Albums: L.P / C.D
Title
: CHAINSTORE MASSACRE
Artist
: VARIOUS
Label
: ON U SOUND
Format
: CD/
DOUBLE LP
Announcing the return of On U Sound after a couple of years of enforced
silence. Artists here include long-time ON U stalwarts such as main
man Adrian Sherwood, Dub Syndicate & Little Axe along with a host of
new names such as 3 Head, Shadon, Ghetto Priest & Mutant Hi Fi. Also
included are tracks from J.A roots legends Jnr Delgado & Little Roy.
Which all makes for an excellent & well rounded album. Available on
ultra low priced CD & mid priced vinyl but don't let that put you off
as this really is a top quality release of new works from one of the
UK's most respected recording houses & labels.
2 Bad
Cards excellent opener 'Noise Polluters' is a stormer featuring Jnr Delgado
& news speak samples dealing the issue of sound system noise pollution among
other things, pushed along by a driving dub b-line & beat. On U Sound mystro
Adrian Sherwood provides Xplantion from his future full length release & is
a pumping future dub cause celeb, along the lines of Sly & Robbie's more experimental
works of a couple of years ago. Jnr Delgado's ode to the 'erb 'Fully Legalise',
Little Roys 'Heavy Going' and Dub Syndicates reversion of It's Blessed' from
their excellent Acres Of Space album, are all top draw examples of the Roots
& Dub forms ongoing good health. Perhaps most surprising is the presence of
one Sinead O'Connor. Whose revoicing of the Pablo Moses classic 'My Love I
Bring' is simply breath taking. Lastly I'd site the excellent pumping dub
styles of 'Push On Through' by New Zealand's finest Salmonella Dub which receives
a killer remix from Mr Sherwood.
Chainstore
Massacre is the sound of the welcome return of the mighty On U Sound & according
to the sleeve notes acts as a showcase of many a good thing to come in 2003.
On this evidence I can't wait.. Haile Up !!
Bimble
Title
: MURDER TONE
Artist
: DUB SYNDICATE
Label
: ON U SOUND
Format
: CD/ DOUBLE LP
'Murder
Tone' is the long overdue selection of rare DUB SYNDICATE recordings - most
of the tracks have been produced in between the release dates of the two milestone
albums 'Stoned Immaculate' (EFA CD 18656) and 'Echomania' (EFA CD 18664).
It sees
The return to the racks of popular dubmeister Adrian Sherwood and his Dub
Syndicate cohort Style Scott continuing with a timely re-release and repackaging
of Dub Syndicate rarities from the prime time 90's. The stalwart axis of Sherwood
ad Style Scott chose to plough the reggae route long after the dip in the
marketability stakes, Scotty rustling up the riddims back in Jamaica with
Sherwood applying his high tech gloss alongside a mass of talents Errol 'Flabba'
Holt, Skip McDonald, Dwight Pickney, Dalton Browne, Bingy Bunny, Carlton 'Bubblers'
Ogilvie, Talvin Singh, Bim Sherman, Lee Perry & Talvin Singh, to name a few.
The tracks
emanate from the triptych that was the Classic selection series1-3, the bonus
being that none of the three releases ever saw light of day as vinyl so here
see their vinyl release for the first time.
We here
at Free Radical Sounds can affirm the pressing at sound-system strength. The
press release is slightly misleading three of the tracks have previously appeared
in limited vinyl format Reggae Ragga, Precinct of Sound and Lack of Education.
Pick
of the tracks for me are the glorious 'African Landing', the version of the
version of the classic Karen Kalphat number and the Red Sea version, a long
time Bim Sherman fave. Smart
Monkey
Title
: DUB PLATES STYLE 1990-99
Artist
: MANASSEH
Label
: HAMMERBASS
Format
: CD
Let your self go & delve deep into the depths of the Manasseh sound dub
plates box, that's the idea here. These dubs are a wicked selection of
Manasseh productions & showcase the history of the Manasseh sound & it's
music. Presented in the sound system style of at least a couple versions
upon each riddim which usually takes the form of vocal then dub but in
some cases such as the 'Skenga' mixes, this format is followed by another
more extreme dub version. This 20 track, 10 riddim album is almost entirely
made up of killer cuts including blinding collaborations with the likes
of Earl 16, Johnny Osborne & the Manasseh Sounds own Knatty P.
