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Brand new release from Turbo Guidance Entertainment! We deliver a compilation with 4 versatile dubs cooked by our wizards ! Pablo Bozzi (half of Imperial Black Unit and half of Infravision) signed "Sangria Sound System N°1", a slow burner italo-disco track. Perfect to close a cosmic set in the afternoon drinking pepper-mint lemonades! Cowbells everywhere and powerful arpeggiator. Watch out the guy, this year is going to his year! In the second position we have a reggae-disco remix from the man Androo; part of NS Kroo and also well known on the label Music From Memory. He totally switched the original dub techno track of Babe Roots into something sweet and bouncy. Lobster for you ears. You can even ear autotune on the vocal! Awesome! Coming at the third place, here come Komodo from Indonesia! "Funky Buzz" is a perfect blend of tribal and dub rhythms with a repetitive bassline. Big delays and full effects to rock iguanas. Komodo is a rising star of South Asia, look at the sky to see him shining like a Telsa soon ! And last but not least, we serve you a sweet downtempo riddim from Mali-I aka Z Lovecraft (Rhythm Section). He built a hip-hop influenced track with aerial chords. Perfect music if you want to take the mic and try to toast like a real badboy. Only 400 copies for the world. Sleeve visual is gently printed in risography 3 colors at Shift Studio (Tunisia) - DIY each and everytime.

Mikal Asher, a scion of Jamaica's Morgan family dynasty, reunites with Chocolate Star Records here and does so with a collaboration with disco legend Gary Davis. Asher, akin to his brother Denroy Morgan, upholds the family's legacy of righteousness through music. Known as the Binghiman, he crafts captivating tunes with profound lyrics and has recorded in Ghana's Hustle Hard Studios and collaborated with industry pioneers in Kingston and Brooklyn, setting new standards in musical excellence along the way. Here, 'Wicked Ah Fi' transforms into a modern dub stepper, while 'Black Woman' offers a soulful, laid-back dedication to Davis' wife, Sonjia. This 12" also comes with innovative remixes from California-based DJ and producer Knoe1.

Emotional Rescue and Jamwax come together to present the first of three essential 12's from NY/Jamaican label Capo Disco, all officially licensed and remastered for the first time. The brainchild of reggae vocalist, musician, producer and label owner Glen Adams, the label married disco with his Caribbean roots to perfection. TIP! Born and raised in Jamaica, Adams story is a similar one to the performers of the golden period post-Independence. Initially discovered as a vocalist by Coxsone Dodd, he went on to work with such luminaries as Ken Boothe and Stranger Cole before co-founding The Heptones and working Duke Reid, Bunny Lee and Lloyd Charmers.
As a session organist he worked for The Hippy Boys, The Reggae Boys and later with Lee Perry's The Upsetters. Here he came in to the orbit of The Wailors, touring England with them in the early 70s and with Perry co-wrote Mr Brown. When most of The Upsetters became Marley's rhythm section, Adams stayed with Perry before making the move to Brooklyn in 1975.
There he started Capo Records, running it and it's sub-labels, successfully until the mid-80s. During these later years he ventured in to mixing Reggae with Boogie and Disco rhythms and released just four 12's under Capo Disco as well as recording boogie and hip-hop influenced releases with T Ski Valley and as Glen Adams Affair for SAM and Moonglow Records.
Here then the spotlight is on Adam's nascent disco releases and the series starts with the wonderful, uplifting A Beat For You. Actually appearing on a one off sister-label, Top Secret, this is a beautiful 'Lovers' anthem from Adams over a laidback dub-bass riddim. Backed with a simple instrumental Version, the space and interplay of the keys and guitar over drum and bass is superlative. 'There is a beat in my heart, just for you...just for you.'

Sol Power Sound is back in a big way with a reissue and remix EP from the legendary Nigerian Ju-Ju king, Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey. The double A-side EP features 'Eyi Yato' a tune from 1981 that captures Chief Commander and his band at their absolute funkiest, with a driving drum and bass groove, wah-wah guitar, and signature call-and-response vocals. Remixers include the legendary dub producer Mad Professor, the disco don Eddie C, and the Sol Power All-Stars themselves.

