Juno Recommends Dancehall / Ragga: August 2023

Review: Glaswegian reggae soundsystem crew Mungo's Hi-Fi do an Osibisa on their brand new album Past & Present, aiming for both visual and sonic psychedelia while spanning a just-about-right ten tracks of Jamaica-endemic rub-a-dub reggae music, with cameos from the likes of Pupajim, Lady Ann, Hollie Cook, Kiko Bun, Prince Alla, Johnny Clarke and more. The album is the vocal companion piece to their 2021 dub album Antidote, and celebrates the return of verbal communication and love for the hypnotic nature of the subby dub bassline.

Review: Jamaican reggae and dancehall star Sean Paul did a lot to popularise the genre in the UK and US way before the current wave of artists who dominate. Dusty Rock is his seance album from back in November 2022 and it spawned plenty of chart-climbing singles that helped it, and Paul, go on to become a worldwide phenomenon. Of course, the standout single that still gets plenty of hammer is 'Gimme The Light' while 'Like Glue,' 'I'm Still In Love With You' and 'Get Busy' are all bangers, too, on a record full of big hooks, fresh rhythms and big energy.