Roots & Culture Vinyl 12 Inch 289 Items

Here comes a special tribute to Hamburg’s dub and sound system history of the 90s - an important chapter for dub and reggae music in Germany on a whole. One of the local veterans, Pensi, also known as the man behind Ire Hi-Fi, meets Dub Me Ruff at the Sound Navigator Studio. An unearthed gem from that era entitled ‘Generation Of Change’. The infamous ‘Dub Me Ruff System’-dubplate-mixtape from the 90s, which was run heavily on cassette by fans and collectors alike, featured a vocal cut and one dub. This and some dances at the time were the only way one could hear the tune. We just had to get in touch with Pensi directly, and carefully inquire if there could be a chance to release it after all those years properly. To our joy he was excited about the project and went back into his archive and found the original DAT-tapes and some lost mixes. We are honored to now present to you, transferred from those DATs at Soon Come Studio (a project run by Pensi and a collective of Hamburg producers nowadays) and freshly remastered and cut at Star Delta in the UK, this first ‘90s salute’ from 1995 on 12inch vinyl. Vocal plus three wonderful dub excursions crafted by Danielle ‘Yell’ Mommertz, with her going heavier on the fx with each mix - from ‘gentle’ to ‘Iration style’. The lyrics could not be more fitting today and seem to not have lost any relevance almost 30 years after they were written. A powerful message on an uncompromising roots riddim à la dub me ruff.

All Nations Records present a new 12" with 2 original instrumental tracks, followed by their own dubs.
Thoses 2 tracks are the result of a collaboration between Higher Meditation and Simon Nyabinghi.
Simon sent the drum patterns to Addis from Higher Meditation, for him to play the rest of the instruments. A task he accomplished brilliantly!
The stunning melodies and bass fit perfectly with the raw drums.
Side A offers "Conquering Dub", a stepper tune that will surely be played on sound system sessions, as it has all the ingredients selectors and massives need when the dances get hot.
On B Side you will find a different groove, a tune called "Lion Dub", more down tempo, but as interesting as the first track.

Reissue from 1989, amazing leftfield Lovers Rock featuring extended dub version - emotional love bomb. Re-mastered and restored.

Get ready for a double dose of roots fire with the next Jack Ruby reissue! This 12" packs a serious punch on both sides. First up, the legendary Tyrone Taylor with "Move Up Black Man." Originally recorded in 1976, this anthem for empowerment is finally getting its rightful release as a single. Next up, for an absolute deep roots experience, we have "Free Rhodesia" a monumental instrumental on the "Rockfort Rock" rhythm featuring the full lineup of the Black Disciples backing band. Jack Ruby himself introduces the band one by one, and for those who remember, this track gets a mention in the iconic film "Rockers," where Ruby requests the drumming talents of the one and only Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace.

Dennis Brown's roots classic "Milk and Honey" freshly remastered, complete with Clive Hunt's original "Bitter Sweet" dub (under his Azul moniker) on the A Side. On the B side, Jay Glass Dubs unfolds a skewed and deconstructed contemporary dub. Strictly limited-edition white label vinyl.

"Rough and Rugged sees Toronto Reggae Don Nkrumah pairing up with the analogue production wizards behind the enigmatic Local Dish label for a wild, synthy Dub excursion. Sounding something between 80's Dancehall and a late 70's Cabe Verde grail, Nkrumah's cool baritone rides this deeply funky, synth soaked analogue riddim. Originally released as a lathe cut 7" in miniscule quantities this is an edition of just 500 copies. Just wait until you hear the Dub!"

paper sleeve

"Good music never dies!" - This was Diane Ellis' mantra when she set out to produce this, her first record, in 1979. She recalls hearing the Rose Royce classic Love Don't Live Here Anymore on the radio and instantly thinking it would make for a great reggae cover, immediately envisioning the sound she was looking for. Drafting in the legendary Boris Gardiner and vocalist Sharon Forrester they created this timeless version of a perennial classic - now available here in it's full extended discomix glory for the first time on 12" since it's original outing, and backed with hornsman cut placing Dean Fraser's sax front row center.