The steppers
collaboration with veteran J.A singer Johnny Osborne on 'Rise Up' & Natty
P's floor masher 'Skenga' are particular favourites of mine. With Earl 16's
'Natural Roots' & the albums instrumental opener 'Clash version' coming a
close second in the popularity stakes both with myself & the dub dance floor.
Equally
awesome either on the home hi fi or on the big rigs this one comes highly
recommended. Bimble
Title
: DUBCLASH
Artist
: DUBCLASH
Label
: DUBHEAD
Format
: CD/ LP
The
Debut full album release from Dubclash made up of 15 tracks of instrumental
dubs using what sounds like mostly live bass & programmed drum rhythms (built
to sound like a drummer). A very well executed set which brings to mind dubs
golden age of the 70's.
The dub
treatments are disciplined & the riddims well tight. At no point is the thing
over cooked, leaving plenty of room for your own play out embellishments.
'Jah Enforcements' wins the prize for the fattest b-line whilst 'Dubbing With
Jah' the albums opener gets my vote for the most instantly infectious.
Just
another sound alike UK steppers album this ain't & whilst you couldn't call
these dubs radical, it's gonna be interesting to see the Dubclash sound develop
on further releases. For those of you crying out for some fresh 70's style
dubs, you need look no further for this is what you want & this is what you
get. Bimble
Title
: DO THE BENG BENG 
Artist
: DERRICK MORGAN
Label
: REGGAE RETRO
Format
: CD / LP
A 24 track feast of authentic rock steady & early reggae sides from Derrick
Morgan, whose career stretches right back to the late 1950's. These Leslie
Kong produced recordings hail from his 67-68 post Ska era. Perhaps what's
most surprising is the high quality of the recordings, according to the
promo sheet all these tracks except one derive from the original master
tapes. These tapes have got be at least 35 years old & they must've been
exceptionally well stored as there's not a hint of the hiss & pops that's
usually associated with works of this age. The majority of these tracks
are alternative takes or are previously unreleased versions. With the
added bonus of many J.A number ones being included,. Tracks include rude
boy anthems such as 'Tougher Than Tough' & 'Retrial Of Rudie', the hilarious
'Judge Dread In Court' & the wonderful 'Greedy Girl'. There's also the
sweet sweet skank of 'Want More'. As well as the definite highlight that
is the comic 'What's Your Grouse'. Here Mr Derrick takes the role of the
J.A radio phone in operator, whilst a variety of outlandish listeners
ring in with their 'Grouse'( Gripes ). A wonderfully entertaining tune
full of that unique J.A sense of humour. Lastly I'd site the upful & groovetastic
'What La La Bam Bam' as being almost worth the price of entry alone. A
cracking collection & a must have for all fans of reggaes roots. Bimble
Title
: LIVE IN THE STUDIO
Artist
: SKA BOP
Label
: REGGAE RETRO
Format
: CD/ TEN INCH LP
Sh*t hot instrumental Ska from England's west country. 'Live In The Studio'
sees the return of Ska bop after the success's of their 4 track mono 7" single
released back in 2001. 'Live In the Studio' does exactly as it says on the
can, with the whole thing being recorded straight down onto 2 track master
tape. There's no doubting Ska Bops mastering of the original Skatalites style
Ska sound right down to the back to front drums pushing from the back. Every
track here is a winner. My only slight moan would be that on a couple of the
tracks the fade out is brought in when the band are still 'cooking on gas'.
