Ray Lugo & The Boogaloo Destroyers - El Ritmo De Nueva York

Ray Lugo & The Boogaloo Destroyers' sound is inspired by the warmth, diversity, and youthful spirit of classic New York Latin Boogaloo of the late 1960s - and this brand new release, El Ritmo De Nueva York, pays tribute to the originators of that classic sound, and also gives us a sneak preview of the sounds contained within the forthcoming album Que Chevere! 

Of the new single,  gives us just a little insight into his inspiration: "I wanted to feature some real descarga tunes as we lacked those on the first album. Also wanted to show New York City pride!"  The insistent piano riffs and cowbell rhythms combine to make this number pure dancefloor material!

Of the flipside, Let Me Tell Ya 'Bout The Boogaloo, Ray says: "I was thinking of a couple going uptown for a night of dancing!"

"This is the real deal, Ray Lugo KILLS it with this Latin dancefloor banger..." - Pimpernel Jones, Herma Puma/First Word

"Kick ass Latin stompers!" - Phil Levene, SoulM8

"Two crackers from The Boogaloo Destroyers to swing your partner round the dancefloor! Irresistible!" - Andy Ward, stompradio.com

BUY NOW at FREESTYLE

William ‘Bunny Rugs’ Clarke Passes Away

On the 2nd February 2014 another of Jamaica’s greatest talents was lost to the world.William ‘Bunny Rugs’ Clarke passed away, aged just 58 - the singer having been hospitalized in Florida earlier this year after falling ill with leukemia.
He grew up in Kingston, Jamaica and began his singing career in the mid-sixties, performing with Charlie Hackett & the Souvenirs before fronting the Inner Circle band later in the decade.

A spell in New York City, where he sang with Hugh Hendricks & the Buccaneers, and the Bluegrass Experience, was followed by a return to Jamaican shores in 1974 and sessions for Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry at the producer’s famed Black Ark studio. A brief partnership with Ricky Grant ensued, along with the superb solo collection, ‘To Love Somebody’, while a spell performing on the live circuit with the Wild Bunch further enhanced his growing reputation.

In 1976, Bunny was recruited by Third World as a replacement for their former lead singer, Milton ‘Prilly’ Hamilton and over the next three decades his soulful voice graced numerous Reggae and Soul classics, both with the group and as a solo artist.

His passing is a huge loss not just to the reggae music community but to music as a whole.

Adam Prescott - Liberation Riddim

Liberation Riddim is the third release on Hundred Years and is a production from Reggae Roast heavyweight Adam Prescott, who is joined on the release by Cornel Campbell, Donovan Kingjay, Galak Spiritual & Papa B. The track bridges the gap between classic roots, dub from the echo chamber and driving modern steppas. The first vocal cut from the original Gorgon himself, Mr. Cornel Campbell blends Adam's tough original with Cornel's flawlessly sweet vocals to create 'Dem A Bawl', in which the driving deep bass line is perfectly accentuated by the flawless melodies and delays to provide us with an unmistakable and instantly recognizable take on modern roots at it's finest. Next cut see's Donovan Kingjay take to the booth for 'Statistic', an assured statement on the current social climate, providing a message of hope and unification, delivered powerfully in Donovan's unmistakable style. The final vocal version comes from Galak Spiritual entitled ‘Ancestors’, and is a tribute to his mixed blood, spreading a powerful message of love and acceptance. Rounding off the record is a powerful horns cut from Papa B, a saxophonist on his first instrumental outing since the anthemic 'Easton' by onlyjoe.

Hundred Years is a UK based record label split between London and Bristol, although also keeping roots in Paris, who specialize in a broad spectrum of conscious bass music.

Hundred Years - www.hundredyearsrecords.com
Facebook - www.facebook.com/#!/hundredyearsrecords/
Soundcloud - soundcloud.com/#hundredyears
Twitter - twitter.com/Hundred_Years

Mungos Hi Fi The Stinger / Dem Stylee 12" White Label

Just when you thought Sleng Teng could go no further, (Mungo’s Hi Fi) are back

with this booming version for the dancehalls of today. Dem Stylee on the flip side

is a perfect compliment to this limited edition white label for all rub a dub bass

technicians.

Released on March 10th

The Stinger - Dem Stylee 12" [SCRUB009]

A The Stinger

B Dem stylee

Subactive - The Pepper Dem EP

Subactive Sound from Strasbourg are back with a deadly EP of epic bass proportions with their second release on Scotch Bonnet. They bring a funky swing to modern dub with perfectly sensed vocals and irresistible rhythm.

Officially released on 10th March 2014 from Scotch Bonnet Records shop.