The record was made when Ellis was studio manager for the world-famous Tuff Gong studios, but wanted her outing as a record producer to be a totally independent venture - gaining the great Bob Marley & the TG team's blessings in the process. And so Aquarius Studio in Half Way Tree was where it was all laid-down. Diane credits the Legendary owner and pioneering producer, Herman Chin Loy, as also being of great help on the record, providing a guiding ear throughout the process.

Despite this the evident strength of this first production, Ellis would follow up with only one other production, Junior Tucker's cover of "One of the Poorest People" (this time one recorded at Tuff Gong studios, and releasing the 56 Hope Road subsidiery). While both records performed well on local radio and charts, Diane exited the music industry shortly after. Now 43 years later, Diane is overjoyed her production is having a comeback, saying that "the support and love felt during the project can never be replicated, and I give thanks to all who supported then and now".

Jamwax presents the resurrection of a hard-hitting space synth masterpiece that's set to ignite your senses and shake the very foundations of sound systems worldwide. 'In Ting Sound' is a sonic juggernaut, a hard-as-nails sound bwoy killer that refuses to be confined to the constraints of time. With its pulsating beats and infectious rhythms, this track commands attention from the moment the first note hits. But it's the heavy drums that truly set it apart, pounding with relentless force and driving the groove forward with unstoppable momentum. Get ready to embark on a sonic journey like no other as this reissue comes with three exclusive unreleased tracks : 'Mandela': Feel the pulse of liberation with this uptempo digital killer, featuring Winston's impassioned plea to "Free Nelson Mandela...he never done no wrong, he is just a conscious man..." Let the rhythm of justice resonate as you groove to this powerful anthem of freedom. 'Life All Over': Flip over to the B-side for a digital roots tune that- hits hard with its strong bassline and conscious lyrics. "Life AllOver" dives deep into the essence of existence, delivering a message of hope and resilience that reverberates with every beat. 'Finnegan' aka 'Life All Over Dubwise': Prepare to enter the realm of dub mastery. The second part of "Life All Over" takes you on a journey through the echoes of space and time, where the music transcends boundaries and the spirit of dub reigns supreme. About Winston Fergus : Winston Fergus, a stalwart of the UK reggae scene whose career spans over four decades. Winston kickstarted his journey in 1976 as the vibrant lead singer of The Equators, renowned for their iconic track 'Father Oh Father' released under Joe Sinclair's esteemed Klik label. Not only did The Equators make waves in their own right, but they also provided the musical backdrop for rising star Pablo Gad, solidifying Winston's reputation as a mentor in the industry. In 1977, Winston ventured into solo territory with the soulful release 'Give Me Love' on Jah Jah Bus, marking the beginning of a prolific solo career. Lightning Records recognized his talent and signed him, resulting in the release of 'African Woman'. Throughout the '80s, Winston remained a prominent figure, collaborating with luminaries like Clement Bushay, Clive Stanhope, and John Dread, producing hits such as 'Jezebel Woman', 'Keep On Dancing', and 'Hope For The World'. In the late 80's, Winston's entrepreneurial spirit led him to establish his own imprint, Fergie Music label, marking a new chapter in his illustrious career.

First time reissue of Dubkasm & Ras Addis 'Strictly Ital' and the B side 'Hornsman Trod' - originally out in 2003 on Sufferah's Choice (now known as Dubkasm Records), hand distributed around the UK, and never repressed due to loss of original vinyl stampers - now remastered by Lewis at Stardelta and cut to 12" at Optimal and sounding great as ever, 20 years on.

Rare as hen's teeth digital dancehall from out of late 80s/early 90s NYC, via Cooly aka Koolindian aka Super Cat's cousin Andrew Maragh, originally released on his own Mad Indian Records - reissued here for Death Is Not The End sub-label 333.

