Rubadub Revolution Early Dancehall Productions From Bunny Lee

Rare and unreleased roots recordings from The Black Ark and producer Lee Perry with various singers & players featuring two dubplate cuts from Junior Murvin & Jimmy Riley, Lord Creator's killer 2nd cut of "Such Is Life", Henrick Nicholson 12" mix of "Brotherly Love" and many more. Highly recommended!

6 tracks featuring Jimmy Riley & Bunny Rugs including a couple of edits mixes from Paolo Baldini 'Dubfiles'. Upsetter magic at its finest. Comes in a grey custom bag. Because Upsetter does it better!!

Deep roots instrumental from Tommy McCook produced by Bunny Lee. This mix completely unreleased on both sides. Also a different mix from the one included on the 'When Jah Shall Come' LP

Bunny Lee recorded a massive volume of remarkably consistent music in the 70s. This compilation brings together rare and unreleased cuts that put the listener bang in the middle of a typical recording session, complete with false starts and studio banter.

Linval Thompson is represented by two unreleased tunes, and is also heard in the runup to 'Tommy's Vibration'. Once the 'flying cymbal' sound had taken off, Bunny often recorded a 'flyers' and a straight version of the same rhythm: 'Tommy's Vibration' is a classic but little known Tommy McCook instrumental on the flyers cut of Linval's 'Jah Jah A The Conqueror'. 'Ethiopian Rock' is a total scorcher, the only recorded tune by the deejay Jah Smile, before Bunny persuaded him to turn to singing and changed his name to Barry Brown.

In a healthy spirit of competition, Bunny often tried out different singers on tunes that he thought would hit, hence Ronnie Davis's soulful take on Johnny Clarke's 'Every Knee Shall Bow', Johnny's version of Horace Andy's 'Better Collie', and Johnny and Horace sharing vocals on 'No Man Is An Island', all unreleased until now. 'No Babylon Shall Escape In This Time' has Johnny Clarke and 'Bongo' Herman Davis recorded over the original version side of Johnny's 'None Shall Escape The Judgement'. 'Life Of My Own' is a beautifully constructed lament by a singer who neither Bunny nor various expert ears have managed to identify: at Bunny's suggestion he is credited as 'The Raver'. 'War Zone' and 'Keep On Running' are examples of Tubby's mixes that have had further effects dubbed on elsewhere; sound systems and foreign record labels occasionally did this to manufacture their own specials from existing mixes. 'Jamaican Fruit Of African Roots' has recently been the subject of the fascinating documentary 'Shella Record: A Reggae Mystery'; the Lennox Brown cut here has only just been discovered. Also included are two stinging dubplates by Cornell Campbell: the first is aimed straight to the head of Arrows sound system, while the second, recorded in the early 80s, sums up the vital partnership of two of Jamaica's musical giants:

* previously unreleased ** CD bonus track

‘Walls of Jerusalem’ is a unique musical collaboration between the producer Yabby You and the legendary dub master King Tubby. The two were close friends, frequent collaborators and deep admirers of each other’s artistry. ‘Walls of Jerusalem’ was the last full-length project they worked on together. For years this release lay buried in obscurity: original copies came out, in minute quantities, on the Prophets Label in a blank, white sleeve. A later issued even misnamed the artist. Yet the music within is deep roots of the highest quality – mesmerizing tracks that illustrate Yabby You’s particular sound and spiritual vision. Disc One presents the album in its original form, showcasing King Tubby’s virtuosity as an engineer, deliberately shaping a sophisticated stereo mix to aid in the creation of a bold, artistic statement. Disc Two includes a number of never-released studio outtakes, alternate mixes and instrumental cuts of some of Yabby You’s most classic tunes. These mixes put the listener right there in the studio, complete with “chatter” between the musicians, Tubby and Yabby discovered on the master tapes, and included between the tracks of this reissue. Together, the two discs of Walls Of Jerusalem are dub and roots music of the finest order and and a major celebration of the creative genius of Yabby You and King Tubby. This Double LP is lovingly packaged with extensive sleeve notes by Diggory Kenrick. * previously unreleased + CD has two bonus tracks.

One off stocking of rare Pressure Sound 7" from 2014, superb reissue of mid 70s soulful female roots vocal with killer Jimmy Radway dub on the flip. Comes in hand stamped brown card sleeve.

Tommy McCook’s playing perfectly suited to this inspired horns workout recorded at the Black Ark studio. King Tubby's dub on the flipside. Yabby at the height of his considerable powers as both Producer and musical visionary. Version on the flip side. In a custom bag.