Subactive - Pepper dem EP [SCOB041]

A1 Pepper dem ft Speng Bond
A2 Hot like pepper ft Parly B
A3 Pepper riddim
B1 They can't catch we ft Marina P
B2 Many miles ft Capra Dread
B3 Heavy weightlessness riddim

STYLO G EXCLUSIVE REGGAE ROAST INTERVIEW!

REGGAE ROAST CHAT WITH STYLO G BEFORE HIS UPCOMING RELEASE WITH THE LABEL

Ed West, Parly B - Dem A Fight!

It's the beginning of another year when people look to make a fresh start but the people at Reggae Roast are carrying on exactly where they left off by continuing to deliver quality releases with this slice of  ruff & tuff UK Dancehall, Dem A Fight (on the Telephone Riddim), courtesy of Ed West (The Drop) featuring the eccentric vocal stylings of Parly B & Jago!

Remix pressure comes from Bristol's finest purveyor of Jungle, J-Man (Run Tingz) & also FLeCK, who comes correct with his own unique brand of 140 Jungle inna dubwise fashion!

The tune is available now from itunes

JUNIOR 'SOUL' MURVIN - PASSES AWAY

2013 will be  forever marked as the year when the world lost one of its greatest and most inspirational statesmen Nelson Mandela, whose sad passing came just days after the loss of one of Jamaica's most underrated performers, Junior Murvin.

Best known internationally for his 1976 single 'Police and Thieves', Junior first burst onto the Jamaican music scene in the late sixties with hits for Derrick Harriott and Sonia Pottinger, although it was his work with Lee 'Scratch' Perry in the mid-to-late seventies that brought him global exposure and widespread acclaim.

Immediately following his spell with the producer, he enjoyed varied success with recordings for a number of Kingston-based music makers, including Joe Gibbs and Henry 'Junjo' Lawes prior to launching his own Port Antonio-based 'Murvin' imprint, although by the 1990s had eased off from his recorded work.

Shortly before his passing on the morning of 2nd December, the singer-songwriter, whose real name was Murvin Junior Smith, had been admitted into the Port Antonio Hospital in Portland, suffering with advanced stage diabetes and hypertension.

Jago - The Wicked Try

The Wicked Try is the first release from Jago, a vocalist who has made his name over recent years as one half of much talked about production duo Hylu & Jago. The track sees Jago stepping in to his own as a vocalist to be reckoned with on a sophisticated roots production from The Sea. Joining Jago on the track is Serocee, Ghost Writerz & Junior Dangerous. On remix duty is the mighty DJ Vadim, who comes with a dubbed out hip hop mix, perfectly complementing the original. Closing the release is a Dub from The Sea himself, which is sure to set sound systems around the globe on fire.

The release is the second on Hundred Years, a new label split between London, Bristol & Paris. The release follows on from Galak Spiritual’s debut EP, released earlier in the year, and builds on the platform of authentic UK reggae & hip hop music from some of the scene’s fastest rising stars, and marks the label out as a very exciting imprint to watch over the coming months.

www.hundredyearsrecords.com  

Jago ‘Prince Lanka’ Boue

Vocalist and producer Jago came to fame as one of the front men for the dub/reggae outfit onlyjoe. He also works with DJ/Producer Hylu in the Unit 137 studio where he collaboratively produces the duo’s original riddims, as well as performing those live at events all around the country, and internationally.

He is currently working hard on his debut album which is set to be released very soon. “The Wicked Try,” his first single, sees him step in to the light as a vocal talent to watch over the coming months. Not only is his lyrical content and performance devastatingly on point, but his ability to draw together some of the brightest and most exciting singers and MC’s from around the world to perfectly compliment his own style, on any given riddim, is unparalleled.

His work with Hylu has seen him fast become one of the most talked about underground producers in the UK. Their unique and instantly recognizable style fuses flawless composition with crisp production skills and spans genres from reggae & dub, through the spectrum of modern UK bass music. The duo continue to work with some of the biggest vocalists in the world, as well as some rising stars, and of course all the artists in the Unit 137 camp, who continue to cause a stir, both on their own sound system as well as at dances and festivals all over the country.

Passafire are back with their fifth studio album, 'Vines' which was released worldwide on November 11th. Vines is the band’s début release for leading reggae label Easy Star Records and is the follow up to their 2011 chart-topping (#1 Billboard and iTunes Reggae) album 'Start From Scratch'. The Savannah, GA-based quartet continues to raise their profile to the top of the exploding U.S. reggae scene.

