ForwardEver

The Dub Continuum: Reggae Inna Dubstep

voltagemusic@gmail.com — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Fact: The electronic dance music sub-genre dubstep would not exist with out reggae, and specifically instrumental dub reggae.

Although that's obvious to those familiar with dubstep's decade-plus evolution, for the younger generation, this connection is less apparent thanks in part to newer artists such as Skrillex and 12th Planet whose productions throw dubby electronica into a hardcore mosh-pit.

And no grudge there -- youth have a tendency of irreverently kicking the rust out of music styles that have grown stagnant. Punk did just that to rock 'n' roll in the late-70s and rave sub-genres like acid house and breakbeat techno, themselves dubstep precursors, up-ended the Euro-dance and house music status quo.

But separating dubstep entirely from traditional Jamaican dub music would be like disowning an esteemed family member. Fittingly, a pair of recent comps sets dubstep firmly back in the context of Jamaican sound system music traditions.

Greensleeves Dubstep Chapter 1, released in November 2011, features original Greensleeves label recordings transformed by some of London's best producers, including The Bug, Coki (pictured right) and Mala of Digital Mystikz, Goth-Trad and Horsepower Productions. It's appropriate that longtime British reggae imprint Greensleeves, a staple through the 1980s and '90s, should hand the keys to its deep vaults over to some of the UKs best dubstep producers, many of whom grew up listening to reggae pirate radio stations playing the label's original releases by Yellowman, Barrington Levy and Scientist.

The producers involved took to the catalog without reservations and the results are refreshingly forward-thinking. Notable tracks include Cluekid's (pictured left) subby, minimal treatment of ragga MC Junior Cat's "Caan Eat Mi Out," (a true bass-bin shaker!) while V.I.V.E.K. brings a rootsy steppers arrangement to Johnny Osbourne's "Fally Rankin'," a version that UK dub traditionalists like Manasseh or Aba-Shanti could use in their sets. Other highlights: the inclusion of Coki's remix of Mavado's "Weh Dem A Do" (out for years on white label) and dubstep originators Horsepower Productions' bouncy, tropical treatment of Yellowman's "Zungguzungguguzungguzeng." (get this track free when you Like the Greensleeves Facebook page.) Overall, the full range of current underground dubstep styles -- from jazzy to experimental -- are explored.

For those asking the question, "What took Greensleeves so long?" Bankruptcies and changes of ownership are the answer. In the time between dubstep's birth in the early '00s until now Greensleeves was sold twice, eventually acquired by US company VP Records in 2008. That said, Greensleeves Dubstep Volume 1 is a confident step in the right direction. In the past, UK dance music and foundation reggae walked similar but parallel paths, showing mutual nods of respect when they met. A set like this is a firm handshake between the two relatives, with hopefully many more to come.

GREENSLEEVES CHAPTER 1 : Track Listing:01. Busy Signal and Mavado – Badman Place (Coki-Digital Mystikz remix)02. Ding Dong – Badman Forward Badman Pull Up (The Bug ft. Flow Dan remix)03. Yellowman – Zungguzugguguzungguzeng (Horsepower Productions remix)04. Johnny Osbourne – Fally Ranking (V.I.V.E.K. remix)05. Sizzla – One Love (Mala-Digital Mystikz remix)05. Mavado – Weh Dem A Do (Coki-Digital Mystikz and Undeground Ice remix)07. Admiral Bailey – Jump Up (Terror Danjah remix)08. Gappy Ranks – Stinking Rich (TMSV remix)09. Gyptian – Nah Let Go (LDD remix)10. Pampidoo – Synthesizer Voice (Goth-Trad remix)11. Vybz Kartel – Emergency (Coki-Digital Mystikz remix)12. Junior Cat – Caan Eat Mi Out (Cluekid remix)13. QQ – Tek It To Them (Kalbata remix)14. Barrington Levy – Here I Come (Kromestar remix)

Another compilation showcasing a traditional dub reggae-centered take on dubstep and other electronic bass styles comes from the Renegade Media camp and Canadian dub producer Dubmatix.

Dubmatix Presents Clash of the Titans: The System Shakedown Remixes, sees an international cast remix tracks from Dubmatix's 2010 album System Shakedown. The original album featured his organic dub versions and vocal collaborations with Jamaican pros like U-Brown, The Mighty Diamonds and Dennis Alcapone as well as UK heavies The Ragga Twins and Brother Culture.

The set is by no means a strictly a dubstep remix collection. Instead, like the aftershocks of a mighty earthquake, this selection illustrates dubstep and dub-electronic related sub-genres' further transformations. Birmingham's G-Corp do, in fact, bring a UK dubstep vibe to "Wobble Webble," mixed with hints of their signature downtempo beat aesthetic. Drum & bass producer Marcus Visionary delivers an absolutely cracking, in-the-pocket jungle flex on "Rough Likkle Sound," while Victor Rice and Zion Train trod in four-four steppers territory. Scotland's Mungo's Hi-Fi and New York's Nate Wize also represent the heavier side of dubstep. Both, however, daub their dubs with organic eggae horn blasts, guitar chops, echoes and effects. The spirit of Jamaican dub is alive and well in their hands. Hear for yourself below.

Clash of the Titans - The System Shakedown Remixes by dubmatix

ForwardEver's Top 15 Reggae Tracks For 2011

voltagemusic@gmail.com — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 19:21:00 +0000

1. Sizzla Kalonji "What's wrong with the picture?" (Xterminator) It's fitting that we'd choose one of extraordinary producer Philip "Fatis" Burrell's last creations as this year's top reggae song. Burell passed unexpectedly this month leaving a void in the conscious roots reggae community. One of Burrell's final productions, the Danger In Your Face riddim, features Sizzla is at his very best. Kolonji exhibits fearless singjay lyrics, hitting every vocal octave and decalring, "What's wrong with the picture? They only paint it to trick ya..." Burrell conjured inspired musicianship for this production -- bubbling organs, crisp, bluesy guitar riffs and soaring backing vocals. It stands as proof that the Fatis/Sizzla combination was one that couldn't be beat. We're going to miss him. But Sizzla's tune stands as a testament to his powers.

2. Kabaka Pyramid "Free From Chains" ForwardEver recently profiled Kabaka Pyramid, one of the most promising and versatile DJs to enter the scene this in 2011. His Rebel Music EP effortlessly blends modern one-drop reggae and hip-hop vibes. Definitely a talent to watch out for in 2012.

3. Daweh Congo "In This World" (JahYouth) Certain producers have the ability to get the most out of Daweh Congo's uniquely eerie and mystic vocal style. Jah Youth Productions does just that on a track that features an extended mix, drifting dub echo effects and a full-band instrumentation. Congo's lyrics examine the "atomic elements" that allow life to continue while contrasting it with historical events. Intellectual roots, indeed.

4. Anthony B "Sing To Me" (SSI Media) Anthony B plaintively sings "This one's for you my empress, so royal, so loyal..." before lamenting that he didn't realize that the woman he was with was really was the one, the one that sings to his heart. Although Anthony B's socially and politically potent music are his best know numbers, he's also the master of the romantic tune as well.

5. Pressure "Jah Love" (Don Corleon) 2011 was a big year for the Don. Pressure's track on Corleon's The Message riddim was just one reason. Million Stylez "Brighter Day," Cecile's "Rise Up" and Vybz "Poor People Land" were also top tracks from this riddim set. But Virgin Islands-born Pressure Bus Pipe is a force to be reckoned with. He always drops four or five memorable and lyrically conscious tracks each year and "Jah Love" was his best in 2011.

6. Alborosie "Jahnhoy" and Tarrus Riley "Rebel" (Maximum Sound) Producer Frenchie lends a new school reggae production approach to his 80s rub-a-dub sounding Skateland Killer riddim, featuring Dean Fraser's live saxophone melodies. Sicilian-born Alborosie sings out for "holy I-thiopia," while Tarrus Riley calls on listeners to rebel against wickedness.

7. Stephen Marley "Jah Army" (Tuff Gong/ Universal) This song actually dropped late December 2010, but remained hot all throughout 2011 thanks to combination re-licks featuring Buju Banton and Damien "Jr. Gong" Marley. Stephen’s album, Revelation: TheRoot of Life, on which "Jah Army" also appears, proved to be one of his strongest yet, and the Jah Army riddim set, featuring cuts from Spragga Benz, Jah Cure kept interest strong in this heavy riddim.

8. Chukki Starr "Locked Down” (Necessary Mayhem) Producer Curtis "Necessary Mayhem" Lynch is quickly making a name for himself with hi-tech roots rhythms like the Gorilla Riddim. Watch Lynch at work making the riddim. ForwardEver favored Chukki Starr's ode to brothers in prison, but also check for Cali P's "Herbalist" and Mr. Williamz

9. Louie Culture "Judgement Fi Babylon" (True Sounds) Like Kabaka Pyramid's "Free From Chains" and hip-hop remixes of the Billie Jean riddim, True Sounds came out of the gate with this nice 90 bpm uptempo roots-hip-hop number.

10. Courtney John "Never Keep You Waiting" (Itation Records) Great production from the Itation crew outta California, and Jamaica's Courtney John (formerly Yogie) goes from strength-to-strength on this romantic reggae track, perfect for Valentine's Day (when it was originally released) or any time you want to get close to your beloved.

11. Lutan Fyah "Burn This AFire" (In The Streets) Produced by Byron Murray and released in July on the Hold U Medz riddim set, conscious roots singjay Lutan Fyah sounds as confident and powerful as always atop this uptempo melody.

12. G Whizz "Boom Skeng" (Fiwi Music) A nice rub-a-dub revival-type riddim and a young talent making the most of it. G Whizz burst on the scene in 2008 back with the hit "Life," and recreates some of that magic on this positive, danceable reggae track.

