reggae

Alain Chamfort: Amour, Année Zéro

2017/08/02

I almost hate myself for sharing this. It’s like eating a slice of sublime dark chocolate cake, followed by a full spread of some fine charcuterie, chased with some sumptuous Riesling. Obviously, it’s too rich and not entirely good for you…but man is it refined and tasty when you’re devouring it. That’s exactly the…
African Head Charge: Songs of Praise (1990)

2017/07/11

We might not all be able to know the way to get on that righteous path but there are signals that could help us get there. These are ones found merely by observing that walk to it, in others. Adrian Sherwood’s experimental reggae and dub label On-U Sound wouldn’t have been what it came to…
Sly and Robbie: Language Barrier (1985)

2017/05/10

I’m looking at the liner notes to Sly & Robbie’s Language Barrier right now. Performances by Afrika Bambaataa, Bernie Worrell, Mikey Chung, Manu Dibango, Wally Badarou, Herbie Hancock (!), Bob Dylan (!?!?), and production by Bill Laswell…I keep asking myself why in the world did this not make a dent in anyone’s memory? By the looks of their…
Serge Gainsbourg: Aux Armes Et Cætera (1979) and Dub Style (2003)

2017/05/08

Back in 1979, French musical giant Serge Gainsbourg travels to Jamaica, meets up with hugely influential dub producers Sly and Robbie, then proceeds to create this controversial 30-odd minutes of “freggae” featuring Rita Marley’s erotic background vocals. It’s a scene that so thoroughly infuriated his own critics, and through one controversial song, infuriated all sorts…
Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus: Love Thy Neighbour (1979)

2017/01/27

The definitive version of the definitive Nyabinghi album, that’s what you’ll find here today. Filled with religious fervor unheard –and in such dosage– on any other Lee “Scratch” Perry produced release, Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus’ Love Thy Neighbour holds the distinction of both being one of Lee’s finest productions and also one that would signal the…
Apsaras: Apsaras (1984)

2017/01/18

How do you classify a six-piece Japanese band like Apsaras? Their debut album Apsaras definitely covers a ton of bases. Let’s count all the genres that they bring into their musical mix: dub, new age, minimalism, vocoder funk, balearic, are a few. Heck, you even hear the glimmers of Afropop and Jazz-Fusion. How many genres have I mentioned so far?…
Seke Molenga & Kalo Kawongolo: Seke Molenga & Kalo Kawongolo / From The Heart Of The Congo (1979)

2016/11/23

I was hoping to start out by saying how its ok to feel thankful and be thankful. I feel very thankful that I’m I am to share this music with you…but damn! If someone should feel thankful it should be Seke Molenga and Kalo Kawongolo. Not only did they release an unbelievable hybrid of Congolese Soukous and cavernous…
Phantom Band: Phantom Band (1980)

2016/11/21

Who or what is the Phantom Band? Unknown, or unheard, by even the most die-hard CAN fan, this side project by founding CAN drummer Jaki Liebezeit and late-CAN era bassist (and ex-Traffic member) Rosko Gee finds them exploring the most trance-inducing part of CAN’s music – their reggae and African musical influences – to surprising results. It’s…
Pablo Gad: Hard Times (1980)

2016/11/09

Do you really wanna know about hard times? Do you really wanna know about hard times? Three stone at de fire, cheese ‘pon a de pot de ‘ave all ‘ave all, an’ de ‘ave not ‘ave none We buck upon a hard time, we buck upon a hard time Do you really wanna know about…
Isabelle Adjani: Pull Marine (1983)

2016/09/21

Now this is what you call a performance. Rightfully, Isabelle Adjani has to go down as one French cinema’s greatest actresses. Possessing an expressive beauty that she can transform from ethereal to surreal in movies like Possession, Subway, all the way to Diabolique, it’s Isabelle’s ability to sculpt that mysterious sexuality on her own terms that allowed her to use such talent to get away with almost everything in her artistic career.…