Juno Recommends Dancehall / Ragga: Best of 2023

Review: Jamaican reggae and dancehall artist Kabaka Pyramid combines conscious lyrics with a versatility that has more than justified his de facto membership of the nascent reggae revival movement, also including artists like Protoje, Chronixx and Jesse Royal. Here comes The Kalling, his second album, charting collabs with some of the best names in his chosen field - such as Damian Marley, Stephen Marley, Buju Banton, Protoje and Jesse Royal. The album is a mixture of inspirational and hard-hitting experiences, and equally socially conscious tracks, namely the title track and 'The Kalling' and 'Kontraband Pt. 2'.

Review: Japanese reggae/dancehall artist Boogie Man embarked on a career in the early 90s, inspired by the prospect of filling an unfilled niche: adding humorous and bombastic lyrics to an internationally renowned genre he loved. The track 'Pachinco Man' is a tribute to pachinko, a popular arcade game in Japan that involves shooting metal balls into a machine. Much like the ballistics of such an unforgettable arcade fixture, the track flaunts Boogie Man's energetic vocals over an upbeat dancehall riddim, emphasising positivity and humour. Specialist Japanese dancehall like this is a great boon for the label Rhythm Discs!, who are now embarking on a full scouring and reissuing of the scene's best contributions.

Review: Hugh Maddo's Pop Style is one of those super rare but cult late 80s reggae and dancehall albums that just hit a perfect sweet spot between styles. Thankfully, Death Is Not The End sub-label 333 has got the rights to this full reissue of the original which was recorded in Jamaica at Byron Lee's Dynamics and Herman Chin-Loy's Aquarius studios in 1987. A wealth of musical talents of the day all feature on it including Winston Wright, Bobby Ellis, and Mikey "Boo" Richards, but the standout is the sublime vocal contribution of Killamanjaro's Hugh Maddo.

Review: British producer Burland and Ghanaian vocalist Zongo Abongo join forces here for UK to GH, a new collaboration that collides the respective backgrounds of each artist. Reggae, highlife, dancehall, UK bass and rave all meet in a world of fresh rhythm and melodic invention. 'Telephone No Wire' opens with a feel-good highlife sound on a 2-step beat with vocalist Adotey Johnson in fine form. 'Nyura' heads to the club with weighty bottom ends and enchanting melodies then things get darker on the flip with 'Try To Test' exploring another take on 2-step with hints of UKG and grime overlaid with catchy vocal hooks. 'Last Chance' pairs dancehall vocals with downtempo breaks for a superb conclusion.

Review: Three years after the iTunes reggae chart topping first album on Trojan Records, More Fire is a second studio album packed with scorching reggae sounds from Reggae Roast, who have been at the core of the UK's sound system culture for years. This outing brings together some of the best names in the game both old and new from veterans Horace Andy, Johnny Clarke and Horseman to new school voices like Gappy Ranks, Mr Williamz and Soom T. The original artwork by Sophie Bass conveys the vitality of these sounds expertly and each copy is individually hand numbered.

Review: The ninth album from Barry Ashworth's Dub Pistols crew sees them teaming up with an amazing array of guests, ranging from Lindy Layton of Beats International fame, to rave heroes Ragga Twins and breakbeaters Freesylers, complete with UK reggae MC Top Cat in tow. The sound is the usual genre-bending combination of reggae and dub fused with punk, two tone ska, jungle, breaks and a whole lot more. No huge surprise the, but there's no denying it sounds as fresh as ever here, if not fresher.

Review: The newly formed Dreadlionsmusic label out of Austria debuts here with a fresh EP featuring the eponymous producer Dreadlionsmusic. They take charge of two tunes - the first features the mic work of Fitta Warri on 'Full Control' which has fleshy drums wobbling backwards and forwards and natty dub vocals with some fresh and futuristic synth work next to classic chords. Dreadlionsmusic then offers up a dub take, as they also do of the second tune 'Heart & Soul'. The original is another bit of well-made dub steeped in tradition but with fresh production bringing it right up to date.