13. Peter Spence "Lovely Here" (Smart Move Records) Lee Francis, owner and producer of Smart Move Records, and son of Studio One great Winston Francis has been on the rise for the past several years with crisp, melody-drenched singles like Peter Spence's "Lovely Here" on the Second Chance riddim (released in 2010, but still lively in 2011). Rumor has it the song may be tapped for use by the Jamaican tourist board, and you can hear why -- the song speaks of the islands pleasures over a relaxed beat. You can feel the tension melt away. Here's to a big year for the Smart Move crew in 2012.

14. Singing Melody "Collide" (VP) Singing Melody is a proficient romantic reggae singer in his own right as well as being one-fourth of the super group L.U.S.T. (comprised of Lukie D, Thriller U, Singing Melody and Tony Curtis). Melody has often taken on R&B and pop covers and continues that trend with this excellent rendition of Howie Day's 2003 top-40 track "Collide." Watch the poignant full length video below.

15. Ziggy Marley "Foward To Love" Ziggy is the only Marley child to have officially performed at the US White House (in 2009). He's also perennially nominated for the reggae Grammy award, including in 2012 for his most recent album Wild and Free. "Forward To Love" is a folksy four-four rockers reggae tune with a exceedingly catchy chorus. Not the most challenging reggae, but good soup for the soul nonetheless.

Review: Phil Pratt – Dial M for Murder in Dub

voltagemusic@gmail.com — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 18:20:00 +0000

Although producer Phil Pratt has never received the same wide acclaim as King Tubby, Joe Gibbs or Lee Perry, his roots and dub productions rank among some of the late 1970s and early ‘80s best. Early on though, Pratt sang with Ken Boothe in a vocal combo and cut sides such as Reach Out for Ken Lack's Caltone label and later worked with influential producer Bunny “Striker” Lee. Pratt eventually set up the prolific Sunshot label and recorded Dennis Brown, Big Youth, Al Campbell, Horace Andy,Linval Thompson, Pat Kelly, Bobby Kalphat and other stars in the mid-to-late ‘70s. Pratt had plenty of rhythms to experiment with from those abundant sessions and Pressure Sounds’ reissue showcases his subtle studio mastery in the dub arena.

This edition of 'Dial M For Murder' features the vinyl album’s original 10 tracks plus four additional dubs recorded around 1979-80 at Channel One. The players include “Riddim Twins”Sly and Robbie on drum and bass, the aforementioned Kalphat and Ansel Collins on keys and piano, Rad Brian on guitar andTommy McCook and Herman Marquis on horns. Like Sly and Robbie’s other recordings as the Revolutionaries (Dawn of Creation,Reaction In Dub), the compositions emphasize Sly’s choppy ta-tat-tat-tat snare flourishes and steady four-four kick drum patterns. Robbie’s bass is commanding while serious organ stabs and eerie reverb-laden guitars fill in the corners and crevices. Pratt exercises austere restraint in the effects and delay department, allowing only minimal snippets of organ, voice, horn or guitar to drift in over the foundational rhythm streams. The effect is mesmerizing.

Songs like Don’t Watch My Size, Walking Razor, or Stinger are classic steppers roots creations -- the kind of sides Jah Shaka is famous for playing at his sessions. The latter is a version of Ken Boothe’s oft covered You’re No Good (originally recorded by R&B starBetty Everett) and is mixed with dramatic peaks and valleys. Tracks like Natty Culture(a fantastic Big Youth version) and Dr. Bash have a bluesy, earthy feel featuring haunting organ runs, while the overall studio mix sounds as pressurized as an inclement storm system. The drums are perpetually submerged in a foggy reverb and vocals just barely emerge for air. In short, this is a dread affair that features glorious Sly and Robbie musicianship and Phil Pratt’s expert touch. No need to call the police, it’s a musical murder them a charge for.

Review by ForwardEver, originally published in United Reggae.

Newsflash: Dragon Mix And Production Icon Passes

voltagemusic@gmail.com — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 05:42:00 +0000

The good folks at Deadly Dragon Sound have an excellent NY dancehall mix out now.

The mix, Deadly Dragon Sound, NYC Vibes Vol 1: The Bad Bwoy Years, was debuted on Large Up for their Mixtape Mondays series. The mix focuses on New York's fertile late-80s/ early 90s period that boasted respected labels like Witty, Gyasi, Shelly Power. Check the miniplayer below to listen right now.

ForwardEver DJ'ed recently at Dragon's weekly radio program on East Village Radio and the vibes of course were niiiice!

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Singer Wayne Wonder is back in true form on the lush, modern lovers rock tune "Love Gets Sweeter." Wayne sounds poised to re-live his "No Letting Go" period with strong tunes like this.

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Although released without much fanfare on August 16, 2011, Israel Vibration's new album Reggae Knights has been nominated for a 2012 Grammy in the Reggae category. As the video for "My Master's Will" illustrates, this is more meaningful, rootsy music from Cecil "Skelly" Spence and Lascelle "Wiss" Bulgin -- two-thirds of the original IV trio, and reggae royalty in their own right.

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A great Jamaican producer has left us. Philip "Fattis" Burrell, the founder of the Xterminator label and the man behind some of the biggest hits by Sizzla, Berres Hammond, Luciano, Capleton, has died in hospital after suffering a stroke. It was only a few months ago -- after a hiatus from music -- that new Xterminator material by Sizzla and Jesse Royal started to surface -- great music. His sound and technique will be missed. Read Howard Campbell from the Jamaica Observer's reflection, New York Times profile and Billboard's very thorough remembrance.

Killing It Lovely: Digikiller's Reissue Treasures

voltagemusic@gmail.com — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 05:21:00 +0000

Just when you thought Serato and digital DJing would completely take over, Digikiller Records has been quietly balancing the scales with dozens of high quality reggae reissues on vinyl.

Sure, the name is cheeky, but their craft is deadly serious. These are well-pressed singles on 7", 10" and 12" vinyl that offer many crucial missing pieces to reggae enthusiasts who love Jamaica's fertile 1970s and '80s sounds.

A recent glance at the Digikiller blog revealed the following new (reissue) titles:

DKR-064-JJ - CLARENCE PARKS - THINGS A COME UP TO BUMP / DUB 10"
DKR-080-JJ - DON ANGELO - GENERAL / MIX DOWN STYLE VERSION 7"
DKR-081-JJ - JOHN HOLT / REVOLUTIONARIES - LOVE & UNDERSTANDING / PEACE 10"
DKR-082-JJ - LEROY SMART - OH MARCUS / VERSION 7"
DKR-083-JJ - I-ROY - TRIBUTE TO MARCUS GARVEY / VERSION 7"

But grab these while they're hot -- retailers like Ernie B can't keep them in stock.

And the genius behind this label is that they don't just offer hits but also deal out obscure yet still laudable titles by artists such as Prince Junior, Black Oney and Reggae George -- performers who were hard to find back then. It's a bit like reggae anthropology, tracing all the connections between the artists and labels, but music is the reward.

Still A Forward On

voltagemusic@gmail.com — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:52:00 +0000

Where's the blog been? Yes, it's been a while since our last post, but ForwardEver is still deh ya!

There's a lot to catch up on -- and we will in future posts -- from new reissues for Sugar Minott and Gregory Isaacs, to Dubmatix latest remix album and singles galore.

In the meantime, please check the recent piece on Shaggy I wrote for Magnifier. And if you sign up for a Music Beta account from Google, you'll get a couple of free tunes as well. Same goes for this Don Corleon feature.

Pictured to the left is singjay Lutan Fyah, who many reggae fans feel is at the top of his game right now. Check out his latest track "Mi A Ras" and catch him live in California in November. Find Bay Area dates for Lutan, and also St. Croix's premier roots group Midnite over at DeeCee's Soul Shakedown site.

Speaking of Midnite (pictured below) -- their new album Kings Bell drops Tuesday November 1 on I Grade Records, and from the preview we've heard, it's brilliant. The group is foremost know for its pensive, meditative songs that glide a long unhurriedly. By contrast, several numbers on the new album are up-tempo, but no less intellectually rootsy than what fans have come to expect. Expect to be pleased and surprised.

Finally, if you haven't picked up Colin Grant's excellent recent book I&I: The Natural Mystics (read and excerpt), it's absolutely essential reading for anyone interested in Jamaican history, Marcus Garvey or the original Wailers trio, Bob, Bunny and Peter. Check this video interview for a taste.

Adrian Sherwood: On-U Sound At 30

voltagemusic@gmail.com — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 05:39:00 +0000

British dub producer Adrian Sherwood is celebrating his label On-U Sound's 30th anniversary.

Read a preview of ForwardEver's piece in the SF Weekly below. Then scroll down for out-takes and additional material!
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British producer Adrian Sherwood's life and music have come full circle. Thirty years ago, London's streets were wracked by inner-city riots. Then as now, police harassment and a grim economy drove citizens to revolt. By 1981, punk was in its death throes as New Wave pop and post-punk music rushed in to fill the void. In the shadows stood Adrian Sherwood, a part-time record distributor and music fanatic who launched On-U Sound as a vehicle to promote experimental dub productions.

Three decades and hundreds of releases later, On-U Sound is revered by generations of dub, industrial, and electronic music aficionados and lauded by critics as one of the U.K.'s most important independent labels, its output and influence comparable to Rough Trade or Factory.

The label has released reggae projects by Dub Syndicate and Lee "Scratch" Perry; psychedelic world grooves by African Head Charge; plus edgy industrial hip-hop and dance beats by Mark Stewart, Tackhead, and Strange Parcels. Sherwood has also produced and remixed Nine Inch Nails and Depeche Mode, worked withSugar Hill Gang's rhythm section, and recorded two albums for Peter Gabriel's Real Worldimprint. He remains active in the studio and onstage mixing live dub sessions that feature British reggae artist Brother Culture on the mic.

