Hip-Hop Vinyl New Releases - News

Record Kicks is proud to present you "The most buzzed-about Soul singer in Toronto (CBC Music)" TANIKA CHARLES. The 1st single "Soul Run" aniticipates the self-titled debut album that will hit the streets worldwide on April the 7th on Record Kicks. Available on this limited to 500 copies worldwide 45 vinyl, Soul Run is a floorshaking Soul bomb that will set every dancefloors on fire. On th flipside the stunning x-over soul tune "Endless Chain".

In a few short years, Tanika has transformed from an emerging solo artist to a commanding performer and bandleader, a staple in the Canadian soul scene. Her touring career has seen her supporting the likes of Estelle, Haitus Kayote, Lauryn Hill and Macy Gray. Highly impressive, considering she is only just releasing her debut album to the world.

Long celebrated as the hottest funk band around, with a sustained tenure of fiery singles and a distinctive northern funk sound, The Haggis Horns are coming at you with their latest track! Exclusive to Stutter & Twitch, 'Outta My Head' has been re-recorded and re-released, renovating HH' tantalizing sound into an, 'ass shaking' hit for the ages! 3rd March will see The Horn's twelfth release in as many years, with STR004 marking our funkiest release to date!

Side A, 'Outta My Head' gives you The Haggis Horn's sound that we all know and love, bringing a classic, carefree warmth just in time for spring, with a rejuvenated angle! Destined to be an instant classic, the seven-piece have besieged the track with ample horns, enticing keys, frenzied backing vocals all in a killer verse/chorus/solo combo. A contagious sing-a-long and a party starter, all in one! Side B 'Give Me Something Better' is an example of established producer/artist, Werkha shying away from the 'electronica norm' of decapitating funk standards of their soul. By adsorbing the rhythm, and imparting a creative flair and organic sounds with an infectious curiosity, Werkha places the funk innovators in an augmented light.

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"The best horn section in the world!" - Mark Ronson

"You can always rely on The Haggis Horns to get the party started! Funk at its tightest!" - Bill Laurance (Snarky Puppy)

"Sounds amazing! Some of my favourite musicians are playing on this record and every single one I've learnt something from. Raging grooves!" - Corinne Bailey Rae

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After a decade of performing at some of the hottest venues on the globe, and with every name who has an agenda for funk, The Haggis Horn's addictive sound and live force has rumbled every joint imaginable. The harmonious seven-piece have conquered most of Europe preserving a legendary presence, with slots on Kendal Calling, Edinburgh Fringe, Cambridge Jazz Festival, 02 Academy, Leeds, Y Not Festival, etc. In addition, the globetrotting act has recorded and supported the likes of Jamiroquai, John Legend & The Roots, Amy Winehouse, Corinne Bailey Rae, Take That, Mark Ronson and Elbow across the world, and received airtime from BBC Radio 2, Radio 6, Reform Radio and Craig Charles Funk & Soul. 2017 sees another huge year for The Haggis Horns, and the hype for one helluva anticipated drop has only just begun.

Breakbeat Paradise Recordings is turning back time to the early 70s when funk music was made by talented musicians joining forces in bands with the objective to create the next big funk anthem. So many big tunes and classic funk productions came out of this era and it also harnessed a new breed of funk bands across the globe who is dedicated to continuing the legacy of the funk music in the new millennium.

Breakbeat Paradise Recordings has proudly collected 4 bands to represent the new era of funk from various parts of Europe. German based Grand Slam, Swiss funk band Grand Mothers' Funck, Nasa Funk from Greece and A Man About a Dog from the UK has all provided original funk jams to this groovy 12" vinyl.

Leading the way on the a-side is Grand Slam who has created a big summer tune which sits in well with some of the current radio funk jams and will be sure to bring the ladies on the floor. Grand Slam has been around since 1985 by incorporating various flavors from Rock, Jazz, Soul and Hip Hop. The Get On Down jam from their upcoming release due May 2017 shows just how its done to do classic oldskool P-Funk which sounds as fresh as anything else on the radio here in 2017! Produced by (and featuring) veteran P-Funk legend Gary "Mudbone" Cooper!

Grand Mother's Funck means business on the straight up funky The Dog tune taken from their brand new album Take The Money. A special edit was done for this release as they are celebrating their 12th album release from a legendary veteran funk band who has been tearing up the Swiss funk scene for over 23 years now.

On the flipside the funk is riding equally high as Nasa Funk rolls in their Stand Up jam. Straight outta Thessaloniki, Greece comes this 5-man band with vocalist George Perin leading the way. This tune is produced with old friend of label Basement Freaks.

Last but certainly not least we turn our attention to the UK where the band A Man About a Dog has cooked up a latin-inspired and jazzy funk tune called Pollos.

That sums up the first all original funk release to be dropped on Breakbeat Paradise Recordings. After digging in a sampling so many great funk tunes over the years, this seemed like only right way to pay our respect to the genre of music we love and cherish so much.