The Sol Power All-Stars keep things organic with chugging drums, heavy analog synth bass and sequences, as well as Daniel Meinecke’s additional keys and solos. The Canadian disco don Eddie C goes a little electro and a little acid with his analog bass-heavy flip. Like a good dub should, Mad Professor’s version accentuates the drum and bass groove and drenches everything in vintage sounding Mad Professor delay, reverb, and filtered dub-sauce, live and direct from his classic mixing desk. Alongside an extended edit of the original, the Eyi Yato EP is sure to find a permanent spot in DJ record bags around the world.

Drawing inspiration from the depths of late 70’s NYC proto-rap disco instrumentals, Nigerian boogie, Jamaican dub and modern jazzy house - The Lahaar is a Trans-Tasman collaboration between Julien Dyne, Horatio Luna and Surprise Chef’s Lachlan Stuckey, featuring Mara TK and Toby Laing on vocals. The EP embarks on a 5-track rollercoaster - kicking off with “Doin’ It”, fast-paced jazz-funk peppered with marimba and organ riffs, balanced out by the siren vocals of Mara TK. “Step 2” suddenly brakes and swerves into cruise mode, repurposing the trumpets and dub echoes - picking up tempo in the soulful melancholia of “Work Work Work”. In the last two tracks the organs and guitars make a frenetic comeback by way of disco-house, ending with a nod to 70s cop movie funk.

Noted reggae vocalist Barry Biggs comes under the Emotional Rescue microscope here with celebrated LA digger Patrick Billard aka DJ Duckcomb remixing one of his cuts. First up is the original version of 'Illusion' which has big pianos over the clean digital dub. The soaring vocal is obscured by plenty of lush effects and melodies. After a version twists and contorts the original, the DJ Duckcomb Discomix slows things down and ups the dazzling disco vibes but keeps the dub dubby bottom end to ensure plenty of dance floor impact. This is a classy one as ever from this label.

Emotional Rescue is at it again with another fully licensed and remastered offering, this time bringing to wax Mataya's Golddigger with a previously digital-only 'tape Mix.' Zimbabwe-born and later London-based Mataya "Clifford" Chewaluza was a core part of the vibrant West London music scene, using his songwriting, production and multi-instrumentalist skills on albums for RCA and Virgin. He also dropped a few 12"s and this one was released in 1988. It's a cult curio with crashing 80s production, disco-tinged grooves and plenty of subtle African rhythm which includes a standout dub mix from Jura Soundsystem.

Stefan Schwander aka A Rocket IN DUB has been producing electronic music in Düsseldorf since the mid-1990s. He releases under a variety of pseudonyms such as Antonelli, Repeat Orchestra, Rhythm Maker, Harmonious Thelonious and While My Sequencer Gently Weeps. His music draws influences from techno, disco music (especially Giorgio Moroder), new wave, dub, abstract electronica and African music. In 2002, he released "Rocket No. 3", an old-school dub house classic with a distinctive vocoder voice. 20 years later, he has re-recorded the track together with JAN Delay on vocals. Both musicians share a great passion for dub music. Jan's great voice is just as distinctive as the vocoder 20 years ago and adds a touch of humanity to the original. The collaboration is released as a limited 7" single with artwork by Hendrik Krawen.

A smooth Reggae version of the Randy Newman classic, most famously covered by Nina Simone, that was originally released in 1985. Licensed from producer and bona fide reggae legend Errol Dunkley, this version features killer horns and soulful vocals from Judy & Lynda. Backed with 'Heavenly Day'.

A 140 gram pressing in 3mm spine black disco sleeve with sticker and labels designed by Bradley Pinkerton.

A Disco Reggae cover of BOB MARLEY's immortal classic “could YOU BE Loved” in a Vortex sound! "Could You Be Loved“, one of BOB MARLEY's best-known songs, has been given a new spin on Disco Reggae by Robert ‘’dubwise”” Browne, while remaining faithful to the original! The song starts with an a cappella chorus and then moves on to the guitar riff that is essential to this song. The gradual build up of the song will shake both your body and your heart! An instrumental version is included on the reverse side. The mix engineer is Steven Stanley, who created the innovative sounds of Grace Jones, Tom Tom Club, and others.

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.