Sly and Robbie created the rhythm as Yabby You name checks the tough neighbourhoods scattered around Kingston’s ghetto areas. Mixing biblical quotations as he moves between his own unique spiritual sermon and mid 70s JA politics. Not been available for some time on the Prophet label. Version on the flipside. Comes in a Custom Yabby 7’ sleeve.

Lee Perry’s playful nature credited this 45 to Jane Fonda’s character in Klute!! About as Post Modern as you can get. The music is a storming up tempo joy ride. ‘I may forget your name but not your face’ possibly relates to the story of ‘Klute’ which obviously caught ‘Scratch’s’ attention. Comes with a lush version on the flipside. A custom printed sleeve as well. ‘You build me up and get me high’ Killer

Ska Baby by Bobby Ellis. Produced and Directed by the Upsetter. Subtle Black Ark instrumental. Comes with a lovely dub on the flipside. In a custom bag. Nice tune.

If roots reggae music has such a thing as cornerstones then this tune is one of them. Spiritual music of the highest quality. A tune to both uplift you and make you think at the same time. Nagging incessant keyboards with the harmonies supplied by The Ralph Brothers. Accept no other substitutes, this is the real thing. The full vocal comes with the King Tubby dub on the flipside. Essential music. Comes in a hand stamped bag.

Lovely mellow vibes instrumental of the timeless Conquering Lion rhythm. Diggory’s playing empathizes with the original and is reminiscent of some of Pablo’s similar xylophone outings. Nice dub on the flipside and comes in a hand stamped bag.

Run Come Rally aka ‘Jah Speak with Lighntning and Thunder’ is a stone-cold classic of the early roots movement. Recorded by Lee Perry at Black Ark Studios in 1974, the tune is haunting and stirring in equal measures. Paired with its atmospheric dub, this is music to uplift and inspire. Comes in a hand stamped bag.

Since it first appeared in 1976, King Tubby's dub-wise reworking of tracks by Yabby You's Prophets project has become a sought after item amongst reggae aficionados. Remarkably, it has never been reissued before, making this first vinyl edition in 23 years a must-have for those addicted to weighty bass, heavy riddims and echoing effects. There's much to enjoy from start to finish, including the delay-laden horns and gentle grooves of "Fair Lady", the surprisingly cheery skank of "Tear Gas In Waterhouse", the seductive solos of "Tradition Skank" and the low-slung, bass-heavy throb of "Serious Rebellion", a stripped back dub straight from the top drawer.

Produced by Pat Kelly and originally released as an extremely limited pressing in 1970, Dukey McCella’s “I’ve Got the Power,” has become a cult favorite, shrouded in mystery and rumour, among serious record collectors and reggae selectors. The tune’s plaintive harmonies and the early, roots-inflected militancy of the lyrics led many well-informed fans to suspect that the tune was, in fact, The Wailers operating under an alias. However, it is not the Wailers, but Pat Kelly(singing as Dukey McCella) along with Wesley Tinglin on the soaring harmonies. Pat Kelly even gives a little DJ vibes in talking the spoken intro on the flipside. This release is first time that “I’ve Got the Power” has been reissued, lifting the veil to one of the toughest and unique tunes of Pat Kelly’s career. Comes in a hand stamped bag.

Frankie Jones’ “Gun Fever” is a dark and heavy piece of digital roots; a rare representation of 80s Jamaican music that appealed equally to the UK roots and dancehall crowds. Originally released in 1986 on a Third World 12”, the record was limited in distribution and became a heavily sought after tune by serious collectors and selectors alike. This Pressure Sounds release on a crisp, newly mastered 45 is the first time “Gun Fever” has been reissued; and the first time it has appeared on 7” vinyl. Comes in a hand stamped bag.

A dark, driving version of the Soul Vendor’s “Darker Shade of Black” led by Eastwood’s wild, fuzzed-out guitar. Its most likely that James Eastwood is guitarist Mikey Chung and was a play on the Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns popular in Jamaica at the time. Comes in hand stamped bag.

Sounds Unlimited’s “Middle East Skank” is grounded by the familiar “Drum Song” bass line, allowing Chin Loy and his musicians the freedom to explore the outer limits of horn-driven Jamaican soul. The flipside comes with a Pablo piece on the same rhythm. Comes in a hand stamped bag.

Very limited press over run from the 'Soul Vibration' 7 inch box set..once gone..

