Reggae / Dub

Litho printed sleeve of the Praises double vinyl set. On the Justice label produced by Bunny Lee and mixed by Paolo 'Dubfiles" Baldini. Nice set.

<tracklist>
1. Step It Up Youthman extended - Barry Brown 
2. Natty Rootsman (part 1) - Barry Brown 
3. Natty Rootsman (part 2) - The Aggrovators 
4. Fittest Of The Fittest (part 1) - Barry Brown 
5. Fittest Of The Fittest (part 2) - The Aggrovators 
6. We Can’t Dub Like This - The Aggrovators 
7. Longer (intro) 
8. Look How Long (vocal) - Barry Brown 
9. Look How Long Dub - The Aggrovators 
10. Longer (outro) 
11. From Creation (vocal) - Barry Brown 
12. Creative Vibes (xylophone) - Diggory Kenrick 
13. From Creation (part 3) - The Aggrovators 
14. Give Thanks And Praise (vocal) - Barry Brown 
15. Give Thanks And Praise (Lion Mix) - Barry Brown 
16. Give Thanks (part 3) - The Aggrovators 
17. Creative Dub - The Aggrovators (CD only bonus track)
18. Natty Roots Controller - Barry Brown (CD only bonus track)

Recorded at: Channel One Studio, Dynamic Sounds Studio, Harry J Studio, King Tubby’s Studio 
Backed by The Aggrovators
Drums: Carlton ‘Santa’ Davis, Lowell ‘Sly’ Dunbar
Bass: Robbie Shakespeare, George ‘Fully’ Fullwood
Guitar: Earl ‘Chinna’ Smith, Tony Chin, Radcliffe ‘Dougie’ Bryan, Bertram ‘Ranchie’ McLean
Keyboards: Winston Wright, Robbie Lyn, Ossie Hibbert, Tony Asher 
Horns: Tommy McCook, Lennox Brown
Percussion: Noel ‘Scully’ Simms
Xylophone: Diggory Kenrick 
Mixed : Paolo Baldini Dubfiles at Alambic Conspiracy Studio

Emotional Rescue is delighted to reissue for the first time, the legendary Ernest Ranglin teaming up with Noel Williams aka King Sporty, on this 1983 meeting of reggae guitar legend and Miami disco boogie don that resulted in this highly sought after 6 track mini-LP.

A defining guitarist and composer in the development of Jamaican music, Ranglin leads little introduction. In a career spanning over 50 years, he was involved in the move from mento and calypso to ska and on to reggae, playing on the groundbreaking recording of My Boy Lollipop itself, before going on to work with the likes of the Skatalies, Prince Buster, Jimmy Cliff and Bob Marley.

Born in 1932 in Manchester, West Jamaica before moving to Kingston, Ranglin’s self-taught chordal and rhythmic approach blended jazz, mento and reggae with percussive guitar solos. On moving to Florida in 1982, he teamed up with scene king, Williams to present ‘a new style’, mixing the bass heavy boogie disco the producer was famous for with Ranglin’s unique playing.

Featuring a who’s who of the Miami scene including Bobby Caldwell, Timmy Thomas, Betty Wright and Williams himself, the rearranged order starts here with Soft Touch. A retake of Thomas’ TK Disco (and Cosmic) classic Africano, before a skanking remake of the William’s standard, Keep On Dancing and title bomber Be What You Want Be, crown the match of reggae and vocal disco. Also, included is a beautiful take on Anthony Hester’s R&B classic, In The Rain, while the record closes with the choice Papa “Doo” and jammer Why Not. 

unification of techno and dub reggae. An outstanding universal masterpiece of sound dub/minimal techno released in 1994 by German Mark Ernestus & Moritz von Oswald's Basic Channel, repressed in 2023.

unification of techno and dub reggae. The long-awaited 2023 repress of the Rhythm & Sound catalog number 7, which was originally announced in 2002! A one-of-a-kind solitary acoustic space by Mark Ernestus & Moritz von Oswald's Basic Channel.

unification of techno and dub reggae. The long-awaited 2023 repress of the Rhythm & Sound catalog number 4, which was originally announced in 1999! A one-of-a-kind solitary acoustic space by Mark Ernestus & Moritz von Oswald's Basic Channel.

unification of techno and dub reggae. The long-awaited 2023 repress of the Rhythm & Sound catalog number 3, which was originally announced in 1998! A one-of-a-kind solitary acoustic space by Mark Ernestus & Moritz von Oswald's Basic Channel.

