Stand High Patrol - Skanking & Jacking (Stand High)

I'm in danger of repeating myself here, but there's so much good reggae around at the moment: every month seems to throw up another roots/dub masterpiece. The frighteningly hot British weather this summer has been the ideal setting in which to enjoy it and the amount of great new stuff this year has meant I haven't been able to treat the neighbours to their normal summer diet of Culture and Steel Pulse. 

This French release brings in house music influences to add textural variety to what, you suspect, would be an extraordinary listening experience even without it. As it is, 'bringing together the the pulse of house music and the vibrant groove of reggae', as the sleeve notes put it, results in one hell of an intoxicating mix.

Skanking & Jacking draws on a variety of international contributors too, with guest vocalists and producers from Jamaica, England, Switzerland and Italy. Just when you think its nine tracks have covered just about everything you'd want it to cover, there are remixes from Jeanville, Mad Professor and Androo to stir the put some more.

I couldn't make my mind up which tracks to feature in my Dandelion and FSK shows this month (click on the links to hear them on-demand) so I just went for the first two: the rich contours of Walk Walk Walk and the seductive Too Much Noise, which features a vocal contribution from Joe Yorke.