Juno Recommends Roots / Lovers Rock November 2021

Review: First released in the UK by Tottenham-based Atra Records in 1974, The Black Breast Has Produced Her Best Flesh of My Skin Blood By Blood has long been considered one of the edgiest roots albums of the period and a must-have for serious reggae collectors. The album resulted in its creator, the sadly departed Keith Hudson, being dubbed "the dark prince of reggae". Listening back to this welcome reissue, it's easy to see why. For starters, the lyrical content is highly politically charged and righteous, while Hudson's weighty musical arrangements are far more trippy, hazy and dimly lit than those found on most roots reggae records of the period. This edition also includes three additional tracks not found on the original release, plus exhaustive sleeve notes from Hudson biographer Vincent Ellis.

Review: During last year's lockdown in Italy, contemporary dub producer Paolo Baldini was invited by Pressure Sounds to work on Bunny Lee's archive of recordings he made with singer Barry Brown during the mid-to-late 1970s. The results can now be heard on Praises, a set which adds a little more dub-wise spice to classic roots reggae cuts while retaining much of Lee's production and instrumentation. Brown's vocals - effortlessly soulful, hugely evocative and partially improvised - are simply superb, while Baldini's handling of Lee's riddims and musical arrangements is masterful. As a result, the assembled dubs, versions and vocal reworks sound faithful to the period in which they were recorded while adding subtle new touches and 21st century-ready low-end weight.

Review: Back in the 90s, the Xterminator camp was the stuff of legend. Owner Philip "Fatis" Burrell had a rich pool of talent to call upon whenever he wanted to record and the quality of his own productions was second to none. He was also able to get the best out of those he worked with and his group of largely Rasta artists often summoned a higher power in their work. When at the mic, they opened their hearts and truth came out despite the fact that none of the lyrics were ever written down before the record button was hit. Here, the best of the best of those times is all assembled on a now classic collection of roots and lovers rock that has more than stood the test of time.

Review: Room In The Sky invite us all the Dinner Time, a new various artists EP bring together the best names in lovers rock and roots reggae. These tunes are in fact all new versions laid down over the stone cold classic Black Uhuru rhythm, 'Guess Who's Coming To Dinner' . Each artist takes the tune in their own direction with Fawda Don's soul drenched vocal making the opener a super sweet one. There are extra horns and introverted pads, as well as oodles of echo, on the version from The Inn House Crew, and Solomon James Browne's tender tones make his take a heartfelt one for sure.

Review: Over the last four years, Idren Natural's Dubolution-produced 'Jah Garden' - a steppers-powered roots/digi-dub fusion cut featuring a superb lead vocal - has been a dubplate special in Inidica Dubs' DJ sets. It's fitting then that they've finally decided to release it on their own label, with the killer original mix being joined by a trio of tasty dubs. Dubolution's own dub-style version is faithfully weighty and skeletal, while wisely emphasizing his own jazzy guitar licks, while Indica Dubs' flipside revisions are equally as potent. The 'Garden Dubplate Mix' is a punchy, full-throttle dancefloor dub workout, while the 'Raw Dub Mix' sounds like one of Mad Professor's wilder, heavier offerings.