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Volker Bertelmann and Hildur Guðnadóttir hardly need an introduction - their distinct styles have graced the speakers of pretty much anyone enamored with experimental music in the last decade, and between them the two have chalked up an enviable canon of successes. Bertelmann, under the Hauschka moniker has explored the extremities of prepared piano improvisation, and Guðnadóttir has taken cinematic, explorative cello music into a new era of depth and passion, so to hear them both together is a rare and unexpected treat. Rare is putting it lightly even - „Pan Tone“ is a recording of a single concert which the duo performed on the 26th of February 2010 as part of Arctic Circle - Bubbly Blue and Green festival at Kings Place in London, and documents an event that would truly never be repeated. Sure, they could attempt to re-create the event, but the spontaneity and glorious serendipity in this particular recording is a pleasure to behold.

Bertelmann and Guðnadóttir decided to create a set of compositions which based on the idea of the ocean, and took a book of Pantones to extract exact references to the specific colors of the sea. These watery tones form the backbone of the performance and inform the direction of the collaboration, guiding us through rich blues, glassy greens and frothy whites. In listening to the music it seems incredibly appropriate that the artists should choose blue as the middle ground in their work; the ineffable lightness that Bertelmann brings to the table is a stark contrast to Guðnadóttir's sinking darkness, and as the two styles collide we witness a plethora of tones, shades and hues. It sounds as if the two artists have been playing together for decades, and their sound is so perfectly matched you might wonder why it's taken them this long to collaborate. All that's left for us to do is to soak in the tidal beauty of this very exclusive body of music, to listen to it sing, bubble and crash through its duration before settling in total silence. When the record reaches its conclusion there is an unsettling calm, a sense that you have witnessed something very special indeed, and that is a feeling to prize amongst all else.

September 2012, the 4 turntablist djs from C2C (20syl, Greem, Atom and Pfel) released their first and only album to date : Tetr4.

This album was about to conquer the world: following heavy radio rotations with the hits "Down The Road" and "Happy", the band then toured in the biggest french venues before hitting the most renowned festival stages around the world (Coachella, Roskilde, Fuji Rock…).

For its 10th anniversary, the album comes on a new setting in its double LP vinyl version. Transparent color discs and silver sleeve to celebrate its first decade!

Stand High Patrol unveils SH010, a new 45 RPM maxi, pressed for collectors and selectors fond of roots and one drop vibes. Slipped into a white sleeve adorned with a ghostly embossment, the 12 Inch features "The Ghost", "A Seed A Day" and their respective dub versions. Contained within the package are two minor-scale tunes voiced by Pupajim with lyrical themes of determination, revenge and hope, and two dubs mixed live at The Kerwax studio which expand the space-time and bring today's Loguivy-Plougras closer to the Kingston of the 1970s. With its assumed "Cool Ruler" influences, theremin notes of circumstance, clavinet parts ricocheting from skanks and formidable groovy hi-hats, the EP invites the listener to discover or rediscover the roots side of the versatile dubadub musketeerz's sound!

From the success of "Thrive" which was released on a 7" vinyl by LRK Records and sold out in a day. Comes a brand new single "Long Gone "

Toronto based retro-soul artist Claire Davis serves up her latest soulful banger "Long Gone" from forthcoming 7" vinyl release on LRK Records. A jewel of Canada's Soul scene, Claire Davis takes it up a notch and showcases her mighty vocals on the fiery breakup single "Long Gone". Drawing from her influences of the likes of Etta James and Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, the unrelenting rhythm and sassy background vocalsof this track complement the "take-no-mess" message of Davis' lyrics and vocal delivery. A song about knowing your worth and walking away from those who don't! Claire Davis is an analog enthusiast, opting to record to tape whenever possible to best capture the feel and energy of a live performance and this single does not disappoint. The track was co-written by Toronto based artist Kyla Charter and producer Scott McCannell whom Davis has excitedly collaborated with for years on various other projects in Toronto's R&B/Soul scene. The saucy background vocal arrangement from composer/arranger La-Nai Gabriel provided the icing on the cake for this record which features dynamic background vocals from Joanna Mohammed, Tegan Michelle Gordon, and Chynna Lewis.