[B] A2 | Grand Mother's Funck - The Dog (Throw Me A Bone Mix)

1x each customer!

There are few producers in the world of underground bass and dubwise music working today with the breadth, depth, and genre-busting powers of Ognjen Zecevic, the man called Egoless. From post-everything blasts of wonky crunch & bass, to the most sparkling, orthodox reggae, his mastery of analog and digital production, and his free-roaming imagination and intuition make every Egoless plate a special, surprising, and rewarding experience. We've been holding this tune for some time... we kept it back as we knew right away it was fully deserving of the #50 spot in our catalog, a release we've been steadily working towards for a full 5 years. It exemplifies what we have tried to build with ZamZam - a body of forward thinking heart and soul music, message music, physical music, sound system music.
For "Non-Immigrant Song' the Croatian Gorgon linked with rising sing-jay star Tenor Youthman (virtually unknown outside of his native Russia when the tune was recorded). Egoless says "It was one of those moments when I received a message and some tunes from a guy in Russia, expecting the worst English ever... Oh how I was wrong, this guy blew me away with the natural organic quality of his voice and we did this tune shortly afterward.'
The lyric was extremely relevant when we first heard it, but we could not have imagined how relevance would turn to urgency with the rise of anti-immigrant extremism, Brexit, Trumpism and full-blown fascist infections spreading in so many parts of the world. A plea to all those who lose touch with our humanity when we treat anyone as 'other' - native-born as immigrants, immigrants as refugees, refugees as less than human.As for the music... an effortlessly swinging, massive one drop riddim in classic formation. Buttery bass and thick kick hitting hard in unison. Sparse and spare. Strictly analog effects and flawless instrumentation. We asked Egoless for a truly OUT dub version to back the vocal, and he obviously didn't disappoint - absolute desk & tape madness in the tradition of the most dub-me-crazy Ariwa or Black Ark meltdowns.

*Iron Sound Records presents the re-release of Alien Dread's Conquering Dub album, owing to renewed demand. Originally released in 2004, the album features the best of Alien Dread's early Dub tracks and features 'Yak Dub', which was played many times by the late John Peel on his BBC Radio programme. All tracks have been up-dated are in the imitable early Alien Dread Dub style. All rhythms/mixes by Alien Dread at AD Studio.

Bobby Sheen first began singing in late 50s and early 60s vocal groups out of Los Angeles, working with Clyde McPhatter of The Drifters, Phil Spector and even Walt Disney. He recorded singles of note for Capitol (including Dr. Love') and Warner Brothers where Phillip Mitchell penned this evergreen Something New To Do', originally a B side to the also popular modern soul favourite I May Not be What You Want' in 1972, though reversed the following year. This is the first reissue since those two initial releases in the 70s which have become extremely collectable, mint originals selling for over £100.

DEAN PARRISH was born Phil Anastasi in Little Italy, New York in 1942. He developed his love of soul music listening to black doo-wop singers at art school and to early Motown. He cut his teeth as a performer at the legendary Peppermint Lounge, a basement club in Manhattan and the Lighthouse Club on 76th and Broadway alongside Jimi Hendrix. In 1965 Dean signed to Musicor and recorded the first of his soul' sides Bricks, Broken Bottles And Sticks' which became a local radio hit and earned him a contract with Boom Records. Tell Her' was released in June 1966, his only Billboard pop hit breaking the Hot 100 at No.97. Determination' was next followed by the Mod favourite Skate' before the year was out. A switch to Laurie saw the release of the Northern Soul anthem I'm On My Way' in November of '67, which sank without trace, and Dean bowed out as a solo artist.
Reverting to his birth name he took up work as a session musician with his friend Jimi Hendrix and played guitar on Bob Marley's Reggae On Broadway'. When the session work started to dry up Dean (Phil) became a wedding singer, a career move that led to a cameo appearance in an episode of The Sopranos! All the while Dean Parrish was blissfully unaware of his cult status across the Atlantic on the UK Northern Soul scene, despite selling 250,000 copies of I'm On My Way' as part of Russ Winstanley's Three Before Eight' EP. He had to wait until the dawn of the new millennium before he was finally tracked down by soul detective Andy Rix and, to his astonishment, the truth was finally revealed.
Bricks, Broken Bottles And Sticks' remains Dean's favourite recording bringing back memories of performing in clubs and at racetracks around New York City with the Motown Revue. It is also the rarest of his US recordings and is long overdue a vinyl revival.

J. B. TROY was a New York balladeer who sank without trace after two flop singles for Musicor Records in the Summer of '66. He has been well known to deep soul fans for some years but it is his much overlooked storming dancer LIVE ON' that we feature here. Originally spun at Wigan Casino by DJ Pat Brady this rare Musicor 45 is rapidly increasing in value and is set for big things.

