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Introducing Mark Anthony James, born on April 8, 1968, in Kingston city, Jamaica. A musical career spanning since 1983 when he adopted the stage name "Blacka Shines" and marked his entry into the studio with his first recording in 1987 amidst the digital reggae revolution. As the mid-'90s unfolded, a significant transformation took place, leading to a new chapter in his artistic identity. During this period, Mark James embraced the new name "Ultimate Shines," marking a conscious evolution in his artistic identity. Presented here are two 7"s from the earlier works of Mark James, featuring the 1989 recut of "Mob Him Kill Him" and the 1990 gem "Fraid A Prison," produced on Roland Gordon's imprints "Gorland" and "Gin". These releases were made possible through collaboration with Mark James and Richard McPherson.

The Music Lovers collection bring you a cool selection of Rockesteady anthems, get ready to party!

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.

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.

Introducing Mark Anthony James, born on April 8, 1968, in Kingston city, Jamaica. A musical career spanning since 1983 when he adopted the stage name "Blacka Shines" and marked his entry into the studio with his first recording in 1987 amidst the digital reggae revolution. As the mid-'90s unfolded, a significant transformation took place, leading to a new chapter in his artistic identity. During this period, Mark James embraced the new name "Ultimate Shines," marking a conscious evolution in his artistic identity. Presented here are two 7"s from the earlier works of Mark James, featuring the 1989 recut of "Mob Him Kill Him" and the 1990 gem "Fraid A Prison," produced on Roland Gordon's imprints "Gorland" and "Gin". These releases were made possible through collaboration with Mark James and Richard McPherson.

Mallory Williams (son of Jamaican pianist and band leader, Luther Williams), a celebrated musician, singer, arranger, and producer, launched his musical journey in 1976 as a keyboard player in various bands within Jamaica's vibrant tourism industry. Along his path, he performed and toured with prestigious groups like Jimmy Cliff's Oneness Band and also We The People Band, providing backing for countless Jamaican artists.

In 1985, during the reggae's digital revolution, Mallory Williams collaborated with Tony DaCosta (from Skatalites fame) and his group the Tony DaCosta Affair (tda), to craft the remarkable single "Yu Saaf." This release not only showcases DaCosta's impressive vocal range but also highlights Mallory's instrumental talent, which incorporates a pioneering proto-digital rhythm. We are thrilled to announce that the 7" reissue of this single will be released back again on Mallory's original 'now' imprint. "Yu Saaf," which translates to "You're Soft" is a pure sound business! It not only serves as a testament to Mallory's production skills but also possesses the power to silence any selectors.

'Rayhana' EP is a departure from the cerebral, industrial deep dive of his debut album 'Unlit Signals', and now draws from wider influences, twisting Baile funk, broken beat and hi-tech bass music into floor-focussed, sinewy new shapes. Guaranteed to cause jubilant carnage wherever heard, the heavy artillery of title track 'Rayhana' is a vocal led, rumbling rhythmic monster with chest-pummelling low end, neck-snapping metallic claps and razor-sharp hats. Almost a deeper dub of its predecessor, 'Dark Lavis' is an instrumental tension builder, where mangled eastern elements whip up a head spinning vortex that's carried by behemoth bass and stuttering, swung beats, which take you deep inside the ride. Based around the UK broken sound, with a touch of dancehall, on '5G Bats' Smith slow things down but ups the energy, with double-time breaks, stroboscopic samples, machine gun like flickers and all manner of stretched, wavey tones. 'Rayhana' follows tastemaker favourites by Ploy on esteemed imprints Timedance, Hemlock, Hessle Audio and L.I.E.S., plus remixes of his music by Beatrice Dillon and Peder Mannerfelt. Ploy has graced Best Track Of The Year lists in The Guardian, Crack, FACT, Mixmag, Dummy and DJ. He did a week-long residency on Rinse FM, helmed multiple NTS shows and recorded mixes for Dekmantel. Boiler Room and FACT. A regular at discerning UK and European clubs, he has also appeared at Dimensions festival, Dekmantel Selectors, and has toured East Asia and the US multiple times. Last year Ploy released the impeccable album 'Unlit Signals' which was released via L.I.E.S. with no PR, and therefore only caught the attention of a few astute journalists. This future classic deserved to be huge, but slipped largely under the radar. On launching Deaf Test, Smith comments, "it's a vehicle for my personal output now. I have more club-focussed music on the way, and I'll be exploring meaningful collaborations too. The name is due to me being deaf in one ear from an early age".PRINTED SLEEVE WITH INN...