Maragh sang in church choirs and on soundsystems in Jamaica before moving to New York in the 1980s where he quickly became involved on the underground music circuit, taking inspiration from his cousin the legendary Super Cat. "Freedom" was penned while he was incarcerated, and details the unfairness of the judicial system at that time, alongside the heartfelt need to "hustle everyday to make ends meet, whether that's picking up scrap metal or cutting lawns or voicing dubplates, whatever you do to make a dollar", says Maragh.

Having bought an Ampex tape in Manhattan, Maragh headed over to the legendary Philip Smart's Hc&f studio on Long Island with the intention of laying down his lyrics on the version to Dennis Brown's "Children of Israel". After hearing the song however, Smart went ahead and built this one-away "Freedom" rhythm on the spot. The track was then carried to Count Shelly's Super Power Records where it was then pressed & distributed as the first and only release on the Mad Indian label around the turn of 1989/1990.

No Wahala Sound Orchestra is a contemporary, London-based collective with members from backgrounds as diverse as Jamaica, Ghana, Bangladesh, Poland, Trinidad, Denmark, Ireland and the UK.Gideon Coe ( 6Music) Neil Luscombe (bbc Radio 3) and Steve Barker ( BBC Radio Lancashire) have all offered their support over the years.
The music takes in elements of electronica, jazz, reggae, dub poetry, Afrobeat, classical Indian music and many other global sounds."On Gossamer Clouds" is a compilation of some key recordings over the last ten years. It features 12 tracks which vary in styles and mood, but form a coherent whole.

Loaded E.P. of mid 90s Mad Professor productions on his own Ariwa (uk) . . . A suite of three slightly comical but straight deadly phasered dubs on A side. On the flip is a strong soulful Lovers tune from Wendy Walker followed by a hazy version... TIP!

Disco mix sides from the Jah Life archives. On the A side we have one of Barrington's best, "Black Heart Man", in its original disco mix from 1983, with killer Scientist dub wise. On the flip is one of the all time sleepers from the Jah Life catalog, way under the radar since its original release in the early '80s. Terrie from the Nairobi Sisters voices the immortal "Left With a Broken Heart" on the killer original cut of the rhythm, which follows into a dub wise melodica piece, which sounds to us like the maestro Augustus Pablo. Both sides are pressed using new stampers made from the original mothers, so what you get is identical to the original pressings.

At long last, in proper quality and officially licensed, here's a pair of records long worked at, historically important, largely unheard, and most of all, musically brilliant. Above all, the dub mixes on these records are known among connoisseurs as being among a handful which can not only be considered a definitive King Tubby's style statement, but also among the most radical, transformative and forward thinking mixes ever committed to tape by the King himself. This is proper King Tubby's music; Tubby the man, not just Tubby's the studio. These two 12"s represent most of the known cuts of this brilliant rhythm, played by the Wailers' Barrett brothers, alongside Earl Chinna Smith, Augustus Pablo and Gladdy Anderson, all together truly a rhythmic force to be reckoned with. "Message from the Congo" and "God Is Love" are two vocals cuts produced via the mid 1970's partnership of Milton "Billy Hutch" Hutchinson and the late Linton "Bob Soul" Williamson. Together these upstart artist-producers operated from a base of operations on King St. in downtown Kingston, nothing short of a historic location that was both concurrent with and adjacent to both the Wailers own record shop and Channel 1's first pressing plant.