Wade "Jimmy" Dyce was an original member of Cultural Roots. He was a vocalist and played a key role in shaping the sound of the group. Cultural Roots emerged as a four-part harmony group for producer Donovan Germain in the late 1970s, releasing « Revolutionary Sounds » and « Mr Bossman » which counts among ‘Jah Shaka's favourite tunes’. Then they released « Hell A Go Pop », one of the Greensleeves label’s lesser-known classics. In the early 80's, Wade Dyce produced alone three songs at Chris Stanley's famous Music Mountain studio. Wade Dayce surrounds himself with the best musicians of the time, namely the Revolutionaries, but does not remember the exact formation apart from Sly Dunbar on drums and Bongo Herman on percussion. « Humble », « Money Mare » and « Hide & Seek » are three forgotten songs that can be described as killer roots from the middle of the 80s and which you can (re)discover again through this reissue on the original Moving On label. For this release, Jamwax worked with Parade Studio for this original and unique Disco 45 cover graphic creation. Today, Wade, now sixty-seven years old, is living in Salem, Massachusetts, where he graduated in 2010 as a mental-health specialist. Long live to the Cultural Roots !

Wade "Jimmy" Dyce was an original member of Cultural Roots. He was a vocalist and played a key role in shaping the sound of the group. Cultural Roots emerged as a four-part harmony group for producer Donovan Germain in the late 1970s, releasing « Revolutionary Sounds » and « Mr Bossman » which counts among ‘Jah Shaka's favourite tunes’. Then they released « Hell A Go Pop », one of the Greensleeves label’s lesser-known classics. In the early 80's, Wade Dyce produced alone three songs at Chris Stanley's famous Music Mountain studio. Wade Dayce surrounds himself with the best musicians of the time, namely the Revolutionaries, but does not remember the exact formation apart from Sly Dunbar on drums and Bongo Herman on percussion. « Humble », « Money Mare » and « Hide & Seek » are three forgotten songs that can be described as killer roots from the middle of the 80s and which you can (re)discover again through this reissue on the original Moving On label. For this release, Jamwax worked with Parade Studio for this original and unique Disco 45 cover graphic creation. Today, Wade, now sixty-seven years old, is living in Salem, Massachusetts, where he graduated in 2010 as a mental-health specialist. Long live to the Cultural Roots !

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.

Double sided killer Wackie's from 1978 - Both sides fully smoked out dubwise trademark Wackie's style, essential.

Originally released on the Jumbo Caribbean Disco label from Brooklyn. "Big Leg Mary" is on the same rhythm as Wayne Jarrett's killer "Come Let's Go" (same rhythm as Dkr-125 ). Wasn't It You is a different cut from the earlier one on the Senrab label (a different cut of DKR 132), but equally as killer.

Really cool dubbed out electronics meet Haitian folk rhythms. This is a precursor to a new album next year and follows from their Vodou Alé album released in 2020.

Stix Records, a sub-label of Favorite Recordings, proudly presents Push Push, the new album by acclaimed producer Taggy Matcher aka Bruno "Patchworks" Hovart (Voilaaa, Mr President, The Dynamics, Uptown Funk Empire, Metropolitan Jazz Affair, Da Break, …). After the success of his previous LP Singasong, Taggy Matcher returns with 8 tracks exploring his wide range of Reggae & Dub influences, each time magnified by a fine crew of vocal guests as LMK, Birdy Nixon, Alexandra Charry, Hawa, John Milk & Elodie Rama. With a great sense of authenticity, they all bring their own touch to Taggy Matcher's compositions and covers. Always faithful to its inspirations, brilliantly produced, Push Push is your new invitation to follow the Lion to Zion. The album starts with "Push Push", a title already released last year as a vinyl single 7", in collaboration with rising singer LMK, who you may know from her successful previous reworks on Taggy's last album ("No Love Allowed", "My Man"). Sharing the same love for the early 80's Digital Rub A Rub productions, lyrics are about street harassment of women… with a pinch of humor! On "Little Things", Taggy invites old mate Birdy Nixon for a cover of an early rocksteady classic by Hemsley Morris. With the vintage bounce we love combined with modern sounds and productions, the song is all about tenderness and simplicity. "Volvere Mañana", the song has this very cumbia hip move with the participation of gifted singer Alexandra Charry from Cali in Colombia, where they both composed the song. Then, Taggy invited Boris Pokora to play the "gaita" local flute to give the song its proper Colombian Caribbean coast flavor. The album continues with "Two Dimes" featuring longtime collaborator Hawa (from Mr President to Mr Day and other numerous projects). This shaky disco reggae rockers is all about getting ready for the party… but with two dimes only! "Q Fashion" is a song full of wittiness and self-mockery wrote during the first Covid-19 lockdown. Parisian Soul singer John Milk was stuck in Paris while Bruno was in Lyon. On this minimalistic digital reggae tune, they give the ingredients to perfect your next quarantine outfit. Discoish reggae tune "Get Enough" featuring Birdy Nixon has a simple and successful recipe: just mix a big dose of Lovers with the same amount of Rockers and you've got this 100% soulful song. On "Suit and Tie", Taggy and John Milk go Pop with this version of Justin Timberlake, that fits perfectly with John's tender and mellow style. Finally, Elodie Rama with Taggy Matcher pay tribute to Erykah Badu and her legacy to the Soul music scene at the end of the nineties. The mood is jazzy, mellow and warm, with a tiny Lee Scratch Perry early 70's vaporous vibes.