Top tracks
include the self explanatory 'Dizzy Ska' & the awesome 'Kyoto Hop' whose horn
led skank also appears on the aforementioned 4 track mono E.P. On both versions
the riddim section simultaneously pin down & embellish the urgent beat, whilst
the horn section take it in turns to deliver short & snappy solo's. For my
money the E.Ps highlight is the stompier tones of 'Far East'. A tune which
will have all you rude boys & girls up on ya toes & getting on down. If your
quest is for some fresh Skalicious sounds then check out the heavy heavy sounds
of Ska Bop. Bimble
Title
: KORTONIC DUB
Artist
: ALIEN DREAD
Label
: REGGAE RETRO
Format
: CD
The first
track on this double cd promo pack is actually not audio at all & can only
be played by a PC. It contains hidden bonus tracks in the form of .wav files
and a simple but fun space invaders style game ( which actually delayed the
writing of this review while I briefly got hooked on the thing ). I won't
deal with the bonus audio tracks I'll leave those for you to discover yourselves.
On the main CD audio tracks Alien Dread produce laid back & sometimes hypnotic
down tempo dubs, complete with penetrating sub b-lines & skanking keys. These
elements are enhanced by a variety of sci fi & farmyard type samples which
are probably lifted from or inspired by, the enclosed game.
'Big
Shot' has a nice Hammond organ led groove with some teasing synthesised horn
stabs whilst the sublime 'Beat Nick' features sweet melodica style melodies
pushed along by more ultra deep B-Lines & laid back programmed beats. 'Wake
The Town' is the most upbeat tune here with it's skipping beat & catchy key
lines, whilst 'Blues Dreamer' is exactly that. A deeply hypnotic piece which
will have you reaching for your comfiest chair & longest papers. Alien Dubs
music is probably best suited to the big bass bins of the chill-out rooms
in club land & the late night smoke up session at home. Bimble
Roman
Stewart; Mount Zion/ Sip A Cup Roots Family; Dub/ Leroy mafia Zion Harmony/
Mafia & Fluxy Crew; I & I Dub
Robbie Valentine; Blessed Be, Conscious Warrior/ Sip A Cup Family & Gussie
P; Blessing Of Dub/ Mafia & Fluxy All Stars; Conscious Of Dub
Just
2 of Gussie P's ingenious new recession beater series. Each 7" features 2
cuts on each side & plays at 33RPM . Admittedly the extra minutes crammed
into the grooves means a sacrifice of some high end clarity but at 2 killer
vocal & 2 mighty Gussie P dubs per platter, this sure does make for ultra
low priced, quality tunnage, from one of the U.K's most well respected Roots
producers.
On the 'Mount Zion' riddim veteran singer Roman Stewart
sings of leaving behind Babylon's trials & tribulations & returning to the
holy land of Africa. On Cut 2 of this evocative Mafia & Fluxy driven, one
drop riddim Gussie strips the thing right back for a subterranean deep in
dub workout, complete with ricocheting snatches of Romans vocal. On the flipside
Leroy Mafia treats us to a sublime keyboard take upon the riddim bringing
to mind the works of the & only Jackie Mittoo. On the final cut Gussie steps
forward once again to do the dub wise business. Leroy's keys remain only this
time heavily treated with some killer percussion work added to great effect.
Never has a 7" platter run so deep.
Robbie Valentines 'Blessed Be' is a awesome lighters aloft, rich timbered
vocal incantation backed by the Sip A Cup family's Deep meditative one drop
riddim & Gussie P's subtle dub mix. Blessing Of Dub is a deep in dub affair
with the sub mixed forward & everything else floating hypnotically around
it. A truly breath taking dub piece. The AA side finds Robbie voicing 'Conscious
Warrior' followed by Gussie's Conscious Of Dub mix. Here Mafia & Fluxy's slow
paced hypnotic riddim will be familiar to many as the backing on several Gussie
cuts a couple of years ago including Valentines own 'Know Thyself'. If anything
this new vocal cut is a stronger take on the riddim. Here Valentine voices
in fine on the subject of "killing our own brothers" & pleads for "peace love
& understanding". A killer vocal & one you should seek out. On the version
gussie retains whole chunks of the vocal whilst juggling the faders as only
he can. A tuff platter which comes highly recommended.
Iration
Steppers; Hard Time In A Babylon ( 2 Mixes ) / Urban Dub; Gonna Rise/ These
Are The Days Again.
