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Heavy Linval Thompson cuts! Incl spaced out dub versions of the title tracks..

Repress!

10" vinyl, handstamped, no digital, no repress, single-sided

Following multiple classic re-issues and freshly produced dubplates from UK Dub innovators, we bring you 2 brand new productions on 10' vinyl: Inna Mount Zion / Prophecy Step.

*Starting the year we present our eighth release on 7' format, another great collaboration between Ojah and Nikolaj Torp Larsen 'Nik Torp', keyboard player from The Specials.

The A side contains the track 'What Goes Around Comes Around', a Hammond and melodica version (both played by Nik Torp) of Ojah's 'Packy' riddim, that was recorded at Nik's studio back in 2015 and is finally seeing the light. It also features new guitars by Puppa Shan and Javier Martin Boix. Next up on Alchemy Dubs will be a 12' featuring a legendary trombone player on this riddim and another one, so these are the complementary versions of side B.
On the B side we find of course a dub version, mixed live in analog by Ojah in classic style. It was difficult to pick just one but we think this one is very special...

Limited edition of 500 copies, hand-stamped and hand-numbered, served in a thick custom reversed kraftliner sleeve.
Produced by Ojah, recorded at Alchemy Dubs Studio, London.
Hammond & melodica by Nikolaj Torp Larsen 'Nik Torp', recorded by Nik Torp at Squat Sound Studio, London, UK, 2015.
Guitars by Javier Martin Boix (lead) and Santi Mijarra 'Puppa Shan' (rhythm) recorded by Puppa Shan at Discoinferno, Madrid, Spain, 2018.
Mixed & mastered by Oscar Pablos 'Ojah" at Alchemy Dubs Studio, London, 2018.
Graphic design by Victor Castro.

Acid hartechno Special :) With a raggacid tune

Featuring Sly & Robbie, Alpha Blondy, Marcia Griffiths, Horace Andy, Morgan Heritage, Gregory Isaacs, Inna De Yard, Alton Ellis, Ken Boothe, Jimmy Riley, and many more.

Gitkin sold guitars. To be precise, he re-branded, sold and traded knock-off Gibsons. A lone, travelling salesman, he toted his counterfeit wares to guitar stores and music emporiums. His trade took him to most corners of the USA, passing through big, smoggy cities and nowheresville small towns. His nights were spent at not-so-salubrious motels. It was at those nocturnal stop-offs that he'd often cross paths with newcomers to the States. His fellow travellers were mostly immigrants, newly-arrived, from places like Ethiopia, Mexico, Indonesia.

Or at least, that's the story as Brian J Gitkin has been able to piece it together. This album, '5 Star Motel', is by a different Gitkin, an ode to the one described above. Or to put it another way, this is the younger Gitkin's homage to his elder relative: the elusive, guitar salesman uncle he never met. A steady drip of anecdotes have construed an image of his relation's itinerant, huckster lifestyle. Finding a cassette of his recordings, it spoke of the effect of those encounters: lo-fi and scratchy, the music leaped seamlessly, in difficult to discern ways, between different far-flung styles.

On '5 Star Motel', that younger Gitkin (henceforth referred to simply as Gitkin) has sought to expand the philosophy he encountered on that tape. The guitar is common thread, the raft to navigate a sun-dappled stream of ideas. It's an embrace of cultures where folkloric stringed instruments still rule, or where they've led to a more recent embrace of the electric guitar. He traces the loose, meandering paths which join them together.

It's about America, the world outside its borders, and the inscrutable, inevitable dialogue that exists between them. Take 'Cancion Del Rey', where the sound of Peruvian chicha - steady-moving, alluring, and lyrical - winds its way through Gitkin's fuzz-filtered licks, and the rhythm underpinning it. Or 'Yama', where Middle Eastern influences echo out of grooving, cyclical riffs. Touching on the distinctive tones of Tuareg music and the Sahara, too, 'Grand Street Feast' charts a sand-dusted, melodic misadventure.

