Fruits Reggae & Dancehall 30 Items

Bringing together over 50 of Jamaica's greatest session musicians, whose work spans from the birth of reggae in the late 1960s until today, Roots Architects is the largest gathering of Jamaican musical talent on one all-instrumental album. Never before have so many veterans, who helped create the immortal rhythms that made reggae internationally successful, been assembled to play on new material without vocals. This album aims to celebrate and pay tribute to the unsung heroes of reggae music: the rhythm builders or Roots Architects.

The project is the brainchild of Swiss keyboardist and producer Mathias Liengme. In 2013, he travelled to Kingston, Jamaica, to produce The Inspirators project, an all-star album gathering Leroy ”Horse-mouth” Wallace, Lloyd Parks, Earl ”Chinna” Smith and Sangie Davis, the four of them acting both as musicians and vocalists. This first experience in Kingston studio life paved the way to what would become the Roots Architects project. In February and March 2017 Mathias Liengme travelled for the fifth time to Kingston to record as many of reggae’s greatest living veteran musicians as he could. With the help of a few of these Architects like Robbie Lyn, Fil Callender or Dalton Browne, he managed to gather over 50 session musicians aged 60 to 85 on nine instrumental songs.

Roots Architects are legends back together in Kingston studios doing what they do best: creating in-strumental music all together!

Sputnik is an explosive ska tune reminiscent of the greatest days of Jamaican furious dance music. Trombone and tenor saxophone solos stir your ears while the six piece horns section will blow your away. On the B side, in a completely different style, the organ drives an early and heavy reggae beat while horns section takes you on a soaring journey. Thrills guaranteed!

It's been a long time coming, THE 18th Parallel are back with a new showcase album, this time starring Jamaican singer extraordinaire Derajah. ‘babylon A Quake' is the first single from the new album, due out in October 2023. This groundbreaking single is a collaboration like no other, bringing together the remarkable vocals of Derajah, renowned for his distinctive style and powerful delivery, and the production prowess of The 18th Parallel, a trailblazing force in the reggae scene. With the expert touch of mixing maestro Westfinga, this track is a sonic masterpiece. ‘Babylon A Quake’ stands as a powerful anthem, carrying a profound message of social consciousness and resistance against oppressive forces. Derajah's raw and emotive vocals paint vivid pictures of struggle and resilience, while The 18th Parallel's ultra-solid riddim creates a rich tapestry of sound that will transport you to the heart of roots reggae. With its impeccable production quality, ‘Babylon A Quake’ captures the essence of reggae's golden era while infusing it with a fresh and contemporary sound. It seamlessly blends tradition with innovation, ensuring that both loyal reggae enthusiasts and new listeners alike will be left in awe of this musical gem.

After a first outstanding collaboration on the song ‘Mother Nature’, Greenwhich Farm's singer Sylvan White teams up once again with Fruits Records! On a 80's dancehall rub a dub type of riddim played by The 18th Parallel, Sylvan White sings about his faith in Rastafari and shares his knowledge of the traditional culture, the mystic of the nyabinghi drums.

New flagship band of the Swiss ska and rocksteady scene, Cosmic Shuffling finally delivers its first album, Magic Rocket Ship. After the success of its first EP, Cosmic Goes Wild, which was playlisted for more than a year on the Swiss national radios, elected in the ten best records of the genre in 2017 and internationally acclaimed by the specialized critics, the Geneva band had to live up to the expectations, and it's done. Magic Rocket Ship is both a tribute to the Jamaican music of the 1960s and a breakthrough into the futuristic world of the sextet. Recorded in the aesthetics of sixties sound, ribbon microphones, magnetic tapes and analog saturation, it was Roberto Sánchez, the extraordinary Spanish producer, who mixed the nine original tracks on this LP. Dancing from beginning to end like a comet in space, Magic Rocket Ship is a real musical nugget that will delight both vintage fans and music lovers in search of freshness. To be discovered urgently!

