Review: Alpha & Omega is a legendary dub duo and despite them having many superb sounds to their credit, this one is a real standout. 'One Culture' pens with heavy bass as you would expect, but the alluring Indian vocal up top is even more hypnotic. It has a transcendental feel and is soulful and smoky while warped synths rumble away beneath the dusty drums. It's a real mental trip. On the flip is 'One Prayer' which is paired right back to dubby rhythms and subtle vocals are smudged and smeared throughout. Both of these are perfect for lazy Sunday afternoons in the sun.
Review: Hope & Faith Records has put together three different 7"s featuring the original 'Standing Tall' riddim, which is a slick production in the early 70s roots reggae style. Acclaimed Spanish singer Payoh Soul Rebel is behind one, the female harmony trio from Basque reggae band Tacumah another, and this one comes from Jamaican legend Horace Andy who brings a fresh take on the classic roots sound. His smoky vocals bring real warmth and depth while a flip-side dub goes deep.
Review: An attention-evader even for the most ardent dub reggae fan, Black Jade's Contempo remains a mystery decades after its release. In the act of reissuing the LP, Solid Roots still only partly lift the veil: first set to tape between 1975 and 1976, the album was recorded by a still shadowy cadre of Notting Hill residents, who are said to have freely distributed it during Carnival. Their continued anonymity may form part of a decided effort to mythologise, though it almost certainly also reflects a niche facet of deeper-shades dub. Authenticity abounds: we hear preemptions of the hiss-floored undulations of Chain Reaction in this record as much as we do the busy instrumental imbroglios of Horace Andy, with the manly bass-charges of 'Virulence' polarising the sensitive subby coos of 'Love, Love, Love'.
Review: After racking up millions of streams for hits like 'Jump Up Pon It' and 'Heal Them', Brother Culture is now a reggae and dub icon having been a key figure in the UK scene for decades. His powerful voice and conscious lyrics have earned him a deserving global recognition and now he teams up with Swiss reggae masters The 18th Parallel for 'Ghetto Man,' a hard-hitting anthem of resilience and justice. Their deep roots sound, combined with Brother Culture's commanding delivery, makes for an electrifying track and on the flip, Paolo Baldini DubFiles adds his signature dub touch, making this a sound system anthem that speaks to struggles and strength worldwide.
Review: Johnny Clarke and Earth & Stone cooked up some real magic with 'Babylon'. It's a sumptuous sound that offers a symbolic representation of societal oppression and injustice. With Johnny Clarke's haunting vocals and Earth & Stone's mesmerising rhythms, the tune becomes a poignant commentary on the struggles of the marginalised and the quest for freedom. Through those lyrics and hypnotic melodies, it confronts issues of systemic inequality and political corruption, urging people to rise against oppression. As such it is anther great tune that proves the enduring relevance of reggae as a voice for the oppressed.
Review: UK favourites Dub Pistols are back with the second release in their Version excursion series. The original is a great cover an Edie Brickell classic which brings this outfit's usual blend of ska, 2-tone and dub to the fore. The drums are mid-tempo and have a real swagger while the sub-bass adds serious weight, gentle wood block hits and rim shots pepper the mix and the lovely vocal from Prince Fatty regular Shniece brings seductive and smoky soul. On their 'What I Am Manasseh Dub' things get more laden with echo and reverb and mixing desk effects twist the low ends into perfect stoner territory.
Review: First released way back in 1982 on Greensleeves, Eek-A-Mouse's 'Ganja Smuggling' is a towering example of early 80s "singjaying", a style of reggae vocal improv made popular by its combination of toasting and singing. Here we open with an asphyxial, spitballing steppers sound, as 'Mouse is heard scatting and bidi-bonging in his signature opening style, shortly before launching into a cautionary tale about working as a border lines marijuana smuggler. The track deals in a stoic, forborne whimsy, comically scatting and riff-licking through what is implicitly portrayed as an otherwise thankless and unforgiving task. This 7" reissue marks an important milestone in Greensleeves' release catalogue, harking back to one of Eek's earliest cuts laid down with kingpin producer Henry "Junjo" Lawes, the association with whom helped fuel Eek's early celebrity.
Review: Way back in 2005, P-Vine enlisted the help of Rita Marley to raid the archives of Bob Marley's Tuff Gong studio and record label in search of rare dubs and one-off dubplate mixes. The results were showcased on Welcome To Dubrock, which here finally gets a sequel. The concept remains the same, and the results are equally as impressive. Our picks include a wonderfully skeletal extended take on 'Rastaman Live Up', a tactile, suitably spaced-out dub of 'So Much Trouble', a Lee Perry-esque dub run-through of 'One Drop', and a sub-aquatic, echo-laden version of 'Ride Natty Ride'. It's Bob Marley and the Wailers at their best, but not how you've heard them before.
