Roots & Culture 200 Items

First ever spanish language solo recording for Alberto D'Ascola aka Alborosie! - "Asi" (translated in english as "So") is a romantic ballad with a reggae feeling. The 7-inch single is offered as one-time deluxe pressing with four colour jacket art, an inner sleeve and custom label prints.

Italian born reggae star Alborosie has a wide range of guest appearances to his recording credit, spanning multiple genres. His recent work with Catalonian reggae band Green Valley and Brazilian reggae band Ponte de Equilibrio are just two examples of his music bridging borders and languages. Now, Alborosie presents his first Spanish language solo recording, a romantic ballad with a reggae feel titled "Asi". The single will be supported by an official music video, filmed in black & white with dramatic ocean views of Jamaica to emphasize the romance in his performance.

Released on CD and digital on the 21st May 2021, this eagerly anticipated LP from I Grade Records immediately soared to the number one position in the iTunes reggae charts. The LP is now being released on 12" vinyl and cassette tape courtesy of Before Zero Records.
Polarities is the 13th and final full album of new material from Vaughn Benjamin and I Grade Records, the culmination of a 20 year working relationship that began with 2001's Nemozian Rasta album, which was Midnite's 4th album released to date at that time.
Polarities was produced jointly by the Zion I Kings production team, with Tippy I of I Grade at the production helm, alongside Vaughn Benjamin himself.
The album also includes two notable guest features: Tiken Jah Fakoly of Ivory Coast on "Everything Bless" and Chronixx of Jamaica on "Black Carbon", which were both released in 2020 as the first singles off of Polarities.

Akae Beka's inimitable style, developed over decades performing with St. Croix based band Midnite and countless recordings (including 2014 iTunes reggae album of the year Beauty FOR Ashes and Ride Tru). At the point of his untimely passing in 2019, he had released over 70LP's. He is without a doubt one of the most prolific reggae artists ever known and his quanity is always matched with quality, with his albums consistently featuring in the top 10 on the billboard charts reggae LPs.

This release makes no exception. 5 years on from the original 2016 CD and Digital release which charted at number 6 in the reggae billboard charts, this timeless masterpiece is being re-released on 12" Vinyl and Cassette tape, courtesy of Before Zero Records. Produced by ZIK bassist, JAH David, Livicated was Akae Beka's debut release on the Zion High Productions (zhp) label. The album features solid original riddims composed and arranged by the ZIK family with musical contributions from Aston Barrett Jr. (drums), JAH Bless (horns), Chet Samuel (guitar), and Yami Bolo (melodica). Particularly striking on Livicated are the strident, Burning Spear-like horn arrangements and the variety and range of Drew Keys' keyboard voices.

For us is a big pleasure to work together with Claudio AKA Abeng , other than a long time friend is a great musician with a deep Ska, Rocksteady & Roots Knowledge First side Abeng - Poor Man is an Old-Fashioned Bluesy-Rocksteady lovers track talking about the pains of love. Flip side Abeng - Together Soul Rockin' is a different cut to the riddim , a celebration of the feelings that reggae music carries on "Come everybody a come ya , rock together in this sorrow"

"The Wiseman & The Fool" , the last brand new Roots & Culture track arranged & played by mighty Abeng , extra deep mood with horns , falsetto voice and an extra Dark dubwise by Eeyun Purkins. Around April/May 2020 , during the toughest Lockdown we had a very productive and constructive period , Abeng aka Claudio , which arrange, play and sing almost all the instruments of all the chunes we released by him , did a great job finalizing a number of demos he sent us in the previous month and ourself as a label tried to create some fresh connections , we like , when possible to be able to work with a wide number of artists so that each production have some unique magic into it. Eeyun Purkins from the Co-Operators (uk) is surely one of the brightest lights in this Roots & Cultures movement that is bringing to light some fresh fantastic music and during that period he helped us mixing some of Abeng's chunes and passed us some of his riddim (Check Dtws009 "The Moonlight Runner") , he did a majestic job mixing this track , and we are extremely thankful for this. Last but not least , we had the shining Rootikal Horns how did some special horns finalizing and some tuff Sax and Trombone solo....that by now will remain unreleased. Final Touch by Pressure Mastering that did put all the things in order to be pressed and spreaded!

Emotional Rescue and HMV Record Shop (Japan) present the 2nd Disco Reggae Lovers with the music of Haile Maskel and his 101 Band and their cult Jamaica meets America reggae disco bomb Crazy Kind Of Feeling, in it's super rare 7" Mix. Heralding from the furtive 60's Trenchtown, Jamaica, Michael Ashley aka Haile Maskel grew up around music, recording his first sessions with friend Bob Marley, alongside the likes of Peter Tosh, Robbie Shakespeare and Carlton Barrett. Working with Lee Perry, he joined Light Of Saba, while touring with Dennis Brown and Sugar Minott led him overseas, settling in Los Angeles in 1983 and soon launching his Opulence (Sound) label. The label's in house project, Maskel's 101 Band mixed a conscious message in love song, crafted around a boogie discodub. Coming as 7" and 12" (erc101) releases, here the single is presented alongside the true dub version. Dub Take 2 was discovered when the original master tapes were recently unearthed and while the recent 12" reissue featured an "instrumental alternative mix", Dub Take 1, this 7" includes a real dub version, cutting and dropping back and forth between drums, bass, key, vocals and horns in a cool excursion for the heads.