New releases last two weeks: Roots/Lovers Rock

Review: Spanish musician Bass Lee delivers a strong debut instrumental album with Roots across 10 tracks of deep roots rockers led by his signature melodica. The collection was produced alongside Roberto Sanchez at A-Lone Ark Muzik Studio and features standout tracks like the uplifting 'Enlightenment' and the meditative nyahbinghi-inspired 'East African Rift.' The album was developed during a studio session that also birthed albums by Clive Matthews and Lone Ark Riddim Force and completes a trilogy focused on timeless reggae foundations that are rich in analogue warmth and melodic finesse. All of this affirms Bass Lee's place in the new wave of roots reggae musicians pushing the genre forward.

Review: Doncaster-based reggae producer (you don't read that often, do you?) Lewis Bennett teams up with veteran vocalist Donovan Kingjay for this new single, which is a heavyweight slice of spiritual roots and steppers. 'Jail House' delivers deep basslines, militant rhythms and conscious lyrics in classic sound system style. Kingjay's commanding vocal presence brings a timeless message of justice and resistance, while Bennett's production strikes a perfect balance between movement and meditative depth. This is a powerful, no-frills release for true roots heads, designed for the dubwise dance and built to shake speaker boxes.

Review: Studio 16 continues its vital reissue work with this roots gem from Tony Brevett & The Israelites. Originally released in the golden age of roots reggae, 'Star Light' is a luminous lovers' rock anthem guided by Brevett's warm, yearning vocals and deeply spiritual intent. The flip features a classic dubbed-out version which lets the rhythm breathe in all its analogue glory. With an endlessly engaging groove and heartfelt delivery, this 7" captures a glowing slice of reggae history that still shines brightly. Also, the louder the better with this one.

Review: Jamaican singer Dennis Brown's 1984 cut 'Right Fight' finally lands on 7", joined here by a dubwise version from the in-house We The People Band. Originally buried on the Love's Gotta Hold On Me LP and a now-scarce 12", it's one of those righteous, rootsy calls to arms that Brown delivered so effortlessly at his peak. His vocal glides over a tense but propulsive groove, bolstered by horns and a chugging rhythm section, while the lyrics advocate moral clarity in the face of pressure. Flip it and the band's instrumental version runs wild: militant and heavyweight, full of reverb-splashed snares, spectral brass and stripped-back pressure. Produced by The Mighty Two (Joe Gibbs and Errol Thompson), this pairing reflects a moment in mid-80s Jamaican production where the energy of roots still collided with dancefloor sensibility. Essential for selectors with a deeper box.

Review: More than than a decade of growth and exploration fed UK reggae and soul singer Hollie Cook's newest Mr Bongo release; an unmissable reggae-pop fusion taking form as 'Night Night', which also marks a homecoming and a fresh chapter for the singer and aritst. With General Roots as her backing band and Ben McKone handling production and dub duties at Crosstown Studios, the single pairs strident guitar licks and glowing keys with a system-scalding bassline. Hollie's sericin-soft delivery is matched by the fire of Horseman - this his first studio link-up with her since that debut - resulting in a track that pulses with affective lift. A dubbed-out B-side rounds out the 7", spacious, packed with entelechy and flair.

Review: Jamaican vocalist Earl Sixteen's 1980 recording finally lands on 7" vinyl, produced by Earl Morgan of The Heptones and recorded at Harry J Studios. The vocal cut rides a familiar steppers rhythm also heard on tracks by Lacksley Castell and Black Uhuru - crisp, driving, and minimal in arrangement. Sixteen's delivery is measured that sits just above the groove without crowding the mix. The B-side features a dub version mixed by Sylvan Morris. It's restrained, focusing on dropouts and echo placement rather than full reconstruction. Both sides maintain clarity and space, typical of the era's late roots sound. A concise, well-pressed archival issue that foregrounds the essentials: voice, rhythm, and atmosphere.

Review: Built on two decades of collaboration between drummer Sam Hobbs and bassist Neil Innes - no relation to the Monty Python and Rutles man of the same name - the pair's new ATA project blends rootsy Jamaican groove with the syncopated strut of New Orleans funk. Though technically a new release, it's more a continuation than a debut: the lineup includes jazz organist Bob Birch and session guitarist Chris Dawkins, drawing from deep wells of soul, rocksteady and r&b. Tracks like 'Grafter' and 'Bust Up' land squarely in the crossover zone between Studio One and The Metersiraw but slick, with a tight pocket and loose-limbed flair. 'An Autumn Sun' leans sweet and sentimental, while 'Strong Fish' pays organ-heavy homage to Jackie Mittoo's Hot Milk-era work. Elsewhere, 'Power Cut' and 'Night Bus' arrive with horn motifs that seem tailored to I Roy-style toasting, and 'Tough Swagger' is a heavy-lidded jam that could've wandered in off a Bunny Lee tape. But it's 'Iron Fist' that best captures the group's method: groove-first, melody-second, built on intuition and the friction of mismatched rhythms. Despite the vintage touchstones, it never feels like pasticheithe record balances reverence with invention, keeping one foot in Kingston and the other in Treme. For a group with so much history, it sounds impressively fresh.