Much of Vines was recorded just outside of El Paso, TX at the legendary Sonic Ranch Studios, the largest residential recording studio complex in the world. Acts as diverse as Animal Collective, Sublime, Gogol Bordello, and Band of Horses have all shared the unique facilities and atmosphere where the new album was recorded.  It was finished in the band’s own home studio, which allowed for a much more relaxed, off the clock approach to the final sessions. After the recording was completed, Passafire worked with Paul Leary (of the Butthole Surfers), who produced their last album, to nail down the final mixes.  Leary’s impressive resume includes work with Sublime, Pepper, Slightly Stoopid, U2, Meat Puppets, and Daniel Johnston, to name a few.  Vines is Passafire’s most ambitious release to date, thanks in large part to the focus of the current line-up – singer/guitarist Ted Bowne, drummer Nick Kubley, bassist/vocalist Will Kubley and keyboardist Mike DeGuzman.  The results find its makers at a creative peak combined with a comfort level on stage and in the studio that Passafire has never achieved before.  Early critical praise of Vines is already coming in, with The Pier enthusiastically stating, “…the tracks have a maturity and depth to them, traits gained only by working out material together on the road.”

The band’s relentless touring schedule has gained a loyal national following with notable performances at festivals including the Vans Warped Tour, Wakarusa, and the California Roots Festival.  2013 has only accelerated the bands’ momentum on the road.  On October 4th 2013, Passafire kicked off an extensive tour co-headlining with friends and scene-mates Ballyhoo! The string of 29-dates is aptly titled the “BrewHaHa” Tour.

Vines is available form  iTunes and all other leading outlets.

TONY BREVETT R.I.P

On the 26th October the world lost one of the most underrated singer-songwriters of a generation: Tony Brevett. Brevett was best known for his work with the Melodians, the group he had formed in the early sixties, along fellow Kingstonians, Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton.

After making their recording debut in 1966, the trio enjoyed a long and successful career, cutting hits with many of Jamaica’s leading producers, most notably Coxson Dodd, Duke Reid, Sonia Pottinger and Leslie Kong, for whom they recorded their most famous works: their sole UK hit, ‘Sweet Sensation’ and the definitive version of ‘Rivers Of Babylon’ from 1970. Soon after, Brevett recorded a number of self-produced solo sides, including his enduring hit,‘Don’t Get Weary’.

Subsequent spells working with Lee Perry and Harry Johnson ensued for the group, although their career was adversely affected by periods of inactivity following a number of break-ups. They finally experienced a period of sustained unity in the late 1990’s, during which time their stage performances won them new generations of fans, but sadly, in 2006, Dowe passed away following a heart attack. The remaining duo maintained the Melodians name until earlier this year, but after falling ill in August, Brevett was diagnosed with cancer and despite the efforts of staff at Florida’s Memorial Hospital, he finally lost his fight with the disease aged 64.

Mungo's Hi Fi ft. Lady Ann – Sound Get A Beating

Lady Ann comes in hard with a certified sound killer, beating down any dibbi
dibbi who wants to come try test. Riding the old time dance riddim with a rough
n tough vocal over the 80's digital style, together with the clean riddim this is an
essential 7” for all DJ's and jugglers.

This is a limited edition run.

Tradesman ft. Parly B – Know Bout Style

Tradesman is causing a right old rumble with his fresh digital reggae riddims. Together with Parly B, Doncasters DJ don dadda, they have created a modern day dancehall anthem, with one foot in the late 80's and the other firmly planted in 2013. 'Know bout Style' sent the flamethrowers wild at Outlook this year.

This is a strictly limited short run, so get it before it's gone.

Roots Radio Intl

 CHECK OUT THE STATION EVERYONE'S BEEN TALKING ABOUT!

With a host of multi national DJs representing Sound Systems, Record labels and Promotion outfits
Roots Radio Intl is your number one port of call!
You will hear all the latest up to date sound system dubplates that are biggin up the dancefloors across the world, You will hear all the latest sounds from independent reggae labels, their releases and archives, you will hear classic vintage reggae and dub selected from vinyl, you will see a friendly positive roots family welcome you to the station for it boasts it's own multi camera chat lounge where you'll make friends with like minded fans of the music. The station will soon be employing it's own merchandise and music download store
The station is owned by Rabbi Cajun , it is managed by Rebel Soul (both United States). It's Admin team who make sure the station runs as smoothly and trouble free as is possible are Arfur B, Warrior Force Naomi and Roots Hobbit (All UK) with admin assistance from Cristiano Jahvoice and Tias dubwise (Italy France respectively). The station's publicist and promoter is Gibsy Rhodes (SpringlineRecords) So, tune in to the sound of now and enjoy the ride!

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