For On-U Sound's 30th Anniversary tour, Sherwood and Culture join San Francisco's DJ Sep Ghadishah to celebrate another milestone: Dub Mission's 15th year of weekly dub, dubstep, roots, and dancehall sessions at the Elbo Room. Ghadishah says she wanted to invite a guest who directly influenced her DJ work. "[On-U Sound] took me from the music I loved — post-punk, indie, experimental — to the music I came to love even more: dub, reggae, and electronic," she says. "It helped grow my musical tastes exponentially."

Other music experts concur that On-U Sound has made a significant impact. Steve Barrow, Blood and Fire Records cofounder and coauthor o fReggae: The Rough Guide, says that Sherwood laid much of the U.K. dub scene's foundations. Likewise, Dub.com's DJ Dublinator reckons that anyone who has heard On-U's '80s and '90s sample-delic DIY productions knows the impact the label had on artists like M/A/R/R/S, Coldcut, or even Aphex Twin. "On-U Sound may be small in name recognition," he says, "but it's huge in influence."

Over the years, Sherwood has endured disastrous distribution deals and the deaths of key On-U Sound artists, including Michael "Prince Far-I" Williams and Jarret Lloyd Vincent (aka Bim Sherman)."I've got some very fond memories of the last 30 years and also some very sad ones, friends who've died and all sorts of things that have gone on," he says. "But the job is to keep the creative fire burning and do good works. That's my agenda." Read the rest of the post here.

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SHERWOOD ON HIS US VISIT: "I’ve neglected in the States or a number of years. It’s almost like I’ve died out there. I’m looking forward to being there for the anniversary. I’m also going to go over to New York to work on other things while I’m out there. I might do some studio work. I’m doing a workshop in New York and I’m going to see the people from Eventide to get some more equipment."

ON MEETING BROTHER CULTURE: "We’ve been working together now for well over a decade. The first tune Brother Culture recorded was done at my studio with the singer Little Roy. I’ve known him quite a while. We’ve been everywhere from Italy to Mexico and Brazil – all over the place."

ON BRITAIN'S RECENT CIVIL UNREST:

"Historically, from the '50s through the '90s there have been riots. The social set up in England has a disproportionate sharing of wealth. Now, the result of Thatcherism, the price of living in England is impossible. One room might cost you $1400 a month. For one fucking room! They’ve sold all the housing stock and created this crazy imbalance. They’ve sold all the youth clubs off and started this thing called ‘Stop and Search’ -- basically a re-introduction of the Sus [suspected person] laws from the ‘70s, which means a lot of Black and Asian youth get stopped and searched a lot. Any excuse to have a go, you can see what happens. It’s an expression of people who have nothing to look forward to."

SHERWOOD ON PRINCE FAR-I:

"He was fantastic. He loved ultra-slow one-drop [reggae rhythms], that was his whole vibe – really heavy, minimalist songs because he knew that suited his voice. I tried to compliment it. He would do unexpected things like Elvis impressions and other things, he liked a good laugh. But he had another side where he thought people were working witchcraft on him."

SHERWOOD ON BIM SHERMAN:

"I was his number one fan. I actually brought him to England in 1979. His voice was like nothing I had ever heard and I love his lyrics and thought he was an amazing artist. We forged a long friendship. He recorded several songs for me but his main body of work was on his own label, Century. He was a very fiercely proud independent producer as well. He was softly spoken but he could curse someone out the same way. He was a lovely bloke."

SHERWOOD ON LEE "SCRATCH" PERRY:

"Lee is fantastic. He believes if you go into the studio something magical is going to happen, something spiritual; he believes it’s God’s work. I don’t know many artists with that attitude. Lee will light candles in the studio all around the room to create that ambiance that something magical will occur and that’s how he lives his whole life. I call him the Salvador Dali of dub; everything he does is work of art. You know you’re going to get something interesting even if you get the worst of him or he does a rubbish gig. When he’s good, it’s like shivers-up-the-back good. He’s got the spirit of a child, and that comes through in his work. Children love Lee Perry stuff because of the mad, silly little things going on."

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Steve Barrow (Blood & Fire Records) Favorite On-U Releases:

North Of The River Thames, which is an affectionate Pablo pastiche from 1984, and the late Bim Sherman's set Miracle. The latter is a beautiful 'fusion' record that actually works by combining disparate elements into a coherent whole, and establishes a new sub-genre: acoustic drum-less reggae with Indian playback strings!

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Mark Stewart

An Interview with the man behind The Pop Group and contributor to On-U's Singers & Players, Mark Stewart & The Mafia.

FE: Describe the recording session for Learning To Cope With Cowardice, what was it like to work with Adrian then?

Mark Stewart: I had already started working with Dennis Bovell on Cowardice. But hooking up with Adrian’s open mindedness and my sense that nothing is sacred allowed us to sculpt some Gustav Metzger-like constructs beyond the limits of time and space. Taste is a form of personal censorship.

On-U sound recordings inspired many other dub, punk and industrial music generations. How do you feel about that legacy?

When you crash genres and sounds people run off with alchemical sparks in different directions.

What artists inspire you?

I feed on nutrients as diverse as Keith Levine’s guitar, who I’ve just had the pleasure of working with again and [filmmaker] Kenneth Anger, another hero I’ve just worked with, to Lee Perry, again another collab, so it’s a bit like passing around the other.

What new projects are you working on?

Art interventions and viral xplosions in the heart of the commodity. Plus a big new album in Feb.

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Look for these 2011 On-U Sound Reissues and releases

New Age Steppers – New Age Steppers (On-U's first release) reissue

Creation Rebel Starship Africa (A seminal psychedelic dub album) reissue

Singers & Players – Singers & Players reissue

African Head Charge Off The Beaten Track reissue

African Head Charge Voodoo Of The Godsent (A new album from this stalwart On-U act)

One Drop Vibein'

voltagemusic@gmail.com — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 05:33:00 +0000

One-Drop Reggae: It's been a good summer for traditional roots reggae, often referred to as one-drop. Quality releases from labels like Maximum Sound UK and Juke Boxx, and artists like I-Wayne, Gappy Ranks, Alborosie and many others have been ringing in the clubs.

The always consistent Soul of the Lion label brings another excellent roots entry forward with Dread & Alive: The Lost Tapes Volume 7, which dropped on August 9.

In addition to solid reggae tunes by Ken Bob and Dub Down, you'll hear a surprising heavy rock 'n' roll number by Fear Nuttin featuring Bushman and reggae en español by Alerta Kamarada.

Below, enjoy a preview of Perfect Giddimani's tribute to Buju Banton, which is also a great introduction to his just released album Back For The First Time on Lustre Kings Productions too!

The Lost Tapes Volume 7:

Perfect – “Hold On (Buju)” (download)

Ken Bob – “Shot Poor Johnny”

Irie Love – “Freedom”

Dub Down – “Flatfoot Hustling”

Fear Nuttin Band ft Bushman – “Living Together ”

Alerta Kamarada – “Historias De Pueblo”

Hawaiian reggae band The Green has signed to New York's Easy Star Records. The Green's music has topped the iTunes reggae download charts and the band recently completed a well-received West Coast tour. As "Islander Reggae" catches steam with artists like J-Boog and Fiji, The Green is poised for big things.

Their full-length album Ways & Means drops in October, while the Love & Affection EP, featuring four tracks from the upcoming record along with a bonus dub mix, is available digitally on August 9.

The Green also secured a slot on the just released high profile Greensleeves compilation The Biggest Reggae One-Drop Anthems 2011. The comp includes strictly roots tracks from St. Croix's Midnite, Jamaica's I-Wayne, Gyptian, I-Wayne and even a one-drop tune ("Spend Time Dubb'n") from Vybz Katel. Check this free download for a taste of The Green's song “Love & Affection”

Our friends at Lafamillie Music in Spain have released another impressive, dubby roots EP from Neblina Sound.

The release is titled Neblina Sound y Lafamille Music Presents: U-Rie and features a heady selection of digital-reggae and dub-infused roots tracks produced by Puppashan and performed live by Bass Culture Digital Posse. Its modern reggae with a retro-feel that never gets too nostalgic -- think On-U Sound meets Iration Steppas and your in the right direction.

Best of all, ForwardEver is able to offer you the full preview for download. Make sure big up Neblina Sound and La Familia on your mixtapes, radio shows and Facebook pages when you're rocking these tracks!

And speaking of On-U Sound : the label celebrates it's 30th Anniversary in San Francisco when dubmaster Adrian Sherwood and MC Brother Culture (Mungo's Hi-Fi) perform live at Dub Mission SF on Sunday September 4.

ForwardEver spoke to Sherwood about his visit and we'll post a link to the article about the show and On-U's 30th year on this blog soon!

The Highest Point: Introducing Kabaka Pyramid

voltagemusic@gmail.com — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 06:44:00 +0000

Who is Kabaka Pyramid? Don't be surprised if you hear people asking that question over the next several months. Arriving with Rebel Music, his free debut EP on Bebble Music, Kabaka Pyramid sounds like a smooth fusion of Damian Jr. Gong Marley, Gappy Ranks and Jahdan Blakkamore – in other words, a strong DJ with street-wise swagger and mainstream potential. His confident vocal presence and crisp backing riddims make this is one of the brightest new reggae offerings of 2011.

A thoroughly a 21st century artist, with a web presence on Facebook, Twitter and Bandcamp and links with Don Corleon-endorsed artist Protoje, Kabaka Pyramid's music is also solidly built and blends hip-hop rhythms with melodious reggae one-drop riffs. In between the cracking drum programs, innovative keys and samples is Kabaka's vocal flow, one that gallops ahead of the beat, then settles back in time for the choruses.

The EP starts with a bang on the Steel Pulse "Blues Dance Raid"-sampling "Feel Di Vibes," a joyous party anthem that celebrates all things good: herb, women and music. If the riddim sounds a little familar, it's because J. Cole and Kanye West's "Looking for Trouble" also lifts from the Steel Pulse tune, but "Feel Di Vibes" is a better fit. Title song "Rebel Music" is an 85 BPM jam with a groove similar to "Welcome To Jamrock" – serious lyrics that indict the poor state of music and offer biographical details into Kabaka's sober livity – "I used to bun the weed a lot, now I try and read a lot" he sings.