Powerful, inspiring roots reissue of one of Yabby You’s finest songs. From the moment this tune was released in the 1970s, it became a sound system classic sought after by collectors and DJs. This plea for repatriation glows with a mystic vibe accentuated by stunning harmonies and driving flute and horn arrangements. Repatriation Rock flips the A-side on its head, with a mesmerizing dub.

Essential up-tempo roots classic from Yabby You aka Vivian Jackson and the Prophets. “Judgment Time” layers heavy bass and horn arrangements against driving, “militant” style drums to create the perfect backdrop for deep, conscious lyrics and The Prophets’ gorgeous harmonies. The B-side is a heavyweight dub that finds King Tubby expertly using his vaunted talents to create a “Judgment Time” version as powerful as the original vocal side.

For years, Diggory Kenrick has been re-energizing classic roots and rocksteady through his musical collaborations with original source material taken from master tape. For “Vengeance,” Kenrick crafts a welcome, new addition to the Yabby You catalog with a sax-led, scorching take of “Jah Vengeance.” On the B-Side Kenrick takes to the mixing board for a vital dub mix of the A-side.

Bunny Lee as producer. Prince Jammy as engineer. The Aggrovators making the tracks. It is the Holy Trinity of Jamaican Music. Throughout the years, recorded music has been shaped by some enduring partnerships between producer and engineer, such as Teo Macero and Fred Plautt for Miles Davis, Jerry Wexler and Tom Dowd for Atlantic Records, and George Martin and Geoff Emerick for the Beatles. But possibly none were as prolific as the collaboration between Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee and Prince Jammy at King Tubby’s Studio between 1976 and 1982.

In 1977 and 1982 respectively, Conflict Dub and Dubbing In The Front Yard were released in London as white labels in extremely limited quantities. The two LPs found the triumvirate of Lee, Jammy and The Aggrovators in perfect form with driving instrumentals, flashes of vocal beauty and mixes that ripped apart and rebuilt traditional notions of sonic structure. Due to the nature of their limited release (not to mention the lack of artwork and even titles) the two dub LPs quickly disappeared into that mythic realm of records whispered about by only the most hard-core reggae collectors. This release is the first-ever reissue of these sought after LPs, and contains all the original songs in both vinyl form (double LP set with both albums on the original labels) and a lush double pack cd with 3 extra bonus tracks. The sleeve notes are by Diggory Kenrick with amazing photos by Howard Johnson, director of the influential Channel 4 documentary ‘Deep Roots Music’.

The 3 CD bonus tracks are all remixes. Two from Paolo ‘Dubfiles’ Baldini for the Dubbing in the Front Yard set. One for Conflict Dub by Diggory Kenrick.

A superb single by the vocalist Busty Brown who is somewhat of a mystery other than that he recorded for the usual roll call of Jamaican producers such as Lee Perry, Derrick Harriott and Clancy Eccles. Busty also sang in the ‘Crepe Souls’ for Herman Chin Loy and did his first recordings at Studio One. Busty seems to have been a noted dancer on the Kingston club scene and recorded this song for Bunny Lee in the early 70s. He has a rich voice and this 45 finds him superbly backed by the vocal harmonies of the Clowns. Comes with the version on the flipside in a hand stamped bag.

1979 roots vocal cut from Phillip Fullwood, 1st time reissued since the time..

1976 rare recording from Phillip Fullwood, next vocal cut to Burning Spear's "Free"

‘Space Funk – Afro Futurist Electro Funk in Space 1976-84’, is an intergalactic journey into black space, fuelled by funk, powered by computers.

‘Space Funk’ is a lovingly compiled collection of superb, rare and off-the-wall space funk and electro releases mostly released on small independent labels in the late 1970s and 1980s.

Reactors are reacting, boosters are boosting, pack your funk and shake your booty! Computer funk … makes you jump! This is the space funk program!

The album comes in deluxe artwork and three formats – digipack + slipcase CD, a very limited deluxe 2xLP + bonus 7” single + download vinyl version, and a standard 2xLP + download standard vinyl version.

Features music by Jamie Jupitor, Solaris, Robotron 4, Juju & the Space Rangers and many more intergalactic space warriors!

The shuttle program has been altered – there is no Star Wars only electro funk jam joyriders in Space – hold tight!