Review: Richard Norris loves a series. The former Grid man and noted psychedelic music afficionado has umpteen on the go at present, including ones dedicated to meditative ambient sounds ('Music For Healing') and modular experiments ('Abstractions'). Then there's his dub-wise and 'outernational' music series, Oracle Sound, which here reaches its fourth - and possibly strongest - instalment. Highlights are plentiful, from the languid and woozy head-nod of opener 'Connected Dub' and the intoxicating, flute-sporting musical mystery of 'Earthsea Dub', to the up-beat dancefloor dub of 'Maximum Dub', and the sub-heavy, near dub techno pulse of John Carter hook-up 'Ceefax'. That one also comes accompanied by alternative takes by both Norris and Carter.
Review: The world will never not miss the one and only Lee "Scratch" Perry. His influence on dub will never be matched, his back catalogue will forever turn up some treasure or other you haven't heard. And now we can add to that this, a tribute album from his son Omar. Perry Jr is an accomplished performer in his own right and he shows that on Channeling Lee Scratch Perry, which features Olivier Gangloff who produced Perry Snr's final studio album. It's a blend of the fat, pillowy low ends Perry was so well known for with conscious lyrics, upbeat drums and plenty of whimsical and alluring melodies.
Review: Michael Prophet is a distinctive reggae vocalist with an emotive falsetto and conscious lyrics. Emerging in the late 1970s from Kingston, he rose to prominence working with legendary producer Yabby You, delivering hits that addressed social injustice, spirituality and inner strength. 'Know The Right' by Michael Prophet is one of those roots reggae gems that blends signature conscious lyrics with a smooth, hypnotic groove. His signature falsetto carries a message of wisdom and discernment that urges us to surround ourselves with positive influences. The rhythm section is tight and laid-back and on the flip is a dub for mellow moods and reflective moments.
Everyone Has Got To Go (Super Bionic version!) (4:22)
Review: 'Everyone Has Got to Go' is a powerful 1976 roots stepper by Jamaican-Canadian singer Prince Robinson aka R. Man Prince. Born in Rockfort, Kingston, Robinson auditioned at Studio One in his teens but didn't record until a decade later. After moving to New York and Canada, he returned to Kingston in 1976 to record two iconic roots anthems at Joe Gibbs studio: this one and the rare 'Funny Dream.' Joined by The Soul Foundation and top session musicians like Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, the track's mix by Ernest Hookim and Barnabas features a haunting dub version.
Review: 10000 Lions Sound System brings some serious heat to their final release of 2024. It's a various artists affair with four artists offering up one heavyweight tune each. Spectacular's 'Big Bold & Brave' opens up with raw, guttural vocals over mid-tempo digi-dub rhythms. Bulby Yorke's 'Big, Bold Dub' stirs it back to a more low-end heavy roller but the bright melodies remain. Reemah's 'Run Dem Down; adds some nice female vocal soul next to big horns and raw percussion before a final dub again pairs things back to the rich basslines.
Review: Mille Plateaux and Raster hero Andreas Tilliander meets Fire! Orchestra's Goran Kajfes somewhere deep - and we mean DEEP - in the jazz cosmos. The farthest reaches of a universe far, far away, but one that still seems to understand how joyful vast can sound when pierced by the haunting yet strangely alluring sound of brass. But simply defining this as jazz misses a point, then throws us well beyond the pale. In Cmin would be nothing without the electronic tricks and gadgetry that first made us feel as though we'd space-walked off the edge of the known galaxy, out past the Milky Way's stardust. Echoes, tape delays, things that add mood and timbre without necessarily shouting their presence. There's magic at work here. And, contrary to the 21st Century's obsession with under-the-hood, not knowing the how is the reason why you want this.
Johnny Lover & The Towerchanters - "Who You Gonna Run To"
Lee & The Blue Bell - "Tighten Up"
Val Bennett & The Upsetters - "A Serious Joke"
Brad Osborne & The Towerchanters - "Little Flute Chant"
Devion Iron - "When Jah Come" (extended version)
The Upstetters - "Strach Walking"
Lee Perry & The Black Arks - "Come Along"
Ricky & Bunny - "Bush Weed Corn Trash"
The Upsetters - "Curley Dub"
Review: Originally released in 1981 on the Clocktower label, this killer compilation does a fine job of harnessing the raw magic of Lee "Scratch" Perry's legendary Black Ark era. Although the sounds are mostly drawn from mid-70s sessions, it also features two standout early cuts from the late 60s, namely Perry's gritty versions of 'Tighten Up' and 'Serious Joke'. Elsewhere, highlights include Johnny Lover's deep DJ take over Devon Irons' 'When Jah Come' and the rootsy energy of Ricky and Bunny's 'Bush Weed Corn Trash.' This reissue is a crucial document of Perry's genre-defining production, masterful take on vintage dub, toasting and spiritual reggae heat.
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