The EP's middle tracks, "Prophecy" and "Betta Muss Come" lean more toward hip-hop but still feature a decidedly Jamaican feel – like an update on The Fugee's The Score album or the roughneck reggae-infused hip-hop of Brooklyn's Smif N Wessun. The aforementioned breakout artist Protoje appears on "Warrior," which has Nyahbinghi drumming and lush, cinematic synths reminiscent of Peter Gabriel's evocative productions. The song is a positive example of how taking risks can pay-off in Jamaican music.

Kabaka Pyramid is offering Rebel Music – the full 10-song EP for free right now. If you want a taste of the future, visit this Pyramid.

Reggae Royalty In San Francisco

voltagemusic@gmail.com — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 06:18:00 +0000

Tony Rebel and Queen Ifrica – July 9, 2011 at The Rockit Room, San Francisco.

Reggae royalty paid a visit to the fog-engulfed Inner Richmond venue Rockit Room with the Queen taking center stage. It wasn’t Rita Marley in this case but 36-year old Jamaican vocalist and deejay Ventrice Latora Morgan, also known as Queen Ifrica.

Morgan is the daughter of ska pioneer Derrick Morgan and she intentionally spells Africa with an “I” in the Rasta speech tradition. She rose to popularity with songs that address taboo topics including incest and political violence while her stylish casual attire and magnetic stage presence evoke Erykah Badu or Lauryn Hill. Morgan charm literally shines through: On stage she’s quick to blast you with huge warm smile that lights up the room.

Morgan was joined by her partner and fellow cultural deejay Patrick George Anthony Barrett a.k.a. Tony Rebel. Barrett broke through as a performer in 1992 with the album Rebel With A Cause and also founded the popular annual Rebel Salute concert in Jamaica. Like Morgan, Barrett tackles sticky social issues on songs like “I Can’t Recall,” which lambastes political ineptitude while “Another Bill Again” addresses working class economic woes. Morgan and Barrett don’t tour California often, much less mid-sized venues, so this was an anticipated night for the S.F. reggae massive.

Morgan’s strong rhetoric, modern take on the traditional Rasta lifestyle and rich music repertoire has captured the interest of women in particular. She’s neither a shrinking violet nor a gratuitous sexpot but a potent songwriter whose music transcends gender and lives up to her “Fyah Muma” nickname.

After opening DJ Vinny Ras did his thing with Coo Yah’s DJ Denekah rousting the crowd on the mike, Morgan made her royal appearance backed by the Gumption Band. Barefoot and draped in an ankle length black gown and chunky red beads, Morgan launched into songs from her 2009 album Montego Bay in rapid succession. Morgan leapt, jumped, bounced and otherwise made the stage seem like a trampoline with her lively delivery. Songs like “Lioness On The Rise,” “Over I” and “Keep It To Yourself” resonated with the crowd of boozed up post-college kids, serious dreads, women dressed up in frilly skirts and three-inch heels and a smattering of ballcap-bedecked DJs.

Morgan’s set included her anti-skin bleaching anthem “Brown Skin” and she received a heartfelt “reeeeewind” ( a call to start the song over) from the audience when she lunched her current conscious club hit “In Times Like This.” Her delivery alternates between soaring sung choruses and speedy rap couplets that travel twice as fast as the beat. It’s not fast like Chicago rapper Twista, but you get the point. An odd moment came when she performed her anti-incest ode “Daddy” – she had the crowd swaying contently to a song about sexual abuse. She capped things off with “Don’t Sign,” set to the same music as Delroy Wilson’s rocksteady classic “Movie Star.”

In a stroke of luck we were invited backstage to meet her Highness. Although she projects a stately image on stage, Morgan only stands about 5’3”. However, her genuinely warm personality and thoughtful answers about her California tour, connection with fans and the hopeful and the healing force of her music elevated her to the highest heights in our opinion. She’s a queen for sure.

Veteran deejay “Tony Rebel” Barrett did not disappoint either. He took stage just minutes after Morgan and fired off the spiritually inspired “Jah Will Never Let Us Down.” His set was more explicitly Rasta, with songs like “If Jah,” and “Know Jah” (a.k.a. “Haile-Haile-Haile-I”) inspiring the crowd praise with him. Barrett was in good spirits too, smiling, explaining the song lyrics for “Sweet Jamdown” and generally pleasing the audience with a tight, professional performance.

A highlight of the set was “Fire” that rides the Tamlins reggae cover of Randy Newman’s tune “Baltimore,” which Barrett also sung. His set also included the nosy-neighbor complaint “Chatty Chatty” and an ad-libbed cover of Bob Marley’s “Soul Rebel” (“I’m a rebel, Tony Rebel”…). Overall, the crowd was into it start to finish and Barrett proved that he deserved his Jamaican star stature.

The Rockit Room has become the go-to spot for touring reggae acts, recently hosting up-and-coming Jamaican outfit Rootz Underground and reggae legend Freddie McGregor in the past month. And although Billboard and iTunes sales charts have been dominated by US “college reggae” groups like Rebelution, SOJA, Matisyahu this show proved that there’s still a passionate following for Jamaica’s indigenous musical output.

Opinion: Tosh Discussed on NPR

voltagemusic@gmail.com — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 20:06:00 +0000

America's National Public Radio doesn't often discus Jamaican music, except for Marley-related material (Bob or his sons) and the occasional obit of a major star like Gregory Isaacs. It would be fair to say that this major US media outlet is pretty clueless when it comes to analyzing reggae in general, but they did a decent job this past week in analyzing two Peter Tosh album reissues.

The story, which you can read or hear in full here, included obligatory Roger Stephens pontifications but balanced those with thoughtful commentary from BBC contributor and excellent author Colin Grant (read FE's previous coverage of Grant).

Here's an excerpt of what he said to NRP:

In the 1960s, Tosh was influenced by such civil rights leaders as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Stokely Carmichael and Malcolm X, whose writings were banned in Jamaica. He was arrested for demonstrating against racial murders in southern Africa. Colin Grant, author of a new book about the Wailers, says the dark-skinned Tosh developed Afrocentric pride early on.
"Even though Jamaica is predominantly a black country," Grant says, "there is a brown and white elite, and I think people took sides and aligned themselves fundamentally with one side or another. Peter aligned himself fundamentally in the black camp."

Let's hope that NPR continues to include prime-time coverage of not just the most obvious Jamaican figures but also it's many important ancillary contributors whose music and ideas impact global culture on a daily basis.

Wind In His Sails: Freddie McGregor Live Review

voltagemusic@gmail.com — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 05:09:00 +0000

Reggae veteran Freddie McGregor has a lot to smile about. His three sons, Daniel a.k.a. "Chino," Stephen a.k.a "Di Genius" and Kemar "Flava" McGregor are all finding success in the music business like their pops. And beaming Freddie was on a foggy Wednesday June 15 in San Francisco as he took stage with the Millennium Band and blazed through a 90 minute set.

The elder McGregor has earned Jamaica's Order of Distinction title as well as a global following for his music. He began recording in the ska music era of the 1960s and released his first album, Bobby Babylon, in 1979. He's been recording and performing live ever since and is considered one of Jamaica's most esteemed vocalists , in a league with greats like Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown and Bob Marley.

McGregor's appearance at San Francisco's Rockit Room, it was his first visit to the city in more than a decade. And though his locks are thinning and gray, he's lost little of his honeyed vocal tone or joyful stage demeanor .The Millennium Band provided capable support via dual guitars, keys, drum and bass complimented by two fantastic back-up vocalists. McGregor was dressed casually in blue denim, a white collared shirt and gold chain and looked very much the wise captain his ship.

When he launched in to the Studio One classic "Africa Here I Come" it felt like the start of a special evening. Hits were reeled off immediately, including many of his biggest '80s and 90s singles: "To Be Poor Is A Crime," "Prophecy," "Push Come To Shove," "Stop Loving You" as well as his label's name sake, "Big Ship." These songs emphasized that in addition to his own production, Freddie has worked with nearly every great producer living and dead, from Coxsone Dodd, Linval Thompson and King Jammy to Steelie and Clevie. That experienced translated into a versatile and continually melodious performance.

Freddie transitioned into a Studio One rocksteady showcase featuring covers of Alton Ellis' "Let Him Try" Dobby Dobson's "Loving Pauper" and McGregor's own "Born A Winner" (a response to Derrick Harriot's earlier hit "The Loser." Freddie also paid due tribute to his dear departed friend Dennis Brown with covers of Brown's "Here I Come" and "Revolution;" which the audience devoured. Freddie's signature vocal ad-libs ("Whoa-now," "Oh Lord") are his stock and trade, a remnant of Jamaica's R&B and vocal harmony traditions.

The set continued with dancehall-inspired numbers "You Give Me Fever" (a Horace Andy tune pasted on the Punnany riddim) and "Dont Hurt My Feelings" – but it wasn't until McGregor drew for the tuneful "Key To The City" that he received resounding calls for a "reeeeewind" from the audience. Later he returned to his Studio One roots with "Wine of Violence," "Undying Love" and "Bobby Babylon" (see video below).

Scattered through the audience were some of SF's most prominent sound system DJs including Jah Warrior Shelter's Irie Dole and Jah Yzer, selectors Billie Culture and Lud Dub and members of Mountain Lion sound, all of whom were in awe of the legend.

Freddie acknowledged that it had been a long time since he had performed in San Francisco and proceeded to field a few audience requests such as early hit "Revolutionist," "Rastaman Camp" and the excellent "Seek And You Will Find."

Proving that he has more stamina than many younger artists, McGregor upped the pace toward his set's end with the ska classic "Carry Go Bring Come." What can you say about a singer who effortlessly spans 50-plus years of Jamaican music in an evening while maintaining poise, tone and, most importantly, the audience's attention? That's Freddie, piloting his big ship onward.