UK
digital steppers veterans Iration Steppers come forward once more with their
unique & unmistakable brand of deep sub based riddims complete with heavily
effected everything & good mix of analogue & digital vibes. If you run a rig
you need this platter.
Flip the thing over for the first fresh product from London's Urban Dub for
some time. The last we saw of them was on the celebrated remix album they
did we've modern punkers Snuff & it's from this project that the main horn
riff of 'Gonna Rise' is lifted . Like the flipside it's another suitably heavyweight
sub driven piece with the great horn refrains setting it apart from the pack.
'These Are The Days Again' is a heavily weighted & acidic remix of the track
of the same name from the bands self titled Debut album. Another one that
works best on the sound yet still does the business on the home hi fi. Making
this a must have for all fans of the deep & the heavy weight.
Etherealites;
Eyes Of The Dragon/ Sajahn / Dubclash; Board The Dub Train/ Analogue Dub Phase
'Eyes
Of The Dragon's mesmerising & loping beat will capture the hearts of those
into down tempo heavy weight instrumental dub. One for the smokers. 'Sajahn'
is a nyabinghi inspired, deep mood piece which after rolling a fat one during
the first riddim will have your mind floating to oblivion. Full of a deep
sub grooves, far away pad sounds & wicked percussion. Can't wait for the full
length album as for myself this visit was far to short. On the flipside Dubclashs
'Board The Dub Train' is a little more up tempo, pushed along by some nice
live bass & a pounding riddim. 'Analogue Dub Phase' does exactly what it says
on the tin & is ideal for those all nite deep in dub sessions. Another great
pairing from the guys at Dubhead who at the moment seem to be tapping a particularly
rich source of UK Dub.
Chant
Down Babylon / Chant Down Dub 7"
Chant Down Babylon / Chant In Dub / Deep in Focus / Test My Sound 10"
A tad confusing this one as it's not actually the same riddim on 2 different
formats as you'd expect, but it is the same vocalist & vocal, confused ? thought
so let me explain. The story goes that after not being able to agree upon
which riddim build of 'Chant Down Babylon' to put out Dub wise Productions
decided to release both & let the reggae massive decide for themselves. In
my opinion vocally, the 7" mix is the more upfront & yard style with a wicked
rolling B-Line while the 10" vocal cut is the more heavily effected & bouncy
riddimwise. Leroy's full vocal remains intact on the 10" only this time is
mixed a little further back in the mix. On the dub cuts the 10" reveals a
thundering steppers riddim with tons of gated snares, mid sweep effects &
is sure to do the business on the sound. The dub cut on the 7" utilises more
of the vocal & on the whole feels the slower of the cuts. The bass is suitably
fat on all the cuts & there's more than enough here to keep the dance rocking.
Personally I'd probably drop the 7" vocal followed by the 10" Dub. If you
only wanna buy one of these platters it'd have to be the 10" due to the fact
that you get the added bonus of two more superb riddims on the AA side. Cut
1 is 'Deep Focus' voiced by Skango XXX & is a highly infectious piece. 'Deep
Focus' is deeply spiritual song complete with some highly effective acoustic
guitar lines, a rocking one drop riddim, topped off by catchy chorus to kill
for. I just can't get enough of this one. All I need now is the dub cut, so
how's about it guys? Cut 2 is Chris Jays awesome instrumental digi stepper
'Test My Sound' complete with it's 4/4 to the floor beat & rolling almost
acid B-line. This one never fails on the dance floor yet also manages to never
lose sight of its rootical origin.
All this makes
for a wonderfully rounded E.P. Dubwise Productions have produced some tuff
sides in the past but if this E.P is anything to go by they've never been
on better form. Whether it's in deep meditative or banging steppers mode 'Dubwise
Productions' have the talent , knowledge & power to deliver every time.
Wanna
Review !!
Anyone wishing to have
their releases included in our next update should send their promo's to the
address below ( bribes will be accepted ). Vinyl is always prefered as then
we can also play the things out, but most formats are exceptable.
Thanks for
listening. Bimble
F.R.S
PO BOX 2869
BRIGHTON
EAST SUSSEX
BN2 5DP
U.K
