Review: With loping dancehall funk and autotuned reggae vibes, this single from Think Tonk and General Mikey is the perfect envelope of music for carnival season. The weather is improving and the lockdown restrictions are easing, and these two have roped in two remixers to beef up an already perfect original. 'None of Dem' is legitimate dancehall, full of integrity and grounded in the partyland ethos that sees bashment, reggae and dub meet in a technicolour explosion of good vibes. Riddim Punks toughens things up with a drum & bass flip, whilst Red Eye Hifi lays out the kicks in an even harder rendition that crosses genre boundaries with ease. Lovely stuff.
Review: It's perhaps a bit of a stretch to class all of these floor-friendly bootlegs as "ragga". The opener from label bosses The Dirty Dubsters is actually a skanking, dubwise, breaks-friendly rework of soul classic "Papa Was A Rolling Stone". Titan Sound's "Boom In The Jungle" sounds a bit like a slightly more dutty take on the classic reggae/hip-hop mash-ups once successfully peddled by J-Star. Perhaps the biggest cut of the lot, though, is the gargantuan skank of ZJ TZinas and Mrbigk's "My Style Is De Bomb". That said, the incessant ragga bounce of Spenda's "Get Hot Bun Dem" runs it close, if only for the amount of whoops it manages to cram into four minutes!
Goody Gapp - "In Times Likee These" - (3:15) 84 BPM
Sone G - "Bad Company" - (3:26) 86 BPM
Jah Device - "Let God Be True" - (3:30) 86 BPM
Silkkey D - "She's Calling Me" - (3:21) 86 BPM
Review: A lucky 13 renditions of the one riddim to be had here thanks to a fine and procured selection of ska, roots, dancehall by Stingray Records. Whatever your taste in reggae - artists old or new - it's all here in a compilation that reworks a classic drum fill and famous piano line - with extra vocals, effects and trips to boot! An undeniable riddim interpreted by a soulful selection of greats. Take your pick!
Review: If there is one thing the Nice Up! team are undeniably solid at, its putting together a good set of remixes, with this latest 'Deepy Remixed' project being a perfect example of that, seeing numerous artists rework Origin One tracks into brand new masterpieces. This new selection of eight heaters showcases the full breadth of the Nice Up! Sound, from the digital dub designs of Sub Alpine's 'Tribute' remix alongside MC Spyda & K.O.G, to the hardcore, more junglist influenced recreation of 'Where You Come From' from Supa Ape and Peppery. There is also a fantastic push towards newschool dancehall production throughout the tape, especially on Folding City's remix of 'My Yout' alongside Irah, Mr Benn's 'Nice & Easy' rework with Gardna and Nanci Correia. The project also features top tier additions from Think Tonk, Gold Dubs, Bim One, Danny & Tradesman, making this a standout remix release of 2021 so far.
Review: Eleven slabs of pure, authentic roots, Rebel MC's foundational agenda-setters (penned under various names such as Blackstar, Rebel MC and Congo Natty) have been tethered and tied up to form this on-point history lesson in breakbeat and jungle culture. From the 'heads down' drum magic of the previously rare dubplate version of "Alaska Ride" to the instantly distinctive hook of The Revolutionaries-sampling "Kunta Kinte" via the Buju Banton-fronted siren session "Stamina", this album is a reminder of just how much Michael West contributed to jungle's development. Forefather fire!
Review: It's been a hot minute since we last saw a brand new dancehall project that excited us as much as this one as Blackout JA teams up with Liondub International for a twelve track selection, channeling dancehall music into 2021. The list of collaborators for this one is the first thing that stands out for us, with the likes of Daddy Freddy, Ranking Joe, Blakkamoore, Echo Minott, Sophia May, YT, Ricky T & a bag more all getting involved with wicked contributions. It's an album that represents why dancehall still holds a key place in dance music in 2020. There are a couple of clear highlights for us across this release, with 'Love Dancehall' alongside Navigator & Sophia May being a really cool throwback to the original toasted dancehall sound, followed up by the super crunchy arrangements of 'Hidden Truth' with Souls Liberation providing a perfect outro track.
Review: Liondub have a history of blending ferocious cross-genre sounds with penetrating vocal lines, and this EP from Lost City and Riko Dan is no exception. 'Soundboy Calling' is the main item, a stepping, punchy number with an almost afrobeat vibe to the drums, a funky groove that belies its swelling bassline and frenetic energy. There's a JNGL remix and instrumental versions of both, and the JNGL flip amps up the movement and injects a tonne more energy, turning the original into a straight-up breakbeat banger. Vibes inside.