‘Walls of Jerusalem’ is a unique musical collaboration between the producer Yabby You and the legendary dub master King Tubby. The two were close friends, frequent collaborators and deep admirers of each other’s artistry. ‘Walls of Jerusalem’ was the last full-length project they worked on together. For years this release lay buried in obscurity: original copies came out, in minute quantities, on the Prophets Label in a blank, white sleeve. A later issued even misnamed the artist. Yet the music within is deep roots of the highest quality – mesmerizing tracks that illustrate Yabby You’s particular sound and spiritual vision. Disc One presents the album in its original form, showcasing King Tubby’s virtuosity as an engineer, deliberately shaping a sophisticated stereo mix to aid in the creation of a bold, artistic statement. Disc Two includes a number of never-released studio outtakes, alternate mixes and instrumental cuts of some of Yabby You’s most classic tunes. These mixes put the listener right there in the studio, complete with “chatter” between the musicians, Tubby and Yabby discovered on the master tapes, and included between the tracks of this reissue. Together, the two discs of Walls Of Jerusalem are dub and roots music of the finest order and and a major celebration of the creative genius of Yabby You and King Tubby. This Double LP is lovingly packaged with extensive sleeve notes by Diggory Kenrick. * previously unreleased + CD has two bonus tracks.

Since it first appeared in 1976, King Tubby's dub-wise reworking of tracks by Yabby You's Prophets project has become a sought after item amongst reggae aficionados. Remarkably, it has never been reissued before, making this first vinyl edition in 23 years a must-have for those addicted to weighty bass, heavy riddims and echoing effects. There's much to enjoy from start to finish, including the delay-laden horns and gentle grooves of "Fair Lady", the surprisingly cheery skank of "Tear Gas In Waterhouse", the seductive solos of "Tradition Skank" and the low-slung, bass-heavy throb of "Serious Rebellion", a stripped back dub straight from the top drawer.

Back in stock!

Soul Jazz Records new Studio One release Rocksteady Got Soul is a collection of uplifting and superb rocksteady and soulful reggae from the late 1960s and early 1970s. Studio One is the number one label in the history of reggae and he album features - as ever with Studio One - an impeccable and unbeatable line-up of reggae superstars all soaring at the height of their creative powers. Alton Ellis, John Holt, The Heptones, Jackie Mittoo, The Ethiopians, Lee Perry and more.

The album is a mix of classic tunes and rhythms alongside super-rarities that were released in a dazzlingly complex web of Studio One labels and issues, deftly navigated with new sleevenotes from author and Studio One authority Rob Chapman. But enough with the chatter, just spin the platter - these tunes rule the town, hands down!

This Soul Jazz/Studio One album is released as deluxe gatefold double-vinyl + house inners + download code. Also as jewel case CD housed in card slipcase. Both formats come with full sleeve notes/discography and exclusive photography. (The album is also available digitally on day of release onwards)

This is the new instalment of Soul Jazz Records’ ground-breaking Deutsche Elektronische Musik series, ‘A near-definitive guide to some of the world's most extraordinary music’ (The Guardian).

This latest edition features many of the classic German electronic and Krautrock groups from the 1970s & 80s – including Can, Amon Duul II, Harmonia, Conrad Schnitzler, Agitiation Free, Roedelius – as well as a host of lesser known artists such as Dzyan, Klauss Weiss, Gruppe Between and many more.

Deutsche Elektronische rarities unearthed on the album include Kalacakra (whose fan-base included the great Moondog!) and their superb ‘Nearby Shiras,’ taken from their super-rare spiritual/psychedelic private press concept album Crawling to Lhasa, from 1972.

Deutsche Elektronische 4 includes a wealth of German electronic experimental artists – the seminal pioneering group Harmonia (Roedelius, Moebius and Michael Rother), avant-garde guru Conrad Schnitzler as well as lesser known synthetic artists such as Klauss Weiss, Deutsche Wertarbeit, E.M.A.K. (Electronische Musik Aus Koln), Gunter Schickert and others.

Finally, the album also features an array of heavy and progressive German cosmic rock groups – Dzyan, Virus and the amazing Turkish/German tripped out sound of Alex’s ‘Patella Black’, recorded at Can’s Inner Space in 1973, produced by Holger Czukay and Jackie Liebezeit.

Deutsche Elektronische 4 comes with extensive newly commissioned sleevenotes by David Stubbs, author of the seminal books ‘Future Days: Krautrock and the building of Modern Germany’, ‘Mars By 1980: The story of Electronic Music’, and ‘Krautrock: Cosmic Rock and its Legacy’.

This album comes as a heavyweight triple vinyl edition with full colour inner sleeves, as well as a deluxe double CD edition with outsize booklet and slipcase. Both formats include full liner notes and extensive rare photography.

Kamaal Williams curates the hallowed DJ-Kicks mix series featuring four of his own brand new and exclusive tracks and hints at the wide world of influences that have made him one of the most prominent artists of the last few years. Inc. music from the likes if Seiji, Steve Spacek, Lone, Tenderlonious, Dego, K15 and more!

