Reggae & Dancehall 271 Items

Soundway Records completes the Lord Echo album collection, finally reissuing the second album in the trilogy from the in-demand New Zealand multi-instrumentalist and producer. Originally released in 2013, ‘Curiosities’ is now available as a DJ friendly double LP for the first time.
The entirely self-produced album blends jazz with disco-tinged neo-soul, reggae and classic afro-beat in effortless manner - and joins the dots between the more downtempo first album ‘Melodies’ and the disco, electronic, club-ready of his third album ‘Harmonies’.
The album also features a dub-funk cover of Pharoah Sanders’ “The Creator Has A Master Plan”, with vocals from Lisa Tomlins.

Cut loud and proud with tracks carefully selected "Sweet Reggae Music" includes first time on LP appearances for the much sought after sound-system favorites "Whom Shall I Be Afraid Of", "Praise His Name" & "Pon Your Toe" alongside the broader than Broadway hits "Here I Come", "Mary Long Tongue", "Mini Bus" etc. - During this golden age of Jamaican music Barrington Levy was the undisputed lord of the dancehall - "Sweet Reggae Music" is 100% black vinyl proof!

Great Disco-Reggae versions of classic hits by some artists as diverse as Madonna, Herbie Hancock, Justin Timberlake, The Commodores, The O'Jays, Curtis Mayfield, Harry Nilsson or Sugarhill Gang.

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 !

Michael Edgehill aka Mikey Melody was born in the parish of Portland, Jamaica. As a youth he constantly raised his voice in song and performing with sound system in the neighborhood community. Known by his sweet voice, his friends gave him the nickname «Mikey Melody».
Mikey Melody was influenced by 60’s and 70’s US R&B icons and Jamaican singers like Bob Marley, Sugar Minott, Burning Spear, Dennis Brown, Bob Andy and Half Pint. In the 1980’s he went to Kingston and was identified early by Lord Sassafrass, who gave him his first recording single “Under Mi Fat Thing” that was covered by many reggae artists. He was then signed by Black Scorpio Corporation which he was a singer on the sound system and recording label. He did songs like “World Is A Disaster”, “Jumbo Mi Jumbo”, “Romance For The Moment”, “Ragga Muffin”, “Unemployment”.
He then moved on to Dennis Star Label which he did songs like “Mona Lisa”, “Maranda” and the hit song “Soldier In Town”. Released in 1988 on Dennis Star International records, ‘’Soldier In Town’’ by Mikey Melody is a pure late 80’s dancehall vocal over heavy digital rhythm by Firehouse Crew.

Dub inc has toured all over the world for many years, regularly playing in front of tens of thousands of spectators, setting the stage ablaze in the largest European and French festivals, thrilling South American and Indian audiences alike. Their videos get hundreds of thousands of views in daily, and they are followed on social networks by more than six hundred thousand fans. Blending Reggae, Dancehall or world music, Bouchkour and Komlan embody the band's voices in styles as different as they are complementary. They pass on a universal message whether the language of their song is French, English or Kabyl (an algerian language) insisting on how important mixed race and the mixing of styles are. The Saint-Etienne based musical group have never sought a particularly mainstream exposure; they went their own way, building their discography with passion, talent, and focus. Perhaps that is why they have been for now twenty years the best ambassadors of French reggae across the globe.

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Limited Edition.

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

A blistering collection of ska tunes from Clement 'Sir Coxsone' Dodd's legendary Studio One Records, Jamaica's foundation label of reggae music. Featuring classic cuts from the originators of Ska - The Skatalites, The Wailers, Lee Perry - alongside a heavy dose of superb rarities from the might vaults of 13 Brentford Road - pure Ska Fever !

Heavyweight soul providers Fat Freddy’s Drop are about to take flight once again with the worldwide release of new album Blackbird!

“…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.

Collecting 5 classic discomixes from Lee Perry's Black Ark Studio from 1977-79 featuring full original Upsetter 12" mix from 1977 of "Disco Devil" with an unreleased Seven Leaves 12" mix of Lord Creator's "Such Is Life" plus Junior Murvin's killer "Roots Train" all nine minutes of it.

Tappa’s Classic ‘pick UP THE Rockers’ CUT AT Channel ONE BY THE Revolutionaries,

Along Side It’s King Tubby DUB CUT.