A miraculous union of techno and dub reggae, featuring two tracks remixed by Mark Ernestus & Moritz von Oswald's Basic Channel, "Remake (Basic Reshape)" (1994) and "The Climax (Basic Reshape)" (2001) under the name Carl Craig-Paperclip People. A universal masterpiece of immersive ambient dub techno, remixed by von Oswald's Basic Channel.

Highly awaited repress of the long sold-out compilation Hearsay I-Land, which encompasses Roland P. Young's 80s foray into synth-pop, dance, funk, soul, and new wave, including the downtempo classic, Ballo-Balla. Includes the I-Land 12" in its entirety, as well as most of the Hearsay Evidence lp.

Previously unreleased extended single mixes.

"Another stone cold classic from the vaults of Taxi Records. The Cool Ruler, aka singer songwriter Gregory Isaacs. Perfectly crafted songs and precise rhythm construction by the Taxi Gang at Channel One Studio. Each song drifts seamlessly into percussive dubs with subtle sonic landscapes sculpted by the engineers Maxie & Ernest Hookim at the mixing board."

unification of techno and dub reggae. The long-awaited 2023 repress of the Rhythm & Sound catalog number 5, which was originally announced in 2001! A one-of-a-kind solitary acoustic space by Mark Ernestus & Moritz von Oswald's Basic Channel.

unification of techno and dub reggae. The long-awaited 2023 repress of Rhythm & Sound catalog number 5, which was originally announced in 1999! A one-of-a-kind solitary acoustic space by Mark Ernestus & Moritz von Oswald's Basic Channel.

12" containing Rhythm & Sound's one of the best dub "Mango Drive" will be repressed in 2023! Analog is the only way to fully enjoy the feeling of sinking and floating in this swamp. Also includes the sound source of the Chosen Brothers who will co-star in "See Mi Yah". Masterpiece!

The “Step In Time” EP is the latest release from prolific Nottingham-based producer, engineer, songwriter and DJ Kevin Thomson AKA Origin One. The project features vocal offerings from Rider Shafique, Nadia Latoya (MELONYX), Charlie P and K.O.G, documenting the struggles and experiences of Origin One’s peers during Covid-19 and lockdown. Funded by Help Musicians UK as part of a proposal to support musicians impacted by the pandemic, the release is available on extremely limited 200-press vinyl.

Musically mapping the journey of reggae through the decades, the EP features both vocal stylings and instrumentals from Origin One. Opening with “Babylon 19 feat. Rider Shafique”, reminiscent of 2006 dubstep and steppers music, the track highlights the Tory government’s failures to deal with the pandemic in a considerate way for artists. Referencing the Rastafarian belief system where Babylon refers to the corrupted, capitalist and colonial world, Rider Shafique highlights his reluctance to adhere and agree to the Babylon 19 measures.

Shifting through to a classic lover’s rock groove with a nod to the roots and reggae releases of the 1970s, Origin One collaborates with one half of Nottingham-based duo MELONYX, Nadia Latoya, on “Just Beginning”. With a love of reggae dating back to her childhood, additionally influenced by her uncle King Jammy and the records he would bring round to her house while he was on tour in the UK from Jamaica, Nadia’s timelessly soulful vocals glide across Origin One’s production. On the track, she pieces together a widely experienced tale of a romance cut short by isolation; "Kev wanted to use the concept of our experiences through the pandemic so you’ll hear some subtle references to this in my lyrics… a lover’s spin on a lover’s rock feel”, she explains.

Harking back to the mission at the heart of the EP, “Dance Again feat. Charlie P” sees the renowned Essex-born reggae vocalist speculate the energy and excitement that comes with returning to the dance after two years. Set against a backdrop of a 1980s dancehall riddim, the parallels between the frustrations of the shutdown of live events during Covid-19 can be drawn between the restrictions of blues dances during the 70s and 80s. Aligning with the theme of live music, recent Nubiyan Twist collaborator K.O.G shares his experiences as a touring artist on closing track “Nuh Money Nuh Fren”. Finding his whole world pulled away with lockdown, he found himself questioning the recognition of his value when faced with no money, no friends, and a lack of opportunities. Bringing together trap-influenced reggae, hugely prominent on Jamaican radio, with elements of UK and US 808 influence, the track pulls together the widespread influence of the EP, further highlighting the restrictive nature put upon musicians during lockdown.

