Back catalogue: Dancehall/Ragga

Review: Firehouse was dub don King Tubby's label right up to his death. Since he was shot and killed in a robbery attempt in 1989, the label has been run by Jamaica's Sonic Sounds. Their latest outing finds them reissue Lilly Melody's tasty two tracker "Jumbo" from 1987. The lead cut is a deep rolling joint with rich patois and rump-wriggling bass. Flip over for Norval Headley & John Wayne's "Good Good Lover" which features plenty of freaky filter use and knob twiddling that skews and twists synths into all sorts of mad shapes while natty chords and zealous bass kills keep you on your toes. Fresh indeed.

Review: Yet another good ole Studio One classic. Michigan and Smiley's 'Nice Up The Dance' is widely understood as one of the dancehall scene's most formidable classics. First out in 1979, this edition also comes with 'Real Rock', one of the most enduring tunes in reggae from time. Two rootsy monsters you won't regret hearing.

Review: The late, great Sugar Minott apparently recorded 'Heartical Respect' back in the mid-1980s with dancehall producers George Bell and Priest, though this is the first time it has officially been released. Minott's slick, soulful and rootsy voice is the perfect accompaniment to the track's punchy dancehall drums, sub-heavy bassline, clipped guitars, dark synth-strings and piano stabs. It's a fine track, all told, and it seems remarkable that it has remained unissued - or at least in the UK - for so long. The flipside dub-style 'Version' is naturally rather good too, with Bell and Priest eschewing Minott's vocal in favour of even weightier sub-bass and tougher dancehall drums.

Review: Invisible Inc's latest compilation EP, Mondo Ritmo, is a rhythmic exploration that spans the globe, featuring diverse influences from Latin and Afro to dub, dancehall, and acid. Building on the momentum of last year's Mondo Organico, this release places a strong emphasis on percussion and rhythm, making it a compelling addition to the label's catalog. The EP kicks off with 'Cabasa Loca' by Mytron & Balam, a track that's already proven its dancefloor prowess, with label head GK Machine spinning it regularly at his Wrong Party nights. Tom Chasteen's 'Wicked Can't Run,' a house and dancehall fusion, also stands out, featuring Jamaican legend U Brown and mixed by the iconic David Harrow. While the remaining tracks might not be peak-time anthems, they offer something for the more adventurous listener. Thomass Jackson, Thomash, and GATS, as Changa Boys, deliver a rich percussive experience with Senegalese drummer Ndiaxo dal Jaam, while Congo Caveman assists on the mysterious Machine's contribution. Mondo Ritmo is a vibrant, eclectic compilation that promises to captivate both seasoned dancers and rhythm enthusiasts alike.

Review: Read all About it! Diplo and Switch ready Major Lazer to take over the universe! Grammy-nominated producer Diplo and partner Switch bring full-length Major Lazer album to the masses!

V2COOP presents Major Lazer's 'Guns Don't Kill People, Lazers Do' (Limited picture disc - 1'000 copies worldwide)

Major Lazer is a Jamaican commando who lost his arm in the secret Zombie War of 1984. The US military rescued him and repurposed experimental lazers as prosthetic limbs. Since then Major Lazer has been a hired renegade soldier for a rogue government operating in secrecy underneath the watch of MI5 and the CIA. His cover is that of a dancehall night club owner from Trinidad and he enlisted the help of long-time allies and uber-producers, Diplo and Switch, to produce his first LP. His true mission is to protect the world from the dark forces of evil that live just under the surface of a civilized society. He fights vampires and various monsters, parties hard, and has a rocket-powered skateboard.
As part of a plan to subdue the forces of evil with a batch of futuristic dancehall bangers, the three encamped at Tuff Gong Studios in Jamaica to record the Major Lazer record. The product of this collaboration is 'Guns Don't Kill People, Lazers Do', a collection of tracks that draws from the rich dancehall tradition of Jamaica, the futuristic dance-floor-killing aesthetic of Diplo and Switch, and contributions from some of the biggest names in dancehall today.
Featuring talents such as VBYZ Kartel, Ms Thing, Mr. Vegas and Santigold, the record runs global pop culture through the filter of Major Lazer's particular brand of 80s-inspired digital dancehall, at once an homage to a bygone era and a look to the future of dance music.

Diplo (Philadelphia-based DJ and producer Wesley Pentz) incorporates such disparate influences as Miami Bass and Baile Funk into the high-tech eclecticism of his productions. Known for his forward-thinking productions for MIA, Bonde Do Role and many others, and for the solo LP of cinematic, sample-based hip-hop entitled Florida he recorded for the Ninja Tune imprint. Diplo is also the founder and owner of Mad Decent records, which has put out records by DJ Blaqstarr and Bonde do Role.

Switch (the pseudonym of British producer and DJ Dave Taylor) is the owner of one of the most progressive and respected underground dance music labels around, Dubsided. His work as producer is revered by critics, emulated by his fellow DJs, and sweated hard by dance floors on both sides of the Atlantic. Switch also permanently endeared himself to the bespectacled music cognoscenti with his contribution to Santigold's critically acclaimed self-titled debut.

Review: Three years after the release of volume one three years ago, Manudigital is back with the second volume of his famous Digital Kingston Session on LP format, recorded by Emmanuel Heron himself in the streets of Kingston, New York and Paris and co-produced by X-Ray Production. He gets typically dubwise on the original version featuring the impressive Capleton as first guest vocalist. He gets deep down and dirty dancehall style with Red Fox later on, and closes it out with Demma J on a jump up drum and bass tip.

Review: Manudigital's long awaited latest EP was written while the beat maker was on tour around the world. Those days of hitting 20 countries for 130 gigs seem a long time ago now, but the music does a fine job of aural globetrotting. Lead single 'Canada Airport' was writing in the waiting hall of said airport and is a real fusion of techno, dub and dubstep. It has a heavy bottom end and dynamic drum work with some futurist synth lines, and the rest of the cuts take similar forms, with menacing moods or more upbeat grooves shrining through.