Jazzfm have listed the single "Long Gone" on their B list playlist

In the official retro soul spotify playlist

CBC gave it a spin on "Big city small world" by Errol Nazareth

"Times Have Changed" was added as brekkie track of the week and added to the C list on Jazz Fm

Death Is Not The End launch sub-label 333 with a first-time vinyl reissue for the late Devon Russell's Darker Than Blue LP - put together as a tribute to the great Curtis Mayfield. First issued in 1993 but featuring material originally recorded as far back as 1979, the collection includes a cast of prominent players across it's 10 tracks - featuring musical contributions from Sly Dunbar, Aston "Family Man" Barrett, Earl "Wire" Lindo, Dean Fraser, Bobby Ellis, Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace, Prince Lincoln Thompson and many others - plus production & arrangment from Earl "Chinna" Smith, Sly Dunbar & King Tubby's Firehouse Crew alongside Russell himself. Limited to 333 copies.

"The concept for Darker Than Blue dates back to 1979. Returning from South Amerrica with my partner (in duo Lloyd & Devon) Lloyd Robinson, we did "Red Bum Ball" which had been a massive hit in the 60's. It was around this time that Earl Chinna Smith (of The Wailers and Soul Syndicate fame) approached me with the idea of re-making some Curtis Mayfield songs. "Darker Than Blue" was the first track we did, followed by "Move On Up" in 1981, both of which received great reviews.

On returning to Jamaica from a UK tour in 1986, my good friend King Tubby had taken on five men from my school of music, from which the Firehouse Crew were born. Within 3 years they had matured to become Jamaica's No.1 instrumental band, winning the Rockers award. Then in the spring of 1990, together we managed to record the album "Money, Sex & Violence", during a tour of the UK & France, on which we did Mayfield's "Give Me Your Love". The track was played to Steve Barrow who suggested we do more Curtis tracks.

Sly Dunbar and I have known each other for as long as I can remember. We grew up in the same hood and used to jam regularly in our youth. I told Sly about the further Mayfield tracks I wanted to do and he agreed that it would be a good idea. So Sly, myself and The Firehouse Crew went to work at the Leggo Studios in Kingston, Jamaica and created the remaining tracks for the Darker Than Blue LP, a tribute to Curtis Mayfield.

We grew up on the sounds of Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions. Everyone in Jamaica loved them. His death was a terrible thing, but while there is life, there is hope."
- Devon Russell, 1994.

333, under license from Prestige Elite Records Ltd.

2022 Repress

During the 80's dancehall era a number of record producers claimed to be the real authentic sound of downtown Kingston but Ossie Thomas' Black Solidarity label, operating out of Delamare Avenue in the heart of the ghetto, was the real deal ....

This was the start of the 70's when the political rivalry got heated between JLP and the PNP, - also the shots start fire ....
I said to myself if you're going die, you're going die ... from that me not scared of Kingston' Ossie Thompson.

This album provides an insightful glimpse into life in these unforgiving Kingston neighbourhoods describing not only the poverty and desperation, but also how at times, styles, fashions and the cathartic joys of music, and the dancehall could transform this harsh environment into one of joyous celebration ...

Joan Reggae Drummer, based in the region of Catalonia in Spain, is a great lover of Jamaican music, at a very young age he began to be so passionate about drums that he created his first musical projects, among them, the band that was a turning point was The Pepper Pots. With 6 albums already released and several tours in Europe, UK, Japan, USA & Czech Republic , Joan has opened for internationally artists such as Jimmy Cliff, Kymani Marley, Laurel Aitken, Derrick Morgan, Ticken Jahfakoli or The Pioneers among others. He performed at major festivals such as Summerjam Reggae Festival (Germany), Rototom Sunsplash (Italy), Primavera Sound (BCN), Rock For People (Czech Republic) or SXSW (Austin, USA).

Joan as a drummer has also worked with a lot of top international soul artists such as Curtis Mayfield's legendary band The Impressions, Eli "Paperboy" Reed, Maxine Brown, Binky Griptite from Daptone Records that has been in bands such as Antibalas, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, The Dap-Kings or The Mellomatics.

In 2020, after a time of musical hiatus due to the Covid, he began his more personal adventure, creating his own channel dedicated solely and exclusively to the world of drums in Reggae and Dub. Currently his Instagram channel has more than 34.000 followers and the content published has so much repercussion.

First this major collaboration last year with Aston Barrett Jr for a special tribute to his uncle , Carlton Barrett (Bob Marley), one of Joan's favorite drummer. And at last all this work led him to record his first debut EP "DUB Explosion" on the label Two Flames Records, a real explosion of DUB, where the common thread of the songs are drums.

JRD "DUB Explosion" is a performance in the form of an EP, consisting of 4 instrumental Dub tracks with a totally different concept than what we are used to, since the songs were created from the drum beats.