Both these songs are arranged by Gene Page from the heyday of his work in the 70s with Barry White. Lushly orchestrated, Takin' My Time With You' has the additional benefit of being an awesome 'modern soul' dance record, a track largely undiscovered until recently and now heavily in demand. The original 7' released in 1976 is impossible to find and has exchanged hands for £500. Maureen Bailey is from and was contracated as a songwriter with Motown. She worked with artists including Thelma Houston, 5th Dimension, Jermaine Jackson and Syreeta. She recorded three singles as a solo artist.

The Willow Band were singers and musicians under the direction of Jesus Alvarez of the group Shirley & Company. As 'Alvarez' his Polydor his rare groove Sooner Or Later' was on the Step inside My Soul' CD collection, but this much sought after funky project with The Willow Band' has not been reissued since the original Epic 7' came out in 1976.

After establishing himself as one of the most important artists of his generation with the albums 'Disc-Overy' and 'Demonstration', Tinie Tempah is now set to unveil the third chapter of his career with the new album 'YOUTH' which will be released on 31st March.
Tinie has spent the majority of the past year writing and producing new material in his home studio. The result is that 'YOUTH' is an album that's infused with ideas relating to its title, but also one that brims with the playful and uplifting aspects that fizzled throughout 'Disc-Overy'.
I wanted to give a nod to all of the genres of music I heard growing up that made me want to be a rapper,' explains Tinie. The good thing about being from London is that you hear so many different styles of music, and are exposed to so many different things. I wanted to make an album that felt nostalgic with elements of those big British sounds from different genres, whether that was garage, grime, hip-hop or R&B.'
It's also about empowering young people to think outside the box,' he continues. I was just a young boy out of south London who loved music and wanted to see the world and contribute to something that I love and have a passion for. I honestly feel that there is no limit to where you can get in life. I really believe that. Youth is the time where you dream without any limitations or fear. And I wanted to share MY story with the world through MY music.'
'YOUTH' also showcases Tinie's collaborations with emerging London-based talent including TroyBoi, Shift K3Y and Jakwob with tracks featuring Stefflon Don, MNEK and Kid Ink.

Composed of members Buckshot, 5ft, and DJ Evil Dee, Black Moon simultaneously kicked off and defined the rap renaissance of New York with the release of Enta Da Stage in 1993. Whereas plenty of earlier groups had spit rage-filled rhymes to tear down the world's unjust establishments, no one had evoked brooding pathos or introspective anger quite like Black Moon. Underground hip-hop might have been dominated by the sunny sound of G-Funk when Enta Da Stage dropped, but from then on the scene turned to the dark side. Black Moon was rising. Working closely with the original members, Fat Beats Records is proud to present the definitive Enta Da Stage box set. Reissued together for the first time across three formats - 6xLP, 3xCD, and 3xCassette - this album is the complete encapsulation of an era for anyone seeking to understand the origin and the essence of New York's Golden Age. All formats include the Da Beatminerz (Evil Dee and Mr. Walt) instrumentals and remixes, plus extensive liner notes by David Ma (Pitchfork, Wax Poetics) with rare and unreleased visual ephemera in an 18 page booklet. The story of Black Moon, alongside their peers Biggie, Big L, Nas, Kool G Rap, and Wu Tang, reminds us that the bleakest times produce the most profound agents of cultural change. And as we stand at the precipice of a new age of anxiety, Enta Da Stage has never been more relevant... or more necessary. Although Black Moon would go on to release three more albums - and its members would go on to greatness with Da Beatminerz, Boot Camp Klik, and various solo projects - Enta Da Stage remains the perfect distillation of tight lyrical menace, rowdy crew hooks, stripped down breaks, and deep basslines on all of its fourteen tracks. Although Enta Da Stage might stand in the shadow of East Coast albums such as Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), Illmatic, Liquid Swords, Ready to Die, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, and The Infamous, history will remember that Enta Da Stage preceded those releases. To understand Enta Da Stage is to understand the origin and the spirit of New York hip-hop once and for all.

Hifi Sean presents his new single, 'Testify'. The track is taken from Sean's album 'Ft.' which was released earlier this year to critical acclaim, and features guest appearances from a stellar collection of artists including Yoko Ono, Bootsy Collins, Fred Schneider (B-52's), and a poignant and moving last recording from Alan Vega.

'Testify' is a northern soul, gospel piano 7' style masterpiece - including an acid Moog synth twist. It features the vocal talents of house legend Crystal Waters, who is best known for her huge international hits 'Gypsy Woman' and '100% Pure Love'.

Hifi Sean is the songwriter, DJ and producer Sean Dickson. He is most famously known as front man of the Scottish band The Soup Dragons, responsible for a series of huge hit singles, 'I'm Free', 'Divine Thing', and 'Mother Universe'. Dickson was also the main creative force behind the follow-up project The High Fidelity, a much more artful and intimate project, critically acclaimed for the releases 'Demonstration' and 'The Omnichord Album' . Those albums included two very rare musical collaborations between Dickson and legendary Radio One DJ John Peel and also the late Mickey Finn (of 70's musical giants T-Rex).