This latest Rocafort EP is an exciting, international jazz affair stretching across time and continents. Consisting of musicians from Mexico, Serbia, Catalonia and Turkey, the Gökhan Sürer Quartet delivers a new perspective on the oriental jazz genre. Gökhan Sürer is a young Turkish pianist, composer and arranger whose musical education reaches from Istanbul, to NYC and currently Barcelona.

CHIMERA is like the soundtrack to a modern mythological journey across all sides of the Mediterranean and beyond. Anatolian magic is woven throughout the four titles, most of them filled with an elegant urgency and tension in the rhythmic composition with the intension of giving a modern jazz twist to Turkish and Armenian melodies along with elements of rock, funk and reggae.

This is possibly Rocafort's most 'mature' release to date, in the sense that, as with most jazz, it requires intense listening in order to get the most out of the musical journey and detail in the composition.

Limited to 300 copies!

The next volume of Wonderwheel's long running Turntables on the Hudson series, curated by Nickodemus, heads down to the Caribbean encompassing diverse music made for the dancefloor. TOTC touches on the culturally rich shores of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Jamaica, Belize, Mexico, Colombia and the USA and beyond with Island inspired vibes.

This double 7" taken with our favorite cuts from the compilation features tracks from DJ Jigoe, Captain Planet feat Chico Mann, Corrado Bucci, and Poirier. On the A side, Afro Cuban artist and recent US & UK Press Darling DJ Jigue gives us the stripped down, Cuban house stomper that is "RIVE", while on the B side Italian producer Corrado Bucci teams up with the classic Columbian group Los Corraleros de Majaguel for a brand new modern take on their Cumbia classic "La Cuidad De Eterna Primavera". On the C side, Captain Planet & Chico Mann's tropical AfroLatin dancefloor smash "Aguacero" finally sees vinyl release, while on the D side, Montreal producer Poirier delivers a jumping Haitian/Creole tune "Pale Mal" with Fwonte on vocals to round out the compilation.

Here is the 2nd TIGHTEN UP release, showcasing sounds from one of the most exciting new Ska/Reggae bands in Denmark, LEO & THE LINEUP!

This 9-piece outfit toes the line between ska and reggae, with a heavy dose of soul. Frontman Kevin Leo delivers his charismatic attitude directly to your face, backed up by 3 gorgeous ladies in red. The supertight rhythm section is lifted up by inventive organ stylings, and it all hits the ceiling when the horn section starts to blow!

Leo & the Lineup released their self-titled debut album in 2012 to critical acclaim and we are proud to announce our current release featuring two new songs by the band, recorded exclusively for the TIGHTEN UP imprint.

“Run-Around” is a certified live classic and a proper footstomper. It gets the joints warmed up and the timeless theme is simply irresistible. “Gotta Go” is an up-tempo gem that tells a little story about the ups and downs of romance in the rock ‘n’ roll world. These songs are bona fide party starters. It’s spot on....It’s LEO & THE LINEUP!

After 5 days of speeding up and down a snow-covered autobahn in a van that had chosen freezing Germany as the ideal place to give the heater a couple of days off, the cozy and warm Lovelite studio in Berlin was a sight for sore eyes. Never having met Jochen, who were to record us, we were very eager to get to know him and the place. There were stacks of tapes, vinyls, recording equipment and a coffee machine that was even more unpredictable than our car. Everything in there had a vibe to it and in no time we were convinced that we'd come to the perfect place for what we had in mind. To record what unmistakably was the same song, in versions that would hopefully take you to two different places.

You see, this is a song that wanted to be more than a song. It wanted to be two songs and who are we to stand in the way of ambition and bravado.

As it is the first song to my first-born I've been very keen on recording it ever since it started falling into place. I remember saying to the guys after every rehearsal that they'd have to release the rehearsal tapes, should I have the bad luck of walking under a bus. At the time of writing, I have not.