The Disco Reggae Lovers series reaches a zenith with the first ever reissue of Dambala and their beautiful reggae roots song Lorraine. Long a diggers secret, it seemed only apt to ask the DJ who brought it to the attention of many, with a wonderful dub by label stalwart, Lexx. Born in Lagos, Nigera but growing up in the Harrow Road area of West London, Augustus "Gus" Anyia immersed himself in the music of area during the vibrant 60s awakening of African and Caribbean cultures. Learning drums as a boy, he quickly progressed to classical guitar and would perform at school and beyond. Jamming with guitarist Alvin Christie led to them forming Dambala in 1975. Their first releases set them on their way, produced by Jimmy Lindsey, mixed by Dennis Bovell and cut by Porky. From there more singles followed, repeatedly touring Europe and recording for a TV documentary, before pressures took hold and following a change in line up, the band recorded their sole album, Azania. Lorraine was the stand out, a wonderful love song of youth's forlorn love, it's warm drum and bass encompassing the yearning lyric. A small masterpiece of UK roots in it's own right, this special 7" comes with a simple, but perfect dub mix from Lexx and will be followed by a comprehensive reissue of Dambala by the label.

Stix Records, a sub-label of Favorite Recordings, proudly presents Disco Reggae Vol. 5, pursuing the highly acclaimed series started 10 years ago. Birth land of the Reggae music, Jamaica has also always been fed by Soul, Funk, R&B and Pop music from the US scene, delivering some of the best covers anyone could think of. With it’s Disco Reggae series, Stix Records therefore simply carried on this tradition, offering new versions of classic songs from a wide spectrum of musical styles. On this 5th edition, the list extend to famous name such as The Undertones, Bobby Caldwell, Cerrone, Patti LaBelle, or Ray Parker Jr. to name a few. At the control to tailor these hits with new and exclusive Reggae suits, you’ll find the best producers from the Stix’ roster like Soul Sugar aka Booker Gee, Taggy Matcher, Simon Nyabinghi, or Mato. Together they signed again a perfect soundtrack to extend your summer and fill your playlists, whether to light the dancefloors or just sip a nice cocktail facing the Negril’s sunset!

Grey vinyl!

This is one of Leroy Simmonds' best-known songs, with a melancholy voice that is irresistible. It was a hit in the U.K. at the time and was later remade by other labels such as Ariwa, but this is the first take. The reverse side is a Lovers Rock version of "Come On Sister," which also has a disco/funk take.

Released in 2017, the much-talked-about Yasuyuki Horigome & THE NEW Shoes "Aliens (Lovers Version) (12")" will be re-released by Urban Discos in limited quantities! The flip side features a dub version of the song, as on the first pressing. It was re-cut from the original master and retains the 12" 45rpm spec.

The first in a series of mini compilations exploring instrumental Dub versions of sought after and long out of print titles from the world of Reggae, Disco, Boogie and House. Many of these versions still contain vocals, snippets here and there drenched in delay or reverb, a style you’ll recognise from many of the Jura Soundsystem edits on the label. The late Glen Adams & Finesse open proceedings with their Island Disco cover of Marvin Gaye’s classic, followed on the A2 by a super rare UK Boogie/Brit Funk mix of Tippa Irie’s ‘Panic Panic’ (shouts to Tippa for personally helping to push through the license) and the A side closes with the 80’s leaning ‘Yes I Do’ from Belgium’s Special Occasion. The first half of the B side comes from Carol Williams with the Special Club Dub mix of ‘Can’t Get Away’, originally a one sided promo only 10” from 1983 complete with spoken word intro from Carol thanking New York’s Metro DJs for their support of the song. The LP closes with a Jura Soundsystem Dubby Edit of La Palace De Beaute’s ‘Sin’ pulling back on the vocal and going heavy on the delay.