Great musicians from different countries have participated in this EP: Guitar - Arturo Landaeta (Venezuela), Bass - Elie El Ossais (Australia), Keyboards - Ireneu Grosset (Spain), Nyahbinghi Drums - Maurici Bongo (Brazil), Trombone and Trumpet - Pablo Martín (Catalonia), Tenor sax - Tomy Muñoz (Catalonia), Bass - Miliu Llorach (Catalonia), Flute - Lluís Doménech (England), Bass - Joshua Jones (Jamaica), Keteh & Triangle - Aurel Cade (France), Trumpet - Glenn Holdaway (United States).

Finally, the production, mixing and dub was done by the musician and producer Ireneu Grosset, in the analogue studio of Dr. Dubwiser. It was quite an experience as the studio has a team very similar to what Jamaican producers had in the golden age of Reggae in the 70's.

'Hear what happen now! We used to punch the juke box lunchtime... Me and me friends had a kinda thing like the juke box was our sound system and we'd use our lunch money to play the baddest tunes on the juke box.

We were aided and abetted by a kinda dodgy little shop keeper cause we were kids and we were in the rum bar punching the juke box when we weren't supposed to be allowed! So we were breaking all the rules... punching the juke box and taking turns to play the wickedest tunes in the juke box...' - Ossie Thomas.

Breaking rules from the outset Ossie Thomas had furthered his childhood fascination with music while still attending Oberlin High School and many more rules would be broken when together with Phillip Morgan he set up the Black Solidarity label in 1979 on Delamare Avenue deep in the heart of the Kingston ghetto...

'I used to tell people that dance hall was like styles and fashions, if you have a wicked style and you have the fashion you go make it in the dancehall... You understand... - Ossie Thomas.

"Favourite tunesThe tunes are like my children....there is a whole heap of them !! Iwant to tell you this though...some of them i never released properly but 'A Class Girls' through it was the first one me love that, the rhythm! I don't know how the song never hit in Jamaica but listening to it back now its like you are branding the girls A and B so (perhaps) the girls weren't happy with it.But it was a good tune,wicked tune.
Tony Chin wrote it ,but it was Tony Chin and Chinna who taught me these thingsso I have to lovethose men forever"
Ossie Thomas

Triston Palmer was born in 1962 and grew up in Waltham Park,Kingston.
Triston knew from a very early age that he was destined to become an entertainer and his first visit to an recording studio at the age of 16 was with Ossie Thomas.
Their initial release was 'A Class Girls',which was a hit in England and Triston's subsequent releases on their Black Solidarity label laid the foundation for his rapid rise to dance super stardom.
As the 80's progressed and Dancehall began its inexorable rise to ubiquity the popularity of Triston Palmer who had 9 songs in the top forty was unstoppable.
So sit back and enjoy this selection of killer tunes.....

2022 Repress

Tapper Zukie still asking the questions and stating the facts that few artists of his calibre would attain to.His classic Dee-Jay style has been copied by many but bettered by few.Over some of his killer rhythms that he previously worked up while producing fellow roots groups such as ‘Prince Allah’, ‘Knowledge’ and ‘Junior Ross and the Spears’.
Alongside some fresh rhythms, he has taken these as a backbone to some further questions and biblical reasoning that needed answering.
Tapper tells it as it is on this mighty collection of tunes put together under the name ’X is Wrong’.
This is the first time this set of remarkable tracks have seen a proper release only previously being available as a download from Tapper’s website.
A great set of songs that finally get the release they deserve….
Hope you enjoy the set….

2022 Repress

Jamaican love songs always came across as heartfelt poetry whether they conveyed a broken heart, unrequited love or even the message ‘it’s all over don’t bother to come back’ anecdotes. But whatever the mood the singers of these songs were so good and versatile that putting such
subject matter over in a few verses was always so moving and believable.
 
Jamaican love songs were a constant in the ever evolving sounds and
journey’s that reggae music took us on, from ska to rocksteady to the early reggae sounds of the late 1960’s early 1970’s. We have complied a great selection of songs that all deal with that timeless subject matter. Max Romeo’s heartfelt ‘Sometimes’ opens our set in fine style, known more for his roots singing this song proves what a great singer he is. The Melodians a great Jamaican vocal group are featured here with ‘Best Girl’. The Sensations provide us with our title track ‘Born To Love You ‘and the theme for this compilation a great rocksteady tune with fantastic harmonies. Alton Ellis gives us the soulful ‘Room Full Of Tears’. Ken Boothe
provides us with his rendition of Dennis Brown’s ‘Money In My Pocket’  the ode that money cannot buy you everything. Cornell Campbell sings one of his most overlooked classic songs with his prideful `She Wears My Ring’. The great singer of love songs  himself  Mr John Holt tells us that we should all `Reconsider’, before giving up on love and a great lost singer Monty Morris gives us two great examples of how to find love in `Do It My Way’ and `Magic Moments’.
A great selection delivered as only Jamaica can do with style and feeling…….