We always try to bring something special when it comes to release a single on vinyl. This time, we are pleased to announce the return of one of the most obscure and talented vocal group from the early 80's: Time Unlimited. It's been more than twenty years that Donovan Joseph, Hugo Blackwood and Orville Smith, have been off the musical scene as Time Unlimited. During the recording sessions of the Roots Architects project in 2017, we had the chance to meet Donovan Joseph passing by the studio. Straightaway, we were telling ourselves that we had to see his legendary group name written on black wax again. Here it is, with a deep rub a dub cut backed by the High Times Players remembering the golden years of the group!

Cosmic Shuffling took us on its journey last year with its magnificent vocal album Cosmic Quest. Now the Swiss septet extraordinaire returns with the sequel of its latest album: the instrumental side of the Quest. These two brand new 7” singles present four instrumentals taken from an upcoming full instrumental album due out September 2024. If you wish that Tommy McCook, Bobby Ellis, Roland Alphonso or Don Drummond had written more melancholic instrumentals, these tunes are for you! Burning hot scorchers!

Led by a gorgeous horns and flute top line, ‘Poor M. Collins’ grooves with a rhythmic finesse that will have you swaying to its infectious beat, while ‘Memories of Plans-Bochet’ takes you on a nostalgic ride, leaving an indelible mark on your soul.

In 2020, Cosmic Shuffling took the global rocksteady and ska scene by storm with its hit singles ‘Eastern Ska’ and ‘Short Break’ taken from the band first album “Magic Rocket Ship”. Highly acclaimed by the fans of sixties Jamaican sounds, this first album was sold out in a few weeks only. Now the band returns with brand new music!

Warning! This is original SKA music of the highest calibre. This new double A side 7” record will set the dancefloor on fire. ’jupiter’s Garden’ is an heavy, slow and extremely groovy instrumental ska blown by a six-piece horns section. It is instantly reminiscent of Don Drummond's melancholic compositions with The Skatalites. The music made by these Jamaican legends in the sixties will never be equalled, but Cosmic Shuffling pays a striking tribute to the style and sound of the Greats. Ready to take off on an outerspace dancing journey?

On the flip side, ‘asteroid Field I’ continues the journey through a zone of intense turbulence: the tempo becomes fiercer, the chords move away from traditional harmonies and the virtuoso soloists display their talent one after the other. All of this on a frenzied rhythm worthy of The Soul Brothers.

You can’t miss this record. Double scorcher. Double fireball. Available on 7” vinyl record with pantone silver ink label. Limited screen printed and numbered sleeves edition of 90 copies!

In 2020, Cosmic Shuffling took the global rocksteady and ska scene by storm with its hit singles ‘Eastern Ska’ and ‘Short Break’ taken from the band first album “Magic Rocket Ship”. Highly acclaimed by the fans of sixties Jamaican sounds, this first album was sold out in a few weeks only. Now the band returns with brand new music!

‘love IN Portofino’ is a 1958 Italian classic by Fred Buscaglione. As Jamaicans would covered in their own way sixties soul classics from the USA, Cosmic Shuffling gives a beautiful rocksteady rendition of this love song. It starts with a wistful guitar introduction, before the rhythm section and vocals enter on a cuban bolero inspired rhythm. Then the rocksteady groove sits in: bouncy drum and bass, sweet horns arrangement and a delightful pick guitar that will leave no one cold. Can you feel the Mediterranean summer breeze of Portofino’s harbor?

B side of the record features jazz standard ‘the Shadow OF Your Smile’ well known of rocksteady lovers thanks to Tommy McCook’s magical interpretation from 1967. Surprisingly, Jamaican artists never recorded a vocal version of the song. That’s why Cosmic Shuffling did its own version: a superb love letter between alto saxophone and vocals.

Wait… was this really recorded in 2022?! A perfectly balanced retro-modern rocksteady record! Available on 7” vinyl record with pantone silver ink label. Limited screen printed and numbered sleeves edition of 90 copies!

