Studio 1 Jamaica Vinyl & CDs

Review: Alton Ellis is known as the Godfather of Rocksteady and has put out several key albums such as Mr Soul Of Jamaica from 1967. The genre innovator has the smoothest of smooth voices and shows that again on Sings Rock & Soul, which is actually heavy on the soul and light on the rock. This limited edition reissue on Studio 1 sounds superb and all of the 12 tracks are gorgeous things with unhurried reggae rhythms and his soaring vocals backed by sympathetic guitar riffs and neat chords.

Review: Twelve originals from Lone Ranger aka. Anthony Waldron, the Jamaican reggae DJ, first released in 1982. His sixth album, but nonetheless his first to be released on the reggae label Studio One (now reissued on the same label), this is a star piece of early Afrofuturist dub, equivocating badness behind the mics and tape delays with a Cold War-style space race. From 'Automatic' to 'Three Mile Shank', Lone Ranger guides us into the great cosmic vacuum for a meticulous blastoff.