Summer Riddims? Here's The Template

voltagemusic@gmail.com — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 22:49:00 +0000

The Template and Jah Army riddims look poised to carry the swing for early summer.

As big spring productions like Maximum Sounds' Skateland riddim, Juke Boxx’s Sweet Wata and Necessary Mayhem’s Gorilla version are still bubbling in the dance, selectors are looking for new tunes to rock festival season and outdoor parties.

So wah gwaan?

First up, PBR Productions (Phatty Boom Room) have a nice mid-tempo one-drop production called the Template Riddim featuring Luciano, Lutan Fyah, Jah Victory, Adena Myrie and J Strutta.

The combination of new and established artists on this music backdrop works well. Luciano and Lutan offer firm Rastaman perspectives while J Strutta and Adena Myrie deliver excellent modern lovers rock tunes. Watch out for Adena: She’s coming with a style reminiscent of UK greats like Deborahe Glasgow or Louisa Mark – she blends superb R&B tones with a reggae flow.

Preview on YouTube.

Download the Template Riddim
Template Riddim tracks:
Luciano “Only Love”
Lutan Fyah Ft. Jah Victory “One At A Time”
Adena Myrie “I’m Sorry”
J Strutta “Hold On”

Stephen Marley’s Ghetto Youths International camp has versioned one of the biggest singles from his latest album Revelation: The Root of Life. The Jah Army Riddim takes Black Uhuru's “General Penitentiary” riddim and modernizes the beat.

The album track “Jah Army” features Stephen Marley, Jr. Gong and Buju Banton, while the riddim set includes new songs from Gappy Ranks, Tarrus Riley, Jah Cure, Pressure, Ward 21 and Spragga Benz.

Spragga Benz offers a celebratory ganja anthem while the Chris Ellis (Alton Ellis’ son) and Gappy Ranks combination talks frankly about police harassment. Dead Prez deliver a dose of Black history as only this talented American duo can. (They’ve been touring and working with Stephen Marley a lot recently, which can only lead to good things.)

The mystic Jah Cure issues a cautionary parable and sings, “look both ways when you cross the road…”

Jah Army Riddim produit par Guetto Youths International mixed by k-za by sundayculturetunes

One more tune (and riddim) starting to make lot of noise since it was released in May is Boom Skeng from FiWi Music.

I don’t have a lot of details yet, but the G Whizz title track “Boom Skeng” is great rub-a-dub-inspired modern reggae. See a video preview below. Now – out to the dance!

Summer Sounds: Revved Up By Reggae

voltagemusic@gmail.com — Sat, 28 May 2011 01:23:00 +0000

Summer is around the corner and that means clubs, radio stations and music players will be bumping a new batch of reggae tunes. Producers in Jamaica and abroad work hard through the late winter and early spring months so that their music is ready to capture reggae fans' attention in the warmer months.

Last year Vybz Kartel and Serani had multiple hits, while Gappy Ranks and Duane Stephenson were heating up the roots circuit. Oh, and lickle tune by Gyptian called "Hold Yuh" was starting to pick up steam too. So who will reign supreme this summer? Who will have a summer anthem or the club scorcher?

Here's a few picks and predictions -- new songs and riddims that look to sweet-up our parties and headphones.

Pictured above is Brooklyn's Jhaytea, a new artist from the R.B.I. camp. His voice is like a cross between Demarco and Jah Cure - gritty and passionate with an auto-tune sheen added to the higher registers. Two one-drop selections, "No More Bad News" on the Eternity Riddim and "Super Woman" on the Cardiac Bass Riddim, definitely deserve your attention. There's also a slick video for his dancehall track "Closer Baby." Check it!

Speaking of sweet music, it doesn't getting any sweeter than the one Cocoa Tea. The veteran artist who foresaw the election of Barack Obama with his tribute song is back inna lovers style with "A Love Like Yours And Mine," produced by Platinum Camp. In addition to a US tour that kicks off June 26 in New York, Cocoa Tea will perform at the 2012 Olympics in London.

"A Love Like Yours..." is smooth lovers rock reggae with superb background vocals and full live band production that recalls Gregory Isaacs or Freddy McGregor's 1980s material. "Like a ray of summer sunshine" sings Cocoa on the tune, which has definite chart potential. Listen or buy it on iTunes.

Another reggae icon, William "Bunny Rugs" Clarke, is set to release a new album soon. He's previewing it with three new tracks available now. "Just Cant Deny," "Kurfew" and the Sly and Robbie-produced "Love is Blind" are all quality songs from this soulful veteran. Rugs told the Jamaica Observer recently that he's spent three years working on the new project.

Both Stephen Marley and Ziggy Marley have new albums out in June. Ziggy's Wild and Free, his fourth solo album is released June 14 2011 on Tuff Gong Worldwide produced with friend and collaborator Don Was in LA as well as in Jamaica. Stephen's Revelation: The Root of Life (Universal) features guests Capleton, Spragga Benz and Ziggy too. Read ForwardEver's interview with Stephen in United Reggae!

Other recommended reggae and one-drop singles:

Anthony B "Sing To Me" (listen) The Bobo Rasta in a reflective, romantic mood.
Romain Virgo "I Am Rich In Love," (official video) uplifting lovers rock on Lifeline, produced by Niko Browne.
Ziggy Marley "Foward To Love," (download) funky, positive steppers tune on Tuff Gong.
Cocoa Tea "Love-Like-Yours and Mine," produced by Platinum Camp.
Da'Ville "When I'm With You" (download) on the I Believe Riddim from Smart Move Records, UK.

Recommended Roots Riddims:

Skateland Killer (Maximum Sound) Listen Features Alborosie, Luciano and Tarrus Riley.
Sweet Wata (Juke Boxx) Peter Morgan, Busy Signal, Queen Ifrica, Tony Rebel and more.
Step By Step (Rumble Rock) Featuring Anthony B, Fire Star, Black Prophet. Buy on iTunes.
Gorilla (Necessary Mayhem) Featureing Chucky Star, Cali P, Macka B and more. Listen.
Dem Talking (Reggaeland Productions) Featuring Ginjah, Sizzla, Jah Mali and more. Listen

And here's a few more freebies from our Canadian dub friends!

Dubmatix “Is This Love Remix” (download)
Earlyworm "Crawling From The Roots" (download or remix it!)

Jazzy Things For Spring

voltagemusic@gmail.com — Thu, 05 May 2011 23:02:00 +0000

Always forward-thinking LA electronic label Plug Research have a new EP from Boom Clap Bachelors titled "Mellem Dine Læber".

BCB features Robin Hannibal of Quadron, Ronnie Vindahl, Thomas Bisballe, and David Cytryn; with additional vocal contributions from Coco O of Quadron and Liv Lykke and will groove anyone into SA-RA, Bonobo, Josee or Mark de Clive-Lowe's productions. It's mellow future soul with an edge – think daydream, not dead asleep.

They have a creepy-cool video for "Løb Stop Stå" or grab Boom Clap Bachelors' free MP3 download for this song. And of course, buy the full EP and support Plug Research and this project!

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Also on the future soul tip, London's Eglo Records, home to Floating Points, have a new video for singer Fatima's "Innervisons" Watch it here. The track is a beat-less mind excursion, produced by FP, and included on Fatima's forthcoming "Follow You" EP.

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Props to Mark deClive-Lowe on the release of the new "Leaving This Planet" EP. It's four beautifully composed future soul / broken jazzy beat numbers. Listen to the whole thing or buy it at Mashibeats. Oh! And fine other treats, rare cuts and freebies at MdCL's new blog.

Leaving This Planet EP Tracklisting:

1. Koko + Lee Roe
2. Dreams featuring Bembe Segue
3. What it Is
4. Leaving this Planet featuring Sharlene Hector
5. Eight

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And definitely do not sleep on London's afro-future project Owiny Sigoma Band. Who are they?

A London-based music collective that traveled to Kenya in '09 to collaborate with local musicians in Nairobi. A jam session with drummer Charles Owoko and nyatiti player Joseph Nyamungu developed into a unique UK beats-meets-African-rhythms-and-vocals combo with an emphasis on authenticity.

Listen to Owiny Sigoma Band "Wires (Theo Parrish Remix)" The album is out now on Gilles Peterson's Brownswood label.

Also, be on the lookout for the latest Browswood comp, Brownswood Electr*c 2, which can be streamed here!

It's an all bass affair featuring Jack Dixon, Jus Wan, DJG, Monky, Ta-ku, Synkro & Indigo and DJ Dials!

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Speaking of previews: Grab this free download of "Priata," a rhythmic new track from Ocote Soul Sounds – Grupo Fantasma's Adrian Quesada and Antibalas' Martín Perna's killer project. Mixing funk, Latin, Ethio grooves and more, "Pirata" is a global funk burner for summer! The new album Tarrus drops June 7 on ESL.

Plus our friends at Fort Knox Recordings have a great Empresarios remix selection on the way. Sabor Tropical Remixed EP 1. feature remixes from Quincy Jointz, All Good Funk Alliance, Thomas Blondet and of course Fort Knox Five! It's out via Beatport on May 17 and May 31 via all digital retailers and on vinyl. Superb Sabor!

Our friends at Press Junkie and Fort Knox are offer this freebie to ForwardEver readers! Grab it! Space Selecta (Fort Knox Five Remint)

Hollie Cook: A UK Star On The Rise

voltagemusic@gmail.com — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 06:08:00 +0000

Hollie Cook, daughter of British punk icon and Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook, is set to be a major star with the release of her forthcoming soul-tinged self-titled album on Mr. Bongo Records.

Cook's new album features production from Prince Fatty, a relatively new name on the UK reggae scene who nonetheless sounds like a seasoned vet and works with Jamaican greats Winston Francis, Dennis Alcapone, Little Roy, Horseman and others. Cook's nine song recording mixes rich and soulful vocals with dubby roots reggae production.

