime all get drawn upon and twisted up with kette drums and rapid-fire vocals to make for something urgent and direct but timeless. The hard-hitting bars from Foots bring a sense of menace to the equally dark low ends, with digital synths and stepping rhythms all present and correct. The legendary Iration Steppas also feature with one of their signature mixes.
Review: Purple Fade's 13th release welcomes back the same artists who served up their last 12". Be Clean, back in November of last year. This time Fat Frog links with Mariah for vocal duties. What they cook up is a fresh, swaggering dub with ice-cold drums and splashy cymbals, classic reggae chord vamps and tons of reverb. The vocal is clean and pure and on the same side, you can find a dub version that is even deeper. 'Real Roots Rock' (feat Addis Pablo) is on the reverse and is led by mystical harmonica leads. A Real Roots Version closes out a useful EP of cool contemporary dub.
Review: The Purple Fade crew has assembled another crack team of dub heads for this fresh platter, 'Be Clean.' Fat Frog is the man charged with produciton duties and does a fine job laying down a killer rhythm with two brilliant vocals - the first is Danny Red who implores us all to be clean on the A-side, while on the flip it's Amelia Harmony who sings on 'Reach Out' and does so with a smoky and sultry tone. Both tunes of course come with slower and more spaced out dubs to complete a fine EP.
Review: The connection between ZamZam and Feel Free Hi Fi was sparked by Bristolian Neek out in Portland and lead to an immediate bond forged over a shared sound and DIY ethos. Inspired by early digi-era dancehall and UK dub, the duo crafts a sound here that honours tradition while venturing into bold, idiosyncratic territory. It comes on their own Digital Sting label and opens with 'Voyageur' which is a mix of cinematic atmospherics with haunting synths that evoke wild and mythic landscapes. 'Underground' pays tribute to the spirit of DIY underground music and captures the struggle to preserve both nature and the essence of basement gigs in today's shifting cultural landscape.
Review: Jamwax presents the resurrection of a hard-hitting space synth masterpiece, Winston Fergus' 'In Ting Sound'. Lyrically an impassioned plea to free Nelson Mandela around the time of his incarceration, the titular A-sider is notable for its undeniable fusion of the dub reggae sound with space disco and synth element, owing to its later recognition as a track that refuses to be constrained by the passage of time. Now reissued in full force, it comes replete with the original set of tunes it was recorded alongside, including the teeth-gritting jovial dancehall of 'Mandela', the digital underwater weirdness of 'Life All Over', and the versiony goodness of said track with 'Finnegan', an alternate vocal take of the B1. A curio that all heads must surely know.
Review: This always standout lovers' rock and disco track by Sonia was originally released in 1980 on North London's Cha Cha label. The immediately much-loved tune became a firm favourite in clubs and on big sound systems and features a smooth, soulful vibe that's perfect for fans old and new of lovers' rock. On the B-side is 'Nigril Swamp Rock,' a harmonica-led instrumental by The Overnight Players that adds a unique touch to the release. The pressing is crisp and clean, so it is a real gem that is well worth copping on a tidy 7".
Review: Fly T is back on the Japanese label Ninjapan Music with a beguiling two-tracker on 7". 'JapaNepal' brings a world mix of sounds including dub and sun continental rhythms, exotic flutes and some unique take on ragga vocals. It's a colourful and playful cut with a hefty low end that will be a standout cut in any set. '567' (Tengaku dub mix) is a psyched-out and deep dub with an Indian twist and bottomless bass. Two brilliantly original cuts for sure.
Review: Footsie is widely thought of as one of grime's most legendary voices and a legend of the game. From his early collaborations with D Double E as part of Newham Generals to his solo work, his roots in sound system culture run deep having grown up as the son of a system operator. Footsie was heavily influenced by reggae and dub and now runs his father's renowned King Original Sound. Returning to the label is Nottingham's Adam Prescott, who provides a heavy, dubwise riddim for Footsie to showcase his distinctive flow.
Review: If you like your reggae with a driving digital edge and hints of dancehall in the synths then this one is going to get you hot under the collar. It's a collaboration between Lutan Fyah and McPullish with Chazbo, the featured guest on 'Ras Always.' The drums are doused in tons of echo, there is a trad melody line snaking its way through the bright synths and a vocal musing that brings the island vibes. The version is another almost eight-minute trip that is much more earthy and organic so harks back to early reggae originals.
Freddie McGregor & Jah Berry - "Step It All Over" (3:54)
Joe Gibbs & The Professionals - "Rock It" (3:36)
Review: Top tier reggae vocalist Freddie McGregor worked often with thereat producer Joe Gibbs back in their heyday. Once such occasion was when they took on a version of Bob Marley's 'Rock My Boat' and originally released it in 1981. Produced by The Mighty Two aka Joe Gibbs & Errol Thompson, it's got a fat low end and nice guitar chords that are lazy and inviting while a stylised vocal up top. On the flip, Gibbs and The Professional dubs things out.
Tony Roots - "Lickle Wikkid" (feat Jahbar I) (4:10)
Fire House Crew - "Lickle Wikkid" (dub) (4:13)
Clive Hylton - "Jah Is Watching" (4:08)
Fire House Crew - "Watching Dub" (4:16)
Review: Ras Guerrilla opts for a 10" slab of wax for this new one which features two vocal and two dub cuts. Tony Roots is the man main but also featuring on it are Jahbar I, Clive Hylton from Colour Red association, plus the always eager to impress Fire House Crew with none other than Flabba Holt on bass. Four vital cuts of seriously sick roots and lovers rock fusions with head twisting versions so that all moments in the party are catered for.
Review: The limited edition deluxe double vinyl release of 'SLO MO' is here, featuring a stunning holographic overlay that matches the album's deep, immersive sound. Freddy's latest studio album is a nine-track journey packed with bass-heavy beats, offering both redemption and resolution. Described by Fitchie, the group's beatmaker, as "Afro rhythmic soul music," 'SLO MO' explores the rich intersection of Black music through a Polynesian lens. This strictly limited pressing is a celebration of rhythm, soul and culture, making it an essential pick-up for vinyl collectors and fans of bold, genre-defying sounds.
Review: "Eclectic digital dub" are the words Digital Sting use to describe the latest from Feel Free Hi Fi. Given Feel Free Hi Fi also run the label, we can take the phrasing as gospel. A few minutes into 'Blood' and you'll be short of any evidence to suggest otherwise, too. Bringing together the timbres, aesthetics and tones that have defined their preceding short form and extended play output, this is a debut album which defines the idea of an amalgamation of sounds. Drawing on their own experimentations, but also a multitude of canons and sub genres, industrial meets weirdo dancehall, meets broken techno, meets spacey stepping beats, meets frog sounds, and then some more. Cinematic, au naturel, yet also born from machines as much as Mother Earth, if you're not hearing this come 10am at one free party this year we'll eat our steel-toed hemp shoes.
Review: Active since the early 1980s, Robert Ffrench is a curio in the reggae scene, with a penchant for extra drum machines and a distinctly wacky sound. Emblematic of Ffrench's approach to music-making is the album 'Wondering', which here comes reissued via 333. Entirely themed around the tumult of Ffrench's relationships while living in 1980s Jamaica, hilarities like 'I Can't Finance You' and 'Heart Breaker' reflect the artist's intense thoughts on the various women in his life. It's all helped along, best of all, by his remarkable synthwork, making this an essential listen.
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