Reggae & Dancehall Tape 15 Items

Death Is Not The End's mixtape-style selection of clips from tapes recorded live at soundsystems playing during London's Notting Hill Carnival between 1984 and 1988, originally broadcast on NTS Radio in August 2018, is the latest to be committed to cassette as part of their 10th anniversary series. Featuring sounds from the likes of Jamdown Rockers, Saxon, Java Nuclear Power, Killerwatt Turbotronic, Stereograph, Sir Coxsone, Volcano Express and more.

Audio sourced with the indefatigable efforts of the Who Cork The Dance crew - big thanks going out to Jayman, Ruff House, Keimo, Omar, Gee Wizz and the one Jah Humble.

Cassette Week 2020 release. A classic from the Moon SKA NYC days, this streetpunk oi/ska classic was one the the labels most popular titles and is now on tape for the first time every. Expanded edition (90 minutes) with bonus material taken from early demo tapes and live shows.

Death Is Not The End's 333 sub-label follows the reissue of Devon Russell's Darker Than Blue LP late last year with a first-time reissue of a veritable reggae-dancehall holy grail - Robert Ffrench's 1985 LP 'Wondering'.
Pioneering artist and producer (and cousin of the late, great Pat Kelly) Robert Ffrench was born in central Kingston in 1962, recording his first records in 1979 at the age of 17. Coming out off the back of a slew of roots & early dancehall-style 45s cut with a wide range of producers thoughout the early '80s, the Wondering LP followed closely after two acclaimed LP sets ('Showcase' produced with Lord Koos & 'The Favourite' for Ossie Thomas' Black Solidarity label - plus a split showcase LP with Anthony "Gunshot" Johnson for Jah Thomas' Midnight Rock label).
Ffrench would write and produce the Wondering LP himself in it's entirity, laying down the tracks at Herman Chin-Loy's Aquarius & Michael Carroll's Creative Sounds studios with the help of engineer Christopher Daley. Representing the sound of an artist first confidently sriking out on his own, the album elegantly mixes a classic rub-a-dub & lovers rock-inspired sound with nascent digi-esque flourishes. It boasts an enviable list of contributors too, incl. Sly & Robbie, Dwight Pinkney, Robbie Lyn, Nelson Miller (Burning Spear) and Ronald "Nambo" Robinson among others, with Beres Hammond also providing backing vocals in places.
Following the release of Wondering, Ffrench would continue to write and produce, soon after releasing two further self-produced LPs for Edgar White's Parish label - and founded his own 'France' label in the late 80s, through which his productions would start to hit big, most notably alongside Courtney Melody on 'Modern Girl', and with US rapper Heavy D on the track 'More Love'. Robert's productions released through later label 'Ffrench' would go on to boast the cream of the crop of dancehall artists throughout the 90s and early 2000s, and he is often credited with discovering Buju Banton (producing his first single "Ruler" on the Stamina riddim). Ffrench is still actively producing music of his own to this day, having released singles 'Everyday of My Life' and 'Black Is a Colour' in late 2022 and Feb 2023 respectively, available through all digital platforms now.

333, under exclusive license from Robert Ffrench.

Classic Wailers recordings done with Lee Perry early 70s. Tuff roots rhythms with early stripped down versions to later well known tracks such as "Sun Is Shining" "African Herbsman" "Keep On Moving" and many more.

Begging the Moon is a collection focused upon an early-to-mid 20th century style of Thai popular song, commonly named Phleng Thai sakon (meaning "song which is both Thai and universal"). With recordings taken from the end of Wwii until the start of the 1960s, many of these tracks may also be referred to as Luk krung (meaning "child of the city") a more urbanised style of popular song that is in contrast to the Thai country music known as Luk thung ("child of the field").

Following the Thai cultural revolution of the 1930s and the following reign of west-leaning premier Plaek Phibunsongkhram, Thai culture began to adopt more and more western influences - with Thai traditional and classical music starting to incorporate western notation and particularly Jazz-orientated themes. Thai folk melodies were also adapted to create "ramwong" - a merging of popular western dance music styles such as the tango or rumba, spear-headed at the time by the pioneering Suntaraporn band.

In the years following the end of Wwii, the Phleng Thai sakon began to gradually develop sub-genres such as phleng talad (market songs) or phleng chiwit (life songs) focused on rural topics, and sung with rural accents. A little while later this would lead to a formal demarcation in the music - with the polished and western ballad-orientated music known as Luk krung, and the more traditional/country style now dubbed Luk thung. The gap between the two would then widen, both musically and culturally, right up to the present day.

The recordings compiled here can broadly be categorised as being in the former Luk krung style, though some tracks may touch on rural subjects and motifs. However that is not to say they are overpowered by western musical influence - many of these tracks display potent aspects of traditional Thai music within their beguiling and romantic arrangements.