Harmonies is the new long player from underground super-producer Lord Echo. Hotly anticipated for the last few years by his growing entourage of fans, many were frustrated by his descent into obscurity in the industrial backwaters of New Zealand where he lived alone and went completely insane trying to complete the record.

The new album solidifies his already distinctive mutations of reggae and rock steady with disco, African soul, techno and spiritual jazz. In other words, the Lord has returned from the wilderness with a bounty for his followers. Eat of the bread of life and enjoy access to his crazy World of Sound.

For their first vinyl release, the collective REEL BEETZ feature MC's Possibility and Sa Mood as well as singer David Zürcher. The five tracks on this EP are a colourful mixture between Rap and Neo-Soul and aspire to offer a contrast to the radio tunes that are today's hits. The Lyrics are deep and meaningful, the music from dreamily harmonious to hair-raisingly grasping. Indulge yourself in the sounds or catch up on some self reflection. In any case enjoy the trip...

The 'Beat Week' concept came about in 2008 when Myspace still was the main internet platform for spreading independent music. SRAW wanted to use the social media platform to his advantage and make a release that was adapted to the specific ways of posting music and maintaining an audience on Myspace. He came up with the idea to publish one song a day for the duration of a week so that it would exist as a whole in the Myspace player after the week had passed. The beats were simply named after the day it was published, making the final beat tape hold 7 tracks. Beat Week #1 was received very well so a year later Beat Week #2 was released in the same way. Around this time Myspace had lost most users to Facebook, and Soundcloud slowly began to take over as the new platform for musicians.

The Delights Listen To Me Girl' was a previously unissued 1968 Philadelphia recording that has been licensed from the stable of veteran record producer Emanuel (Manny) Campbell. Although the track has been featured on one of Manny's Coastal records cd projects this is the first time that this track has received a release on a vinyl format.
The Delights consisted of four male singers. With two of them being Manny Campbell's cousins, brothers Keith Toppie' (the eldest) and Ellis Hill, their cousin Jaime Hill plus a teenage friend of theirs. The lead singer was a girl called Peaches, all aged between 16 and 17 years old and all coming from Chester, PA. They had all previously been employed as individual backing singers on early recording sessions for the like's of the O'Jay's , Delfonic's and Stylistic's.
With a family connection to Manny Campbell it was inevitable that they would feature on some of his production sessions, with the Nuron's All Of My Life/I'm A Loser' being one of them. Manny gathered them together to form a vocal group of their own under the group name of 'The Delights'. Under his tutelage they recorded the delightful crossover soul dance track Listen To Me Girl' during the months of July and August of 1968. Sadly their only completed recording being young and somewhat unruly they never completed the project's Manny had in mind for them. Listen To Me Girl' was composed by Manny and Charles J. Bowen a fellow Philadelphian, musician and composer, Charles's writing credits can be found on many of Manny's other productions. During the mid 1970's The Delights did go on to record two excellent 45's for the Phil-L.A Of Soul Label.

Tearra's Just Loving You' is now regarded as one of the corner stone anthem's of the modern soul genre. Tearra was born Teah Louise in Mobile Alabama. She joined Manny Campbell (who by now had relocated to Atlanta, Georgia) at his Emandolynn Music studio's in 1979. During 1980 Manny offered Teah the chance to record a prospective new album entitled 'Great Love' releasing two lead 45 singles from the project on her. Firstly, under her real name of Teah-Louise the disco influenced You Happened To Me/Got To Keep You Mine' (Coastal-1002) followed by Ooh Let This Feeling (Last A Long, Long Time) backed with the later in-demand Just Loving You' (Midtown 1001). With Midtown then being Coastal Records main distributor. This second release appeared under the artist name of Tearra, due to Teah Louise by now not wishing to use her real name. Both the Coastal and Midtown releases were only ever pressed in 500 promotional copies runs with the 'Great Love' album project never being completed due to Teah soon after marrying and leaving the recording business at her new husband's request.

Ende der 1960er-Jahre entwickelte sich aus Soul, Rhythm and Blues und Jazz das Genre Funk. Es erlangte
insbesondere durch James Brown und Sly Stone größere Popularität. Stilbildend für Funk sind repetitive
Rhythmen, akzentuierte Bläsersätze, synkopische Basslinien, ein Offbeat mit Betonung auf "eins",
ausgeprägte Rhythmusgitarren und Soul-Gesang. Kurz: ein köchelndes Gebräu, das Funk zu einer bis heute
populären Tanzmusik machte. Wer's nicht glaubt, greife zur zweiten Ausgabe von "Funk Fever". Die 4CD-Box
bündelt 80 hochinfektiöse, thematisch sortierte Funk-Songs aus rund fünf Jahrzehnten mit dem Besten, was
das Genre zu bieten hat. Dazu zählen Songs von u. a. Ike & Tina Turner, Gil Scott-Heron, Etta James, Ann
Peebles, Stevie Wonder, Eddie Floyd, Willie Colon & Ruben Blades, Curtis Harding, Omar und Mo'Horizons.
Sie finden sich auf den vier CDs "Rare Groove Funk" (CD 1), "Funky Soul" (CD 2), "Tropical Funk" (CD 3)
und "New Funk" (CD 4)

