Juno Recommends Dancehall / Ragga October 2020

Review: Originally released in 1969, but record three years earlier, this album from the hugely successful and influential Clancy Eccles played a key role in the evolution of the rock steady sound. He was at the spearhead of a new generation of young, talented and dynamic musicians who were keen to push things forwards and make their own distinctive mark on the legendary dub world. His biggest hit was 'Fattie Fattie' in 1969 and it sold at home and over here in the UK. It's a fun, playful dub with a cheeky swagger and mischievous horns. It's just one of the many gems on this classic reissue.

Review: Poirier's new album, Soft Power, is a vibrant and eclectic affair, with the long-serving Canadian producer twisting a wide range of musical influences - think Afrobeat, deep house, hip-hop, Latin beats, dub and dancehall - into thrilling new shapes. This limited edition seven-inch single boasts one of the album's more forthright, club-ready cuts: mutant dancehall number 'Pull Up Dat'. It's undeniably potent, with semi-regular collaborator Red Fox spitting bars over a riddim rich in 90's US garage organ sounds and punchy machine drums. On previously unheard flipside 'Unity & Strength', Patexx offers a positive, auto-tune-enabled message of love and strength over the same weighty Poirier backing track.