Songs like "Milk and Honey," "That Very Night" and "Used To Be" showcase Cook's silky, laid-back delivery while "Sugar Water" features a sweetly re-imagined version of Johnny Osbourne's "Love Is Universal" riddim, famously dubbed by Scientist on his album Scientist Wins The World Cup. Cook's ernest romantic strains on "Cry" recalls great UK lovers rock singers Janet Kaye, Carroll Thompson, or Louisa Mark.

Rather than imitating a Jamaican inflection Cook brings a distinctly British pop-soul aesthetic to her reggae songs. Hollie's diverse resume includes singing with all-female punk-dub group The Slits, whose charismatic singer Ari Up died unexpectedly in October 2010.

Other international soul singers have also been dabbling with traditional roots reggae of late. John Legend's cover of Prince Lincoln and the Royal Rasses "Humanity (Love The Way It Should Be)" is a strong highlight on Wake Up, his new album with The Roots. Meanwhile, American R&B vocalist Stephanie McKay recently teamed with Australian producer Katalyst for "Day Into Night," a song that features excellent vintage reggae samples (we think it's John Holt's "No Place Like Home"). Also, in 2008 Jazmine Sullivan sampled The Eternals "Queen of the Minstrels" for her smash "Need U Bad."

Toots Hibbert of Toots and the Maytals may have famously sung in 1972 that "Reggae Got Soul," but it seems in 2011 soul "got" reggae, finally. Hollie Cook leads the way and her album is due in May on Mr. Bongo.

Bay DJ Charts: Gappy, The Message and Mavado

voltagemusic@gmail.com — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 21:11:00 +0000

The San Francisco Bay Area is a reggae lover's paradise. You can be assured on any given night you'll have your pick of reggae, dancehall, roots and rocksteady club nights and live shows to choose from, most with world-renowned DJs and artists.

Club nights happen Monday through Sunday with live shows popping off on Thursdays through Sundays everywhere from San Francisco and Oakland, up north in Marin and Sonoma, south in San Jose and west over the hills in Santa Cruz. We love it here and our DJs are some of the most active, innovative mixers on the planet. From Club Dread to Dub Mission, Festival 68 to Coo-Yah, Bless Up to King of Kings and Reggae Gold, the Bay has reggae music on lock.

In that spirit, ForwardEver decided to poll a few of our favorite reggae spinners and see what's rotating at their events. This is a small sampling, but it seems universal that UK singjay Gappy Ranks, singers like Tarrus Riley and Etana, tough emcees like Mavado and Vybz Kartel and riddims like Don Corleon's The Message or dancehall scorchers Dancehall FX and Bus Stop are what's ruling the dances ova yah so. For more on Bay reggae events stop by Dee Cee's Soul Shakedown site.

Check the charts:

Selcta Green B (Coo Yah)
Catch Green B every week at Coo Yah (At SOM Bar) with her DJ partner Daneekah. Fresh dancehall riddims in the mix and regular guest DJs.

Singles
Demarco – Love My Life
Shaggy & Mavado – Girls Dem Love Me
Kartel – Benz Punnany
Mavado – Pepper
Gappy & Russian – Tun Up

Riddims
Dancehall FX
Bus Stop
The Message
Dutty Gamez
Island Vibes

Irie Dole (Jah Warrior Shelter, KPOO)
Irie Dole is part of SF's sound clash champion crew Jah Warrior Shelter with Jah Yzer, Ivier and Rocker T. Irie Dole is a tireless supporter of Bay Area reggae artists and bands, many of whom appear on his chart here, and on his Wednesday afternoon (12 - 3 p.m. PST) radio program Rebel Music on KPOO.

Singles
Gappy Ranks & Delly Ranx – Coulda Run Weh
Soulmedic – The Mixer
Winstrong – Trippin
Rocker-T – There With You
Vital – Don't Say No

Riddims
The Message
O.M.G.
Run Di Place
Sweet Corn
Step By Step

DJ Smoky (King Of Kings)
DJ Smoky's weekly Sunday night event King of Kings (Shattuck Downlow, Berkeley) just celebrated it's 9th anniversary, and with good reason -- it's one of the most consistently packed parties with big name (Cutty Ranks, Don Carlos, Tarrus Riley) guests dropping in on the regular. Hats off to Smoky for building a Bay Area institution.

Singles
Andrew & Wada Blood – Hammer
Cutty Ranks – Full Blast
Tarrus Riley – Shaka Zulu
Gappy Ranks – I Was There
Jah Cure, Rick Ross, Mavado – Like I See It

Riddims
Currant
Sad Streetz
Captain
Billie Jean 2k11
My Life

For more of the KoK vibe check this recent video!

We Got Mojo, Dubmatix & Twins: Reggae News Update

voltagemusic@gmail.com — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 05:56:00 +0000

Accomplished reggae producer and expert keyboardist Steven "Lenky" Marsden has founded a label named after his breakthrough riddim, 2002's Diwali that spawned hits for Sean Paul ("Get Busy") and Wayne Wonder ("No Letting Go"). According to Gerald Belnavis' Examiner article Diwali Records will be Lenky's platform for new dancehall/reggae projects as well as hip-hop, R&B and pop titles. The article also contains excellent biographical details including Lenky's early life in Kingston, Jamaica's volatile Dunkirk community and Lenky's tour outings with Rita Marley, Lloyd Parkes, Richie Stephens and Buju Banton among many others.

Daniel “Chino” McGregor has dropped a new single to preview his upcoming self-titled album out May 24 on VP Records. Produced by his talented brother Stephen "Di Genius" McGregor, "Seal The Link" has a King Jammys-style uptempo digital reggae feel and strong melodies. It's a bubbling track that should impact reggae clubs quickly. Chino's other recent hits "Pon Yuh Head," "Protected" and "From Mawning" (video) hint at a promising debut album.

Canadian artist Dubmatix has a new sample pack available for producers. Reggae Soundclash is geared toward producers making dancehall, dub, dubstep, experimental or ambient recordings. Choose from Reason, Ableton Live or Apple Loops formats. The loops and samples are made from real instruments played live with some added effects and processing. Hear samples or order packs at Loopmasters.

Morgan Heritage member Mojo Morgan's new track "Streets Worldwide" is contemporary reggae with an urban twist. Acording to Mojo, "This song is about the reality in our world today and shows that things aren't so different in the different parts of the world." Mojo and his brothers and sister performed in the Living Legacy Concert at UN headquarters March 25 for International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

Jahdan Blakkamore has his single "All Comes Back To One" remixed by a heavy duty quintet of producers from the electronic dance world. Released on New Yorker Liondub's label, reworks are delivered by Potential Badboy & Liondub, who offer a rolling drum 'n' bass treatment, NYC dubmaster Ticklah (Victor Axelrod from Antibalas), Nate Mars' killer dubstep remix and a roots rub from The Bobos (download). The single is taken from Jahdan's latest album Babylon Nightmare. Hear clips from the remix EP here.

Singer Sledge has covered Dennis Brown's classic “Should I” and it's reached #7 on the New York Top 30 Singles Chart. “Being on the Chart gives me a great feeling. It’s like I’m moving in the right direction and that direction is to the people.” says Sledge. Check his full length album release, After The Storm (Builders Music) available now on iTunes or CD in retail stores or at Ernie B’s Reggae.

Preview the hilarious new Twin of Twins comedy mixtape in which they put Jamaica's most infamous stars on "trial." ToT specialize in pitch perfect impressions of Buju, Bounty, Vybz and, their specialty, Mutabaruka. "Stir It Up Volume 9" is a reggae roast at its best: raw and uncensored Yard humor!

New dancehall riddims:
• Vigilante Riddim from Arrows Records featuring I-Octane, Stacious, Spragga Benz. Listen or buy it here.
• Stadium Buck Riddim from Crash Dummy Records
• New Begining From Jus Easy Productions featuring new tracks from Mr. Lexx, Red Fox, Ishawna
• Hungry Dawg produced by Seanizzle with lead single "Swaggin" by Mr. G
• Spazzle (new Mavado "Tumping"), One A Way (new Richie Loop and Cecile) and Problem Riddim (Beenie Man, Kiprich) all from Scikron/Big Yard

One last note: If you're ever in SF on a Monday night, be sure to stop by the Skylark Bar on 16th street at Valencia for the killer all-vinyl weekly reggae night Skylarking presented by SF's I&I Vibration Sound. The crew bring Swedish/Jamaican artist Million Stylez to the Rockit Room on April 21. And check their excellent (free) mixtapes:

• Addicted to Muzik featuring Konshens mixed by Beatnok (download)
• Trillin mixed by Mr. Lucky (download)

Crucial News Update: UK To Japan To Jamaica

voltagemusic@gmail.com — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 05:53:00 +0000

UK reggae sing-jay Gappy Ranks was on tour in Japan during the recent 9.0 earthquake. Luckily he survived the quake and was able to send updates on his status via Twitter.

Gappy tweeted: "I Never Thought That My First Experience In #Japan Would Be #TheWorldsBiggestEarthquake – The People Of Japan Have Been So Strong & Calm..."

He followed that the next day with, "Fuckkkkkkk - These Aftershocks Are Hard Like The Very First One – #PrayFiJapan..."

There's an thorough account of his experience and videos from his tour at OKPlayer's Large Up site. Gappy Ranks debuted a new video this week for the song "Could A RunAway" featuring Delly Ranks. (see embed at the bottom of this post.)
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British reggae MC Smiley Culture died in a police raid Saturday February 26. The cause of death was ruled to be a single stab wound through the heart. The entertainer's family has asked for an inquiry into the bizarre killing and assert that there may have been police misconduct.

Smiley Culture scored several hits in the late-80s including "Police Officer" and "Cockney Translation" and was a member of the Saxon Sound System. He helped popularize the British "fast chat" style of MCing along with Papa Levi, Asher Senator and others. For a more detailed biography, read the Guardian UK's obit.

