Reggae & Dancehall 71 Items

“…the greatest man that came to Jamaica and changed the whole beat from ska to rock steady was Lyn Taitt. He was from Trinidad but Byron Lee did bring him come to Jamaica as an organist but he started playing guitar and the rest is history! We should call him rock steady… it’s Lyn Taitt as he was the man! He played lead guitar and ska at the same time…” Bunny Lee

As the frantic, frenetic pace of ska finally let up in 1966 the cool, cool sound of rock steady came to the fore. This languid, soulful music was the complete musical antithesis of its more famous antecedent and the gentle guitar of Lyn Taitt would forever define the sound of rock steady.

Trinidadian Nerlyn ‘Lyn’ Taitt had been given a contract by Byron Lee to travel to Jamaica to play at the Independence celebrations in 1962 but fell in love with Jamaica and decided to stay joining The Sheiks and then The Cavaliers before forming Lyn Taitt & The Comets. Lyn also recorded as a guest guitarist with The Skatalites before Lyn Taitt & The Jets came together in 1966.

The rock steady beat was slower, more measured and the emphasis was placed on the bass. It no longer gave equal emphasis to every beat but, instead, played a repeated pattern that syncopated the rhythm. The

rhythmic focus shifted to the core of the music to the bass and the drums where it has remained ever since.

“For that tempo the tempo is very slow with the bass and guitar line playing the same thing. You used to use two guitars. Hux Brown and myself or another guitarist and myself. And it was very slow but with a definite bass line going straight through the song…” Lyn Taitt

Lyn Taitt & The Jets were soon in such great demand that they would often play up to five sessions a day for as many different producers but they were not the only rock steady band. When the Skatalites had broken up in 1965 Jackie Mittoo formed Studio One’s house band The Soul Brothers (who soon became The Soul Vendors) and Tommy McCook decided to work with Duke Reid at Treasure Isle studio with The Supersonics. Bobby Aitken’s Carib Beats eschewed subtlety for drive but together these musicians were responsible for establishing the rules of rock steady music.

Their gentle approach allowed vocalists such as Alton Ellis, Ken Boothe and Desmond Dekker and harmony groups including The Techniques, The Melodians, The Uniques and The Paragons and many, many more to demonstrate their prowess.

Rock steady only lasted for a brief period, from 1966 to 1968, but its significance to the subsequent development of Jamaican music is incalculable and it would go on to shape each successive musical movement over the next four decades. Deejays, dub, digital and dance hall all stepped to the tune and pace of rhythms whose

origins were grounded in the rock steady beat and it is impossible to ever overstate its importance... or its beauty.

Stix is back in 2014 with a scorching Disco Reggae Volume 2!

Tradesman has been grafting hard in the studio making another massive digital riddim named ‘Springbox’. On it Speng Bond vividly paints a vocal picture of a rammed dance as he has to ‘Fight fi come in’ while Parly B rips it up with the ‘Rudeboy skank’. One of the discs carries a dub on the flip, the other a clean riddim track - ideal for dropping versions to mash up any dance hall. These vinyls are strictly limited to 500 so you will need to move fast to secure your copy.

The Quasi Dub Development (QDD) has been founded as a collective four years ago by Luca Fadda and F.S. Blumm. After “Limousine To The Guillotine” (2011) comes now their new album. The QDD love Dub, obviously, but they play it by hand with their many instruments and effects, instead of working in the studio along the classic post production methods of the genre. Their friendly, handmade „Quasi Dub“ is at the same time experimental and accessible. This sound has convinced nobody else than of the pioneers of the Dub genre, Lee Perry, to make an appearance in “Let's Communicate”.

Whenever it’s love or misery, hear the cry for a better life & understanding. With drums & bass! Once again, Earth Sound comes out with two exclusive tunes from the Pottinger production vault, recorded in 1966 at Federal Record, Kingston, Ja. Living In
Misery an alternative take of Go Back Home by The Harmonizers plus Oh Ye Mahee by Stranger Cole & The Conquerors. Bongoman rocksteady is sufferers’ rocksteady.

Released in 2014, "Greater Than Great" is the 5th album by Jamaican singer Skarra Mucci, the first for Undisputed Records, bringing together the cream of Reggae Digital productions from Bizzarri Records, DreadSquad, Irie Ites Records, Weedy G Soundforce, Deebuzz Musik, Hard2Def, Soulove / Delamix, D&H Records, Kskamp and Rawkaz Clan which the toaster comes to ride brilliantly. Greater than great, it's just legend! The album "Greater Than Great" offers eclectic versions navigating between Dancehall, Digital, Reggae and Raggamuffin. Skarra Mucci proves once again that he is one of the rare singers capable of putting his voice on all styles of Reggae with a capital "R" and transforming them into instant classics, like "My Sound », his biggest hit found on this album.

Amazing instrumentals in best El Michel's tradition with a touch of Roots Music, straight from Canada - we love it.

Restless Marshaits hailing from Geneva are based around the core of Jil and Stuff. They released a sizeable amount of new roots classics throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Recently becoming active again, they are best remembered for the sessions they recorded at Kingston, Jamaica in the mid/late 90s with legendary musicians such as Vin Gordon, Deadly Headly and Dizzy Moore. The original releases have been since long deleted, but some are now unearthed thanks to Partial Records.

MU330’s Ultra Panic has been out of print for years. This pressing is 1,000 on half/half random color and includes a 2 sided insert and new label art.

Stix Recordings rounds up all those essential Mato 7" anthems onto this extended player, with all the cuts remastered for the occasion! Includes two unreleased hits featuring Blackstreet (No
Diggity) & Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre (The Wash). Woopiwoop, that's the sound of reggae-hip hop perfection!

Download code is included!

The 'Dub To Go EP' represents the first teaser for the upcoming Kabanjak solo album 'Tree of Mystery' which will be released by ESL Music in the late summer of 2010.

Jay-Z's 'Black Album' acapellas mashed up with classic Studio One riddims striaght out of 70s Kingston.

Jay-Z's 'Black Album' acapellas mashed up with classic Studio One riddims striaght out of 70s Kingston.

Kheper Wax is the second solo album of Imhotep, artist known for have being the sound architecht of IAM, a very popular hip hop group from Marseille (South of France) in the 90’s and the early 00’s.

The 100% instrumental album is a blend of Dub and Trip-Hop, infused with oriental music samples.

It was self-released by the artist in 2013 and since, the album price has increased a lot on Internet.

Almost a decade after it's initial release, we're VERY happy to say this much in-demand Red Motorbike 12" is almost back in our hands. This enduring dedication to the dubwise has been going for eye-watering prices 2nd hand, so load 'em up !

Annivesary edition with new artwork on green vinyl including download code.

From the Reggae Loves Soul album. ..

Rare and unreleased Augustus Pablo from the vaults of Gussie Clark. Includes full 12" versions of the mind-bending 'No Entry' and 'Classical Illusion' (complete with King Jammy dub). Also included is the rare JA 45 take, two unreleased Skylarking shock-outs and impossible to find 45's like 'Believe A Dub'. This is classic Augustus Pablo - Are you ready to be Dubbed?