Origin One’s vast skillset has led him to produce and engineer releases for the likes of Bru-C, Harleighblu, Devilman, MC Spyda, Irah and more. Additionally, he has toured with UK Hip Hop legend Klashnekoff as his DJ, written and performed as part of a live orchestra for Natalie Duncan and worked as a studio engineer for Wiley. Closer to home, Origin One is a key player in the Nottingham community and is the director and owner of the city’s DTR Studios. Ordinarily known for his sounds reflecting UK Bass music, Jungle, DnB and Hip Hop, coming together to form his own interpretation of Sound System culture, his 2021 Tru Thoughts release saw him collaborate with Portuguese-London songstress Nãnci Correia. 

A miraculous union of techno and dub reggae. The outstanding universal masterpiece of acoustic dub / techno released only on CD in 1995 by the Basic Channel of German Mark Ernestus & Moritz von Oswald is vinylized with a full-length version longer than the original cut.

"Over the years, they would come to say that the Africans just appeared one day in Jamaica. That two Congo men somehow materialized on the streets of Kingston sometime in 1977, almost as if by magic, speaking not a word of English or patwa. The duo, they say, were musicians brought in by a Jamaican promoter – a woman who ditched them, leaving them to fend for themselves, stranded in a strange land.

"What really happened is harder to fully divine. The two young Africans – Molenga Mosukola (aka Seke) and Kawongolo Kimwanga (aka Kalo) – were musicians from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, then known as the Republic of Zaire, and had indeed been brought to Jamaica by a woman. But she was not a Jamaican promoter; she was a Frenchwoman named Nadette Duget, an executive at CBS France.

"Seke and Kalo were both vocalists and guitarists who also played percussion; one of them also handled the saxophone. Initially, Duget had intended for the recording to take place at Byron Lee's Dynamic Sounds studio. Somehow, though, the project instead ended up at Lee 'Scratch' Perry's Black Ark.

"When Seke Molenga and Kalo Kawongolo arrived at the Black Ark, Perry was wrapping up the sessions for the Heart of the Congos. He was immediately enamored with the two Congolese visitors and did regard their presence as a fortuitous sign. As he later said in 1992, 'I know they were sent from Africa, because Africa wanted to make that heart connection in the Ark Studio. So African have to appear in the Ark Of The Covenant to manifest the African drum.'

"Perry eventually completed the work with Seke and Kalo: a deeply rootsy and rugged album under the working title Monama (which in Lingala means 'Rainbo'). He submitted it to Island, but as they had done with Heart of the Congos, they passed on releasing it.

"While it has remained relatively obscure, even as Perry's Black Ark oeuvre has been rehabilitated and lionized over the past two decades, the album has nevertheless been quietly influential. Its groundbreaking amalgamation of African music and dub anticipated similar experiments by producers like Adrian Sherwood, Bill Laswell and Jah Wobble who would ride to critical acclaim in the '80s and '90s."

– Uchenna Ikonne (excerpt from the liner notes)

This set of Al Brown dub mixes by Paolo ‘DubFiles’ Baldini was a project that Pressure Sounds had been itching to tackle for some time. They finally got around to starting on the mixes during the lockdown period, when everyone had a little more time and headspace!! Thirteen tracks on the CD and eight tracks on the single vinyl LP. 

Al Brown is a fine Jamaican singer who came closest to troubling the UK charts with his Al Green cover version ‘Here I Am Baby.’ In the early 1980’s he recorded a beautiful album, backed by Inner Force, which was inexplicably never released, and thought to be lost forever. When Al Brown’s original multi-track tapes were miraculously discovered, he handed them over to Pressure Sounds, who had them restored and beautifully mixed by Paolo ‘DubFiles’ Baldini, with a sympathetic blend of overdubs on top of the original backing tracks. 

These dubbed-out mixes are firmly in the roots reggae tradition of classic Jamaican recordings from the 70s, blended with the tastefully restrained modern studio techniques of today. Tracks range from the heavy dubs of ‘Ghetto Situation’ and ‘Dub Me Again’, to the funkier ‘Liquid Dream’, featuring Toike Mitsuhiro from Japan on vibraphone. The feel is modern retro!! 

Baldini explains how his mixes combine modern and older techniques, but are always urgent and raw as he mixes his dubs live in a single take. “In terms of the equipment I tried to have a ‘conservative’ approach and stay with a mixing desk and analogue outboard that were consistent with the original recordings. So we had a pleasant alternation between the tradition of analog effects (tapes and springs...) and the nascent digital technology that began to establish itself in Jamaica from 1986.” Working from his Alambic Conspiracy Studio, which is stuffed with an eye-watering selection of vintage and modern audio gear, Paulo ‘Dubfiles’ Baldini has used ancient lost tapes to create a beautifully crafted modern classic. Five extra tracks on the CD and a single vinyl lp. We are excited about this release!! 

