Tru Thoughts Schallplatten & CDs

Review: A sticker on the front of this third full-length from Tru Thoughts stalwart Jonathan James (aka Hint) claims that it could "improve daily happiness by 119%". While that may be a touch optimistic, Daily Intake is certainly James most exuberant and lively set to date. While previous excursions have seen him paddling in the muddy waters between broken beat, future jazz and downtempo, Daily Intake is a boisterous exploration of the world of bass music. With a string of guest vocalists and collaborators lending a hand (Zed Bias, Natalie Storm, Tenor Fly), James gleefully charges between dancehall, UKG, hip-hop, dubstep and, most surprisingly, 80s synth-funk flavas (the brilliant "Give It Up").

Review: Rider Shafique, Nadia Latoya (MELONYX), Charlie P and K.O.G ankle feature on this new and hard hitting project by Nottingham's producer, engineer and songwriting talent Origin One. Step In Time is an album that documents the struggles and experiences of the artist's finds and peers as Covid-19 unfolded and lockdown hit. It was funded by Help Musicians UK who set out to help artists impacted by the pandemic and now comes on limited edition vinyl and maps out the evolution of reggae across the decades with vocal stylings and instrumentals from Origin One at the heart of it all. Crucial stuff from what were still weird times.

Review: Having previously impressed with his dub reversions of Roots Manuva hits for Big Dada (the acclaimed 2010 set Duppy Writer), Wrong Tom makes the move into original production with a long-promised album for Tru Thoughts. With veteran jungle mic man J Deemus handling toasting duties, In East London is an authentically crackly set full of classic-sounding dub, reggae and dancehall jams. While there's nothing particularly revolutionary about this approach, Wrong Tom does it better than most; the attention to detail, particularly in the use of tape delays and quarter inch tape mastering, is superb. If you're after a fresh set of classic-sounding dubwise gems, look no further.