Tags: Jamaican

Review: On the second volume in the GATT edits series, Swedish scalpel fiend Beatconductor once again pairs a previously unheard rework with something sought-after from his catalogue. In the latter category you'll find flipside 'Crazy in Kingston', an early noughties mash-up that adds Beyonce's superb lead vocals (and Jay-Z's on-point rap verse) from the peerless 'Crazy in Love' with a dusty old reggae riddim. It's a simple idea, beautifully executed. The brand-new (or at least previously unheard) cut this time around is 'Finger on the Trigger', a lolloping, life-affirming tweak of a 1970s dancefloor soul number that sits somewhere between the stomping heaviness of Detroit Soul and the proto-disco deliciousness of Philly Soul.

Review: The hard-digging record fiends at Kalita are back with more brilliance. This one is the first-ever retrospective of work by Jamaican-born artist Desmond Chambers. The first tine is a proudly politically aware tune previously only avialbel on his 1987 album Tiger Born, while the single 'The Morning Show' has before now only been available as the B side of little known single 'I Have Seen Love In Your Eyes.' The two other tracks are mega cult, hugely loved acid-infused dub snakers with boogie-infused rhythms. Original copies will cost you a huge amount so make sure you snap this one up asap.

Review: The Blue Rhythm Combo was a collective of musicians from Barbados including Bert "Panta" Brown, Clarence Thompson, Don Allamby, Jeff Grannum, Kurt Dallaway, Leroy Williams and more. They were active in the seventies and in 1972 dropped their Magumba album. It's a fiery fusion of funk, Latin and soul music that is a cult classic amongst collectors. As such, originals are hard to find and will cost upwards of 300 quid so this reissue is well timed. From the strident horns of 'BRC's Groove' to the ska-like swagger and reggae overtones of 'Mother And Child Reborn' this is a great summertime listen.

Review: The always excellently go slow and tropical sounds of Big Crown now look to Bacao Rhythm and Steel Band for covers of two classics. Up first is Grace Jones' nightclub classic "My Jamaican Guy" while on the flip is Erykah Badu's tribute to the legendary J Dilla, "The Healer". Both retain the essence of the original but come with loose hand claps, shimmering steel drums that bring coastal breezes, sand and sun into the equation and leave you laying horizontal. These are fine interpretations of top notch source material.

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.