Vinyl tracklisting:

A1. Budgie - Sometimes
A2. Kamaal Williams - Snitches Brew (Live in Atlanta) [EXCLUSIVE]
A3. Steve Spacek - Hey There
B1. DJ Harrison - Moving Up
B1. Ratgrave - Ein Kola Bitte!
B3. Wbeeza - He’s So Crazy
C1. Seiji - Buggin' Out
C2. Freeez - Southern Freeez
C3. Hard House Banton - Sirens
D1. Henry Wu - 117 Careplan
D2. Henry Wu - Wivout U [EXCLUSIVE]
D3. Kamaal Williams - Shinjuku (DJ-Kicks) [EXCLUSIVE]

Killer roots rocker from Johnny Clarke originally released in 1975 with awesome King Tubby dub on the flip.

First ever re-release of classic Trojan LP
Many tracks new to CD
Includes many of Jamaica’s biggest hits from 1967 to 1970
During the late 1960s, a select number of independent Jamaican music makers successfully challenged the island’s recording industry giants and of these, few proved more talented or influential than Derrick Harriott.
By the close of the decade, Harriott had produced a succession of local hits on his Crystal and Move & Groove imprints, and in 1970 a dozen of his most popular rock steady and reggae works to date were gathered on what proved to be one of Trojan Records’ most popular LPs of the year: ‘Psychedelic Train’.
Now, some 46 years after its original release, this seminal album is at long last available once more, with its original dozen tracks augmented by a further 13 rock steady and early reggae recordings.
The end result is the most definitive collection of the immensely popular singer-producer’s early works yet to see issue.

Compilation of Lee 'Scratch' Perry productions, all from original 7" singles dated between 1973-79. All of the selections were recorded at The Black Ark Studio, Kingston Jamaica. All tracks featured on previous Studio 16 release The Black Emperor, these are the rare dub versions.

A.K.A. The Viceroys killer rare roots album from 1976 produced by Phil Pratt. Recorded at Channel One Studios with Wesley Tinglin & Neville Ingram on lead vocals. Check 'Detour'  'Send Us' 'Nothing Is impossible' 'Jah Ho' Great reissue from Pressure Sounds.

By the close of the 1970s, dub was firmly established as a favourite sub-genre of the reggae canon, with every Jamaican-based producer of note releasing albums dedicated to the style. Sonia Pottinger was no exception and in Treasure Isle studios sound engineer, Errol Brown, she had one of the finest exponents in the business, his talents as a dub master reflected in a number of sought-after long-players, including “Culture Dub” and “‘Medley Dub”, two exceptional collections that form the basis of this 2CD set.

“Culture Dub” on Disc One, comprises compelling dub mixes of tracks lifted from “Harder Than The Rest”, the first LP cut by seminal roots vocal trio Culture for Pottinger’s High Note Records. The remainder of the disc comprises further superior dubs of Culture’s recordings during their sojourn with the producer, between 1978 and 1979.

CD2 showcases the equally rare “Medley Dub” LP, which had seen issue a few years earlier. The set demonstrates Errol Brown’s unerring ability to transform even vintage sounds into dub classics, with the repertoire comprising mixes of an array of recordings first cut in the late Sixties and early Seventies. The bonus material dates from the mid-to-late 1970s, with all 15 tracks making their CD debut!

Vinyl format finally in stock!

Odd Future's Tyler, The Creator brings his follow up to his 'Cherry Bomb' album. 'Scum Fuck Flower Boy' us is as oddball as ever tand features performances by Frank Ocean, ASAP Rocky, Schoolboy Q, Lil Wayne, Pharrell Williams and Jaden Smith.

Pressure Sounds 100th release!

Double CD Pack with both albums 'Rockers From The Land Of Reggae' and 'Words In Dub' plus six bonus tracks spread over the two CDs. Extensive sleeve notes and lovingly packaged!

This is the latest new installment of Soul Jazz Records’ on-going collection of Rastafarian music at Studio One, featuring classic material from legendary roots and culture artists The Gladiators, Horace Andy, Freddie McGregor, Sugar Minott and the Wailing Souls, alongside a superb selection of rarities from Sir Coxsone’s musical empire made up of one-off and practically unknown Rastafarian artists who recorded on a myriad of Studio One off-shoot labels in the 1970s – The Manchesters, Mellodies, The Nightingales and others.