Five Green Moons is the brand new project from the legendary Justin Robertson and here he drops the first fruits of that project with the incredible Moon 1.

This isn't Justin at his house controls. This is Justin delving into his roots and digging around through the likes of P.I.L, Gang Of Four, On-U-Sound, Current 93, Coil, Sabres Of Paradise and all manner of post punk echoes and basement electronics. As the man himself puts it - Moon 1 is a haunted ballroom full of memories. The sound of a dystopian disco. An object on a wonky orbit. A spectral visitation. And it is alive.

Chance, is the second album of Société Étrange, composed of 6 love songs without words, with equivocal rhythms, glaucous turquoise bass and melodies affectionately tinged with melancholy. The album was recorded in July 2020 in Vaulx-en-Velin from a collection of materials and collective drift. Composed in studio, it is by the live that is shaped their pieces, several years to test them together so that these three musicians let us glimpse a possible civilization. Not fantasies that cannot be apprehended, but a future that we can hope to desire. Their hypnotic compositions, drunk with dub, iron harmonics and polymetric measures, play a music that is a bit shady, one of those that provoke the space for the dance to happen, without anesthesia. Société Étrange was formed in 2012 by Antoine Bellini (Electronics) and Romain Hervault (Bass), joined in 2015 by Jonathan Grandcollot (Percussions) after the release of their first album "Au revoir"

Fully remastered and licensed, ltd to 500 copies. Re-issued on vinyl for the very first time the seminal EP "In Rhythm", the sole 1982 release by post punk/mutant disco wizards Scream And Dance. A necessary addition to the influential Bristol scene dominated by Rip Rig and Panic, Pop Group and the likes.

Originally recorded and released in 1982 on Recreational Records, this maxi single was produced by Steve Street, who began his career in 1976 on the Bristol music scene by recording demos for The Pop Group, and later in 1978/9 for Glaxo Babies. This dub-inflicted takes on classic indie/funk/wave still sounds refreshing today, check it out on your own !

Stix Records, a sub-label of Favorite Recordings, proudly presents the long awaited reissue of Version Excursions, first album by The Dynamics. Originally released in 2007 and highly hard to find today, it could be considered as a modern reggae classic. The band composed of Bruno “Patchwork” Hovart (production & programming), Eric “Flab” True (programming) and a vocal trio made of Mr Day, Sandra “Mounam” and Stevie Levi, quickly became famous with a 7inch single series, displaying their unique recipe of covers from classic hits by Madonna, Curtis Mayfield or The White Stripes to name just a few. True to Rocksteady and Reggae’s timeless tradition, everything from Pop, Roots, Disco, Soul & Rock is distilled through their fuzzy hypnotic filters to create amazing cover versions. Originally hailing from the villages of Cameroon, the halls of Harvard, the palaces of Versailles, the boweries of Bristol, or the squares of Provence, it’s then in Lyon that The Dynamics united and created their timeless music, both vintage and fresh. 15 years after its release, the album’s still a real success, with more than 350k listeners on Spotify every month. An achievement easily explained by the quality of the tracks gathered, which also brought the original release to become quite rare years after years, now selling for crazy prices on the second-hand market. "Whole Lotta Love" (Led Zeppelin), "Fever" (Peggy Lee), "The Creator Has A Master Plan" (Pharoah Sanders), "Lay Lady Lay" (Bob Dylan), these are only a few of the Rock, Pop, Soul and Jazz most famous hits reimagined by The Dynamics. In addition to the original tracklisting, you'll find on our 2022 remastered edition their cover of "Music" by Madonna, previously only available as 7inch.

African Head Charge return to On-U Sound with their first new album in twelve years. Titled A Trip To Bolgatanga, the recordings are led by founder member Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah, with close friend and co-conspirator Adrian Sherwood once again at the controls. A Trip to Bolgatanga is a stunning return, bringing together the talents of two masters who, after a hiatus, have created a rich album brimming with ideas and executed with finesse.