Repress of Mad Professor's 90s Japanese Mono Lovers remix masterpiece 7" S.S.W. Yoshiko Gotoh is also known as the vocalist of Denki Groove's 'Niji'. This is the first 7" release from '19, coupling the classic "First Light" with a superb dub mix of "Nameless Pierce", and is now being repressed in a limited edition of 300 copies Yoshiko Goshima was described as "a genius female singer with a five-octave voice" in the 1990s and early 2000s. She is a talented artist who is popular for her soulful singing that combines sweetness and toughness, and her 1999 hit single 'Open Up', which was used in a TV commercial, is also memorable. This 7" couples two rare remixes by the reggae dub scene's Mad Professor. The A-side features the 'Mad's Lovers Smooth Mix ver.' from the 'First Light Remixes' 12" single, which was released as a promo-only single in '97 and is now hard to find. A light dub number with dreamy synths and a stretched high-tone voice that feels great, the B-side is the "Mad's Summer Swim Mix" of "No Name Earrings" from the CD single "Swingin' the Swing", also released in '97. " from the CD single 'Swingin' the Swing', also released in '97. It is a moving song with powerful yet melancholy and delicate vocals and a chorus work that builds to euphoria towards the latter half of the song

Music is for Kids,a real producer album oscillating between reggae, hip-hop and electronic music, which crosses borders, with more than 20 guests and 8 different nationalities. Naâman's official beatmaker surrounds himself with the Jamaican legend Sizzla,the new rising stars of the French scene such as Demi Portion, Jahneration or Marcus Gad.

Nearly a decade since their last record, Jay Malinowski and Eon Sinclair better known as duo Bedouin Soundclash, return with their fifth studio album ‘MASS’ to be released Oct. 4th via Mr Bongo.
While pulling from their old catalogue of eclectic post-punk world-beat tendencies, the band journeys further into New Orleans jazz, afro-pop, electronic and gospel on their latest offering, reflecting a creative rebirth influenced by the cities and musicians that surrounded them. Co-produced by Bedouin Soundclash and legendary Philadelphia House DJ King Britt, along with musical direction from Ben Jaffe of Preservation Hall, ‘MASS’ spans two communities, recorded at Marigny Studio’s in New Orleans with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and in Vancouver at St. James Church with the children of the St. James Music Academy.
Mirroring the magnetic energy of New Orleans, ‘MASS’ is a dense sonic journey that incorporates an impressive array of musical influences including Big Band swing to New Orleans jazz, pop, electronica, and more. From the post-punk-soca of album opener ‘Salt Water’, the jangling Big Band swing-pop of recent single ‘Clockwork’, to the Talking Heads-channelling ‘When We’re Gone’, and the dubbing afro-pop gospel of ‘Holy’ that features Mike Dillon distorting his marimbas into another sonic dimension, ‘MASS’ is jam-packed with infectious melodies and summery feel-good vibes.

Part 3 of 3 of the Disciples dub plate 7" vinyl series. Green Colored Vinyl. Played regularly as dubplate by King Shiloh sound system and many more. This fast tempo steppers tune drops well in sessions every time.

This years annual Dub-Team-Up 7" from Moss Norway, 10th issue, a decade strong with double A-side. Kambo Super Sound flexing a hard & heavy, ultra steady ghost-town stepper. Don Papa meets DJ Sotofett in the matters of dub & funk with that significant Latino Dub twist, live drums & percussions. A true crossover – true to its roots!

Britney Spears gets the reggae treatment. Brand new cut of her massive hit 'Toxic' recorded at The Arch, Tottenham by the Horus All Stars.

Tommy McCook’s mighty hornsman version of Yabby You’s “Jah Vengence” re-mastered and reissued in perfect style. This 7” finds the great multi-instrumentalist re-imagining the dark vocals of the original track as a slithering horns track that bursts to crescendo amid the heavyweight bass and drums. The B-side offers up echo-drenched dub.

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 both collectors and DJs. This plea for repatriation glows with a mystic vibe accentuated by stunning harmonies, driving flute and horn arrangements. Repatriation Rock flips the A-side on its head, with a mesmerising dub.

"I Man A The Stal-A-Watt" gathers together 13 sure shots from Cornell Campbell blending the very best of his all-conquering hit run of forty-fives for Bunny "Striker" Lee alongside a stretch of crucial cuts produced by Joe Gibbs - from the 1970s - 80s classic era. The title is a boast from the early soundclash era when many of Campbell's tracks, here produced primarily by Bunny Lee, would play first on King Tubby’s Home Town Hi-Fi in Jamaica. The songs run the range from clash-ready standards like "Mash You Down" and "The Gorgon" to cultural commentaries like "Jah Jah Me Horn Yah" and "Bandulu" to the lover’s masterpiece "The Investigator" which leads off the set. Stretching into the early 80s, the collection includes two originals that would spawn countless re-interpretations, "Rope In" and "Boxing Around".

Featuring Johnny Clarke, King Tubby, Dillinger, Prince Jazzbo, Tommy McCook, The legendary Aggrovators, The Mighty Diamonds & many more.