Thanks to Peter Doolan/Monrakplengthai.

Dancehall knowledge Felix Hall presents a momentous 20 year follow-up to Mo Wax’s pivotal, highly influential 2001 instrumental showcase ‘Now Thing’ a blueprint of sorts for the likes of Equiknoxx almost two decades later. This new set - almost two years in the making - reunites original comp players Lil Toby, Will Bankhead and Oliver Payne (on compiling and artwork duties) and features 16 prime Jamaican bullets for Felix Hall’s shockout label, Chrome. Resetting the timeline to 1997-2020, ‘Now Thing 2’ expands on the crucial first set - which was a gateway to the world of dancehall for many heads - with deadly cuts from the scene’s leading producers; spanning Dave Kelly to Steely & Clevie, from NYC’s Bobby Konders to Ward 21, and including killer side-spins on ‘90s rave and R&B. bTwo decades since the first set, it’s astute to say that dancehall has exerted a huge degree of influence over dance and club music of all stripes over the interim. Much like how roots reggae and dub influenced disco and post-punk in the ’70s; Dancehall, with its origins in the digidub of Jammy’s ‘Sleng Teng’ riddim, has irrevocably informed jungle, rap, garage, and even pop and techno for the past generation, and ‘Now Thing 2’ is the strongest primer you’ll likely come across.. It’s a proper sound-system thing, deeply rooted in the competitive, inventive nature of Jamaican music, which would, according to ‘Bass Culture’ writer Lloyd Bradley’s liner notes “constantly reinvent itself as a way of staying ahead of the sound system on the next corner.” With access to new technology, producers persistently pushed their paradigm along the axes of function and distinction, with each asserting their individuality in a syncretic style and its permutations of tresillo drum patterns, all at the service of bringing bodies to the dance and keeping them there.

*c50 length Cassette Tape* "Best Available Technology joins `blundar ́ C50 tape series followed by Blundar12 LP"

Italian Jamaican boogie, calypso & ska trio's latest album now on tape for Cassette Week 2020. Includes wonderful versions of "got MY Mojo Working", "buona Sera", "l-o-v-e", "that's Amore", "down IN Mexico", and the title track. Popular in Europe and have several Japanese releases.

Official Cassette Week 2020 release. female fronted Russian ska/reggae act known world round release their first dub album on tape, limited edition of 50. A very jazzy, spacey project, dubbing up Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coletrane, Thelonious Monk, Henry Mancini and more.

Originally released in 1987, this album is considered by many to be the birth of modern "third wave" ska in the USA. Remastered audio with "new" artwork that includes illustrations by legendary comic book artist BOB FINGERMAN. Limited to 150 copies for CSD2016.

City Pop / Reggae singer "Natsu Summer" releases new album in 2024! Produced by Cunimondo Takiguchi from Ryusenkei. Natsu Summer's latest release is a blend of danceable lovers' rock and soothing city pop, with ama-piano rhythms and steppers. Produced by Cunimondo Takiguchi of Ryusenkei, the album is not just reggae or city pop, but also throws out some new ideas. The cover of a hidden Japanese Lovers Rock song from the 90's, which is not easily released on record due to rights issues, is sure to attract attention!

The new release from Zouen Keikaku, an independent label that has released works by Ooyamada Daisanmyaku and Yaryu, among others, that made a splash at last year's RSD and Record Day Japan. This is the second collection by Tokyo electronic musician, Yo. The sharply polished post-industrial sound tangles the feet that line the dance floor and interrupts their dance steps. The dub-derived heavy bass swings aimlessly, crawling around like a snake with bizarre sound textures that cannot be enclosed in any musical genre. A DL code for "B," a special collection of remixed and unreleased sound sources, is included along with a mini booklet that resembles a sightseeing pamphlet.

Time Splitters is a various artist compilation created and produced by Richmond VA based Deskulling in collaboration with veteran Spanish Town JA artist I Jahbar between 2021 and 2023. This 21 track 50 plus minute Dancehall epic also includes other veteran vocalists such as G Sudden, RDL Shellah, Buddydon, and Darkchild plus newer talents such as Fearless, Longdon, Latty, King Kush and 1 Solar Boss. Alexander West who passed away in 2023 contributes an ethereal and heartfelt album closing performance on “Granny Grenade”. Time Splitters is a sprawling creation that captures a multiplicity of emotions, life complexities, spiritual evocations, and musical dimensions. Deskulling's eclectic productions are rendered to the perfect minimalism and provide a rich and varied platform for vocal performances that move between dark and light, sad and joyful, heavy and soft. A lot of work went into this release over a few years from many people during times of inner and outer complexities, turmoils, and tribulations. This release musically, lyrically, emotionally, represents life's spectrum's fully. Thanks for listening.