INOKASIRA RANGERS Vinilo y CD

Review: Over the last decade, Inokashira Rangers have proved that you can turn pretty much any track - whether it's a TV theme tune, rave banger or grunge classic - into a reggae or rocksteady gem if you know what you're doing. They're at it again on their latest "45", which opens with a storming, largely instrumental reggae-soul version of Edwin Starr's 1968 soul classic '25 Miles'. Their version - full of reverb-laden drums, fuzzy organ motifs, mazy solos, warming bass and JB's guitars - is naturally hugely different to Starr's version, but recognisably the same song. Their flipside take on Spinners' classic 'It's a Shame' is rather more difficult, with the trio slowing it down to a skanking reggae crawl while retaining the familiar melodic refrain.

Review: Inokashira Rangers are renowned for their ska/reggae covers of some of the world's best-known songs, with versions of 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', 'Creep' and 'I'm Not In Love', all laid to sweet 7" over the years. Here they team up with regular collaborating singer Sofia Manari, who takes centre stage in covering two J-pop classics closer to home. 'Love Squall', originally written by jazz great Yuji Ohno, hears a vocal rendition, while Mariya Takeuchi's 'Plastic Love' gets a similarly jubilant reworking on the B.