In this new collection, we see that once again the prescient Clement Dodd was a man who saw the wider picture. In the 1960s it was Sir Coxsone who identified the creative potential of The Wailers, Toots and the Maytals, Heptones, Burning Spear and many, many others. In the 1970s Studio One released an untouchable selection of the finest as styles moved from reggae to deejay to dub and, in the latter half, the emergence of dancehall.

But what is also clear is that throughout this era Studio One released an incredible amount of roots music, and not just the most commercially obvious. For alongside the career-building catalogues of Burning Spear, The Wailing Souls, The Gladiators and so on, one needs to be an ardent Studio One collector to know some of the truly raw Rastafarian music featured here. Groups such as The Manchesters or The Nightingales feel as if they were recorded straight out of the churchical chants of the mansions.

Black Man’s Pride explains the links between the ideology of Clement Dodd at Studio One and the Rastafarian faith, which was the creation of Afro-Jamaicans and concerned above all else with a black consciousness and empowerment, a rediscovering of the personal and racial identity of black people. The movement began in the 1930s and, in tandem with this black consciousness, called for a rejection of the British imperial culture that dominated Jamaica, while creating an identity based on a re-appropriation of an African heritage.

The Rastafari movement was like a pivot, bringing together and balancing many vectors of ideologies. Marcus Garvey’s Back to Africa movement, trades union discourse, anti-colonialism and nation independence, maroon self-definition and independence, the spirit of African rebellion in the Caribbean. For Clement Dodd, a black man and producer growing up in Kingston in this era, Rastafari was simply a part of his everyday world – from witnessing Count Ossie’s grounations to the faith of many Jamaican artists at Studio One – from the Skatalites onwards.

Featured here alongside these classic and rare tracks from Studio One are new and extensive sleeve notes with track-by-track notes by Rob Chapman, author of the acclaimed Downbeat Special and Never Grow Old Studio One books.

The album is released as double heavyweight gatefold vinyl (+ free download code), CD with slipcase and booklet, and digital album.

‘Bunny Lee, the Hit Maker from Jamaica.’

Soul Jazz Records presents this collection featuring the heavy 70s roots reggae of Bunny Lee – a living legend, one of the last of the great Jamaican record producers who helped shape and define reggae music in the 1970s from a small island sound into an internationally successful musical genre.

From teenage fan to young record plugger for Duke Reid, Sir Coxsone and other early pioneering Jamaican musical entrepreneurs, Lee has spent his whole professional life inside the Kingston music industry. In the 1970s he rose up to become one of the major record producers in Jamaica alongside Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, and the other ‘small axe’ producers, who broke the dominance of the ‘big tree’ producers that had ruled Jamaican music in the 1960s.

Featuring some of the heaviest Jamaican artists including Johnny Clarke, King Tubby, Dillinger, Prince Jazzbo, Tommy McCook, The legendary Aggrovators (featuring Sly and Robbie), The Mighty Diamonds and more, the album is a rollercoaster ride of rare, deep and classic 1970s roots, dub and DJ sounds.

During this era ‘flying cymbals’, crashing reverbs, dark echoing thunderclap gunshots and other ‘implements of sound’ filled his record productions as Bunny Lee explored the outer limits of dub with his friend King Tubby in the mix on wild versions that accompanied any 45. A Bunny Lee record provides a creative and mysterious hidden guide to reggae music itself, a double-sided three-minute intangible history lesson etched in wax.

Bunny Lee was one of the first Jamaican producers to travel to England in the late 1960s, at the beginning of the nascent British reggae music industry as record companies such as Trojan, Pama and others began licensing Jamaican music in the UK to supply the expanding West Indian communities living up and down England. Lee encouraged other Jamaican producers to do the same, including Lee Perry, Harry J and Niney the Observer, and also became a conduit between the British music industry and numerous younger Island-based producers - a frequent flyer reggae ambassador, a musical courier exchanging tapes for royalties.

His first recordings in the late 1960s were mainly rock steady but as the 70s approached the music soon began to mutate and slow down into ‘reggae’ as the sound became heavier, more roots-y and the sound itself began to change with the explosion of dub. Lee was at the forefront to this dramatic musical shift into roots reggae, and by this time had become a major producer, capable of working with whoever he chose as world-famous singers, DJs and musicians lined up to work with the charismatic man. Lee also employed a fluid but stable set of crack session musicians who he named The Aggrovators.

Most of the recordings featured here come from the mid-70s, a time when Bunny Lee was definitely ‘in the zone,’ releasing heavyweight singles at an almost unstoppable rate. Bunny Lee’s career stretches over five decades and he has upwards of 2,000 production credits on vinyl.

