Back catalogue: Reggae

Review: This rare gem from Bunny Lee's famously accomplished catalogue gets a welcome reissue and pairs a hard-to-find 1973 Cornell Campbell B-side, 'Heading For A Mountain', which was originally released on Duke UK, with a cosmic dub scorcher. The Cornell vocal is a soulful yet obscure cut that floats over a rootsy rhythm with a gloppy and wonderful bassline. On the flip, The Aggrovators 'Joe Frazer' is named in honour of the late great heavyweight legend of the 1970s. It's a great example of early synth experimentation in reggae with some filtered and shape-shifting leads reaching for the stars as the earth rhythms keep things rooted. A crucial slice of vintage roots and dub, full of mystery, groove and invention.

Review: A powerful roots anthem from the unmistakable voice of Daweh Congo here. 'Prophecy Reveal' is an invitation to get lost in his haunting tone and spiritual intensity, both of which were hallmarks of his role in the roots revival movement. Originally released in 2000, the 25-year-old classic blends conscious lyrics with a weighty digital rhythm to create a hypnotic, militant vibe. Daweh's mystical delivery brings urgency and depth to the message, while the B-side dives into rich 90s electronic dub territory by layering effects and echo for a deep sound rooted in spiritual and musical resistance.

Review: Danubian Dub hails from Vienna and step up to their own self-titled label with a deep, steppers-style cut that delivers conscious energy and militant grooves on one impactful 7". 'Move Dem' is driven by a thunderous bassline and echo-laden snares and has a nice ass-wobbling weight to it as it rolls up and down while I Nando's commanding voice delivers his own message. Though rooted in classic dub traditions, it has a fresh edge and sleek production aesthetic that very much places it nicely the here and now. The Smalltowndubz brings some more winky dubstep style bass weight to the flipside and both versions are sound system-ready anthems built for serious rotation.

Review: Hidden Sequence returns, this time to kick off a new label Magistrate, and hot on the heels of their quick-to-sell out 'Silent Roots' last year. This fresh EP seamlessly bridges classic 70s Jamaican dub with modern, bass-heavy and dubwise delights, starting with 'Isms & Schisms'. The horns are brilliantly inviting as are the low ends which have been well worked on a vast desk and come packed with echo and effects. 'Magistrates Dub' is an immediately infectious skank that shifts into a deep, dub-heavy exploration and unites past and present dub influences.

Review: Junior Dell & The D Lites so often and so brilliantly work together and this is another fin example of it. Red hot vibes and sunny soul flow freely throughout the airy and breezy 'Watch That Girl (Little Fatty Boom Boom)', which muses on a passing beauty with a lovely behind. It's a single bursting with catchy hooks and tight rhythms topped by Junior Dell's charismatic vocals and all coated in nice authentic lo-fi fuzz and analogue warmth. The Woodfield Rd Allstars provide a Hammond organ-laced groove with brighter melodies and still lush, dynamic instrumental backdrops that elevate the song's lively edge.

Review: UK dub punk innovator, ambient dub pioneer and sometime super producer Youth revisits one of his most expansive projects with a remastered vinyl edition of this offering, originally released under the Dub Trees banner in 2016. It's a vast, cinematic journey-eleven dubbed-out voyages plus a bonus track-where psydub, spiritual jazz, and ancient modal drones converge in exploratory motion. The 'Distant Green Shore Dub' of 'Return To The River Ganges' sets the tone: booming sub-bass, glistening tabla, and warped pads swirling like incense smoke. 'Mediolana (Ambrosirus Dub)' and 'Dhaka Corinthia (Gergeovic Dub)' fold Mediterranean and Bengali textures into tripped-out spatial frameworks, while 'Voyage of the Pytheas (Pagan Dub)' and 'Delfic Tongue (Hercynian Forest Dub)' veer into Weatherall-esque terrain-part kosmische, part misty-eyed ritual. Galician pipes, bansuri, tubaphone and Celtic harp all shimmer through the mix, filtered through Youth's dense, tactile production. This is folk memory via aux cable-pagan futurism that's both grounded and astral.

Review: ONEGRAM, the cult Japanese reggae band formed in 2011, is back with a new album that takes in everything from their genre-defying journey so far. Though known for blending reggae with lovers rock, they also fold in conscious vibes and disco grooves to their sodden and here the Tokyo-based outfit delivers ten tracks that reflect their unfiltered present. It's their first original album in five years following 2021's cover-focused Random Access Music and highlights include the soulful hit 'After the May Rain,' the groovy 'Crazy For You' (which even got praised by Incognito members) and a dreamy take on Bread & Butter's 1974 classic 'Pink Shadow.'. It's an honest, heartfelt and unmistakably ONEGRAM sound.

Review: Switzerland's Palace Pasador step out from behind the Fuga Ronto curtain with a dreamy, groove-heavy debut of their own i a tightly wound suite of dub pop vignettes laced with synth shimmer and slow-motion charm. It's a brand new release that pulls from cosmic lounge, vintage dub and leftfield synth-pop, stitched together with just the right amount of space-dusted mystery. 'Footprint Affair' sets the tone with crooning vocals, squelchy bass and starry-eyed synths, while 'Looking For Clovers' rides a gentle shuffle that feels like a love letter to hope itself. 'Fizzy Spells' and 'Susanna's Side Eyes' are lighter, winking affairs, full of charm and earworm melodies. On the flip, dub versions stretch things further into the clouds i 'Alpha Nightsky (Bonus Dub)' in particular is a highlight, all woozy delays and submerged euphoria. It's the kind of record that feels both featherlight and deeply intentional i oddball but intimate, escapist but grounded. Fans of Music From Memory, Not Not Fun, or any sun-bleached Balearic B-sides will find plenty to fall for here. A quietly confident arrival from an act clearly in no rush, and all the better for it.

Review: This exciting new compilation is a richly layered celebration of reggae's instrumental foundations. The second chapter in the Roots Architects project, this dub album gathers over 50 of Jamaica's most revered session musicians to breathe new life into rhythms rooted in reggae's golden era. Produced by Swiss keyboardist Mathias Liengme and dubbed by Roberto Sanchez, the record is a journey into the sonic textures of Kingston's legendary studios during the late 70s. Each track pulses with the timeless craftsmanship of players like Lloyd Parks, Fil Callender and Earl "Chinna" Smith. The dub treatments are both spacious and inventive, recalling the spiritual haze and echo-drenched brilliance of King Tubby and Lee Scratch Perry at their peak. Sanchez handles the desk with deep respect and balances fidelity with creativity. From Dub 'Til Now is a historical tribute of reggae's enduring history.

Review: Sugar Minott's 1977 debut Live Loving is reissued here, a timeless piece from a pivotal figure in the shift from roots reggae to dancehall. Minott was one of the first artists to carve out a solo path on the legendary Studio One label, finding his groove as a solo artist after coming up singing harmony in the group African Brothers. This reissue shines a light on a record that's warm, honest, and full of feeling. Tracks like 'Vanity' and 'Jahovia' balance conscious themes with a loose, soulful delivery, while 'Give a Hand' and the title track show off Minott's flair for melody - always more heartfelt than flashy. Still sounds easy, sincere and full of life.