The song sprung from the realization that I would literally do anything for this little girl. Go anywhere, sacrifice anything, kill anyone…and it scared the hell out of me. It probably always will.

First 7" single from Denmark's TIGHTEN UP label, two great cuts from 2 TONE legend and (ENGLISH) BEAT vocalist RANKING ROGER. Side a is a rare 2001 cut written w/NEVILLE STAPLES, produced by BENTLEY RHYTHM ACE's FUZZ TOWSHEND. Flip is an unreleased SLY & ROBBIE production from 1989. Pic sleeve.

The link between Jamaican music and US Soul and Blues is of course very strong. I am a huge fan of Stax/Volt, Motown, Chess Records and contemporaries which I consider to be the bedrock of pop music and whereas everybody hears about the more obvious big band influences on SKA such as Duke Ellington, Louis Jordan, Boots Randolph, Louis Armstrong.....less people are aware of the link to soul and R+B artists like Chuck Berry, Etta James, King Curtis, Rosco Gordon and so on. The great Lester Sterling once told me that he based the whole idea of the horn chop (or "upchuck" as some people like to call it) on what the guitar player was doing on the Yakkety Sax track. If you listen to that you will definitely hear the ska beat,

All these songs were mixed by myself over the course of different project sessions. The Ska Jerk recording is actually post the DLTBGYD album sessions and was originally intended for a compilation project that eventually never came out, so that track has just been languishing in the Toaster vaults. At that time we had been hired to do quite a bit of film and TV scores as well as commercial jingles for the likes of Cisco, Coca Cola, AOL, Miller Beer, etc. and so the band was tight, often incorporating guest members from the greater NYC SKA massive and we were able to turn around a complete mix like that in just one day. The engineer on SKA JERK was George Evagelou who also worked with me on the Edna's Goldfish record.

- Robert "Bucket" Hingley of THE TOASTERS

* The third release from Irish vocalist Eva Keyes, following on from the 7” singles `Tired Of The City’ (PRTL7057) and `Light Shining’ (PRTL7063).
* As with the first single `Tired Of The City’ both tracks on this double A side were produced by Dublin-based Dan Taliras out of his Echobus studios.
*Both tunes are as much as sound system friendly as they are radio friendly, with Eva’s accessible and bright vocals
*`Meditation’ and `Let It Fall’ are both followed by dub versions mixed by Taliras.

Vive La Musique burst onto the scene last year with the hugely successful "Tabala Mouv". For the follow-up, they present two songs from prolific Congolese talent, Sammy Massamba, taken from his cult self-released album "1990 - Beni Soit Ton Nom". Title track "Azali" immediately hooks you in with its mysterious intro, laden with early 90s keyboards and drum machine. Sammy's funk guitar and anthemic vocal lines turn this unique composition into an infectious afro-pop masterpiece. Label founder Aroop Roy steps up with a customary edit, extending the arrangement and giving the drums and mix a modern-club touch. Sammy describes the second track, "Birika", as a mix of Congolese Rumba, Afrobeat. and Reggae. A mid-tempo bass and guitar groove form the backdrop for Sammy's powerful vocals. An exquisite rumba guitar line completes another high class composition.

Retrospective is a collection of recordings from the years 1970 – 1975, which includes many of Bob’s best-known works.

Nine of the eleven songs included have been UK and/or Jamaican singles. The remaining two tracks - “Patience is the Key” and “Too Proud to Beg” - were previously unreleased, having been lost for many years.

Retrospective’s lengthy list of contributing musicians is a Who’s Who of Jamaican music.

Written back in 1966 by Smokey Robinson, the Motown hit ‘Get Ready’

saw global success through The Temptations and has withstood the test of

time for over half a century. Now in 2019, production guru Prince Fatty has

stepped up to the plate with a who’s who of reggae and dancehall royalty

to give the record a dub rework.