Did you work all night?

‘Yeah man, night and day. One weekend I remember, I go in a Channel One on a Friday night and I never come out ‘til Monday morning. Just send out to get food and ting.’ Bunny Lee

This album comes with extensive sleevenotes, an interview with Bunny Lee, and exclusive photography. The album is available as a massive triple LP vinyl + download code, house inner, full notes, as well as deluxe CD pack with 24-page booklet, and digital album.

Classic late 80s hip-hop.

Megumi Mesaku and Mafia & Fluxy getting on the Christmas vibe with reggae versions of some xmas favs "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" "Silent Night" "Little Christmas Tree"

This is the second installment of deep roots Rastafarian reggae at Studio One and features classic music from some of the most important figures in reggae music – Alton Ellis, The Heptones, Jackie Mittoo, The Gladiators – alongside a host of rarities and little-known recordings, such as a truly rare Mystic Revelation of Rastafari seven-inch single, Willie William’s first ever recording ‘Calling’ and Horace Andy’s righteous (and equally rare) masterpiece ‘Illiteracy.’

Black Man’s Pride 2 extends the legacy of Studio One’s ground-breaking path in roots reggae which began at the end of the 1960s and continued throughout the 1970s. The album tells the story of how the rise of Studio One Records and the Rastafari movement were interconnected, through the adoption of the Rastafari faith by key reggae artists – everyone from the Skatalites and Wailers in the 1960s, major singers such as Alton Ellis and Horace Andy at the end of the decade, through to major roots artists such as The Gladiators in the 1970s – and how Clement Dodd consistently recorded this heavyweight roots music throughout Studio One’s history.

The extensive sleeve-notes to this album also discuss the links between Rastafari and Studio One in time and place, noting how both the religion and Clement Dodd’s musical empire had their roots in the intense period of pre-independence Jamaica in Kingston, expanded in the 1960s following the visit of Haile Selassie in 1966, and how roots music then came to dominate reggae music in the early 1970s. Also discussed is how the outsider stance of both reggae music and the Rastafari movement relate back many hundreds of years to the original rebel stance of the Maroons, escaped slaves who set up self-sufficient enclaves in the hills of the Jamaican countryside.

There is also a track-by-track history by the noted Studio One writer Rob Chapman (Never Grow Old). This new album comes as heavyweight gatefold double vinyl (+ download code), deluxe CD and digital album.

REVIEWS of Black Man's Pride:

"Soul Jazz’s albums are different: not only have they encouraged a new, younger audience, parallel to the one that enjoys rare funk and spiritual jazz, to appreciate this music, their records are coherent. They’re not just a heap of tunes that happen to be sharing a black vinyl apartment. They’re themed and meld musically. They have a reason to exist.
In this instance, that reason is an exploration of 70s vocal roots reggae with a theme of black pride and dignity." Record Collector

Continuing the Studio 1 Series this album features classic and rare Dub tracks from Studio One, many available for the first time in over thirty years. Studio One Dub includes the dubs of many classic tracks such as Horace Andy’s “Skylarkin”, Johnny Osbourne’s “Truth and Rights”, John Holt’s “Hooligan”, Freddie McGregor’s “Bobby Bobylon” plus many more rare tracks. In short, this is an essential album!

Cuba: Music and Revolution: Culture Clash in Havana: Experiments in Latin Music 1975-85 Vol. 1 is the new album compiled by Gilles Peterson and Stuart Baker (Soul Jazz Records) that explores the many new styles that emerged in Cuba in the 1970s as Jazz, Funk, Brazilian Tropicalia and even Disco mixed together with Latin and Salsa on the island as Cuban artists experimented with new musical forms created in the unique socialist state of Cuba.

The album comes as a heavyweight 3xLP and deluxe 2xCD set, complete with extensive sleeve notes, and is jam-packed with heavy bass lines, synth and Wah-Wah guitar funk combined with the heavyweight percussion, powerful brass lines and the all-encompassing Latin rhythms of Cuban music known throughout the world.

The album is released to coincide with the massive new deluxe large format book Cuba: Music and Revolution: Original Cover Art of Cuban Music: Record Sleeve Designs of Revolutionary Cuba 1959-90, published in November, which is also compiled by Gilles Peterson and Stuart Baker (Soul Jazz Records), and which features the music and record designs of Cuba, made in the 30-year period following the Cuban Revolution.