In September 2021, The 18th Parallel unveiled their first collaborative LP with Lone Ark, Showcase vol. 1, which was unanimously acclaimed by international critics. After a series of singles in collaboration with key artists from the golden age of Jamaican reggae such as Lee "Scratch" Perry, Linval Thompson, Dennis Walks, Burro Banton and Mike Brooks, the Swiss musician-producer combo is back with a new project on November 18th, 2022, Downtown Sessions, to delight the ears of old-school roots music fans.

Downtown Sessions is the result of ten years of studio sessions between Geneva and downtown Kingston with legendary drummer and Rockers movie star Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace (Studio One, Black Disciples, Soul Syndicate, Pierpoljak, Groundation,...). The 18th Parallel hits hard by inviting some of the biggest names in Jamaican reggae on this new record: Cornell Campbell, Max Romeo, Ras Michael, Fred Locks, Big Youth, I Kong, Leroy Brown, The Silvertones and Hopeton James, not forgetting a Swiss guest, Lala Love. A real anthology of roots reggae legends who blossom on original and varied riddims that pay tribute to different eras of Jamaican roots music production, from the raw sound of Randy's to the Studio One discomix drenched in reverb of the late 1970s, via the polished arrangements typical of Geoffrey Chung's productions at Dynamics studio or the sound of Ras Michael's nyahbinghi drums! An exceptional record that combines tradition and modernity by bringing together the original voices of roots reggae with the refreshing vision of the young Swiss collective The 18th Parallel, all under the leadership of the legendary Horsemouth and producer Mathias Liengme. A future must-have for any music lover's collection!

Well known for hit songs ‘Blackstar Liner’, ‘Vision of Redemption’ or ‘Love and Only Love’, Fred Locks is another golden voice from the golden years of Jamaican music. For almost 50 years, he brings the roots reggae to a higher level with conscious and militant songs deeply rooted into his Twelve Tribes of Israel faith. More than a great singer, Fred Locks is a gentle soul. The vibes were instantly right when The 18th Parallel met him, downtown Kingston, back in 2013, to record ‘the System IS A Fraud’. In order to stay true to the sound of Fred Locks’ classics, the Swiss musicians teamed up with legendary Rockers drummer Leroy “Horsemouth” Wallace to create another classic stepper riddim especially built for Fred’s vocal style. Finally, Maga Lion and Brother Wildman from the Emeterians had their touch singing backing vocals as Creation Steppers would have done back in the days. Dub on the flip side by the one and only Roberto Sánchez.

Sound system addicts, this one is for you: Roots rockers music paying tribute to the sound of the late seventies!

Another scorcher for DJ superstar BIG Youth! Earlier this year, The 18th Parallel teamed up with Big Youth on the rockers one drop ‘Long Road’ released on Skankin’ Society Records. Now they are back together with a second single called ‘man With A Mission’. Super heavy rub a dub riddim driven by a powerful bassline and none other than legendary Leroy “Horsemouth” Wallace on drums. Horns blowing like the trumpets of Jericho, moog synthesizer lurking like a haunting ghost and thunderstorm spring reverbs create an apocalyptic atmosphere perfectly suited to Big Youth’s poignant vocals. The power of this song comes from the way it was recorded. March 2013, downtown Kingston, 45 Charles Street at night. Gunshot in the neighborhood, police in the streets. Big Youth was outside the studio. He went right through the recording booth, never gave a listen to the riddim, ask the engineer to roll and put his heart and soul into the song: no filter, no second thought, just pure inspiration and message in the lyrics. One take. This is the most spontaneous and genuine testimony you can get from the magic of studio vibes in Kingston. Another masterpiece from Master Jah Youth!

As reggae lovers for decades, one of our biggest dreams was to collaborate with the creative genius behind the legendary sound of the Black Ark studio, one of the dub originators, the man responsible for shaping the sound of Bob Marley and the Wailers amongst many other greats, the mighty Upsetter, the unspeakable Lee “Scratch” Perry! That happy day has finally arrived in 2019 when Lee, who lived in Switzerland for a longtime, recorded his voice on The 18th Parallel’s ‘Cosmic Drop Riddim’.