Review: Leeds' Iration Steppas have spent over three decades reshaping dub into a raw, high-voltage force, blending classic roots selections with futuristic, bass-heavy energy. Here, Mark Iration delves into the Greensleeves archives, curating a deep selection of foundation cuts that have fuelled their sets since the early 90s. The first disc centres on heavyweight vocal performances - Michael Prophet's 'Righteous Are The Conqueror' and Johnny Osbourne's 'Mr Marshall' embody roots reggae at its most defiant, while Ranking Dread's 'Shut Me Mouth' and Wailing Souls' 'Busnah' channel the militant energy of early dancehall. The second disc turns up the pressure, diving into dub with Roots Radics' 'Conquering Dub', Augustus Pablo's 'Revolution Dub' and The Revolutionaires' 'Respect The Version'. Following the success of Down In Dub From The Vault, this latest Soundsystem series instalment reframes vintage selections through the seismic weight of Iration Steppas' vision.

Review: This heavyweight 12" delivers fresh French-produced roots reggae straight out of the unlikely region of Brittany in the North West. It unites the talents of producers William Spring and Arthur Dub Dealer with sought-after Jamaican vocalist Aza Lineage and results in 'Give Thanks For Life,' a spiritually charged anthem carried by Aza's commanding, conscious delivery over a deep, meditative rhythm. William Spring serves up his own riddim, and the B-side offers a delicious dub version from Dub Dealing that strips the rhythm back and recooks it with echo-drenched finesse. Benyah's 'Badman Horns' is tipped with some ska-adjacent brass to make for a meeting of modern roots energy with enduring messages of uplift.

Review: Dubstoned Records is back with more fresh wax and heavyweight Rub-a-Dub rhythms, this time straight from Seville. Produced, mixed and dubbed by Variedub, 'Give Dem' features the powerful vocals of Tenor Mario, who is also part of Cool Up Records, and whose energetic delivery always cuts through. Rafael Arcos brings his signature guitar flair while The Sherlock Horns light up the groove with tight brass from Toni Martin on trombone, Pedro Caballero on sax and Mr Monkeyface on trumpet. Anchoring it all is Agustin Paris on bass. It's a deep, dynamic cut that blends roots tradition with local talent and comes with a flip dub for extra low-end heft.

Review: Slowly over the years, Pachyman has whetted his dub reggae knife on a premium steel, reverse-engineering then rip-up-restarting the time-honoured techniques of legends King Tubby and Scientist, precisely piercing their sound with the pointed instruments of vintage gear and layer-caked bass. Another Place expands now on his vision, always returning to radical roots that otherwise often go unfairly unmentioned by dub historians - William Onyeabor's synthpop, YMO's new wave kooks, Basic Channel's ambient dub - all of which were contemporaries to the 70s sound. The result is a perfect ten of welling hertz-ology, from the studied 'Calor Ahora' to the simmering enveloper 'A.D.S.H.'

Review: What time is it? It's Skankoclock. The label is small but already well-formed and this sixth outing offers up a fresh roots reggae gem from Rapha Pico, whose 'Treat You Wrong' delivers rich vocal vibes over a heavyweight riddim. It is then Far East's smooth melodica version that take sober and lulls you into more deepness that mixes classic energy with modern warmth. Guru Pope and Handyman round out the lineup with deep instrumental contributions that add more layers of rich musicality, all of which gets pressed in a vibrant full-colour skanking sleeve for superb toots with soul, melody, and pure sound system flavours.

Review: Prince Far I's debut album was originally released in 1976 and produced by Lloydie Slim. It's a powerful and spiritual work in the roots and lovers rock world and features Far I chanting Psalms and prayers over heavyweight rhythms including reworks of Alton Ellis' 'Truly,' Ronnie Davis' 'Power of Love' which was also used on Horace Andy's 'You Are My Angel', and the thunderous 'Jah Jah Jahovia.' Although previously reissued over a decade ago, this new edition comes with original artwork and is pressed from fresh stampers made using the original mother plates. The result is a deep, full sound that faithfully captures the richness of the original Jamaican mastering.

Review: Originally released on UK label Jam Sounds in 1975, this rare album brought together members of the legendary Skatalites, namely Lloyd Brevette, Lloyd Knibb, Ernest Ranglin, Roland Alphonso and Tommy McCook with session greats like Horsemouth, Augustus Pablo and members of Ras Michael's Sons of Negus. Recorded across various Kingston studios including Black Ark and Aquarius, it was mixed at King Tubby's, though exact details remain unclear. Because it was initially pressed in limited quantities, it went largely unnoticed, overshadowed by the era's militant reggae. Now rightly revered, the album gets reissued in all its glory and again delivers rich, deep-rooted dub and roots of the highest quality.

Review: Marking 20 years of fresh dub experimentation, Jahtarian Dubbers's latest volume revives the Jahtari compilation series after a decade-long pause. This latest entry features a fresh wave of outsider dub, circuit-bent dancehall and cosmic low-end adventures with heavyweight jams coming thick and fast. Highlights include KingLMan's gritty opener 'The Loop Jerk,' Kiki Hitomi's sultry 'Red Mustang' and Kris Kemist's retro gem 'Casio HipHop.' El Fata brings vibes on 'Boom Sound' while Jura Soundsystem channels Sly & Robbie. Side B flows from Pupajim's extended 'Tidal Wave' to Legowelt and Mystica Tribe's tape-warped 'Cabal of Puppeteers' before finishing with Tiiu Helina's haunting 'Muuri' dub. This is a rich, twisted celebration of dub's outer limits.