Vinyl with heavy foxing

slightly warped

Now also available as LP-Vinyl is the new album for one of Jamaica's most exciting voices! - "Lovesick" is the third album and a natural next step for the young artist to expound on the ups and downs of love and relationships. Known to fans as an 'old soul' his lyrics and the emotional impact of his voice go beyond his years and show kinship to the great R&B/reggae balladeers. The 15-track strong longplayer will be released as CD-Digipak with an additional 12-page booklet and is a great and long awaited follow-up to the self titled debut "Romain Virgo" from 2010 and "The System" from 2012, it will appeal to all the worldwide fans of contemporary reggae music!

VP Press Release: "LoveSick," the upcoming album from rising reggae star Romain Virgo. The 16-track album takes listeners on a journey that explores every emotion felt when finding love, losing love and finding love again. In the many twists and turns of romance and relationships, Romain represents a young man who has experienced it all and now has a dynamic story to tell. Executive produced by Niko Browne for Lifeline Music, with additional production by Sting International and Vikings Production, the album presents a new pop reggae sound traced with his signature lovers rock style woven throughout.

Reissue of this 1982 release, recorded and mixed at Channel One and King Tubby's Studios. Includes killer songs such as "Reggae Dance," "Unwilling Baby Mother," "Sweet Reggae Music," and "This Kind Of Way". A dancehall classic!

The Pre-Historians' legendary 1975 track "Free Yourself" is finally getting the 7" reissue it deserves. Produced by Junior Smith (The Itals) and Elias Stewart, this roots classic from Savanna-la-Mar, Jamaica, stands as a gold standard of 70s Roots music. Its powerful message remains as relevant today as ever. Special thanks to Richard McPherson for helping bring this essential reissue to life.

While far from a household name in reggae, Judah Eskender Tafari cultivated a loyal fanbase and respectable catalogue during his recording career. The Studio One single, "Rastafari Tell You" sits at the top of a small set of deep cuts he recorded for Coxson Dodd's famed studio starting in 1978. These have continued to find a place at roots reggae sound systems and DJ rub-a-dub parties after nearly five decades. The earnest lyrics and spiritual mission of these early recordings would define Judah's entire career, extending through the decades to "Great Escape", a new Daptone 45 produced by label stalwart Victor Axelrod. The song alludes to the Old Testament in a vision of mankind gone astray, trying to escape the confines of Earth for salvation. Axelrod provides a lush roots backdrop against which Eskender shines in a way we haven't heard in years.

"Late Night Attack come catch the Late Night Attack!" Good things come to those who wait. We're thrilled to finally unveil the latest reissue in our Harry J grail series, a long-anticipated release "Late Night Attack." This 1987 gem shares the same rhythm as "Jam The Calypso," a reissue from a couple of years ago. Vicious Irie, also known as Sedley Downer, delivers an absolute fire performance, spitting lyrics over this fast-paced Harry J digi riddim.

Buckle up! Straight outta the vibrant heart of Annotto Bay, Jamaica, we're dropping a red-hot double-sided 12-inch produced by Mr King from 1989! This killer release features not one, but two scorchers from Fire Fox. On one side "Nuff A Dem Nuh See What A Gwan," is pure unadulterated digi fire. Flip it over, and you'll find the equally infectious "Hypocrite," another missile from the same year. Thank you to Jeremy from Deadly Dragon for the snaps and Richard McPherson for assistance in making this release happen.

We've got a passion for two things: reggae and motorcycles, and we're thrilled to present a reissue that fuses these two loves in a fantastic tune. Singer Earl Anthony first graced the music scene in the early '80s, gaining recognition for his hit "Sensi Man Rock." However, he also left his mark with a few other undercover tracks over the years. In this feature, we highlight a hidden gem from 1987, a scorching digi production that celebrates his Kawasaki motorcycle and his woman's passion for high-speed thrills.

