Armagideon Time: When Punk Met Dub (1978-1984) (Cherry Red)

It's hard to understand how a box set thus titled could fail and, predictably, it doesn't. The great thing about the best of these Cherry Red box sets is how they manage to combine what you know and already love with stuff you may missed out on first time around, or else has been lost among the fading memories of an ageing brain.

This 3CD set gleefully sets up punk/dub crossovers by the usual punk suspects - The Slits, The Clash, The Ruts - with the usual dub suspects - Dillinger, Linto Kwesi Johnson, Mad Professor - but, even more gleefully, doesn't stop there. Dub delights I've either forgotten or hitherto overlooked come from the like of Boomtown Rats, XTC and Sir Horatio. Other oddities are much-underestimated scouse outfit Cook Da Books and, gak, Thompson Twins. Back to the reassuringly predictable, we get a couple of 2-Tone cuts and another chance to hear The Pop Group's She Is Beyond Good & Evil, if you needed it - and who doesn't?

I'm playing one track from each of the three CDs in my FSK show this month. See it as a taster for an album whose magnificence is entirely precitable while the variety of what's on offer still manages to surprise and delight in roughly equal measures.

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.

Muflon Dub Soundsystem & Irie D - Mission Ignition (Dupophonic)

Based in Cyprus, Dubophonic are another dub label who never seem to put a foot wrong, delivering high quality dub releases on a regular basis and Muflon Dub Soundsystem more than pull their weight when contributing to that output.

Apparently we can expect many more collaborations with Greek vocalist Irie-D but this'll more than do for now, a call to battle negativity and oppression dedicated to those whose courage and compassion make a difference. Sometimes it's best just to let the sleeve notes speak for themselves:

'In times where hope can feel distant, the song shines a light on those who still care deeply for their communities, neighbours, society, and the planet itself. It is a message of respect and gratitude to the brothers and sisters who keep working for change, often quietly but with great strength and determination.'

Welcome sentiments, of course, and the music certainly doesn't do them a disservice, matching energetic roots reggae with Irie D's delivery and those of Polish opera singer Arleta: it's a vocal partnership that maybe shouldn't work but triumphantly and gratifyingly does.

Hear Mission Ignition in my Dandelion Radio show, now streaming on-demand here. 

You can get the release here.

L.S. Diezel & Launch DAT - Aliens (Digidub)

There's been a whole load of great dub reissues recently and, with this, Digidub have unearthed one of the best. As the label says, the original 12" is 'rare as rocking horse shit' so this 10" release is something to get your hands on while you can.

L.S. Diezel's experimental approach sees them merge breaks with dub that, despite the release's vintage, still sounds fresh and innovative even now. On two of the tracks they're joined by Launch DAT - actually the alias of label owner Lee Berwick - which adds yet more layers to an already multi-layered approach. Things get just a little funky, especially on the Poor Man's Glory track which you can hear in my Dandelion Radio show this month: get it on-demand here.

Look out for something from Digidub's recently released Julian Fairshare tribute in my August show.

Manwel T meets Messian Dread

Manwel T's bandcamp site has become a rich source of reggae and dub productions and remixes and I've discovered a number of great dub tunes and artists after being introduced to them here. This came out in the spring and finds the Maltese producer in a meeting of minds with prolific dub artist Messian Dread, whose vast output covers around 30 years and can be found here.

The results is a dub/roots collision that acts as a superb showcase for anyone unfamiliar with either artist. I'm playing Dub Culture in my FSK show this month: now available to stream on-demand here. Consider it an introduction to the work of the two artists. While you're at the Manwel T site, check out his recent excellent Unidentified Flying Cymbals release too.

Dubmission

It's becoming rare nowadays that I don't play a Dubmission release in one of my monthly shows. There are two obvious reasons for that: they put out a lot of stuff and that stuff is invariably worth checking out.

This year alone the London-based label has already brought us Makyo's wonderful rendition of Talisman's Things Ah Get Tuff, Ashtech's Walkin' Dubs and Drew Id's Interstellar Dub. Last year they brought us the marvellous Freqs in Flux anthology from Pitch Black and Alpha & Omega's Only Jah Children, among a whole load of great releases you can find at their bandcamp site.

In my Dandelion Radio show this month, I'm playing the International Observer remix of Isaac Chambers and Dub Princess's Let Me In, a monster of a track that first saw the light of day a few years back and is more than worthy of a reissue, especially as the release not only includes the featured track but an excellent Deep Fried Dub mix.

All of which is just scratching the top of the iceberg. Dubmission aren't just worth checking out in themselves: they open the door to a massive range of essential dub releases.

Babe Roots - Mi Feel It

This was one of my favourite records of last year. From Turin, Babe Roots always whips up a magnificent dubby vibe and, while the groove is always a big part of the appeal, but this one gets lifted by a fantastic vocal contribution from Wayne.

One of the comments on bandcamp reads, 'A Babe Roots release is like an actual event in your life.'  Listen to mokkah_n_versatile and invest four euros in a download of this baby. There's a 10" available here too.