Review: Summer is coming and so we all need some Ganja Anthems in our lives. Enter this fine collection of such smoking sounds from Erie Ites. The dub vibes are heavy, the lyrics are all in homage to the sweet green stuff and the energy is perfectly horizontal. All the big names are present and correct with the likes of Linval Thompson's 'Ganja Man' a real gem with earthy roots and big horns, while Gregory Isaacs & Trinity explore a more dancehall influenced style with 'Irie Collie' and Suga Roy & Conrad Crystal closing down with the sunny, fat booted wiggle of 'Good Sensi'.

Review: Rider Shafique, Nadia Latoya (MELONYX), Charlie P and K.O.G ankle feature on this new and hard hitting project by Nottingham's producer, engineer and songwriting talent Origin One. Step In Time is an album that documents the struggles and experiences of the artist's finds and peers as Covid-19 unfolded and lockdown hit. It was funded by Help Musicians UK who set out to help artists impacted by the pandemic and now comes on limited edition vinyl and maps out the evolution of reggae across the decades with vocal stylings and instrumentals from Origin One at the heart of it all. Crucial stuff from what were still weird times.

Review: There is an awful lot of heat packed into this 10" from Room In The Sky, with six new tracks backed by the in-house Room In The Sky Riddim Force on an original called 'Fletchers Land'. Jah Walton aka Joseph Cotton opens up with 'Ganja Man' which pays homage to the weed smokers over fat drums. Goody Gap's 'I Smoke Weed' is another ode to the magical green herb and Michael 'Megahbass' Fletcher then steps up with a more stripped back and percussive dub. Ras Ranger, Ed Cubitt & Kodjovi Kush then feature on a trio of B-side gems.

Review: GRAMMY-Award nominated reggae artist Jah Cure has already assured his musical legacy but that won't stop him coming through with more great albums. Undeniable is an 11-track long player filled with this artist's trademark sense of passion, romance and heartfelt songwriting. The sounds are a contemporary take on reggae with a fresh edge as well as a nod to the originators. The first single 'Everything' featuring Ghanaian star Stonebwoy has already pleased fans. The two collaborators hook up to great effect as they layer up soulful hooks that lament a love gone bad.

Review: Italian label 4Weed Music is all about music you might want to smoke to, as the title suggests. It's an ever-expanding indie that deals in serious sound system, dub and bass tackle. This new one 'Wonderful was originally produced on the Japan riddim which was composed and arranged by Dread Lion Hi Fi following Japan's 2011 T?hoku Earthquake and the ensuing tidal wave that struck. He wrote it in Italy and it features the line "From Milano Italy to Tokyo Japan" in honour of that over hefty low ends, steely mid-range leads and ricochetting hits. A fat dub is found on the B-side of this release which was for years thought lost until a hard disk turned up the treasure.

Review: After his first album on Blessyou, Turquoise, Mogwaa aka. Seungyoung Lee, from Seoul, is back with another stellar contribution, this time re-visiting his earlier days of musical appreciation in reggae music. This album is another entirely instrumental work with eight tracks, effortlessly displaying his confidence in the studio when it comes to dreamy dubbed out ambient sounds intertwined with heavy digi, steppers, and even dancehall influences. A refreshing treat to the ear when it comes to contemporary productions as Mogwaa approaches the Jamaican genre with a refined aesthetic of his own. From Korea, with much craft and dedication for the music, it's a pleasure to have him back.

Review: Strap in for this potent new 7" from Killa B which brings the energy across to fizzing new dancehall cuts. The a-side 'Speedy Love' sounds quite a bit like an early Missy Elliott production but reworked into a dance hall framework. The vocals are menacing and delivered with a snarling edge over snappy snares and hefty bass. On the flip is a version called 'Blow You Mind' that is only subtly tweaked - the vocals take on different characteristics but the rhythms remain punchy and compelling.