Hope you enjoy the set …greetings from Jamaica… love songs for all…

Strut present 3 separate reissues of the 1970s album trilogy from Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids. As students at Antioch college, Ohio, alto saxophonist Idris Ackamoor, flautist Margaux Simmons and bass player Kimathi Asante created three lasting monuments in sound — Lalibela, King of Kings, and Birth / Speed / Merging, a trio of albums produced without any label backing or distribution between 1972 and 1976. Their music is unique among the varied canon of avant-garde and experimental music of 1970s America: high intensity African-styled percussion topped with songs, chants, and horns, laced with African instruments and arranged into long, flowing suites that surge and roll.

The debut album by the Pyramids was inspired by the group's visit to the Lalibela monastery in Egypt, and was recorded in Yellow Springs Ohio in early 1973. Drawing on the teachings of Cecil Taylor and the influence of John Coltrane, combined with a barrage of intense percussion, the album evolves over several long-form pieces, Initially only 500 copies were pressed and sold to friends and followers in the local area.

The unstoppable, irresistible rhythms and melodies of Antibalas have influenced scores of artists across rock, hip hop, afrobeat and beyond.

Born in a Brooklyn warehouse in 1997, 12 piece ensemble Antibalas is credited with introducing Afrobeat to a wider global audience, influencing countless musicians and developing a live show that is the stuff of legend. Members of Antibalas served as musical directors and the house band in the Broadway hit FELA! and penned original music for the show. Members have also recently collaborated/performed with Iron and Wine, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Mark Ronson, TV on the Radio and The Roots.

On the heels of the hit musical FELA!, Antibalas ended up reuniting with former member and producer Gabriel Roth, who was at the helm for their first three albums. This self-titled album was their first on Daptone Records.

The unstoppable, irresistible rhythms and melodies of Antibalas have influenced scores of artists across rock, hip hop, afrobeat and beyond.

Born in a Brooklyn warehouse in 1997, 12 piece ensemble Antibalas is credited with introducing Afrobeat to a wider global audience, influencing countless musicians and developing a live show that is the stuff of legend. Members of Antibalas served as musical directors and the house band in the Broadway hit FELA! and penned original music for the show. Members have also recently collaborated/performed with Iron and Wine, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Mark Ronson, TV on the Radio and The Roots.

On the heels of the hit musical FELA!, Antibalas ended up reuniting with former member and producer Gabriel Roth, who was at the helm for their first three albums. This self-titled album was their first on Daptone Records.

Das ikonische belgische DJ-Duo 2ManyDJs, bestehend aus den Brüder Stephen und David Dewaele, feiert das 20-jährige Jubiläum ihres Albums 'As Heard on Radio Soulwax Pt. 2' mit einer besonderen Re-Issue. 2002 erschien es ursprünglich nach einer Reihe von Radioshows der beiden Brüder, damals vor allem bekannt als die Köpfe hinter der Electronic/Indie-Rock Band Soulwax. Die Re-Issue erscheint mit dem Foto von Richard Young auf dem Cover, das ursprünglich als Cover vorgesehen, aber nach Rechtsstreitigkeiten mit Tipp-Ex verfremdet wurde.

Following the long-awaited Paradise Of Delusion LP from 2021, An’archives announces Lunatic Pearl, a 10” EP by Japanese psych-pop legends Shizuka. As with the material on Paradise, 狂気の真珠 Lunatic Pearl draws from the deep well of music the quartet recorded in 2001, this time from two studio sessions. Here, though, the group’s classic line-up of Shizuka, Maki Miura, Jun Kosugi and Seven is augmented – on the a-side, they’re joined by Yasushi Nagata on guitar; flip the record, and Kazuhide Yamaji chimes in on acoustic guitar and bass.