From the remote township of Te Mata, in the rugged hills of New Zealand, comes a new imprint following in the tradition of mid-80s rub-a-dub from an often overlooked corner of dancehall culture.The brainchild of local farmer and radio personality Red Robin - alongside the deadly production duo Naram and Art - the first 12' features two heavy-like-lead riddims with discomix cuts from four unsung heroes of the 80s with conscious, street-level lyrics.
Side A finds legendary singer Winston 'Midnight Riders' Powell rise again on a synth-infused piece of classic rub-a-dub. Despite being his first release in decades, he delivers a cutting edge vocal from his Kingston 9 borough about life Outta Road in the Jamaican capital. He then crosses live to special agent Speng Bond for a deejay report on the current state of Britain in Dread Outta Road. With a more uptempo riddim, the flipside sees Toronto-based 80s star Steve Knight fire some timely shots at corrupt politicians with Dem a Fraud, before Los Angeles-based MC Tippa Lee comes correct with a self-affirming deejay cut on Salute the Veteran.
Both sides are served with one-away dub mixes from Naram and added textural touches from Disrupt. Six cuts on one record, strictly limited pressings.

7"
*Top contemporary Jamaican vocal artist Anthony Que, features on a heavyweight Roots track, recently recorded and produced by Niney (Winston Holness) at Observer Soundbox Studio, Kingston JA. Rhythm is by Sly & Robbie.

*The vocal track and Dub Version are special mixes exclusively for Gadd 59 Music. An alternate version of the vocal track features on the forthcoming album: "We Are Living in the Same World".



*7" is on the Observer label (Original 70's design) and in Observer 7" Generic Picture sleeve.
*Tracks recorded at Observer Soundbox Studio (JA).
*Track Re-mixes for G59 by: Bertie.
*Rhythm By; Sly & Robbie.
*Produced By: Winston 'Niney' Holness.
*Limited pres3.

UK legends Brother Culture and Vibronics meet new blood Bukkha and Madplate Sound for a 12' of deep steppers vibrations.Dub-Stuy Records kicks off 2017 in fine style with another heavyweight 12' release that brings together four artists from America, Italy, and England for a transcontinental dub collaboration inspired by Jah Shaka sessions. 'Obliterate' sees American producer Bukkha return to the label in collaboration with the Italian duo of Madplate Sound and longstanding UK dub legend Vibronics on remix duty. Brixton-based vocalist and regular Dub-Stuy collaborator B rother Culture provides the vocals.After hearing Dub-Stuy's first 12', 'Back To Africa', Bukkha was inspired to create something with a similar traditional steppers style. He sent the project to Madplate Sound (a young duo who have released on Moonshine and worked with Italian vocalist Marina P) and together they crafted the 'Obliterate' riddim, a deep and meditative track featuring earth-shattering bass and militant snares. Brother Culture then added lyrics that reflect on history and call on listeners to obliterate evil, chase away doubt, and take a proud and strengthening stance. The song is delivered in a classic three-part format with original vocal, vocal dub, and instrumental dub. On the flip side, UK producer Vibronics - who connected with Dub-Stuy after they shared a bill in France - delivers 'Obliterated Version', his own three-part reinterpretation of the original, expanding the track further with additional instrumental layers and rousing melodies while keeping the bass pressure high.

Solid introduction of the island by the female conscious deejay Hempress Sative along with Mellow Mood and fellow Italian deejay Forelock. Arguably one of the top modern roots combinations to come out in recent years produced by Dave Green, the drummer for Alborosie not to mention a refined dub cut by Italian maestro Paolo Baldini on flip.

Otis Junior & Dr.Dundiff have a special bond. They met one year ago at a local R&B contest in Louisville. Dr.Dundiff was the DJ of the night and Otis Junior happened to be the only contestant he had never heard of. He took the stage just playing piano and singing and Dr.Dundiff was so blown away that they ended up in the studio together shortly after. They released their debut EP "1moment2another" on Jakarta Records only very few months after they had first met in early 2016. And it's was widely appreciated with heavy daytime rotation on french gate keeper radio station Nova, many appreciating blog as well as a feature on Radio Nova's "le grand Mix 2016" compilation. Despite the fact they have not been working together for a long time they managed to create their very own and unique take on hip hop production influenced soul music. While Otis comes from a classic soul background, Dundiff's previous release were classic underground leftfield hip hop records that even had him handle mic duties. "Consider each of us as one hemisphere, the world we create together is new, different, and unexpected." is how Otis Junior summarizes their approach of bringing their two worlds together musically. Dundiff's organic yet hard hitting productions compliment Otis Junior soulful timbre perfectly while they were able to perfect their style even further comparing their debut EP to their debut album "Hemispheres". Dundiff sums this development up: "Otis and I have this mutual agreement that we want to continue pushing our music in different directions. Hemispheres is a perfect embodiment of that approach.

now repressed !! the one and only Romanthony !!