Reissue of this 1979 roots reggae album,. Recorded at channel one, mixed by Scientist at King Tubby's studio in kingston, backing band is the Soul Syndicate

Small parcel of the last copies available by Japanese Ska and Oriental Exotica sextet, Exotico De Lago.

The A side lulls you into a false sense of security, with its opulent Carib-Hotel grand piano intro, but the real nugget is on the flip, with its authentic rocksteady cruise to the far east feel, channeling the Skatalites and early Studio One to deadly effect.

Comes housed in thick card hand stamped manila sleeve. Miss it, and it's gone.

Introducing Andy Ordoñez, a young drummer and singer native to the cultural nexus of New York City that is The Bronx. The crucible of the NYC melting pot is a fitting base for this rising musician, who was born to Honduran parents of Garifuna decent and raised in the musically rich and diversified Central American neighborhoods of the northernmost borough. At the early age of 13, Ordoñez joined his father Bodoma and his touring Garifuna Cultural Band, themselves well-recognized artists in the Garifuna communities of the Caribbean and the US, communities that all trace their lineage toAfrican survivors of human cargo ships wrecked off the island of St. Vincent around 1675.Ordoñez forged his part in this evolving history while also cutting his musical teeth performing and practicing a legacy comprised of a historic blend of African and Caribbean culture arising through centuries-deep Garifuna heritage. It's another example of an incredibly varied and mixed upbringing that happens all around us in New York City, an essential but often unobserved contribution to the larger communities we inhabit.

On his debut vinyl release for Names You Can Trust, Ordoñez has transformed this base of folkloric drumming, a bedrock of parranda and punta rhythms, along with the distinctive sound of the primero drum (its snare-like punch coming from metal wires wrapped around the drumhead), and fused it with a contemporary blend of Caribbean-style synths and guitars to create a new and totally unheard-of evolution that lies somewhere in the echoes of Cabo Verde, Haiti and Ordoñez's Central American roots.

The eight record of the Ukrainian label Muscut bursts into consciousness like a psychedelic van which is flying at all pairs, leaving behind a sultry cloud. Meet the Chillera - new girl-band from Odessa. Three young witches mixed together the berriesof surf rock, dub-rhythms ripened on the southern soil and greens of funky ornaments. It sounds juicy, naturalistic, relaxed and, most importantly, fresh.

Classic hits turned into reggae by some of the most famous singers and
bands of the genre

Formerly clandestine, today manifest, both sacred but also profane, sometimes meditated, very often improvised, the Kabar transpires in the daily Reunion, getting rid with insolence of any label that dares to impose. The Kabar is a fleeting but bubbling manifestation of an identity and a local culture that is still difficult to define. A moment of life and sharing where handcrafted instruments, neighborhood meetings, ritual dances and lyrical demands are mixed. A meeting.

Born from the musical union of maloya and electronic music, Digital Kabar is a compilation at the crossroads of cultures, porous to all sound experiences. It's also the result of a friendship that drives InFiné at Les Electropicales festival, from the fascination of a small team dedicated to the independent musical cause for a musical scene and its diversity.

Digital Kabar features tracks & reworks from Jako Maron, InFiné affiliate Labelle, Alex Barck, Christine Salem, Boogzbrown, Loya, Sheitan Brothers,Ti Fock, Force Indigène, Agnesca, Zong, Psychorigid, J-ZeuS, and Kwalud.

LP comes with cotton tote bag and sticker.

Brooklyn-based label and sound system collective Dub-Stuy prepares for the summer with a brand new EP alongside Jahdan Blakkamoore, who first appeared on the label’s “Pool Party” single back in 2014 and again in 2017 on Von D’s Wicked Scam EP. This time around Jahdan is front and center, flexing the creativity and versatility that has kept him at the cutting edge of Jamaican music for more than two decades: whether collaborating with hip-hop icons like Smiff-N-Wessun and Snoop Dogg or with global bass providers such as Major Lazer, Liondub and Dutty Artz (who first introduced Jahdan and Dub-Stuy!).