Both Nagata and Yamaji were members of long-running Tokyo psych-out gang Dip (also known as dip the flag); Yamaji eventually joined Shizuka for a time, appearing with them on the 2010 DVD, Owari No Nai Yume, released by PSF. Part of Lunatic Pearl finds Shizuka in Paisley Underground mode, the spaced-out acoustic mantras of “Shiroi Inochi” and the instrumental “The Street The Fairy Goes” surprisingly reminiscent of the smeared, slow-motion psychedelics of Opal’s early EPs. The latter, a weightless blur, hovers in the air on dreamy drifts of DX-7, drifting melodies landing on the track like an astral traveller, lost and delirious.

“Lunatic Pearl” itself is a monster, one of Shizuka’s most rock-reverent moments, its bold riff soaring over a rhythm section that thuds menacingly, as though they’re the kings of the rumbling spires. “Signs”, another track from the Studio EUN session, features some gloriously unhinged playing from Miura, as though he’s tearing the song’s seams apart, as the group push Shizuka’s simple, perfect song into the stratosphere. Brief yet perfectly formed, Lunatic Pearl is another gorgeous entry in the Shizuka discography.

180 gram vinyl LP of Freddie's 1979 album with extensive sleeve notes
Produced by: Winston 'Niney The Observer' Holness
Recorded, Voiced & Mixed at: Channel One ecording Studio, 29 Maxfield
Avenue, Kingston 13
Engineers: Anthony 'Crucial Bunny'/'Bunny Tom Tom' Graham & Lancelot
'Maxie' McKenzie
Musicians:
Drums: Max 'Feelgood' Edwards & Leroy 'Horse Mouth' Wallace
Bass Guitar: George 'Fully' Fullwood
Lead Guitar: Earl 'Chinna' Smith
Lead Guitar & Rhythm Guitar: Albert Valentine 'Tony' Chin & Eric 'Bingy
Bunny' Lamont
Keyboards: Jamaba Johnson & Keith Sterling
Tenor Saxophone: Enroy 'Hot Train' Grant
Trumpet: Arnold 'Willie' Brackenridge & Donald Vidan-Greaves
Percussion: Herman 'Bongo Herman' Davis & 'Brooksy'
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First released 1983, all tracks produced by A Ranglin, except Hard Times
& Only Your Picture produced by V Buckley
Recorded & Mixed at: Channel One Recording Studio, 29 Maxfield Avenue,
Kingston 13, Jamaica
The Maytones are Gladstone Grant & Vernon Buckley
Original cover by C More Tone
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Jetzt auch als VINYL! 180 Gramm und fettes Artwork. Auf dem Planeten Dub haben Dubblestandart mit mittlerweile zehn Alben bereits einen eigenen Krater hinterlassen. Gegründet Ende der Achtziger unter dem Eindruck von Lee Perrys einzigartigen Black Ark-Produktionen und Adrian Sherwoods radikalen Mixmanövern auf On-U-Sound, hat die bewährte und begehrte Backing Band (Ari Up, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Dillinger, Lilian Allen, Top Cat), um Paul Zasky den jamaikanischen Produktionstechniken ihr eigenes, europäisches Gesicht gegeben: bassbasiert, New Wave-infomiert, mixtechnisch auf dem neusten Stand und versiert im Seiltanz zwischen digitalem Wumms und analoger Wärme, wortlos vermittelnd zwischen Patois und Schmäh. Mit dem elften Album krönen sie ihre Karriere mit einer Serie Aufsehen erregender Kollaborationen (u.a. Lee "Scratch" Perry, Ari Up und Regiemeister David Lynch!) und einer in dieser Saison in Sachen Dichte, Fülle, Tiefe und Schwere ihresgleichen sucht. Aufgenommen wurde in Kingston, der Bronx und im heimatlichen Studio in Wien.

Orange Street, Kingston, Jamaica the epicentre of the Reggae world.
Where all the record shops, studios, pressing plants were based.
The new cut 45’s would be taken to the shops after a testing on various Sound Systems around the people and passed to the record shop proprietors to sell.
Bunny Lee as a former record plugger and now a leading producer knew what the people wanted and a great ear for a hit tune.
This collection carries some of the stand out tracks from this period, when music was finding a new beat as Rocksteady rolled into the late 60’s early 70’s Reggae Sound.
The Ravers ‘Mati and Fulli’ telling the story that the ‘Rent too High’ to The Twinkle Brothers ‘Miss Laba Laba’ …you see and blind you must hear and deaf…clean up your own backyard before talking about others.
All stories of daily life and love songs told over a cracking rhythm played by finest musicians on the island.
So yes ‘Some A Holla Some A Bawl’ as Max Romeo would say but it can’t be denied that all the tunes on this selection are of a fine pedigree….
So sit back and Enjoy the Ride…………..