Stunning compilation (every track is a winner!) of obscure and oddball tracks that range from rare African disco to the freakiest of jazz workouts and psychedelic kosmiche! Features one of the most sought-after afro-disco cuts, the jaw-dropping minimal electronics of Steve Monite's 'Only You (Disco Jam)'!

A brilliant compilation focusing on the more fun and weird - an essential label debut from small Scottish collective, Triassic Tusk!

Clear Vinyl

*Jamaican artist Asha B, features on a observational Roots Reggae vocal track. Lyrical content focuses on a very topical subject, Terrorism. The track was recently recorded at Asha B's studio. The vocal track was produced by Asha B, with Alien Dread, and the Dub version has been re-mixed by Alien Dread...

Asha B has been a regular session musician, not only in Jamaica, but also when he moved to the UK and has worked with most of the 'Reggae Greats', in particular, Jackie Mittoo, IJahMan-on tour & studio work and also studio work for many others, both JA & UK. Asha B has had several single releases to date, and also an album: Hard 2 Smile (Quartz Music - 2005).



*7' on Psalm 87 label in Iron Sound Generic Picture sleeve.
*Vocal & rhythm recorded at Asha B Studio for Psalms 87 productions.
*Vocal & Dub re-mixed by Alien Dread at AD Studio.
*Produced By: Asha B & Alien Dread.
*Limited press.

"In Cape Verde, we had no access to electronic instruments," said Tchiss Lopes, a Cape Verdean singer baed in Rome. "In Europe, we had access, but we had to adapt. Audiences expected electronic sounds, but we still stayed true to our sound."

"At first, the music was just to cater to Cape Verdean immigrants, but soon, people of Napoli especially started feeling it, then Rome."

In the 1980s, that feeling transpired across Lisbon, Paris, Rotterdam, and Boston, as one the largest waves of migration from a single country, propelled by political instability and economic uncertainty, sent thousands of Cape Verdeans to the West's cities.

Through 18 diverse tracks, this compilation reveals how immigration from the Cape Verde Islands to Europe and the United States gave us an alternate history of the electronic music that dominated hearts and minds across the world in the late 1990s. But the story doesn't start in a major Western cultural hub, rather in the small cluster of islands 400 miles off the Senegalese coast, and offers an unparalleled insight into the longterm cultural splendor catalyzed by migration.

Movement and mobility are intrinsic aspirations of the human condition. What we've come to know as immigration is as old as civilization. Yet today we measure immigration through a series of cold data. Immigrants are either condemned as disposable threats or celebrated as entrepreneurial treasures, rarely occupying a space in between.

Seldom do we peer back into the past to examine the tangible and timeless creations born from the movement of peoples, overlooking cultural innovations arguably ahead of their time, precursors to consuming global trends.

Cape Verde today is justifiably hailed as an African political success story, but things were different in the 1980s.

A war of independence from Portugal was won in 1975, and Cape Verde suffered the familiar ills of a society born from colonialism and slavery struggling to integrate into a globalized world.

This detachment fostered a yearning to integrate, to connect in anyway possible. The new found homes in the multiculti metropoles of Europe offered little respite. Cape Verdean immigrants were deemed "hot blooded," and perceived as "dropouts" and "juvenile delinquents."

The ready availability of electronic instruments, a doorway to a long denied 'modernity' and an anchor in their adopted homes, was seductive.

"Cape Verdeans were celebrating their independence and with that the dancing became even more important," said Val Xalino, an unsung pioneer in the development of his country's electronic sound, based in Gothenburg, Sweden. "People wanted to hear something different. They wanted the synthesizer!"

Emigre musicians began traveling to and from Europe and their home islands, their luggage containing stock of synthesizers and MIDI instruments. Travel to the countryside to learn the rhythms of rural farmers became common. The melodies of the charmingly off-tune, often damaged accordions were transplanted onto synthesizers.

A cultural supply chain was established. Largely detached from global capitalism, music perhaps was, and in many ways still is, Cape Verde's most effective gateway to synthesize with the world, immigration the engine and lifeblood.

The hearts and minds of a musically-inclined people were captured. One mercurial youngster, Paulino Vieira, arguably Cape Verde's most important musician, the real mastermind behind the islands' melodic majesty, was especially drawn to keyboard instruments, having honed his skills at a Catholic seminary. He arranged or contributed to half the songs in this release.

Vieira was an integral member of Cesaria Evora's backing band, and while her cavaquinho-driven traditional songs registered Cape Verde as a cultural force worldwide, an electronic movement burgeoned just beneath the surface.

It soon found its headquarters in Lisbon, where Vieira had emigrated at age 18 to lead a reworked Voz de Cabo Verde, the commanding, enigmatic ensemble that enticed Cape Verdean musicians from around the diaspora to collaborate.

