Back catalogue: All genres

Review: First released way back in 1982 on Greensleeves, Eek-A-Mouse's 'Ganja Smuggling' is a towering example of early 80s "singjaying", a style of reggae vocal improv made popular by its combination of toasting and singing. Here we open with an asphyxial, spitballing steppers sound, as 'Mouse is heard scatting and bidi-bonging in his signature opening style, shortly before launching into a cautionary tale about working as a border lines marijuana smuggler. The track deals in a stoic, forborne whimsy, comically scatting and riff-licking through what is implicitly portrayed as an otherwise thankless and unforgiving task. This 7" reissue marks an important milestone in Greensleeves' release catalogue, harking back to one of Eek's earliest cuts laid down with kingpin producer Henry "Junjo" Lawes, the association with whom helped fuel Eek's early celebrity.

Review: Leeds' Iration Steppas have spent over three decades reshaping dub into a raw, high-voltage force, blending classic roots selections with futuristic, bass-heavy energy. Here, Mark Iration delves into the Greensleeves archives, curating a deep selection of foundation cuts that have fuelled their sets since the early 90s. The first disc centres on heavyweight vocal performancesiMichael Prophet's 'Righteous Are The Conqueror' and Johnny Osbourne's 'Mr Marshall' embody roots reggae at its most defiant, while Ranking Dread's 'Shut Me Mouth' and Wailing Souls' 'Busnah' channel the militant energy of early dancehall. The second disc turns up the pressure, diving into dub with Roots Radics' 'Conquering Dub', Augustus Pablo's 'Revolution Dub' and The Revolutionaires' 'Respect The Version'. Following the success of Down In Dub From The Vault, this latest Soundsystem series instalment reframes vintage selections through the seismic weight of Iration Steppas' vision.

Review: The Evil Curse Of The Vampires remains an all-time classic in the pantheon of early 80s dub albums. There have been some wranglings between Greensleeves and Scientist, commonly credited to this album which he mixed, but now the credit rests with Henry 'Junjo' Lawes who was credited as producer. Either way, the music remains unchanged, resting heavy on Channel One's sharp-shooting Roots Radics band to lay down the tracks, and with a second disc carrying some brilliant vocal turns from Michael Prophet, Wayne Jarrett, Johnny Osbourne and many more. Seminal stuff for anyone who takes their dub seriously.

Review: King Jammy's Unites The Nation With Dub is a timely and powerful return to his Dub laboratory, offering a sonic message of healing and unity amidst the chaos of the world. This album brings together Jammy's 21st-century A-team, including musicians Andre Dennis, I Sax and Brandon Harris, to craft ten fresh, vibrant boomshots. These tracks radiate positivity and precision, with a sense of urgency to unite the world through Dub. Jammy also nods to his illustrious past, pulling vintage samples from Sly & Robbie and the High Times Band to enrich two standout deep dives: 'Climate Action Dub' and 'Ceasefire Dub'. The production is flawless, with Jammy's signature engineering skills on full display, aided by Romeo 'Shemmo' Facey and John John. The result is a collection of Dubs that transcend their original versions, creating a sense of unity and peace that is both immediate and lasting. An essential listen, offering a sonic salve for troubled times.

Review: The legendary producer King Jammy rounded up 32 of his most masterful tunes for the CD version of this collection, Cries From the Youth, while nine of them make the cut on this vinyl version. His revolutionary super power sound reinvigorated reggae with fresh energy and charged up 80s dancehalls with all new vibes. He managed to shine a light on the new generation coming through on the shoulders of the 70s originators while also reminding the world about those early talents - Dennis Brown, Junior Delgado and Junior Murvin plus Admiral Tibet, Kentucky and Johnny Osbourne all feature.

Review: There is frankly an endless amount of dub music from the one and only King Tubby to explore, with both solo albums and collabs all offering bottomless depths in which to get lost. Dub From The Roots was actually the legendary dub technician's first ever exploration of the long-player format and it proved to be one of his best. It is crafted from 14 rhythms by Bunny Striker Lee and then transformed and translated on the mixing desk by Tubby who took it into futuristic and heady new sound worlds with endless chambers of echo.

Review: Blowing With The Wind is the second August Pablo album to get the reissue treatment this month following on from 1986's Rising Sun. This one came in 1990 when the legendary dubber had fully updated his original sound with more modern aesthetics and digital techniques. It picked up rave reviews and proved to be one of the artists' most successful records since the seventies. It is defined by a mix of nyahbinghi drumming and hardcore steppers that was fully embraced by the sound system culture of the tie and took Pablo to new heights in the Far East, culminating with a tour of Japan.

Review: They might be juvenile but you can't beat a nice loud ganja anthem on a hefty system in the sun. Which makes this new collection of such things from Greensleeves - on nice translucent green wax, no less - utterly unmissable. It features plenty of rootsy tooting-anthems and stoner classics from the dub swagger of 'Pass The Kutchie' to Wayne Smith's darker and more paranoid 'Under The Sleng Teng.' John Holt's 'Police In Helicopter' will always be well received by any crowd and Billy Boyo's 'One Spliff A Day' is a great tune a well as being advice to live by.