The Linkage EP is a family affair, born after Jahdan and Dub-Stuy connected for a gig in Montreal in December 2018. The energy and vibrations from their performance that night inspired both parties to discuss a new label project. Soon enough, Dub-Stuy had sent Jahdan a pack of dancefloor-minded riddims and beats crafted by in-house producer DJ Madd. Within a few days, Jahdan locked himself up in a studio, writing and recording the five songs that make up the EP in a burst of creativity. Dub-Stuy then enlisted Bay Area based producer Kush Arora to mix the tracks, putting the finishing touches to a showcase of deft songwriting and melody-driven singing that has made Jahdan a favorite of many.

On “Absolutely” and “Properly” Jahdan celebrates the fun and vibes of a good session, switching effortlessly between singing with an irresistible lilt to rapid-fire lyrics against revamps of two timeless dancehall riddims - “Hot Milk” and “African Beat.” The results are surefire party starters! “Sort Out” taps out a syncopated skanking riddim to keep the dance going while the rest of the EP addresses more serious themes with Jahdan reaching for the deeper parts of his range. The hip-hop infused “Round of Applause” reflects on everyday struggles, and the EP’s namesake track “The Linkage” draws for deeper bass as Jahdan calls for unity.

This release by The Band of Enlightenment, Reason & Love presents a new instrumental version of the heavily sought after debut release "Zota Yinne" by Alogte Oho, the meanwhile classic second release on Philophon from 2014 (PH45002). So far, The Band of Enlightenment, Reason & Love, as Philophon's house band, never had any release under its own name, but here we go! It's sure: more will follow.

"Zota Yinne" is a dubbed out variation of the original Frafra gospel classic with the one and only Jimi Tenor as a guest on flute and synth. "Starlet Road Filling Station Romance" is an other-worldly search for love, perfectly characterized by Jimi Tenor's love cries on the saxophone.

Reaching the milestone of its 100th single/EP release, Circus Company welcomes back Aquarius Heaven with a new EP of poignant, uplifting house music loaded with a meaningful message for these transient times. It's nearly three years since Brian Brewster delivered the Parallela Mundi 12', and in that time he has been on a relentless mission to spread his unique blend of house music, Caribbean roots and psychedelic magic across the globe in a whirlwind of live performances and collaborations. In a manifestation of his well-travelled soul, these new pieces call upon traditional influences in amongst the modern motifs that Aquarius Heaven has been built on, while lyrically dealing with the pressing issue of refugees escaping conflict, poverty and famine. The proud drum throwdown and carnival bleeps of 'Bato Chargé' conceal the seriousness of its theme. In Brewster's native tongue Creole, bato chargé translates as overloaded boat. With the Caribbean as equally rooted in the history of displaced humanity at the hands of sinister powers, the groove of 'Bato Chargé' takes on a defiant, hopeful tone directly inspired by the traditional percussive music style Gow Ka. '50 Drops' by way of contrast takes on a noirish tone with its gritty, street-weary tale and nocturnal melodics played out through enchanting arpeggios and warbling leads. Cooling off the tempo and heading into a digi-dub skank that plays off Brewster's roots in reggae and dancehall, 'Marie Galante' takes those same warm synths and runs them through a low-but-heavy stepping landscape; the perfect backdrop to the vocalist's dexterous ramblings on the mic. It's not often you hear Creole New Release Information delivered in contemporary electronic music, with a rare exception being the legendary work of Tikiman et al with Rhythm & Sound in the 90s.

The Brussels-based trio of Virginia Genta, David Vanzan and Ernesto González (Bear Bones, Lay Low) have been playing as Yader for some years already. Bagigi Dub and WW Dub sees them run two tracks from their 8 track tape through effects for more spaced-out versions of their sound, under the name Jahder. This 7", also with cover design by Virginia, features two cuts of prime dubbed-out drum machines, loping bass lines and widescreen delays for expansive listening.