The details around ‘Words From The Upsetter’ recording are not that common. In summer 2017, we at Fruits Records had the privilege to tour European festivals with Lee “Scratch” Perry as members of the Najavibes backing band. This is how we got to know the legend and start the production process. The first seed was sown. Nevertheless, the riddim track of the song was laid down in Kingston in 2014, as our crew of musicians – not known yet as The 18th Parallel – was recording our first release ever, A Little Walk album with the legendary Sino-Jamaican singer I Kong. The unused riddim slept in the hard drive for five years until we found the right artist to ride it. The Upsetter had that mystic vibes we were looking for, it was a perfect fit.

Then we spiced it up with a few more overdubs – analog string synthesizer, cosmic guitars, subtle sounds of musique concrète. Finally Roberto Sánchez brilliantly recreated the type of sound that the Black Ark was famous for: full of Mutron Bi-Phase, tape delay and spring reverb hits as testifies the dub version ‘Spring Thunderstorm’.

The production of this song has been a long and heavy process, but we're now able to present this brand new recording to the world. Sadly, Lee’s not physically here anymore to witness this release, but his musical legacy is so immeasurable that his memory will live forever in every music enthusiasts’ heart around the world. And this record is now a part of this legacy. We’ll be forever thankful for this opportunity and would like to give a special thanks to his family and friends (big up Dr. T!) who helped us and gave us assistance during the creative process. This record is dedicated to the loving memory of Lee “Scratch” Perry.

The ‘Cosmic Drop Riddim’ wouldn’t be fully completed without two extra unexpected cuts. The first one is an amazing instrumental song featuring Perry’s longtime friend and Jamaican number one trombonist Vin Gordon where trombone meets bass clarinet and bass flute to create a deep, foggy, mystical atmosphere. This will take you to a night journey to East Africa. The second cut highlights the art of dub poetry through the beautiful poem by Yasus Afari, ‘Healing Chant’.

As reggae lovers for decades, one of our biggest dreams was to collaborate with the creative genius behind the legendary sound of the Black Ark studio, one of the dub originators, the man responsible for shaping the sound of Bob Marley and the Wailers amongst many other greats, the mighty Upsetter, the unspeakable Lee “Scratch” Perry! That happy day has finally arrived in 2019 when Lee, who lived in Switzerland for a longtime, recorded his voice on The 18th Parallel’s ‘Cosmic Drop Riddim’.

The details around ‘Words From The Upsetter’ recording are not that common. In summer 2017, we at Fruits Records had the privilege to tour European festivals with Lee “Scratch” Perry as members of the Najavibes backing band. This is how we got to know the legend and start the production process. The first seed was sown. Nevertheless, the riddim track of the song was laid down in Kingston in 2014, as our crew of musicians – not known yet as The 18th Parallel – was recording our first release ever, A Little Walk album with the legendary Sino-Jamaican singer I Kong. The unused riddim slept in the hard drive for five years until we found the right artist to ride it. The Upsetter had that mystic vibes we were looking for, it was a perfect fit.

Then we spiced it up with a few more overdubs – analog string synthesizer, cosmic guitars, subtle sounds of musique concrète. Finally Roberto Sánchez brilliantly recreated the type of sound that the Black Ark was famous for: full of Mutron Bi-Phase, tape delay and spring reverb hits as testifies the dub version ‘Spring Thunderstorm’.

The production of this song has been a long and heavy process, but we're now able to present this brand new recording to the world. Sadly, Lee’s not physically here anymore to witness this release, but his musical legacy is so immeasurable that his memory will live forever in every music enthusiasts’ heart around the world. And this record is now a part of this legacy. We’ll be forever thankful for this opportunity and would like to give a special thanks to his family and friends (big up Dr. T!) who helped us and gave us assistance during the creative process. This record is dedicated to the loving memory of Lee “Scratch” Perry.