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United Reggae reported the untimely passing of Anthony Doyley from the 1970s roots reggae trio Knowledge. Doley pased Saturday February 6 2011 in London at the age of 55. He was the trio's lead singer and songwriter and penned searing tracks like "A Fool And His Money" on albums such as Hail Dread and Judgment. See a full discography at Roots Archives. Knowledge was never as well known as their contemporaries Culture, Israel Vibration or The Itals but contributed to Jamaica's fertile 1970s-80s reggae vocal trio era, which also included acts like The Mighty Diamond, Black Uhuru and Cultural Roots.
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The reggae website of the week is definitely InFineStyle. It's a blog, archive and research portal devoted to telling the story of Jamican cartoon artist and album jacket designer Wilfred Limonious.

InFineStyle notes: "Limonious was responsible for designing over 150 dancehall reggae album covers and is considered one of the key architects of genre's aesthetic."

Famous examples of his work include the album cover for Stallag 17-18-19 on Techniques Recordings, which included Tenor Saw's massive hit "Ring The Alarn." Lesser known was Limonious's work as a cartoonist for daily Jamaican newspapers (see example above).
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A new dancehall movie now in production called Gangstas follows a Jamaican thug as he attempts to expand his operations to the United States. The film's title song features Barrington Levy, Vybz Kartel and Khago (download). The film is currently casting extras and shooting scenes. For more information go here.
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Check your record racks for the new set of Lee Scratch Perry rarities, The Return of Sound System Scratch on Pressure Sounds.

The label describes the project as: "Eighteen tracks that span Lee Perry's time at his Black Ark studio showcasing 'Scratch' at the peak of his creative powers. Special one off exclusive dub plate mixes and super rare 45s that you can't find anywhere else. There are tracks that have never been released before such as Aleas Jube's 'Righteous land' and the dub version of the same song 'Righteous Rocking'; 'Longer dub', which was mixed at King Tubbys studio, is an exclusive remix of Junior Byles 'Long Way'."

Other new releases due out soon:
Assassin Most Wanted – VP – March 29, 2011
Various: The Evolution of Dub Volume 6 – Greensleeves – March 21, 2011
Sanchez – Love You More – VP – May 10
Chino – Chino – VP –May 24
Various: Biggest Reggae One Drop Anthems – Greensleeves – May 31

And here's Gappy Rank's new video for "Could A RunAway"

Vybz Kartel at UWI: Lecture or Press Conference?

voltagemusic@gmail.com — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 20:18:00 +0000

Vybz Kartel, the skin-lightened Jamaican deejay who refers to his tatted image as dancehall's "Coloring Book" (video) was recently invited by University of West Indies, Mona Campus professor and author Carolyn Cooper to be a guest lecturer to her class on Reggae Poetry.

(Read Cooper's dialog with the deejay here.)

Vybz accepted and the even took place on March 10 in Kingston.

Some critics have charged that the event was less a lecture than a press conference and therefore lacked academic rigor.

However, Vybz took several questions from audience members and generally addressed or defended issues related to his skin-lightening (known in Jamaica as "bleaching"), his impact on youth culture and of course his controversial music.

See a video below and more should be released in the next few days. Visit Dancehall Mobi for more coverage. Watch three segments from the lecture here.

Lee "Scratch" Perry Doc To Screen This Spring

voltagemusic@gmail.com — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 18:24:00 +0000

The life of Jamaican reggae producer Lee "Scratch" Perry is the subject of a documentary screening in US theaters this spring. Narrated by Benicio Del Toro, The Upsetter: The Life and Music of Lee Scratch Perry (trailer) features almost 90 minutes of interviews, rare studio film, live performances and commentary. Known for his pioneering dub music mixing as well as burning down The Black Ark, his personal studio, Perry, 74, has continued performing and recording ceaselessly.

Filmmakers Ethan Higbee and Adam Bhala Lough weave music and fittingly psychedelic film and music effects throughout the interviews, which depict chronologically Perry's early career at Studio One, through producing Bob Marley and his classic Black Ark recordings.

From the film's press release:
Seven years in the making, the film features musical tracks and iconic archival footage selected from throughout Perry’s extensive career. These video footage gems and extraordinary photographs taken span nearly five decades and feature the likes of Bob Marley and the Wailers, Paul McCartney, The Clash and Beastie Boys, all of whom Perry produced, and speak to the breadth of his influence as a producer, artist and icon. The Upsetter is not only a fascinating character study of an artist who revolutionized music through the invention of dub, the predecessor to hip-hop, techno and modern electronic music, but a documentation of 30 years of Jamaican music and culture.

The following are the schedule US film screening dates:

March 25-April 1st                Los Angeles, CA @ Downtown Independent
April 1-8th                             Portland, OR @ Clinton St. Theatre
April 2nd                               Long Beach, CA @ Art Theatre
April 3rd                                New York, NY @ Maysles Cinema
April 5-6th                             Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theatre
April 8-10th                          Columbia, MO @ Rag Tag Cinema
April 10th                             Taos, NM @ Taos Center for The Arts
April 13th                             Houston TX @ Alamo Draft House
April 13-14th                        Boston, MA @ Regent Theatre
April 15-17th                        Detroit, MI @ Burton Theatre
April 15-17th                        Eugene, OR @ Bijou Art Cinema
April 15th                             Sante Fe, NM @ Center for Contemporary Arts
April 16th                             Providence, RI @ Cable Car Cinema
April 20th                             Portland, ME @ Space Gallery
April 22-23rd                       West Hollywood, CA @ Dem Passwords Gallery
May 13-14th                        San Francisco, CA @ Red Vic Movie House

Soul Rebel SF Debuts!

voltagemusic@gmail.com — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 18:03:00 +0000

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 25! a new club night called...

SOUL REBEL!
hear reggae « punk « 2tone « oi « noWave

With DJs Dougie & Tim (Young Offenders SF, Bricks & Mortar)

DJ Tomas (Umoja Hi-Fi) & special guest DJs

BEER-N-BOOZE • NO COVER • 21 W/ID • 10PM-2AM

Every 4th Friday > Koko Cocktails > 1060 Geary. SF
Read more on Facebook!

Bushman: In Step With The Stepping Razor

voltagemusic@gmail.com — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 03:15:00 +0000

Reggae vocalist Bushman, the musical alias of St. Thomas, Jamaica native Dwight Duncan, has spent the past 15 years using his strong voice to convey socially conscious messages over suitably cultural rhythm tracks. Songs like “Fire Bun A Weak Heart” and “Cannabis” have become staples at roots sessions around the world, while Bushman’s appearance on riddims like Cousins Records 2008 Fort Augustus version are treasured for their quality. His albums include Nyah Chant, Total Commitment, Signs, Higher Ground and Get It In Your Mind and he’s also founded a music company, Burning Bushes music.

Bushman now turns his attention to one his main influences, Peter Tosh. Produced by Penthouse Records’ Donovan Germain, Bushman Sings The Bush Doctor features notable Tosh songs “Equal Rights,” “Bush Doctor” and “Legalize” as well as collaborations with Tarrus Riley and Buju Banton. Bushman’s aim was to bring Tosh’s music to a new generation and celebrate his legacy while Tosh fans will discover the wonder of Bushman’s smooth baritone delivery.

ForwardEver caught up with Bushman at the VP Records offices in New York and he offered thoughts on the Tosh project, his next album Conquering Lion and sharp opinions about some fellow Rasta artists. Watch out, this man is a razor, he’s dancgerous!

ForwardEver: Hail Bushman! Where is your base of operations these days?

Bushman: Well, [my location] is unstable as water! I’m mainly based in Jamaica but for the last six months I’ve been [in America] getting back in front of the people, promoting and doing as much as I can for myself and reggae music. I’m mostly in America and Europe. I’m working with a promoter named Giovanni who puts on Rototom Splash, one of the biggest festivals in Europe called. We’re planning to go to Argentina and Uruguay on February 17 for 10 days to do some promotion in South America. It’s a new market for me to play in and a chance to make some new people aware of [my work].

What is your record label Burning Bushes all about?

We’re an independent company established about five years ago. We put out the last Bushman album Get it In Your Mind but we’re not signed to any major distribution company, we do it all ourselves. Right now Burning Bushes is mostly promoting my music. We’re looking forward to promoting some young artists that we’re working with. We’re about the real roots side of the reggae. We want to water that root and let it grow and flourish.

Lets talk about your current project, Bushman Sings The Bush Doctor. What was your goal in recording an entire album of Peter Tosh cover songs?

My goal was and is to get the awareness of Peter Tosh’s music to the new world of reggae who might listen to my music but might not know his music. I’m not saying that everyone who listens to Bushman doesn’t know about Peter Tosh, but you do have some who don’t know that man’s work. You also have people who listen to [Tosh] but don’t know about Bushman. I also think Peter Tosh is less spoken of [compared to Bob Marley or Bunny Wailer]. Some people only know Bob Marley as a reggae artist. [Tosh] was very influential to my career. So I said ‘This is one of the ultimate goals’, to do a tribute to Peter Tosh. I’m mostly about albums projects, no matter how many singles I put out. Albums like this really help reflect the inner man.

How much awareness of Peter Tosh’s music is there among young Jamaicans these days?

Most of the young people who know about Peter Tosh’s music in Jamaica are those who have been raised in a Rasta family. The music has changed drastically in Jamaica; we’ve seen dancehall take a great toll on the music. Dancehall is a great movement but sometimes for me, I feel like dancehall music invokes evil. “In the beginning was the word and the word take on the flesh and manifest” – I think that’s one’s of the greatest teachings when it comes to music, especially when you have people indulging in certain things that the music subliminally is saying.

But for me, for the last decade within the roots part of the music, it’s been like one rhythm repeating – that’s just my opinion. It’s just the same riddim being made over and over again. I haven’t heard any form of crafted artwork or anyone doing something different or new. If one man does something and it works than everyone follows. I’ve seen less creativity in the music, which also contributes to the deterioration of the roots music.

