Back in stock: Reggae

Review: Much loved roots and dub outfit The Congos are often first come to via this seminal album, Heart of the Congos. It's one all collectors have on their racks and that's why it keeps on getting reissued. It's a brilliantly organic and authentic sound with the opening tune 'Fisherman' amongst the best - the falsetto vocals, the lush harmonies, the rolling rhythms - they are irresistible on a warm day. The rest of the record remains just as high on quality, with, of course, the brilliant drums and congas at the heart of each track, but the lyrical work not far behind.

Review: This album is the sonic distillation of a compelling backstory. Chancing on a vault of archived recordings by iconic reggae producer Bunny Striker Lee, modern dub producer and next-gen icon Prince Fatty (Mile Pelanconi) jumped at the chance to remix the versions in his own image, passing the tracks down to the modern listener (and the spirited torch of Lee's dub zeitgeist in the process). Fatty is said to have fed the audio into the analog realm for a true remixing; feeding each recording through a carefully built audio analog system similar to that used by King Tubby. The result is a crisp, modern dub masterwork, which Fatty himself acknowledging the songs' status as classics, but nonetheless admitting, "it's nicer and fresher to hear a new structure..."

Review: Sister Nancy is one of few trailblazers who helped pioneer the the female facet of reggae. 'Bam Bam' is a reissue of her seminal debut single, which features her signature sound of roots reggae and dancehall, raileing against the male-dominated 80s scene with its ribbing hook and slapping instrumental. The B-side 'Stalag Version' dubs out the A, versioning it into a gloomy, bass-heavy hypnosis.