Stix France

Review: Four years have passed since we last heard from Taggy Matcher, the reggae, dub and dancehall alias of musical polymath Bruno 'Patchworks' Hovart. 'Push Push' sees him reunite with semi-regular collaborator Eve-Line Lamarca AKA LMK, a singer and toaster whose distinctive style was last heard on a 2017 tribute to Yabby You's 'My Enemies Riddim'. She naturally does a terrific job on the A-side full vocal version of 'Push Push', reciting her own dancehall style lyrics over a skanking, digital reggae riddim from the ridiculously talented Hovart. His backing track, which prioritizes synth-brass, deep bass and Hammond organ sounds, can be heard in full on the flip.

Review: Stix Records is the sub-label of superb French outlet Favorite Recordings, and it is reserved for heavy dub cuts. This one finds label regular Mato reworking a classic reggae roller first written by Kool & The Gang. His gorgeous version is perfect for hot summer nights with its languid Fender Rhodes leads and sun kissed beats. It's loved up and perfectly, frankly. On the flip is a reggae rework of Bill Withers', who is sadly no long with us, 'Use Me,' repackaged with a playful harmonica lead and more grinding chords over the gently tumbling beats.

Review: There's nothing particularly revolutionary about the idea behind the Disco Reggae compilation series - contemporary artists deliver reggae-soaked covers of boogie and disco classics - but the sets themselves never fail to impress. The latest volume, the fourth in total, once again contains some genuinely brilliant covers. It opens with a wonderfully woozy and sumptuous take on Roy Ayers' 'We Live in Brooklyn' by Booker Gee's Soul Sugar outfit and ends with a frankly genius dub-wise take on Kraftwerk's 'Radioactivity' courtesy of Taggy Matcher. In between, you'll find highlights including a reggae-boogie revision of Chemise's 'She Can't Love You' (again by Taggy Matcher), a wonderfully soulful re-interpretation of Errol Walker classic 'In These Times' (here re-titled 'Summertime') by Wolfgang, and a killer collaboration between Blundetto and Booker Gee.