"Paulino was the most visionary," said Elisio Gomes, a Paris-based singer who collaborated with Vieira often. "He always had this gift to be 10 years ahead of his time. That's why our music sounds like it was produced today."

Largely overlooked outside the Lusophone realm, Cape Verde's Astro-Atlantic gumbo of instrumentation and rhythm offers a timely lesson of migration's power to produce cultural innovations ahead of its time.

This unknown, ultra-progressive sound could not have been perfected without the induction of Cape Verde's artistic human capital into the West.

As we watch with heavy hearts the tragic crisis unfolding across the Mediterranean, as people fleeing similar circumstances strive to settle in Europe, a measured hint of patience will ultimately justify their vast inclusion. There are poets, writers, artists, thinkers, and, of course, musicians, raised in an age of technology, that are making the treacherous journey by boat, or by land on foot, from Syria, Eritrea, Libya, Iraq, and elsewhere. Paulino Vieira's heir, and lush cultural innovation bound to bear the same fruit, lie among them.

Imagine it's already been five releases since Daniel Savio was sworn into the House Of Wisdom, now extending his tenure into HOW005, the Melek Taus era. Drum drops and pads soaring from a distance, questioning power distribution schemes and perceived impurities. Dance music which values static as intended feature, a loved one on the noise floor. Vital Sales Points: (pls include here only relevant Infos about the Artist's biggest Releases or special Promotion you do or DJ Feedback you received) - Undying support from friends Axel Boman, Kornél Kovács, Samo DJ, Mika Snickars, Kajsa Haidl and Your

One of the very first artists to begin recording in Jamaica, Derrick Morgan is beloved as a ska icon and a pioneer of the 'skinhead reggae' style. Blessed with a rich, deep tenor, which with he belts out his clever and often humorous lyrics, Morgan became known on the Kingston music scene through Vere Johns' regular talent contests, and enjoyed a lengthy run of hits during the 1960s for producers such as Simeon Smith, Duke Reid and Clement 'Sir Coxsone' Dodd (among others), cultivating a popular vinyl feud with Prince Buster after being brought into Leslie Kong's camp by the young Jimmy Cliff. Morgan moved to England during the late 1960s to capitalise on the skinhead reggae craze, but was back in Jamaica from the early 1970s, and since Bunny Lee was his brother-in-law, the two have always maintained a close working relationship. People Decision, voiced at King Tubby's studio for Lee and released by Third World in 1977, sees Morgan in politicised roots reggae mode on songs like 'Let's Build A Better Jamaica,' the symbolic racetrack drama 'Racing At Ballistic Park,' and the title track, which all boosted the socialist policies of the ruling People's National Party, 'Natty Dread Forward Out Of Babylon' updates the 'Tougher Than Tough' saga, and there's a slew of rude tunes when you flip the disc, including 'My Dickie,' 'Rough Grinder' and 'Ride Manny Fanny.'

Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs of All Time - That's The Way Of The World - Rated 337/500!

Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All Time - Rated 486/500!

The 1975 album "That's The Way Of the World" was also the soundtrack for a 1975 motion picture of the same name which featured some of the band members of Earth, Wind, & Fire in cameo roles. The album includes the ballad "Reasons" alongside the #1 US pop and R&B hit single "Shining Star" as well as the title track which reached #12 on the pop chart.

"Before he got into African thumb pianos and otherworldly philosophizing, EWF founder Maurice White was a session drummer at Chess Studios. EWF's sixth album is make-out music of the gods." - rollingstone.com

"Earth, Wind & Fire has delivered more than its share of excellent albums, but if a person could own only one EWF release, the logical choice would be That's the Way of the World, which was the band's best album as well as its best-selling. Open Our Eyes had been a major hit and sold over half a million units, but it was World that established EWF as major-league, multi-platinum superstars. Fueled by gems ranging from the sweaty funk of "Shining Star" and "Yearnin' Learnin'" to the gorgeous ballad "Reasons" and the unforgettable title song, EWF's sixth album sold at least five million units. And some of the tracks that weren't major hits, such as the exuberant "Happy Feelin'" and the gospel-influenced "See the Light," are equally powerful. There are no dull moments on World, one of the strongest albums of the 1970s and EWF's crowning achievement." - allmusic.com

180gr. Reissue Incl. Original Artwork, classic Soul / R&B LP originally released 1973, including "Midnight Train to Georgia", "I've Got to Use My Imagination" and "Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me"

