Back catalogue: Reggae

Review: Bob & Marcia's Young Gifted & Black album on Trojan came back in 1970 and was produced by Harry J. It included the title track, which was a UK top five hit that has remained a favourite. The cool and breezy groove carries a potent socio-political message and lo-fi drums that lodge deep. It is reissued here on anew 45rpm that is featured alongside Marcia Griffiths' soulful 'Working To The Top' which mixes authentic reggae and slightly more swaggering ska vibes and heartfelt, steady groove. Together, these tracks take it back to a golden age of reggae and are perfect for loud plays on sound systems this summer.

Review: Dubstoned Records is back with more fresh wax and heavyweight Rub-a-Dub rhythms, this time straight from Seville. Produced, mixed and dubbed by Variedub, 'Give Dem' features the powerful vocals of Tenor Mario, who is also part of Cool Up Records, and whose energetic delivery always cuts through. Rafael Arcos brings his signature guitar flair while The Sherlock Horns light up the groove with tight brass from Toni Martin on trombone, Pedro Caballero on sax and Mr Monkeyface on trumpet. Anchoring it all is Agustin Paris on bass. It's a deep, dynamic cut that blends roots tradition with local talent and comes with a flip dub for extra low-end heft.

Review: The Top Ranking crew has pulled another doozy out of the bag here. Freddie McKay's 'Mope & Cry' finds the vocalist at his most vulnerable and expressive. It was originally released in 1974 during the golden era of Jamaican music and is steeped in rich harmonies with a rolling bassline with gently skanking guitar that cushions McKay's aching vocals. With a voice that effortlessly conveys sorrow and resilience, he delivers a timeless tale of love lost and emotional survival. The killer dub on the flip makes this one a no-brainer.

Review: Cultured dub technician and minimal man Sebastian Mullaert returns with K-Files, a vinyl-only label launched in collaboration with longtime ally Ulf Eriksson of Kontra Musik. He says that each release centres on one track reimagined through multiple distinct versions, thereby offering DJs and deep listeners tools for exploration, mood and transformation. The debut is a spacious, dub-infused trip that demands patience and full immersion, from the gauzy chord texture of 'Track 1', to the loud, smeared leads of 'Track 2' via the more propulsive drum rumbles and tumbling percussion of 'Track 3'. The final interpretation is a heavy ambient soundscape dense with melancholy.

Review: Neapolitan funk maestro Mystic Jungle returns with a new LP less than a year after the dreamy Words of Love with more astrally-charged electro/boogie/disco type wonderment. Dario di Pace's third full-length has been quietly brewing for years, shaped by studio shutdowns and shifts in location i and that patchwork journey adds a certain character to the gorgeously technicolour music on show. It's perhaps his most eclectic and free-flowing release yet: a bright, hazy blend of styles that feels both loose and deeply considered. On the dancefloor end, tracks like 'Secrets' and 'Some Lovin'' burst with disco grooves, searing guitars, call-and-response vocals and sultry sax lines. Elsewhere, 'Innervision' and 'Twilight' lean into lovers rock and wavy neon-dub pop, full of yearning, shimmer and otherworldly flourishes. Then there's the stoner sway of 'The Road' and 'Get Me Higher' i sun-soaked, psychedelic jams with zoned-out soul at their core. A richly immersive Amalfi joyride from start to finish, the Periodica fire just keeps on burning.