The music on this album features legendary Cuban groups such as Irakere, Los Van Van and Pablo Milanés as well as a host of lesser known artists such as the radical Grupo De Experimentación, Juan Pablo Torres and Algo Nuevo, Grupo Monumental and Orquesta Ritmo Oriental, groups whose names remain largely unknown outside of Cuba owing to the now 60-year old US trade embargo which remains in place today and which prevents trade with Cuba – and thus most Cuban records were only ever available in Cuba or in ex-Soviet Union states.

The music on this album reflects the most cutting-edge of Cuban groups that were recording in Cuba in the 1970s and 1980s – who were all searching for a new Cuban identity and new musical forms that reflected both the Afro-Cuban cultural heritage of a nation that gave birth to Latin music - and its new position as a socialist state. Most of the music featured on this album have never been heard outside of Cuba.

Both Gilles Peterson and Stuart Baker have been involved in Cuban music for more than two decades – Gilles Peterson with his many Havana Cultura projects for his Brownswood label and Stuart Baker with a number of Soul Jazz Records albums recorded in Cuba. This Soul Jazz Records album is released in conjunction with Egrem, the Cuban state record company, and has been put together after the many crate-digging trips that both compilers have made on the streets of Havana and beyond in Cuba stretching over a 20-year period, searching out rare and elusive original Cuban vinyl records.

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REVIEWS:

"It may only be January, but we already have a strong contender for 'compilation of the year'. Put together by devout crate-diggers and Cuban music enthusiasts Gilles Peterson and Stuart Baker (founder of Soul Jazz Records)" JUNO

"It's abundantly clear that these compilers are at the very top of their game. Everything here was previously unheard outside of Cuba, making this a feast for the curious" Vinyl District

"Priceless comp goes beyond Buena Vista" UNCUT

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*Please note the vinyl sticker of this album says "+download code" but it's a mistake! There is no download with this particular album due to legal reasons. Sorry for this error!

Originally released in 1979 on West London label "Jamaica Sound" Superb dub album mixed at King Tubby's & Channel One. Vinyl is single vinyl and the CD is as below..

Double Cd with the Super Disco Style with 3 bonus tracks on the CD. The Tommy McCook 'Super Star Disco Rockers' set is a free bonus CD. There are a couple of bonus tracks thrown in on the second Tommy McCook set for good measure. Comes with extensive notes by Diggory Kenrick a deluxe digital pack for the price of a single CD.

Debut album from (Ska Cubano, Topcats, Trojans) saxophonist Megumi Mesaku which contains the sought after "Megumi Special" also her versions of "Pupa Lick" (check youtube too see her busking..) "Stir It Up" Produced by Mafia & Fluxy.

Superb 17 track compilation of the former Uniques singer's self produced rare roots tunes from 1975 to 1985. Check 'Majority Rule' 'Gunman of JA' 'Nyah-Bingi' and many more. Available on double vinyl and cd with full sleevenotes and photos.

This latest instalment in Soul Jazz Records’ successful Deutsche Elektronische Musik series delves deeper into the German nation’s vaults to bring a fascinating new collection that again brings together a selection of classic German electronic and rock groups, including Neu!, Cluster, Popol Vuh, La Düsseldorf, Agitation Free, alongside a host of rare tracks by lesser known artists which includes Michael Bundt, Bröselmaschine, Dronsz, Achim Reichel and others.

The music of Deutsche Elektronische Musik 3 ranges from the introverted pastoralism of Hans Joachim Roedelius and Bröselmaschine, to the angular and futuristic electronic experimentations of Klauss Weiss, Pyrolator, Deuter, Michael Bundt and others, to the proto-punk of La Düsseldorf and the heavy space, progressive and cosmic rock of Missus Beastly, Niagara and Dyzan.

The music on Deutsche Elektronische Musik 3 was all recorded in the 1970s up to the early 1980s, at a time when forward-thinking German electronic and rock groups were searching for a new musical identity in order to separate themselves from both the cultural legacy of post-world war two Germany as well the ‘cultural imperialism’ of USA and UK rock. In this process German groups created some of the most unique and inspired music, the defining motorik beat alongside a host of ethno-musical influences from far afield – including Turkey, India, Brazil – as well as the musical and futurist possibilities of developments in electronics and technology itself.

Deutsche Elektronische Musik 3 is released as a heavyweight 3xLP, deluxe double CD pack and digital release. The new extensive sleevenotes are by David Stubbs, who is the author of the acclaimed book, ‘Future Days: Krautrock and the Building of Modern Germany’ (Faber & Faber).

“A near-definitive guide to some of the world’s most extraordinary music’’ ***** The Guardian

"There are many potential futures contained within this exemplary Soul Jazz compilation" The Quietus