Back in stock: Klassiker/Ska

Review: The reissue of Annette Clarke's 'Sinner Man,' produced by the legendary Lee Perry, is a gem for reggae enthusiasts and vinyl collectors. Released on Harlem Shuffle Records, this 7" vinyl brings back the sought-after 1973 track that seamlessly blends reggae with a touch of ska, adding an extra layer of allure for fans of the genre. Side-1 features the original 'Sinner Man,' a track from early reggae days while hinting at the infectious energy of ska. Clarke's vocals are compelling, and Perry's production gives the song a timeless quality. On Side-2, the Lee Perry dub version takes the track to another dimension. With heavy echo effects and the rhythm pushed into the background, Perry's dub creates an immersive experience that highlights his genius as a producer.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Record slightly warped***


Timeless digital roots and dub from The Disciples here featuring the late Jamaican singer Creation Stepper, who i most famously well known for his iconic 70s roots reggae classics. This release includes a fresh take on Stepper's 1978 track, 'Kill Nebuchadnezzar' and it is paired with another vocal gem, 'Ozone Layer,' plus two powerful dub versions. Originally mixed and produced by Russ D in The Disciples' studio in 1991, this music finally saw the light of day in 2011 on the Disciples Vintage label where it quickly sold out. Now back on a great sounding 12", this is a must for roots and dub heads.

Review: From the nebulaic dusts of 1960s Kingston came the Kingstonians, a tight-knit vocal trio built around the songwriting of Cebert "Jackie" Bernard, joined by his brother Lloyd "Footy" Bernard and Lloyd Kerr. Their early work with producer J.J. Johnson yielded the breakout hit 'Winey Winey', but it was under the guidance of Derrick Harriott that they reached wider acclaim. Before their dissolution in the early 70s, and a later solo spit by Bernard which included a striking collaboration with Lee “Scratch” Perry as Jack Lord, ‘I’m Gonna Make It’ appeared as a mid-tempo rocksteady salve, with tightly-buoyed, gospel-inflected harmonies backing a core lyric line about perseverance and self-belief in the face of adversity.

Review: Rico Rodriguez, all-round brilliant Jamaican horn and and trombonist, played a pivotal role in shaping the sound of ska, rocksteady and reggae. Born in Kingston in 1934, he began his career in the 1950s then joined the Skatalites in the early 1960s, and whether one chalks this lucky break up to birthrights, shrewd decisions or chance sliding door moments is up to the historian. But his talent cannot be denied: over the years, Rico worked with Toots And The Maytals, Bob Marley, and The Specials. His masterful trombone solos lent parping bombast to a scene which abhorred tinniness, and the Man From Wareika album exemplified this. This dub edition is a crucial pre-release dub edition from the 1976 classic, in which we hear a full instrumental brass-and-bass dive-bombing across nine formerly unreleased Island Records trinkets.

Review: Two rare instrumental covers of the 1969 classic 'Spinning Wheel' by Blood, Sweat & Tears. Produced by the legendary Lee "Scratch" Perry in 1970, these were first released on the highly exclusive Spinning Wheel label, and, as the label name suggests, both tracks are fortuitous roulettes encircling dusty instrumental dub. It also happens to be the first ever release on Harlem Shuffle, marking the start of a small, pantherine catalogue. For the rather fast brachiations of 'Haunted House' - a poltergeist of a track, fettered to the weathered-down needle nib on our own turntable, causing psychokinetic rotary reactions - and the bicyclic, two tone dub reinvention 'Double Wheel', these tracks showcase Perry's technologising approach to dubbing, prioritising energy above all. Fitting for Perry's lifelong kinghood over dub music at large, the subgeneric name was, of course, baptised "boss reggae".

Review: This limited reissue revives an ultra-rare 1968 reggae anthem, originally released on the Blue Cat label. Featuring Dennis Walks' 'Belly Lick' and Drumbago & The Blenders' 'The Game Song', both tracks epitomise late 1960s Jamaican music as a genre with bite, as these contemporaries foregrounded womp-basses and impactful offbeat guitars, as always emphasise the 2s and 4s, and infusing the world-famous reggae genre with the lesser-spotted, banjo-led Jamaican music category of mento. Written by Walks and produced by Joe Gibbs, these gems were once highly collectible, fetching blasphemously high prices, but this reissue brings the them back for collectors to enjoy for their own sake.