This single features two tracks that date from the mid-1980s: ‘Give Me Back (What You Take From The Poor),’ first issued on a C&E 12-inch circa 1987, has Thompson tackling the unequal distribution of wealth that has marred so many parts of the world, while ‘Lump Sum’ is a minimal digital-dub re-cut of a tun. By virtue of its transitory format, this single sees Linval stepping into somewhat unknown territories…

Clear vinyl version of J.Robinson's 'More than Music' LP.

The Jamaican lovers masterpiece by Sharon Forrester and UK lovers classic

Bunny Lee's tiptop productions reissued in finest quality by Dub Store Records.

What could be better than an EP from Mungo's Hi Fi and Soom T How about TWO EP's from Mungo's Hi Fi and Soom T! These stalwarts go together like fish and chips and have been them been successful for putting Glasgow on the reggae map! The first EP, titled Bong bong is a foray into the world of digital reggae. The much requested title track takes Sister Nancy's Bam bam bang up to date in a smoky fashion. Soom's singing abilities shine through in the ultra modern 31st Century song. I need weed and Boom Shiva are familiar tales about the good ole chronic which appeared on Jahtari's Ode to a carrot . These versions are from a much earlier recording session and have a different edge. The Listening bug EP is a different kettle of fish, showcasing the Mungo's Hi Fi sound that does not fit straight into the reggae mold, featuring more electronic, bass heavy excursions. The edgy Listening bug is a LFO bass driven flurry with minimal meandering melodies. Jump up quickly is full of eastern mystique before cutting to a hard hitting rap style mixed in with Eek a mouse. Run fool is dark, jittery and hard. War song has a sound that would not be out of place as the next James bond theme tune. Tracklist:

After introducing the world to the elusive named Gitkin last year with the release of his debut album "5 Star Motel", Wonderwheel Recordings is back with another special 7" of two deeply funky, lo-fi globally influenced cuts from the travellin' man himself. "Saint Claude Dash" with it's 70's disco influenced drum machine undertone brings in Middle Eastern & North African vibes on the melody, while shifting into an even funkier B section reminiscent of the Meters. On the flip side, "Chicha Nola" finds Gitkin vibing on the mysteriousness of late night New Orleans (where his studio is now located) playing the South American instrument Charango & juxtaposing the NOLA bump with a just enough twang. Just a taste of the brand new album to come this year…or when the spirits will it.

Early 1980, UB40 scored their first success with “Food For Thought”, reaching high positions in the charts. By the time they released their first album they were already so successful that they had signed off on unemployment benefit, leading to the stamped Signing Off featured on form 40, for the sleeve of their debut album. UB40 Collected has captured all the different phases of the band in one complete album, from classic hits combined with the new!

The members of UB40 chose their name after a piece of paper most of them were all too familiar with: Unemployment Benef it form 40, in short: UB40. The name was put on posters and the band was promoted even before each member fully understood his instrument. The first dub album ever to reach the album charts in the U.K. included “One In Ten” and “Don’t Slow Down”. In 1983 the band put on a new project, boasting ten cover versions of Jamaican hits and, contrary to low expectations, it became a huge hit and the band’s first number one album. Tracks included are “Cherry Oh Baby” and “Please Don’t Make Me Cry”and “Red Red Wine”. The latter was a rather poppy song and became the band’s biggest selling single ever, entailing their definitive worldwide break through.

There have been lots of collaborations through the years and most of these became huge hit songs. Together with Chrissie Hynde UB40 recorded two singles: “I Got You Babe” (1985) and “Breakfast In Bed” (1988). They teamed up with Afrika Bambaataa for “Reckless” (1988) and with Robert Palmer the band released “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” (1990), just to name a few.

UB40 Collected is available as a limited edition of 1500 individually numbered copies on gold vinyl.