Ewart Brown aka Cobra (later, and more prolifically known as Mad Cobra) released the Goldmine LP in 1993 for Prince Jazzbo's Ujama label. This is the first LP pressing for a collection of dubbed out versions in Jazzbo's inimitable prouction style, showcasing the talents of engineer Albert Thompson aka Junior Chemist at I&I recording studios, alongside Delroy Thompson otherwise known as the prolific mastering engineer Spiderman.

Revisiting this dancehall gem! A genre-defining track from the late '80s, Kirk Wonder's "Dollars Weak," licensed from producer Mansfield McClean, features innovative use of synthesizers and infectious rhythm programming. Coupled with Wonder's signature vocals and the now-classic lyrics "dollars weak, but life is sweet," it captures the complex socio-economic realities of the era—a message that continues to hold relevance. Out Now!

In the ongoing Harry J reissue series, we present Freddie McKay's 'Bag Over Shoulder,' one of his final recordings in 1986 before his untimely passing. Freddie, a truly talented singer, seamlessly navigated from the early Ska days right up to the Digital era. Check out this outstanding tune, giving a shout-out to all the backpack posse.

Scientist’s name will be found on many dub releases in people’s record collections. His connection to King Tubby is inseparable and many would say that when dub had fallen on quieter times it was Scientist who breathed new life into it. His paired down mixing style suited the new dancehall reggae sound that came as the 70’s rolled into the 80’s. This 1982 LP includes the priceless dub to Johnny Osbourne’s classic Give A Little Love, as well as further cuts to the likes of Hugh Mundell and Wayne Jarrett. Scientist is always in control! Includes 6 bonus tracks!

A collaboration between two prestigious Italian bands, the wizards of dub and the masters of big-band ska-jazz, in perfect symbiosis. An album full of dub atmospheres mixed with orchestral patterns; compelling rhythms of the ska and reggae traditions together with dilated and hypnotic electronic sounds. A recording fruit of a challenge and a celebration of music, something that is undoubtedly reflected in the spectacular outcome. 22 musicians locked in a large studio to rediscover the beauty of sharing after months away from the stage due to the pandemic, without even being able to rehearse. The decision to record a live album was instantaneous, it was just about enjoying the energy of the moment. All tracks were recorded strictly live in the studio, without overdubs, with the aim of apprehending something unrepeatable. The electronics, the melodies of the wind section and the vocal power come together in this work, recorded live at Deep Studio in Treviso (Italy) and mastered by Ibon Larruzea (Bilbao), full of dub atmospheres mixed with orchestral patterns. All this merges into a unique and explosive sound in which the strength of the big band meets the deep and hypnotic beats of dub music. WDD began their journey as a quartet in 2014 and prior to Studio Session #1 they had already released two albums and several singles. NESJO formed in 2012 and have previously released two albums (both available on Brixton Records) and are working on what will be the recording of their next full-length. Northeast Italy is a border area and it's easy to connect with each other in those territories made of enchanted landscapes. That energy, that desire to experiment and get involved, have made possible this ambitious project in which a ska-jazz orchestra and a dub band, each with its own language, are assembled in an amazing sonority.Classic black vinyl!

Combining the signature soundscapes of Scorn with tartareous textures, the newest album “The Only Place” reaches a psychedelic groove, based on what Harris calls “Pushing an original idea further” with his own shades of light and dark and celestial electricity of what SCORN is. These 10 new tracks add elements unheard in Scorn since Evanescense and Gyral - ethereal ambiences and floating, near-melodic-but-not-quite moments, a signature of Harris’ abilities to generate feelings in a lost world of his own creation. credits Mixed by MJ Harris in the Lad’s Old Room B14 Vocals on Distortion by Kool Keith, recorded at Studio G Brooklyn Vocals Engineered by Tony Maimone, Assisted by Ross Colombo Bass Guitar on Distortion by Submerged, recorded at Blue Site I Saaremaa Mastered by Daniele Antezza for Dadub Mastering Studio Artwork and Layout by Machine™

Out now! The revival of Ruddy Henry's "New Girl In Town," a cherished rubadub gem. Originally launched in 1986 under the AIT label (All Island Television), a short-lived yet impactful music project spearheaded by producer Peter Moodie. This revival features the stellar instrumental and synthesizer sounds courtesy of the talented Star & Rhythm King backing band. A heartfelt shout-out to our dedicated team in Kingston for their boots-on-the-ground efforts in locating Mr. Henry.