With the Barrett brothers at the helm of the session, the rhythm was laid at Randy's studio with Errol Thompson as engineeer, then brought to Tubby for voicing and mixing. "Message from the Congo" finds Bob Soul & The United Stars chanting a message of rastafari over the propulsive uptempo rhythm driven by the late Carly Barrett's masterful drumming. The harmonizers in the "United Stars" as they are dubbed on this record, were actually members of both the Righteous Flames and Rocking Horses vocal groups. The dub mix, "Congo Dread Chapter 1", is actually worthy of the type of genre cross-referencing hyperbole I normally decry in music writing. In hindsight we find in this track, Tubby prefiguring not only the remix and the 'edit', but also the frantic yet orchestrated chaos of a lot of the complex electronic dance music that would being to come into its own a full decade later. To try and describe the magic herein would be pointless, you must simply listen to Tubby deconstruct and reconstruct the rhythm using a melange of his now famous tools and techniques to devastating effect. Indeed, it is tracks like this one which made the man himself and those very techniques now so famous. These two tracks were originally released in Jamaica on both the Gemini and Danger Zone labels (in identical mixes). On the flip side of this first 12" we find Billy Hutch's little known vocal on the rhythm, entitled "Ten Long Years." The soulful vocal finds Bill in top form, and this track was originally released on Bill's very first album "Reggae Showcase", released only in NYC and extremely tough to track down. Rounding out the 12" is a real treat, a previously unreleased different take of "Message from the Congo", with different harmonies, and a background voice telling you "this is a message…", bringing the title of the song sharply into focus.

The A-side "Get Up Natty" was cut at Channel 1 in the mid '80s with the Gifted Roots Band, like much of Tasha's best material. It is released here for the first time. The B-side features a new tune, recently recorded, with Icho still in fine voice, over a tuff new rhythm licked by Danny Bassie of Firehouse Crew and long time Channel 1/Tasha associate, the one and only Barnabas.

Features the roots veteran Prince Alla, school mate of producer George Nicholson. "Can't Fool I" has Alla voicing over a killer rhythm cut at Channel 1 with the Revolutionaries back in 1978, at Tasha's first ever recording session. Finally voiced and mixed again over 40 years later, to great effect. The flip side "Easy Skanking" has Alla in fine style over a great new rhythm licked by Danny Bassie of Firehouse Crew and long time Channel 1/Tasha associate, the one and only Barnabas. Both sides previously unreleased.

Vaughn Benjamin, the voice of Midnite and Akae Beka, was one of the best and most prolific reggae vocalists of the modern era. He was a scholar, poet, teacher, and solver of mysteries. A voracious reader, he was incredibly creative - constantly writing poems and songs. Those close to him advise that he had a photographic memory, which helps explain the broad field of topics he discussed with precise detail in his work. He released over 70 albums in a 20-year period.

Living Testament is the final album Vaughn Benjamin recorded before he transitioned in November of 2019. In late October of 2019, he travelled to Grass Valley, California, recording this 11-track album at Ras Biblical’s studio, Trinity Farm, over a period of 2 days. The producers gathered 11 masterful musicians on these tracks, including Manuel “Go A Chant” Guerra, Denfield “Ras Pulse” Potter, Walker Pillow, Scott Lynwood Davis, Befekadu Assefa and Tuff Lion. Together, these musicians weaved together a powerful family of songs that that tell a timeless and truly unique story, a masterpiece of roots reggae.

Living Testament includes the single ‘Who Will Go For Us’ which was released on January 6th 2024 with a video filmed on location in Ethiopia. In the coming weeks, we’ll be speaking with Go A Chant and Biblical, who were present for the creation of this album. We’ll learn about these recording sessions and what happened behind the scenes.

Fresh heavyweight speaker-distressing business from The Disciples with a vocal track from the legendary Dixie Peach (Jah Tubbys, Fashion labels and many more).

