MICHAEL PROPHET Vinyl & CDs

Review: This third volume of instrumentals continues the faultless Isle of Jura label's deep dive into dub versions and beyond. Side one takes in references from UK street soul and reggae and features two late-'80s tracks by Howard Hill with machine-led rhythms, rudeboy reggae skank and soulful pads. Protek's 'I Love to Dance With You' is a proto-house gem featured in a Jura Soundsystem mix and here it gets a loving re-edit by The Nightlark. Side B includes an instrumental-driven track with spacey FX from The Cool Notes' and Ilija Rudman's 'Dub 4 Love' which is a knowing nod to acid house's golden era.

Review: The Evil Curse Of The Vampires remains an all-time classic in the pantheon of early 80s dub albums. There have been some wranglings between Greensleeves and Scientist, commonly credited to this album which he mixed, but now the credit rests with Henry 'Junjo' Lawes who was credited as producer. Either way, the music remains unchanged, resting heavy on Channel One's sharp-shooting Roots Radics band to lay down the tracks, and with a second disc carrying some brilliant vocal turns from Michael Prophet, Wayne Jarrett, Johnny Osbourne and many more. Seminal stuff for anyone who takes their dub seriously.

Review: The 'Gates Of Zion (Dub)' is a time-honoured fixture of the catalogue of Yabby You (real name Vivian Neville Jackson), the reggae vocalist and producer whose largely autodidactic and self-released work lent him a special credo during dub's 1970s heyday. With the original first appearing as a collaboration with Scientist and Michael Prophet on the album At The Dub Station in 1981, under the name 'Free Up Your Heart', the versions featured here on this imprint is far colder and less forgiving, skilfully working in snake-rattly curios and percussive oddities into a backbeat that effortlessly complements You's ghostly vocal delivery. Not one to be missed, 'Gates Of Zion' truly produces the feeling of approaching utopia's vine-leaved entrance; you, too, might get a pass, provided you add this one to your collection.

Review: Michael Prophet is a distinctive reggae vocalist with an emotive falsetto and conscious lyrics. Emerging in the late 1970s from Kingston, he rose to prominence working with legendary producer Yabby You, delivering hits that addressed social injustice, spirituality and inner strength. 'Know The Right' by Michael Prophet is one of those roots reggae gems that blends signature conscious lyrics with a smooth, hypnotic groove. His signature falsetto carries a message of wisdom and discernment that urges us to surround ourselves with positive influences. The rhythm section is tight and laid-back and on the flip is a dub for mellow moods and reflective moments.