Philipp Greter is a genius. He is not only the keyboardist of the acclaimed swiss Dub band Dub Spencer & Trance Hill he is also the producer and mastermind behind the band and responsible for the crisp project "William S. Burroughs In Dub". Philipp has worked with and for The Young Gods, Yello mastermind Dieter Meier, Lee Scratch Perry, amongst many others. "Greter Than Dub" is being released on Liquid Sound Design, the psychedelic dub label of Grammy Award winning producer Martin "Youth" Glover: highly respected songwriter/producer, sonic pioneer, and founder and bassist of Killing Joke.Almost everything on this album is grooving, swinging, vibrating and echoing in delay. It is not only an album for the dancefloor it is also a soundscape travel for the comfortable sofa trip.

This is a superior Jah Thomas record with all the great midnight rock Rub A Rub riddims. A big album that represents Jah Thomas, packed full of early dancehall numbers that let you fully enjoy the wonderful atmosphere of the time, including the big hit title track!!

Weekend Loving from Jennifer Lara is a perfect blend of boogie funk, roots reggae and lovers rock. Produced by Black Solidarity Records in 1985, this album is a masterpiece from the Studio One princess. Recorded at Tuff Gong and Music Mountain studios in Jamaica, the rhythm tracks are played by some of the best musicians from the island in the sun: Lincoln ‘Style’ Scott (Drum), Errol ‘Flabba’ Holt (Bass), Robbye Lyn (Piano & Synthetiser), Dean Frazer & Ronald ‘Nambo’ Robinson (Horns). This reissue was carefully remastered from Black Solidarity master tape, now presented as a double LP 45 rpm DJ friendly edition. The original Limonious artwork was reloaded and a bonus track was added to complete the set: ’In My Time’, an obscure slow synth groove, full of hope and melancholy.
Jennifer Lara was first taken to Studio One in 1969 by keyboardist Richard Ace, who was a session musician. She never left the Studio One family and became resident harmonist. She added backing vocals to the songs of some of the camp’s biggest names, including Delroy Wilson, Freddie McGregor, Dennis Brown and Sugar Minott. In 1974, Jennifer Lara recorded her debut album with Coxsone Dodd at Studio One in Brentford Road. The results of the sessions appeared on ‘Studio One Presents Jennifer Lara’, which was an instant success. Jennifer Lara was one of Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd’s protégés. One year after Coxsone passed, she died at the Kingston Public Hospital. She is survived by two children, daughter Ika and son Cheka. Jennifer Lara was a very likeable person, got on with everyone. She was involved in many benefit concerts to help to poor and the needy in Jamaica. May your soul rest in peace, we love you Jennifer.

Wild East is a record label established 2016 in East Germany by Jane Bee from Jahtari and partner in crime Stephan Rendke.
They are mainly focused on 7" releases and specialized in 80's Dancehall, Rub A Dub and Digital Stylees. This record is pure fun and crafted for the dancefloor!

These records come with an oversized poster — half of the records with Fyah Flames, half with I Jahbar.

Dub Inc offers a new Gold Record (50k) with this 5th album, Paradise. After a new Dantesque tour (more than 160 dates) and an exciting documentary film(Rude Boy Story by Kamir Méridja), the band is back in force with an album immediately acclaimed by the 2nd single, Better Run then by Every new page (16M views on YouTube). Add to this particularly well-chosen guests(Skarra Mucci,Victoire du Reggae 2013, Meta Dia and Jah Mason)and hits that follow with the titles Foudagh and Partout dans ce monde and you get an opus that reaches the 15th place of the French charts and which wins a 3rd victory as "Best French Reggae Album" at the Web Reggae Awards 2013.