The ‘Cosmic Drop Riddim’ wouldn’t be fully completed without two extra unexpected cuts. The first one is an amazing instrumental song featuring Perry’s longtime friend and Jamaican number one trombonist Vin Gordon where trombone meets bass clarinet and bass flute to create a deep, foggy, mystical atmosphere. This will take you to a night journey to East Africa. The second cut highlights the art of dub poetry through the beautiful poem by Yasus Afari, ‘Healing Chant’.

Who would ever think to hear a reggae collaboration between Switzerland and Denmark? This is what you get when the heavy sound of The 18th Parallel meets the subtle play of the Horns section of Guiding Star Orchestra. Layed on the Wonderland of Green riddim (The Silvertones, Burro Banton), this instrumental “Meeting Ina Wonderland” proposes a perfect mix between the raw and wild rub a dub vibes of the riddim and the lightness underlined by the jazzy influences of the horns players.

Probably the most respected and sought-after producer of the European reggae scene of the last ten years, Spanish genius Roberto Sánchez (Willi Williams, Earl Zero, Alpheus, Keith & Tex, Milton Henry,...) takes place behind the microphone to deliver a new album as a singer under his pseudonym Lone ARK. Soberly titled Showcase Vol. 1, this album is a collaboration between Sánchez and the Swiss band THE 18th Parallel, whose playing is well known to reggae fans, since its musicians have recently played and produced some remarkable records, including I've Seen by Oku Onuora, Roots I Vision by Micah Shemaiah or Wonderland of Green by The Silvertones and Burro Banton. Faithful to the Jamaican roots reggae tradition, Showcase Vol. 1 offers six vocal tracks followed by their dub counterparts where all the creativity of the sound engineer and the musicians is freely expressed. On instrumentals at the same time heavy and irresistibly dancing, with a modern production but deeply rooted in the roots reggae sound, Lone Ark and The 18th Parallel push their listeners to critical reflection. A strong message + powerful music = a must-have album!

Second single and opening song from the upcoming showcase album by Spanish singer, engineer, producer Lone ARK (Roberto Sánchez) and Switzerland finest reggae studio band THE 18th Parallel, Fruits Records proudly present ‘defend’. On a militant stepper riddim graced by magnificent horns, Roberto Sánchez and the Swiss band send a strong political message to the world: “The longer we fight, the stronger we get, and so we defend the rights of our brothers and sisters who cannot defend themselves.” A few weeks after ‘Get You’, here comes another sound system anthem available on black wax 7” vinyl or on a limited blue ocean clear vinyl with screenprinted and numbered sleeve (only 90!) on July 30th. An essential record for this summer sound system parties!

Lloyd Parks is one of the greatest bass player in Jamaican music history, but he’s also a brilliant singer. He started his singer carrier in 1967 at Studio One with The Termites and then had numerous hits with songs like “Officially”, “Slaving”, “Ordinary Man”, “Mafia” or “We’ll Get Over It”. In 2013, Fruits Records producer Mathias Liengme travelled to Jamaica to record The Inspirators album, an all stars group gathering Leroy “Horsemouth” Wallace, Lloyd Parks, Earl “Chinna” Smith and Anthony “Sangie” Davis playing and singing together. Taken from these recording sessions, Lloyd Parks’ “No Bother Chuck It Pon Me” is for the first time available on 7” record including a wicked dub version on the B side by Roberto Sánchez.

An excellent 4-track roots and dub reggae 12-inch on the French Fruits Records label, of which the first release was I Kong's 'A Little Walk' album.

Geneva’s finest ska and rocksteady band, Cosmic Shuffling, announces a new album Cosmic Quest for May 5th 2023. First single out of the album released on 7” vinyl, Hope FOR Longer Days is another banger from the cosmic septet. Driven by a pick guitar in fine style, this perfect rocksteady groove with wistful horns and voices is expertly recorded and mixed in a sixties fashion by producer Mathias Liengme and sound engineer Roberto Sánchez. On the B side, you’ll be delighted by an extraordinaire organ version reminiscent of the Soul Vendors or Crystalites greatest days.