A dub version of Niyabinghi's masterpiece "Rastafari" with the participation of such great artists as Peter Tosh (Guitar, Clavinet), Chinna Smith (Guitar), Tommy McCook (Flute), Robbie Shakespeare (Bass).

Recorded at Harry J and Channel One in 1982 with iconic musicians as China Smith, Flabba Holt, Robbie Shakespear, along with Norris Reid and Delroy Williams on backing vocals.The album includes a recut of the classic "Java" and the singing of Hugh Mundell on "Ratafari Tradition". Reissued with the artwork of the original Jamaican press.

Reissue, originally released in 1984. Cult reissue from this short-lived Bristol project. Their debut four-track EP was self-released on Restriction Records in 1984 giving birth to a collective experience fueled by several members: Andrew Clarke (AMJ Almighty Groove, AMJ Dub Collective) Clive Smith, Rob Smith (co- founder of the influential trip-hop band Smith & Mighty), plus members of Zion Band. Produced by Mad Professor at London Ariwa Studios and featuring extraordinaire trombone player Vin Gordon aka Don Drummond Jr. (The Skatalites, The Upsetters) this quintessential mini-album merged the original Jamaican reggae-dub feel with a more contemporary approach, focusing on the experience of established British bands like Aswad and Black Uhuru. Fully remastered and licensed; edition of 500.

Back in 1980, The Pump sessions prefigured Nocturnal Emissions. The same personnel (Nigel and Daniel Ayers + Caroline K) was later credited in the first NE performance in March 1981. Throbbing Gristle and Cabaret Voltaire opened a path and a kind of DIY sound collage practice became popular in the underground. More punk than punk, right? With synth, bass, guitar and vocals, The Pump could almost be mistaken for a new wave band, but it was the start of a long, prolific and eclectic journey for Nigel Ayers, sole member of Nocturnal Emissions for quite a while now. Although it is not at all obvious, by 1980 Nigel had been exposed to a few dub tricks and mainly the otherwordly spatial sounds and breaks: «In the late 70s I became aware that dub producers such as Lee Scratch Perry, Prince Far I - and sound systems - were doing something with sound that was a very new and different approach. It was in the separation of recorded sound into very spatial elements, working very sculpturally with sound. I had absorbed the space concerns of Hendrix years before I got into dub, and the spatial elements within Gong, Hawkwind, early Pink Floyd, Velvet Underground, BBC Radiophonic Workshop, etc. When we did The Pump, we lived in Brixton and spent a lot of time absorbing dub in the streets and shebeens.» Growing up in the Peak District (northern England) during the 1960s didn't put one directly in touch with black culture or music. There was one black kid at school and «to see a black person you'd have to go to Manchester or Sheffield.» And mainstream culture tends to ridicule outsider forms and expressions, so a popular idea of reggae came through in things such as the novelty single "Johnny Reggae" by The Piglets, released in 1971. By that time, Nigel was already listening to a few reggae singles his dad brought home from Sheffield, where he worked. He remembers the labels being scratched and thinking it must be because the records were so rude, meaning lyrical content. His artistic inclinations led him to spend more time at home trying out his skills with Super8 films and pasting soundtracks onto them. One of the first he remembers was a loop worked out from side B of one of those singles (the traditional instrumental Version on reggae singles). First heard about tape loops from "Dr Who" on TV, a weekly show that imprinted strange sounds and sights on kids' minds since the first episode in 1963. More experiments followed, loops and cut-ups recorded to cassette with full conscience that non-musicianly, non-conventional approaches were sanctioned by such names as Captain Beefheart and Brian Eno. Punk made it easier for everyone aspiring to make a point with music, it created a context for rawness and spontaneity. «Punk was a necessary break from virtuosity, and a good thing. I dug punk, a lot of ideas about accessibility, tackling racism, sexism and species-ism, were brought to the foreground. And it created an infrastructure for the zine culture, and cassette culture, autonomous collectives & networked DIY.» Only the way most early punk bands recreated dub and reggae didn't strike a chord with Nigel Ayers: «That's more to do with questions of my own personal taste and preference, which is by no means fixed.» Things became more serious when "Tissue Of Lies" came out in 1980 and Nocturnal Emissions steadily became hot within the so-called industrial culture (or counterculture). Although never explicitly adopting a dub format, its techniques and inspiration certainly informed many of the more rhythmic tracks NE recorded over the years. «Personally I was trying to create something that integrated my own personal experience and had a focussed ethic in content, personnel, production and distribution. Women collaborators have been vital , for example, as active creators - not as set dressing. Caroline K (for example) had technical proficiencies that aren't often expected in a male-dominated music world, she ran her own studio and later became a telecommunications engineer.» Come 2010 and the love of dub finally surfaced explicitly on a very limited "In Dub" CDR. All the space is there, some might say also the industrial weight and - dare we say it - the weight of crumbling capitalism (notoriously visible after 2008). There's a sort of robotic pace in these dry statements of political commentary, not really the same as in 80s digital dancehall or 90s digidub. It sounds like the kind of autonomous zone dreamed about since the punk and cut-up years and informed by all the accumulated background in electronic music and knowledge and respect for dub pioneers. "In Dub Volume 2" appeared in 2020, also strictly limited, framed by the early stages of the COVID experience, expanding on the same sonics, gently dragging the listener along for a thoughtful ride. The music on both volumes was recorded at leisure over a period of roughly 12 years and it hovers timelessly above. Heavily synthetic, learned and respectful music, alienated and in sync with the desire to escape (even if temporarily) to an artificial and abstract safe zone. We now present carefully selected tracks from both volumes, given a proper boost for vinyl by Douglas Wardrop (Bush Chemists, Conscious Sounds).