"We have bigger issues to talk about that afflict people every day, things that need to be addressed."

You did a version of “Stepping Razor,” which goes back to Tosh’s early days, right?

“Stepping Razor” shows the agility of a man. People can relate to the lyrics, and who feels it knows it. [Quoting the lyrics] “I’m like a walking razor, don’t watch my size, I’m dangerous!” So it was a joy to be able to express these things that Peter Tosh was feeling, knowing that I was feeling them too. Now, Donovan Germain chose some of the tracks and other people put in their own input. “Glass House” was one of the tracks chosen by me that didn’t make the final cut. There were other tracks I really wanted to do and never got the chance to. I thought more attention should be paid to the artist and his vision. “Nuclear War” is one of the songs I feel is a “now” song with the kind of wars that we’ve seen, the crumbling of the Twin Towers, fighting in Afghanistan, North Korea, Iran and all of those places on the edge. Another track I wanted to do was “The Day The Dollar Die” [from Tosh’s album Mystic Man]. These tracks are significant to me and I thought they should be on the album but we never got a chance. But the album is great and the project is out.

The digital release version of the album contains a lesser-known Tosh song called “Bumoclaut,” which is a Jamaican curse word, right?

If it were up to me that would have been on the CD version too! You know, because it’s an expression but it’s also a word of power. And if you notice in the song [Tosh] sings, “What kind of evil spirit is holding me down, I could not make one single sound, one thing Jah told me, son use these words, now I’m free, free as a bird…” It’s a thing that people should know!

You worked at Penthouse studio with a stellar crew of musicians. What did the band and studio add to the project?

Initially when speaking to [Penthouse Records producer] Donovan Germain and we outlined the project I told him that I wanted to be in the studio with the musicians when the tracks are being laid, which didn’t happen, and that’s one my disappointments about the project. I just felt that it would have been an even greater album if that meeting happened. I mean reggae is based on five to twelve souls coming together to make music. That’s the feeling I wanted to bring back to the project. It didn’t happen but [the recording] went well because had great musicians -- some of them had played with Peter before. Robbie Lyn, Mikey Chung, Dean Fraser and Glen Browne knew Peter for a while. Lymie Murrey, Pam Hall and Nadine Sutherland did a great job on backing vocals. The experience was great – seeing the vision become reality was awesome.

Some of Peter Tosh’s songs have a Jamaican folk song quality, incorporating local phrases and sayings. Did you grow up with some of these folk sayings in St. Thomas?

Yes I! These are called Jamaican proverbs. Like “sorry fe mawgga dawg, mawgga dawg turn ‘round bite you.” Things like, “brand new second hand,” these are things we heard. It even inspired one of my songs coming out on the next album, a song called “Jungle Proverbs,” which consists of Jamaican proverbs like “you never miss the water ‘till the well run dry,” “can’t judge a book by it’s cover without looking inside,” “the older the moon, the brighter it shine” or “the higher the money climb, the more him exposed.”

"We all have to be careful of what we do and say in the music."

Many of your songs seem to be about natural living and educating people on diet and social concerns. Why is that important?

If it’s not good, why sing it? For me it’s more like edu-tainment than entertainment. If I have the platform to speak for a world of people who have been oppressed why should I speak of the negative or personal things that I possess? Like, how many cars I have, how big my house is, how many chains I wear… We have bigger issues to talk about that afflict people every day, things that need to be addressed.

This next [album] we have coming now called Conquering Lion has songs on it that wonder if the leaders are educated fools or educated evil workers. There’s a song [on the new album] called “Time To Know” [sings]

“In this world of modern technology, where education is the source, I see mystery Babylon a use them force… And the people find it so hard to live, the system is so negative, got to be strong to stay positive…Parents be careful of what the youths eat – the genetic chickens and bacons and beef, ice creams and sweets are like vinegar to the teeth… ”

You did a song called “King Selassie I” on the Fort Augustus riddim. That sounds very heartfelt and personal. Tell me about recording that one.

That track was recorded in England for Stingray Records. It’s more like a testimony, [quoting the song] “from the rising to the setting it's the same.” The same man who trod through triple darkness, through stages and changes is the same man now. From then till now, from David to King Solomon to Christ to Christ in His Kingly Character.

[The conversation turns to a discussion of the current state of Jamaican music and the pressures of outside influences in dancehall music. Bushman also had some pointed thoughts for his Rasta peers…]

Music is the greatest teacher in the world and it’s up to us to regulate the music. [We could] have all the derogatory music played at dancehalls and clubs where under-age kids cannot go. It’s a situation that needs to be addressed.

And I can say this for myself, and this is my opinion, I don’t care what Capleton or Sizzla believe, but they break down the music by [doing songs like] “Tek Off The Drawers” and “Pump Up Har Pum Pum.” Rasta was moving strong until some people feel to falter. Sizzla is one of the bigger influences on young Rastafarians inna this generation. And when he said “Pump Up Har Pum Pum” and “Big Long Gun A Run Out” most a Rasta youth dem waaan long gun fi run out! If the leader a say dat a weh you a think the followers a go do? A lot of youths became Rasta [because of] Sizzla, through the message of him music. So I say, defile yourself, don’t defile a million people with you. Your personal thoughts nuh have nothing fi do with the platform you get to express yourself.

We all have to be careful of what we do and say in the music. I wouldn’t even care if Capleton or Sizzla a see this article and say ‘A wah Bushman a say?’ because it needs to be addressed too. [What these songs are saying] is a mixed message, it’s contrary from the Rasta message. And that is Babylon. If you look in the dictionary for the definition of Babylon, [it] means confusion. So when you are contradicting yourself you are confused, literally.

What do you have planned in the near future?

The next album I’ll release is called Conquering Lion on Burning Bushes music. As usual Bushman deals with social commentary and stating the state of the world. You know how some say the world is going to end in 2012? Well the Conquering Lion comes out in 2012! We’re working with the likes of Earl “Chinna” Smith, Robbie Lyn, Chris Merdith, Squidley Cole, Dylan White, my original drummer from the Grassroots Band and my original keyboard player Phillip James. We’re still recording and mixing the tracks but it’s coming along well and while we’re doing that we’ll be touring Bushman Sings the Bush Doctor both in America and Europe and the rest of the world. And remember one countenance brightens the other – the whole of the I dem inna the fraternity also helps to make the whole vision become a reality. Give thanks.

Bushman Sings The Bush Doctor
1. Creation
2. Bush Doctor
3. Legalize It
4. Buck-In-Ham-Palace
5. Stepping Razor
6. Mawga Dog “Gal go weh from me”
7. Brand New Second Hand Gal
8. Don't Look Back Ft. Tarrus Riley
9. Johnny B Goode
10. Mamma Africa Ft. Buju Banton
11. Equal Rights
12. Igziabeher
13. Bumoclaut (Digital Exclusive) “
14. Downpressor Man (Digital Exclusive)
15. Mystic Man (Digital Exclusive)

Courtney John For Valentine's Day

voltagemusic@gmail.com — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 02:30:00 +0000

United Reggae published ForwardEver's interview with lovers rock crooner Courtney John. John talks about his new song on Itation Records (released Valentine's Day) and the latest runnings in his busy career.

Here's an excerpt:

When Angus Taylor interviewed lovers rock reggae singer Courtney John for United Reggae in April 2010 he was riding on the success of his album 'Made In Jamaica' and the Peckings-produced hit single Lucky Man. Since then interest in Courtney John has only increased. The singer and producer formerly known as Yogi whose uncles Boya and Beres Hammond introduced him to the music business now has a solid international following. One of those global links is with California’s Itation Record who are promoting Courtney John’s new single Never Keep You Waiting, which features sparkling music arrangement by the Tune In Crew. With both a love of Jamaica’s rocksteady sounds and modern international music of all sorts, Courtney John balances a career based on quality over quantity. He spoke to United Reggae about his recent recordings and how to be a successful artist in 2011.

And read the rest of the interview here.

Afro Funk Comes Forward

voltagemusic@gmail.com — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 22:15:00 +0000

Los Chicharones are back. The international duo of Ramon Santana and Morten Hansen present their fourth album and mark their return to Tim "Love" Lee's Tummy Touch label, home to Groove Armada and The Phenomenal Handclap Band.

Roots of Life is a cracking 11 song collection that sews together African and Latin percussion with funky dancefloor beats, but eschews any Fat Boy Slim "big beat" cliches. The album's grooves are closer to 1975 Lagos than 1999 Bristol . That's partially due to Morten recording in Mali before putting the finishing touches on the productions in London.

Tummy Touch has authorized a few freebies to whet your appetite. Check the free track and killer DJ mix below. And trust us, the full album, which dropped on January 25, does not disappoint. Look for it on CD and digitally in all your favorite shops now.

Download funky, Fela-inspired album track “Ma Do Nar”

Download the The Los Chicharrons Afro DJ Mix

1. Intro: Wilfredo Stephenson vs. Los Chicharrons: Mali Brass
2. Tropical Treats: Afriken Riddims
3. Thony Shorby: No Wrong Show
4. Manu Dibango: Super Koumba
5. Los Chicharrons: Timbuktu vs. Big Daddy Kane Mashup
6. C.K. Mann & His Carousel: Medley
7. Fela Kuti: 7" Mashup vs. Los Chicharrons: Ma Do Nar Acapella
8. Fela Kuti: Ako vs. Los Chicharrons: Ma Do Nar Mashup
9. MAW feat Wunmi: Ekabo vs. Los Chicharrons: Ma Do Nar Mashup
10. Afefe Iku: Mirror Dance vs. Los Chicharrons Koundadi Mashup
11. Los Chicharrons: Kounandi outro.

And for further inspiration check this forthcoming documentary about a DJ's quest for funk's roots in Africa.