Juno Recommends Dancehall / Ragga September 2020

Review: Stand by for a seriously deadly EP from Hakuna Kuala. It might only be a 7", but both tracks pack serious heat. Swordman Kitala is a Hakuna Kulala resident and one of the most creative dancehall Mcs in Uganda, and here he offers his vision of future hall madness in association with Japanese producer Scotch Egg under his new Scotch Rolex monicker. "Moto Nyama" is all terror fuelled bass, wherein claps and paranoid hits, and "Batufitina" is an exercise in banging drum programming and vocal acrobatics of the sort you don't hear all too often.

Review: Caleb Keolanui and JP Kennedy are The Green, album specialist reggae artists whose 'Ways & Means' album first landed back in 2011 and a year later on vinyl. Now Easy Star make it available again on green vinyl and invite you to sink into its polished and crisp riddims. The vocals are airy and articulate, and the beats range from uptempo dance hall steppers to more pillowy dubs via some tropical and Hawaiian pop hits. The record was a confident follow up to their much lauded debut album and continues to showcase the diverse range of musical influences which won that debut the title of Tunes Reggae album of the year.

Review: Livity Records come through with a vinyl pressing of this collection of meaningful reggae anthems. It focuses on a roots sound with sojourns into dancehall and each one is defined by a strong lyrical message. Sizzla & Junior Kelly open up with their uplifting lament "All I See Is War", while Natural Black & Omar Perry come together for "This Are The Days", a real bubbler with earthy chords and nice organic percussive details and Luciano & Natty King close with impassioned pleas on "Why Sacrifice". There's plenty to get lost in here for those lazy smoke sessions and all of it will enrich your mind as well as your soul.