VP Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Joe Gibbs is a legendary dub producer and African Dub Chapter 1 is one of his most all-time classic albums alongside fellow production heavyweight Errol Thompson. The pair is better known together as The Mighty Two and while this first chapter of their dub collection is vital, it is no better than the ensuing two which you should also hunt down and purchase. This fully licensed issue sounds superb when cranked up loud, as it should be, and has suitable fat low ends and plenty of irresistible Jah vibes that will sink you in deep to the sofa or get you nodding along in no time.

Review: Legendary dub producer Joe Gibbs - who famously worked with fellow roots and reggae heavyweight Errol Thompson as The Mighty Two - joined forces with The Professionals for this, a fourth volume in his African Dub chapter series. It has now been remastered by VP after many years of arguing over who owns the rights and gets pressed up to this lush green slab of vinyl. All 1- dubs are as deadly as you can imagine with lefty low ends, absorbing rhythms and the spirit of Jah very much present and correct. A vital album for any self-respecting dub head.

Review: This album is the sonic distillation of a compelling backstory. Chancing on a vault of archived recordings by iconic reggae producer Bunny Striker Lee, modern dub producer and next-gen icon Prince Fatty (Mile Pelanconi) jumped at the chance to remix the versions in his own image, passing the tracks down to the modern listener (and the spirited torch of Lee's dub zeitgeist in the process). Fatty is said to have fed the audio into the analog realm for a true remixing; feeding each recording through a carefully built audio analog system similar to that used by King Tubby. The result is a crisp, modern dub masterwork, which Fatty himself acknowledging the songs' status as classics, but nonetheless admitting, "it's nicer and fresher to hear a new structure..."

Review: VP have got some special and long-lost roots reggae classics here on 45rpm for the first timer in forever. The A-side here first dropped in 1979 and was recorded at Channel One, mixed at King Tubby's and produced by Prince Jammy not one before he went digital - something of a holy trinity of top-class reggae quality. The original is full of proper good and authentic dub flavour with fat bass and smoky atmospheres. Prince Jammy's own superb dub cut features on the flipside which is full of his usual mixing desk magic.

Review: It's always a treat hearing reggae and dub renditions of classic songs, and The Beatles have more than enough incredible songs to warrant a re-imagining or 12. This new collection from Jamrock legend Clive Hunt pulls together old versions and new renditions alike, featuring legends like Barry Biggs taking on 'Here Comes The Sun' and The Pioneers' stunning take on 'You Won't See Me'. Rub-A-Dub Soul also welcomes in new generations of talent as Yannis Odua sings 'Revolution' and Danakil takes on 'Hey Jude'. It's no mean feat to pull off covering such globally adored songs, but these singers and players step up to the challenge without missing a beat.