Just a few months after the release of "Shine," his debut solo album featuring some of the finest R'n'B voices of the moment, Stefano Cosi presents his new single "That's On Point" on Angis Music, already home to the Huma project of which he is part along with pianist Alberto Lincetto. The single, which boasts the important collaboration with UK soul legend Omar, was written and produced remotely during Covid, waiting for the right moment to be released. Now it seems that the moment has finally arrived and to complete the offer alongside the original version are two remixes by Abacus, prominent figure in the deep house scene since the '90s, plus a mid-tempo dub version by Italian talent Edoardo Della Bitta aka EDB. Don't miss out on this future classic!

This new Wonderwax release is a soulful South African affair: Edsoul feat Moresoul “Never Let You Go”, previously available only digitally, is finally out on wax, including Spinna’s Galactic Soul mixes and 2 remixes from Rodney SA and Thapsoul.

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.

Visionary artist Augustus Pablo is among the most important figures in reggae history. Widely credited with popularizing the use of the melodica in reggae, Pablo was a talented musician and an innovative producer who became an early dub pioneer. Now regarded as classics, his memorable 1970s recordings were part of the remarkable creative surge that vaulted the Jamaican music scene to international prominence. Much of this material was released by Rockers, an independent record label founded by Pablo and named after his popular Kingston sound system. Now, Nature Sounds is proud to present Roots, Rockers, & Dub, a new Augustus Pablo vinyl collection celebrating the 50th anniversary of Rockers. Featuring classic dubs along with rare and out-of-print tracks, the album captures Pabloís immense contribution to roots reggae by highlighting a wealth of material spanning his entire career, all released on Rockers. Fully remastered and released in partnership with the Pablo family, Roots, Rockers, & Dub is a fitting tribute to an artist whose music still reverberates heavily more than two decades after his passing.

"Brigadistak Sound System" (Esan Ozenki Records 1999) is the title of Fermin Muguruza's first solo album. Now, on the 20th Anniversary of its publication, we present you a carefully edited double vinyl, format in which it was not originally edited.The album was recorded for more than 6 months in different studios around the world: Rome, Carracas, Los Angeles, Azkarate_And groups like Todos Tus Muertos, Manu Chao, Desorden Público and many others participated in these recordings.The album ended with a remix by Mad Professor and in this edition we have added another remix, work by Xabi Pery.180 gr vinyl, gatefold sleeve.

Available now the brand new single out of the Taxi hit factory. Presenting a scorching new instrumental "Freedom" out now on 7" vinyl. This dynamic track breathes new life into the Skatalites hit, "Addis Ababa," originally released on Studio One in 1964, thanks to the contemporary retouch of Sly & Robbie. Listen closely for the brilliant contributions of Charlie Organaire on harmonica, Robbie Lyn on vibraphone, and the captivating vocal vibes provided by Cherine Anderson. Together, they elevate the experience, harmonizing seamlessly with Sly Dunbar's masterful and fierce drum programming. In Sly's own words "I grew up listening to the Skatalites, they were the ones that inspired me to become a musician, I would sneak out of the house just to see Lloyd Knibbs perform, he is a hero of mine. So to lick Addis Ababa in a Dancehall style was cool".

Death Is Not The End sub-label 333 returns again with... 333.

Originally released on his seminal Ujama label in 1988, Prince Jazzbo's 333 (aka Mango Tree) features the foundation deejay riding a killer update on the Mpla rhythm. One of the best 45s to come out of this late 80s digital era, no doubt.