Commenting on the gap between records, Bonjo says: “In the twelve years that have passed, I have been spending time with my family in Ghana, but I was still creating things. I still have a lot of things to let off, you know what I mean? At this time in my life I want to work, but I want to enjoy time with my family as well. When I’m enjoying myself, I’m also creating, because when you’re happy it helps you to be more creative, and the greatest happiness is to be with your family.”

Although there are sounds on this album which recall previous African Head Charge classics such as My Life In A Hole In The Ground and Songs Of Praise, it would be wrong to assume that their music is not still evolving. The master percussionist adds: “All the drumming and the chanting, it took a while to do. I’m always meeting drummers, all over Ghana. The Fante, the Akim, the Ga, the Bolgatanga, all the tribes, and they all have their different drums. I try to learn as much as I can, and put it all together. It’s like cooking, when you’re blending all of the elements, like yam, banana, pumpkin, and the end taste, that’s where it matters. That’s how I look at music. Throw a lot of things together, and then you taste it and say, “Yeah man, that tastes good. Yeah man, that sounds good.” That’s what African Head Charge is all about, those different combinations, and then bringing it to Adrian, who helps to make it another thing again.”

Producer Adrian Sherwood concurs: “It’s always a case of getting all the right ingredients sorted for Head Charge, and then having some fun with overdubs and mixing and getting it completely perfect. We always work well together, but I think on this one we have the greatest result."

The group have been active for over four decades, and this album sees other members of the musical entity’s extended family come back to the fray. Multi-instrumentalist Skip McDonald and fellow Tackhead co-conspirator Doug Wimbish contribute to a variety of tracks. Drummer Perry Melius, whose involvement in the project dates back to the early `90s, adds a righteous rhythmic heft to a trio of tunes. In addition there are a number of notable fresh recruits. The horns and reeds of Paul Booth, Richard Roswell, and David Fullwood; Ras Manlenzi and Samuel Bergliter on keys; Vince Black on guitar. There’s additional percussion from Shadu Rock Adu, Mensa Aka, Akanuoe Angela, and Emmanuel Okine, strings from Ivan “Celloman” Hussey, plus the voice of the mighty Ghetto Priest. Very special guest, and one of Ghana’s foremost kologo players, King Ayisoba also provides vocals, and demonstrates his dexterity on the traditional two-stringed lute.

Where previous albums have been a melting pot of global influences, on their new LP African Head Charge have but one place in mind. A Trip To Bolgatanga is a musical journey to Bonjo’s current hometown in north Ghana. A psychedelic travelogue across the landscape featuring their trademark hand percussion and group chanting augmented with rumbling bass, mutated horns, dubbed out effects, wild wah-wah, haunted voodoo dancehall, synthetic swells, disco congas, tumbling layers of electronic effects, blues-inflected woodwind, and funky organ. As with every On-U Sound production, each repeated listen reveals fresh detail, and its power won’t be really understood until heard on a big system, when it’ll reduce all competition to rubble.

- Specs Black 12" Vinyl in polylined inner sleeve in 3mm spine sleeve with 12” poster insert and download code

The third and concluding edition of the Transmissions compilation series curated by IOJ Jura Soundsystem. The compilation focuses once again on rarities no longer available on Vinyl and touches upon Reggae & Dub, Ambient House, Downtempo and Leftfield Disco. Mixmaster Morris in his Irresistible Force guise opens the album with the Ambient Electronica of ‘Lotus Position’, a long time favourite that’s been unavailable on Vinyl for nearly 30 years. Full Moon Scientist pick up the Ambient Dub baton with ‘Lunar Base Dub’ segueing into Australia’s Rude Band, featuring Oz radio royalty Doug Mulray on the aptly titled ‘Doug’s Dub’ originally released on Oz Sounds in Australia in 1982, a true Balearic gem recorded long before the genre had been widely discovered. Other highlights include Mary House’s ‘Ambient’, a chuggy slo-mo piano houser originally the last track on a 7 track EP released in 1991 on Italian label Technology, and ‘Do It’, an obscure South African track by Inspiration which covers the music from Sylvester’s ‘I Need Somebody To Love Tonight’ paired with new vocals using the refrain ‘Do It’. Jean-Michel Bertrand gave his blessing to a special Jura Soundsystem version of ‘Dream Reggae’ which features long time collaborator Mike Burn adding lead and rhythm guitar to an extended edit of the song. The album closes with some Ambient Tools which should serve to raise a smile at the end of the series.

