Monday, February 8, 2010

Rasta Living - One-Drop Mixtape 2007

Rasta living Mixtape 2007. Positive livity. 
 

Massive B's Jah Love Riddim is a real killer as is Gibbo & Errol Thompson's Hard Times. I-Wayne's deeply insightful Rasta Tell Them All The While is classic roots. Other riddims include Rastar, Rocking Time, Notorious and Sweet Sop. Jah Cure & Fantan Mojah's Nah Build Great Men was an instant classic. Strength Of A Lion by Chrisinti is also superb.



Continuous mix. 78 minutes.

-download-

Friday, February 5, 2010

Big Up Xterminator 1999 - Massive R at the Control Tower


Big Up Xterminator Mix - Massive R at the Control Tower. Dub-heavy mix of some of the biggest tunes out of phillip Burrell's Xterminator camp 1994-99, put together by selector Massive R. Riddim like Sweep Over My Soul, Babylon Cowboy, Repatriation, General and Ulterior Motive, voiced by Sizzla, Luciano, Ras Shiloh, Mikey General, Louie Culture, Beres Hammond and Al Campbell. Wicked dubs from Soldjie... Nuff respect Massive!!


Continuous mix. 78 minutes.
-download-

Thursday, February 4, 2010

90s New Roots Revival

The new wave of conscious roots reggae coming out of Jamaica picked up pace after 1993. The movement was championed by long-time rasta artists like Cocoa Tea, Dennis Brown, Yami Bolo, Junior Reid, Mutabaruka & Admiral Tibet and rising stars like Tony Rebel & Louie Culture. Meanwhile, deejay-turned-singer Garnett Silk elevated the music to new spiritual heights with anthems like Retreat Wicked Man, Lionheart & Hello Mama Africa and raised the popularity of singers after long periods of deejay dominance. Buju, Luciano and Capleton re-invented themselves as conscious artists and a whole new generation of singers and deejays emerged by the mid-90s, man like Sizzla, Anthony B, Morgan Heritage, Daweh Congo, Bushman & Jah Cure. Older, established artists like Michael Rose, Marcia Griffiths, Culture, Gregory Isaacs, Everton Blender & Barrington Levy enjoyed a revival while everyone from Shabba, Cobra & Ninjaman to Sanchez, Frankie Paul, Beenie Man & Bounty Killer rode the nu-roots train, making this the most exiting period for reggae fans since the early digi era....

The real advocators of the nu-roots revolution, however, were the producers and musicians... Bobby Digital, Donovan Germain & Phillip Burrell, all of who had roots & dancehall credentials and a history in the business, set up studios in the early 90s alongside man like King Jammy, Jack Scorpio & Gussie Clarke and proceeded to put out roots 45s over 'live' riddims, built around crisp, vintage samples of classic Studio 1 & Channel One hooks. Junjo Lawes & Niney even got back into the ring. Engineer Soldgie promoted a return to heavy dub sounds at Xterminator. Sly & Robbie, Steelie & Cleevie, Mafia & Fluxy, Dean Fraser and The Firehouse Crew provided wicked mixed media riddims. Fashion, Saxon, & Jetstar kept it hot in the UK.

Roots reggae had never really gone away - it had been overshadowed by digital dancehall, 1986-87, and then the ragga-bogle-something in 1992, but again only temporarily until the top creative elements returned to draw upon and expand a rich tradition.