Back catalogue: Dancehall/Ragga

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.

Review: 333 UK shed backscattered light on another late 1980s anti-apartheid reggae opus, Bionic Singer's 'Botha Warning'. Salvaged from the formerly seafloor dwelling chest that is the Jamaazima label back catalogue, 'Botha Warning' is a star riddim from the late great Osbert "Madoo" Maddo, who was brought up in East Kingston and as a child attended the legendary Alpha Boys School. Over his career he recorded mainly with Joe Gibbs and Errol Thompson, and for Winston Riley's famous Techniques label. The Bionic Singer alias came later, after a move to New York from Jamaica and brief hiatus; releasing on the Bronx-based Jamaazima, 'Warning To Botha' is a bloodthirsty send for South Africa's then prime minister P.W. Botha, set to a sturdy bubbler backing - the track indicts his policies as a key cause for the brutal segregation of the period.

Review: Ja-Ge George is a rather little-known dancehall artist who has turned out only a few releases over the last 20 years. He hails from Japan and is part of the Rub-A-Dub Market crew and now he is back with a new single that comes on Far Eastern label Lawson Entertainment. 'Down Beat Rule' blends new school and contemporary raga and dancehall into a classic-sounding cut with some rhythmic vocal stabs, natty, polished chords and broken tumbling beats to amp up any crowd. On the flip, it becomes a high-energy jungle workout powered by blistering breakbeats.

Review: Aloha Got Soul is pleased to announce Bitta Attack, the newest release from Jah Gumby. Based in Palolo Valley, Honolulu, the producer and multi-instrumentalist brings shimmering musical diversity and crate-digging sensibility to his four-track EP. Two high-energy, progressive reggae tunes, 'Dine An' Dash' and 'Influencers.m.h.', trace a link to his 2018 release Humility: The Vibes of Jah G, a double LP that presented Gumby's masterful ability to craft rich arrangements with overwhelming instrumental density. Continuing this tradition, Bitta Attack hears an expansion of Gumby's galaxy, introducing listeners to his love of freestyle music, the electronic New York dance genre made popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Both tracks derive heavily from freestyle's rhythm, cadence and synth-heavy production, though it fuses this with Jah Gumby's already established yet unique style, resulting in something unlike anything you've ever heard before.

Review: Jstar and Dubmatix's Scenario is an infectious mash-up of A Tribe Called Quest's 1992 classic, seamlessly blending hip-hop with dub and reggae influences. The remix revitalises the iconic track, infusing it with a modern, bass-heavy groove while retaining its original energy and lyrical parts. The instrumental version stands out on its own, showcasing the intricate production work and the deep, resonant basslines characteristic of Dubmatix. This remix respects the legacy of the original track while introducing it to a new generation.

Review: The Plymouth soundsystem and collective known as No Ice Cream Sound take their namesake after the historic Johnny Osbourne song 'No Ice Cream Sound', which hears one of the many most popular faces and voices of reggae decry "ice cream sound", his shorthand for tunes and soundboys who'd dare soften the original intended rawness of roots music. Here the boys take a thousand-watt megabulb to a gelato the size of a glacier with 'This & That', which hears residents Charlie P and Jman go back to back, trading verses and rhythms in a soundsystemic pattern. Fusing influences of both rubadub and roots, the two versions featured here are truly twin whirlwinds, not for slackened belts by any stretch.

Review: Given the weight of these cuts, Dubquake is the perfect label for them. They find OBF and Junior Roy link up for some hefty and dancehall inspired dub sounds. The drums are steel plated and marching, the melodic leads are florid and the vocals from Roy are uplifting. The whole of 'Dub Club' has a raw, textural feel then 'Club Dub' gets a little more smoothed out into a traditional warm and pillowy dub sound. Together they make for a high impact 7" designed for loud deployment on big systems.

Review: King Shiloh is back with more heavy and modern dub sounds from a range of talents who all add their own spin to a couple of heavy rhythms. Tiger Simeon & Brada Jahziel's 'Rastaman Vibration' gets underway with some bold, brassy horns and natty pianos that make for a full fat sound. Jah Works gets to work on the mixing desk and dubs it out to perfection while Lavosti brings a more modern sounding digital synth sheen and rousing vocal top line to the delightful 'Real Reggae Warrior.' Again it is Jah Wrks who steps up to do his thing and strip it back to deep dub vibrations.

Review: GRAMMY-Award nominated reggae artist Jah Cure has already assured his musical legacy but that won't stop him coming through with more great albums. Undeniable is an 11-track long player filled with this artist's trademark sense of passion, romance and heartfelt songwriting. The sounds are a contemporary take on reggae with a fresh edge as well as a nod to the originators. The first single 'Everything' featuring Ghanaian star Stonebwoy has already pleased fans. The two collaborators hook up to great effect as they layer up soulful hooks that lament a love gone bad.

Review: Kintsugi is the Japanese art of fixing broken stuff in beautiful ways and thus embracing the item's history. It is also in part the name of this new Kintsugi Soul Stepper's album that mirrors that concept by "celebrating the beauty found in piecing together diverse fragments to create a harmonious whole." Filipino Canadian collective seekersinternational and beat-maker jjuwanstockton lead the charge, on a record that celebrates the fusions of many diverse sounds from dub to soul to nostalgic 1980s Japan, as well as many different cultures, and identities.