Tenor singer Johnny Clarke had many false starts in his youthful days. Hanging around Studio One as a schoolboy with Jacob Miller, Clarke was supposed to record material written for him by Bob Andy, but somehow never made the grade. His 1973 debut recording for lesser-known producer Glen Stair was not released, and early work for Clancy Eccles failed to hit, though 'Everyday Wondering' for Rupie Edwards made an underground impact in Britain and New York. Subsequent singles for Keith Hudson and Glen Brown also did not get very far, but the breakthrough finally came when Bunny Lee asked him to sing 'None Shall Escape The Judgement,' which was written by the singer Earl Zero, it became a massive hit that launched the 'flying cymbal' craze (based on an open-and-closed high-hat cymbal pattern, adapted from the Soul Train theme), and Clarke became one of Lee's most reliable hit-makers, partly because Lee stoked a rivalry between him and Cornell Campbell, whom Lee had previously asked to voice 'None Shall Escape.' Clarke's Satisfaction LP was recorded at Harry J for Lee, voiced at King Tubby's studio, and issued by Third World in 1979. It is a set largely comprised of cover tunes, such as the strong opening update of the Paragons' 'Riding For A Fall,' the title track adapting their rock steady hit 'My Satisfaction' in a post-rockers style. Better still is the hard-hitting 'reality' tune, 'Play Fool, Get Wise,' which uses a proverb to relate a means of avoiding trouble on the dog-eat-dog mean streets of Kingston.

Rapso, 1970s West Indian music from Trinidad & Tobago, incorporating Soca, calypso and hip-hop.

Rapso was born out of the social unrest of the 1970s when Black Power and unions grew on Trinidad &Tobago.

Blow‚Way by Lancelot Layne is regarded the first Rapso recording.
Exclusive packaging, 2 LPs (pressed on 180gram virgin vinyl) plus a single (45rpm)Gatefold sleeve with 20-page booklet (21x21 cm) inserted.
Cover and booklet artwork by famous Scottish painter, Peter Doig, one of the most renowned living figurative painters who settled in Trinidad since 2002.
Personal liner notes by Lancelot's daughter, Niasha Layne-Forde, and Christopher Laird.

In 1971 two songs were released in Trinidad & Tobago that represented completely new directions in the musicaland lyrical expression of Trinidad's place in the diaspora, Indian on one hand and African on the other. Nanny &Nana by Sundar Popo and Blow 'Way by Lancelot Layne were revolutionary and ground breaking and spawnedtwo distinctly new genres in Trinidad & Tobago music — Chutney music in the case of Sundar Popo and Rapso, in Lance's case. Brother Resistance calls Lancelot Layne the father of Rapso music.
During the early 1970s Lance recorded at least a dozen startlingly original songs including Blow 'Way, Afro'Dadian, Bringing' Off, Dat is Horros and Kaiso For Mout' Band. Each one expanding his talent for musical arrangements and dramatic counterpoint with chorus responses and vocal variation. He enlisted musicians, each exciting and pioneering in their own right, breaking ground in the post 1970 cultural revolution: calypso/jazz pianist, Clive Zanda, composer, guitarist, singer and flautist, Andre Tanker, Mau Mau Drummers including the young Jah Jah Onilu, Mansa Musa Drummers, vocalists, including Ann Marie Innis and Ella Andall. The result is exciting, confident and musically ground-breaking. Until his death in 1990 he kept commenting and educating T&T's society with songs like Get Off The Radio, Kamboulay, Jambalasie Dance and Strike Squad.
Lancelot Layne was a phenomenal singer, composer, arranger, bassist, producer, and bandleader. For over two decades he had challenged all people of African descent as well as those of other races who were considered 'black', to detach themselves from the ideology that their race was inferior to others. His focus was mostly on Trinidadians and Tobagonians and his dedication to his country could only be described as infinite. Even as he struggled to get the population to heed his words, he would be confronted with immense adversity by the same nation he loved so dearly. His immeasurable commitment and contribution to Trinidad and Tobago culture is still recognized by only a small percentage of the nation to this day. He is considered as one of the greatest
musicians to have ever come out of the Caribbean, although by no stretch of imagination the wealthiest. He was a man who was obsessed with national unity and saw no problem with ethnic groups uniting. He tirelessly and assiduously aimed to be an educator to his people.

Distinctive tenor singer Linval Thompson honed his singing craft in his formative years, growing in the west Kingston ghetto of Three Mile, where he was associated with Dennis Brown, Johnnie Clarke and Al Campbell. A subsequent move to New York brought him into expatriate act Hugh Hendricks and the Buccaneers, with his debut recording, 'No Other Woman,' being made circa early 1974 at Patrick Alley's Art Craft studio. A series of other singles followed from his New York sojourn, but the return to Jamaica in 1974 led to more noteworthy singles for Stamma Hobson, Phil Pratt and Lee 'Scratch' Perry, with 'Jah Jah Redder Than Red' and 'Girl You've Got to Run,' both cut at the Black Ark for Pratt, being the most successful. Yet, it was all but a prelude to the breakthrough success he would finally achieve upon teaming up with Bunny Lee for 'Don't Cut Off Your Dreadlocks,' one of the most popular releases of 1975, a debut album of the same name, issued by Third World in 1976, contained some of his most outstanding material, including the devotional 'Jah Jah The Conqueror' and 'Long Long Dreadlocks,' the romance thriller 'Black Princess Lady' and the anti-rude boy opus, 'Cool Down Your Temper.'

180gr. Reissue incl. Original Artwork, classic debut album by Philadelphia International Records houseband MFSB, released in 1973.