Death Is Not The End's 333 series is back with another dig into the catalogue of the NYC-based Flames label on this reissue of a highly coveted Revolutionaries LP, Meditation in Dub.
One of reggae music's most famed session bands, The Revolutionaries were an often revolving cast of some of the finest session musicians on the island during the roots and early dancehall periods of the mid/late 1970s and early 1980s. These would include Earl 'Wire' Lindo, Radcliffe 'Dougie' Bryan, Ansell Collins, Bobby Kalphat, Lloyd Parks, Uziah 'Sticky' Thompson, Bongo Herman, Stanley Bryan, Bo Peep, Eric 'Bingy Bunny' Lamont, Errol 'Tarzan' Nelson, Skully Simms, Robbie Lyn, Mikey 'Mao' Chung amongst many others. The enduring core of the group, however, was undoubtedly in the coming together of the legendary rhythm section of drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare - with the formation of The Revolutionaries marking the first time that this often unparalleled duo worked together.
The group laid down these rhythm tracks at their base at the storied Channel One recording studio, Maxfield Avenue, Kingston sometime in the mid 1970s - under the arrangement of one of reggae music's great undersung figures, Ossie Hibbert. Early in 1975 Ossie was to move to Maxfield Avenue just as Jo Jo & Ernest Hookim's studio was starting up. A well-respected session musician himself through the late 1960s and early 70s (he played keys for Bunny 'Striker' Lee and Keith Hudson and would also form part of another foundational session band, The Soul Syndicate) he was initially summoned by Jo Jo as a band member for The Revolutationaries but quickly assumed the role of producer, engineer and talent scout for the studio, responsible for selecting the artists to bring into the studio.
These tracks were recorded by Hibbert around this time for Winston Jones, the original singer and composer of Stop That Train (later made world-famous by Keith & Tex's version) with his Spanishtonians for Prince Buster's label in the early 1960s. Jones had moved from JA to NYC in the early 1970s where he established and ran the Flames label. The imprint would go on to form a core part of Brooklyn's reggae scene from the mid-1970s until the early 1990s, though Jones often employed the use of Channel One, Hibbert and The Revolutionaries back home in the recording of rhythm tracks for his productions. Thus the Meditation in Dub LP is essentially formed of stellar dub versions to many of the early Flames labels 45s, produced and released by Jones throughout the mid to late 1970s, including crucial takes on a great many popular rhythms of that period. One of any self-respecting dub LP collectors' holy grails, with originals going for up to £400, it is issued here under license from the now Texas-based Jones with the kind assistance of Rob at DKR in sourcing the audio for this new cut.

In the debut EP ‘We Are The Ones/Fire/Forever’, Chicago DJ legend Rahaan collaborates with an incredibly talented group of musicians, including Marcus J. Austin on lead vocals, Nancy Clayton on backing vocals, Carnell C. Newbill (also known as Spike Rebel) on keyboards and backing vocals, Todd Swope on guitar, and Lou Terry on bass.

Together, they create a 3-track EP that perfectly showcases Rahaan’s production skills and the musical talents of the entire group. Rahaan’s experience and expertise as a DJ and producer are evident in each track, with grooves that are sure to keep the dancefloor moving.

The title track, ‘We Are The Ones’, is a story of adventure and return, with a twist. Created by Rahaan and The Ones while under the influence, the track was lost for years as it was unnamed on his computer. However, Rahaan’s determination to find it paid off, and with the help of Ohio Players’ Kenny Anderson on the horns, he built upon the elusive skeleton track.

With Marcus J. Austin on lead vocals and Nancy Clayton on backing vocals, ‘We Are The Ones’ delivers a soulful, 4-to-the-floor anthem that showcases the vocal talents of the group. And in ‘Fire’, Todd Swope’s guitar skills shine through, creating an epic production that draws spiritual inspiration from traditional AfroBeat rhythms.

It’s worth noting that The Ones features some truly talented musicians, including Carnell C. Newbill (Spike Rebel) on keyboards and backing vocals. Spike Rebel is a well-known producer and musician in his own right. With his soulful vocals taking center stage, Carnell Newbill leads the charge on “Forever,” he also superbly delivers on bass, keys, percussion, and guitar. Expertly mixed by Rahaan, this track is sure to become a dance floor anthem.

In summary, ‘The Ones’ EP is an impressive collaboration between some of the most talented musicians in the Chicago underground House and Disco scene. With Rahaan at the helm, this project is sure to be a hit with anyone who loves to dance.

Mastered with Love by the Grammy nominated The Carvery Studios, this is one for any worthwhile DJ’s record bag.

Transparent Red vinyl

Vinyl with heavy foxing

Slightly warped vinyl, but still enjoyable