Music is wonderful because it can inspire people. You can't do that with flimsy music. Put your heart and soul into it, and you'll be able to make something that comes right out of the speakers. And if you feel exhilarated then you've accomplished something - Adrian Sherwood
A legendary singer who became loved by reggae fans all over the world with numerous masterpieces such as "Skylarking" and "Money Money" produced in the 70's and 80's on labels such as "Studio One" and "Wackies". , Horace Andy. Since the 90s, he has shocked the non-reggae scene by participating in Massive Attack's work, participating in all of their studio albums, and has been active as a main member who always supports their tours. It continues to captivate music fans. "Midnight Rocker" released from by Adrian Sherwood as a producer was accepted by the media and fans as a new Horace Andy masterpiece. It has been revealed that the edition "Midnight Scorchers" will be released on September 16th.

Certainly the most unusual reggae album ever made.Her breathy Chordettes meets Susan Cadgan vocals, multi-tracked whisperings about inter-galactic Bluebeat starlights over what sounds like a modulated cut of heavy rhythm. Brenda Ray will be familiar to observers of the Liverpool scene as part of the NAFFI organization through the '80s, also famed as Brenda & The Beachballs. Over the past years, together with cohort Sir Freddie Viadukt (aka The Minister of Noise), she has been aiding and abetting the reggae producer Roy Cousins, once of The Royals, in his program of remastering and reissuing selections from his Tamoki Wambesi imprint. Cousins suggested she record an album using original roots reggae tracks from original tapes. The whole album was overdubbed, played, recorded and mixed between 1995-2005 at NAFFI Studios. Everything was done by herself except the final mix-down with Sir Freddie. The cover photo has Brenda in a pose somewhere between Pharoah Sanders' Thembi and Augustus Pablo's East of the River Nile with a melodica pointed towards the water.

A double shot of Y2K digi thrillers from Sydney via Bromley electro-dub producer Jeff Dread. Part of the city’s burgeoning network of blunted bass and sound system culture, Dread worked in parallel with the likes of Sheriff Lindo, Andy Rantzen and Ali Omar, issuing two dynamite albums on Creative Vibes in 1999 and 2001. Utilising the Atari 1020 Ste, Dread would frantically live mix up to 9 tracks direct to CD-R, echoing the same rough and ready low tech intuition as Jamaican trailblazers King Tubby, Scientist and Jack Ruby and their UK-based disciples Jah Shaka, Adrian Sherwood and Mad Professor. While unmarked discs of his indulgently durational sessions litter the archives, this plate showcases versions immortalised by two crucial compilation CDs. Wicked stepper ‘Dub The Farmer’s Daughter’ burrows the ear canal with its addictive melodica and tightly coiled acid synth lines, edited for high impact by Sheriff Lindo for his volume of Dub For the Masses (Dread would curate its successor), while ‘Out On A Limb’ hails from Just Is, a double album sequenced by legendary Sydney queer party crew Club Kooky. A bass bin creeper that was extended with horns for his second longplayer Return From Alpha One, it’s this unembellished work in progress that really stings. With Dread’s allegiance to local sound system heavyweights Firehouse, these totally brained studio jams are tried and tested weapons, finally blasting on the sacred 7” format.