Wade "Jimmy" Dyce was an original member of Cultural Roots. He was a vocalist and played a key role in shaping the sound of the group. Cultural Roots emerged as a four-part harmony group for producer Donovan Germain in the late 1970s, releasing « Revolutionary Sounds » and « Mr Bossman » which counts among ‘Jah Shaka's favourite tunes’. Then they released « Hell A Go Pop », one of the Greensleeves label’s lesser-known classics. In the early 80's, Wade Dyce produced alone three songs at Chris Stanley's famous Music Mountain studio. Wade Dayce surrounds himself with the best musicians of the time, namely the Revolutionaries, but does not remember the exact formation apart from Sly Dunbar on drums and Bongo Herman on percussion. « Humble », « Money Mare » and « Hide & Seek » are three forgotten songs that can be described as killer roots from the middle of the 80s and which you can (re)discover again through this reissue on the original Moving On label. For this release, Jamwax worked with Parade Studio for this original and unique Disco 45 cover graphic creation. Today, Wade, now sixty-seven years old, is living in Salem, Massachusetts, where he graduated in 2010 as a mental-health specialist. Long live to the Cultural Roots !

Wade "Jimmy" Dyce was an original member of Cultural Roots. He was a vocalist and played a key role in shaping the sound of the group. Cultural Roots emerged as a four-part harmony group for producer Donovan Germain in the late 1970s, releasing « Revolutionary Sounds » and « Mr Bossman » which counts among ‘Jah Shaka's favourite tunes’. Then they released « Hell A Go Pop », one of the Greensleeves label’s lesser-known classics. In the early 80's, Wade Dyce produced alone three songs at Chris Stanley's famous Music Mountain studio. Wade Dayce surrounds himself with the best musicians of the time, namely the Revolutionaries, but does not remember the exact formation apart from Sly Dunbar on drums and Bongo Herman on percussion. « Humble », « Money Mare » and « Hide & Seek » are three forgotten songs that can be described as killer roots from the middle of the 80s and which you can (re)discover again through this reissue on the original Moving On label. For this release, Jamwax worked with Parade Studio for this original and unique Disco 45 cover graphic creation. Today, Wade, now sixty-seven years old, is living in Salem, Massachusetts, where he graduated in 2010 as a mental-health specialist. Long live to the Cultural Roots !

picture sleeve

Missed out on first pressing - waiting on repress

The definition of deep roots, here are a pair of almost never before heard tracks from the mythical Creole.

The A-side "Fishers of Man" is an extended mix, while the B-side "Walls of Jericho" is a vocal cut followed by a synth added version retrieved from dubplate. The vocal cuts are the band's personal rough mixes, which thankfully survived to now be heard. These tracks were meant for an LP that never materialized

The Truth and Vibes label is back with its highly anticipated second vinyl release, and this time, we’re pulling out all the stops to bring you a diverse lineup of both fresh faces and familiar talents who have already graced our previous release. Our journey begins with the talented producer and our good friend, Bukkha, hailing from Spain. A notable figure on the dub scene, Bukkha has been invited to play at Dub der guten Hoffnung in Graz already twice, solidifying our productive creative relationship. The genesis of this release traces back to a track known as “Jah Praise”, which we’ve cherished as a dubplate for many years. As the years rolled on, an exciting development took place when our brethren, Joyful Lion, contributed a mesmerizing saxophone performance. It was at this moment that we knew this track deserved to see the light of day as a full release. The creative journey didn’t stop there. We embarked on a quest to infuse this already captivating tune with even more depth and soul. Enter the remarkable singer Galas, who lent his powerful voice to the project, introducing a theme of “Repatriation” that resonated deeply with our vibes. But we weren’t finished yet. To complement the rich lyrics, we sought the talents of our friend Vale from Berlin, known for his exceptional horn skills. The harmonious melodies he crafted were so captivating that we couldn’t resist asking him to contribute some solo sections, resulting in a full horns version of the track. With all the pieces falling into place, we entrusted the track to Matt from Pressure Mastering, who added the final touches to bring out its true essence. As always, we’ve teamed up with Austro Vinyl, nestled in the green heart of Austria, to deliver a high-quality pressing on heavy 180g vinyl. The release comes adorned with full cover artwork, ensuring that the visual experience matches the sonic journey.