African Head Charge return to On-U Sound with their first new album in twelve years. Titled A Trip To Bolgatanga, the recordings are led by founder member Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah, with close friend and co-conspirator Adrian Sherwood once again at the controls. A Trip to Bolgatanga is a stunning return, bringing together the talents of two masters who, after a hiatus, have created a rich album brimming with ideas and executed with finesse.

Commenting on the gap between records, Bonjo says: “In the twelve years that have passed, I have been spending time with my family in Ghana, but I was still creating things. I still have a lot of things to let off, you know what I mean? At this time in my life I want to work, but I want to enjoy time with my family as well. When I’m enjoying myself, I’m also creating, because when you’re happy it helps you to be more creative, and the greatest happiness is to be with your family.”

Although there are sounds on this album which recall previous African Head Charge classics such as My Life In A Hole In The Ground and Songs Of Praise, it would be wrong to assume that their music is not still evolving. The master percussionist adds: “All the drumming and the chanting, it took a while to do. I’m always meeting drummers, all over Ghana. The Fante, the Akim, the Ga, the Bolgatanga, all the tribes, and they all have their different drums. I try to learn as much as I can, and put it all together. It’s like cooking, when you’re blending all of the elements, like yam, banana, pumpkin, and the end taste, that’s where it matters. That’s how I look at music. Throw a lot of things together, and then you taste it and say, “Yeah man, that tastes good. Yeah man, that sounds good.” That’s what African Head Charge is all about, those different combinations, and then bringing it to Adrian, who helps to make it another thing again.”

Producer Adrian Sherwood concurs: “It’s always a case of getting all the right ingredients sorted for Head Charge, and then having some fun with overdubs and mixing and getting it completely perfect. We always work well together, but I think on this one we have the greatest result."

The group have been active for over four decades, and this album sees other members of the musical entity’s extended family come back to the fray. Multi-instrumentalist Skip McDonald and fellow Tackhead co-conspirator Doug Wimbish contribute to a variety of tracks. Drummer Perry Melius, whose involvement in the project dates back to the early `90s, adds a righteous rhythmic heft to a trio of tunes. In addition there are a number of notable fresh recruits. The horns and reeds of Paul Booth, Richard Roswell, and David Fullwood; Ras Manlenzi and Samuel Bergliter on keys; Vince Black on guitar. There’s additional percussion from Shadu Rock Adu, Mensa Aka, Akanuoe Angela, and Emmanuel Okine, strings from Ivan “Celloman” Hussey, plus the voice of the mighty Ghetto Priest. Very special guest, and one of Ghana’s foremost kologo players, King Ayisoba also provides vocals, and demonstrates his dexterity on the traditional two-stringed lute.

Where previous albums have been a melting pot of global influences, on their new LP African Head Charge have but one place in mind. A Trip To Bolgatanga is a musical journey to Bonjo’s current hometown in north Ghana. A psychedelic travelogue across the landscape featuring their trademark hand percussion and group chanting augmented with rumbling bass, mutated horns, dubbed out effects, wild wah-wah, haunted voodoo dancehall, synthetic swells, disco congas, tumbling layers of electronic effects, blues-inflected woodwind, and funky organ. As with every On-U Sound production, each repeated listen reveals fresh detail, and its power won’t be really understood until heard on a big system, when it’ll reduce all competition to rubble.

- Specs Glow In The Dark 12" Vinyl in polylined inner sleeve in 3mm spine sleeve with 12” poster insert and download code

Natsu Summer, whose name is becoming known not only in Japan but also in other Asian countries as a rare city-pop reggae singer, recorded her 2018 album with her steelpan-fuelled band Dub Sensation, which is being recorded for the first time. Kunimond Takiguchi (Streamline), who has produced almost all of her work in her career, is also involved in the production of this album. The song 'Japanese Reggae Woman', a tribute to the steelpan disco classic 'Reggae Is Here Once Again' by Steel An' Skin, and the songs by Kunimond Takiguchi, who has been responsible for producing the album since its debut, all The singer's personality is perfectly utilised and e-mura (bim ONE, Rub-a-dub Market), who mixed the album, has done an excellent job.