A quintessential roots reggae vocalist, Delgado‘s anguished growl was a cry from the wilderness, generally drawing attention to injustice, uplifting the poor, and praising the delights of love. His untimely death in April means this album is unfortunately his last, but the swansong is a real treat, sensitively co-produced by Adrian Sherwood. Delgado is in fine form throughout, pointing a finger of condemnation at western leaders on the excellent “Thief of Bagdad” and warning of an impending World War III on “Armageddon,” but also noting the positive in life on “Help is on the Way” and the title track. Highly recommended.
The Small Axe People and Dennis Alcapone Just Version
Who are The Small Axe People? Those familiar with reggae publications will already be acquainted with the UK‘s Small Axe, the brainchild of committed enthusiast Ray Hurford and one of the very first reggae magazines ever in print. Though Small Axe now only exists online, Hurford has furthered his reggae explorations through a series of individually peculiar releases, of which Just Version is the latest. This set brings new meaning to the idea of minimalism, with Hurford‘s keyboard tinkling creating a platform for snippets of deejay chatter by the legendary Dennis Alcapone; intriguing and unexpected, it will grow on careful listeners.
Anthony B Black Star
Rasta firebrand Anthony B made his name at Star Trail, the pioneering dancehall label run by his former manager, Richard Bell, but much subsequent material has been patchy. Now Mr. B is back on track with a cracking new album, tastefully produced by Frenchie of Maximum Sound. There‘s a strong new take on Ini Kamoze‘s “World A Music” (made famous by Damien “Jr. Gong” Marley‘s ‘05 global smash “Welcome To Jamrock”) and good guest spots from Ras Shiloh and the ubiquitous Jah Cure, but what really makes this album work so well is that B‘s topical lyrics are ably matched by Frenchie‘s rough rhythms, cut at various JA and UK studios.
Vanguard Squad Revolution In Our Lifetime
On Asprin‘s “Revolushun,” interwoven vocal samples state the nature of the threat (“Babylon will crush you”) and the proposed response (“carry guns and knives and bombs”) over sparse standup bass, crisp snares and incendiary organ bursts. Bambouche‘s “Vanguard Squad Main Title Theme” uses the words of Black Panther Eldridge Cleaver “to educate by example” while the bassline marches undeterred towards its ultimate goal: “power to the people.” All profits go to The Freedom Archives and The IHA-UDP in Ethiopia.
Amusement Parks On Fire Amusement Parks On Fire
Welcome to the new millennium‘s wall of sound. It may not carry the pioneering gravitas of My Bloody Valentine‘s hallmark album Loveless, but that‘s just because technology has gotten heavier in the last decade. In other words, Amusement Parks on Fire‘s debut effort is both a nod to the shoegaze metaverse of the past as well as a new century experiment in glossy noise rawk. That‘s why thunderous anthems like “Eighty-Eight” and its eight-minute counterpart “Wiper” bleed so heavily into each other, but still sound clean enough to eat. Sure, things slow down for dirges like “The Ramones Book” and “23 Jewels” but the roof is indeed on Fire, and all the gearheads are trapped underneath.
Blacksoul The Strong
If Croatian Tom Pasanec‘s (Blacksoul) intention was to turn a funky ‘70s porn soundtrack into house music, he‘s done it on “The Strong.” Talk about chopped and screwed! Amid the female “uhs!” and disco cut-ups, Pasanec works the sampler and clapping beats to a strong climax. Avoid the rest of this EP, it‘s strictly lite jazz/Quiet Storm house.
Jay Denham Black Nites 2.0
Detroit native Denham has released tracks by Gayle San on his own Black Nation label; now San returns the favor with this release on his label from Denham. Big Jay is known for no-nonsense tracks that barrel down the freeway like an Escalade doing 90. “100 Years Later” and “Shadows” temper the relentless drum programming with subtle samples and distant synth fragments that pierce through the thick, percussive exhaust like fractals of sunlight through a cracked industrial roof.
Ye: Solar The Remixes
On Vinyl Vibes‘ website, tastemaker DJ/producer Rainer Tr?by praises Ye:Solar‘s own Tanzflachen Remix on this EP. Justifiably so, as it melds broken house rhythms with flip-flopping basslines and sparse analog beats-a vibe that conjures drunken Saturday nights that blur hazily into Sunday mornings. Eva Be‘s Eggme Remix is head-turning bizarro reggae-cum-hip-house, while Inverse Cinematics‘s Abi 05 Remix is rock solid broken business with heavy percussion. Sorry Rainer-it‘s my pick of the lot!
DJ Wood Bun Dem
Loooooong decay echoes are the order of the day as Wood‘s Baby Cham-style vocal hook digs into a thick and nasty bass throb on this double kick-lead track. “Bun Dem” fits easily in dubstep or nu-skool breaks sets, and the Karma Remix might even impress the folks on the main dancefloor with its tougher, more ravey beats.
Terrace City Sounds
Electronic vet Stefan Robers creates music inspired by Red James sleeve art in what‘s to be a four-part series on Eevo Lute. Robers‘ Detroit and ambient techno influences interconnect on five delicately hued synth-dance chronicles.
