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ISLE OF JURA

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Ronnie Lion

Spanish Town

Isle Of Jura

The debut solo album from Ronnie Lion, one half of Ambient Warrior, is a homage to Spanish Town the capital of St Catherine in Jamaica. As the title suggests the Spanish guitar features heavily from both Ronnie and lead guitarist Sean Wilkinson. The album has a reggae palette at its core with the rhythm section of Ronnie on Bass and Horseman on drums providing a rock solid foundation for the intricate and memorable hooks provided by Sean’s Spanish Guitar. The album’s fusion of reggae with bossa nova & Flamenco guitar creates another special album that will appeal to fans of Ambient Warrior and beyond.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Really special psychedelic dub album fused with Spanish guitar licks. As well as the mentioned Ambient Warrior similarities; fans of the dub curio Captain Ganja And The Space Patrol and lovers of Adrian Sherwood's On-U catalogue will find plenty to relish here.

TRACK LISTING

Hombre Peligroso
Central Village
The Negotiator
Naranja Colina
Grants Pen Steppers
Peace Chalice
The Reunion
Cascada
Alligator Pond

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Various Artists

Instrumental Dubs #2

Isle Of Jura

Isle Of Jura present ‘Instrumental Dubs #2’, a deep dive into the world of the dub version and beyond. The A side has a distinct boogie feel, starting slow with a George Kerr produced cut from 1984 followed by a Brit Funk-esq instrumental from Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes originally released on the Philly World label (home to ‘Voice of Q’). The B side closes with the ‘Sweeter’ instrumental mix of boogie bomb ‘Loving Sweet Devotion’ by Idiater Edwards.

The B side opens with ‘H2S04’ from Mad Professor that defies categorisation, sitting somewhere between electro, disco and dub. Last but by no means least there’s an uptempo dub mix of Original Rockers' ‘Push Push’ making its first appearance on vinyl having only been on the CD single release first time around.

TRACK LISTING

Tracy Kerr - If U Want My Loving (Dub)
Harold Melvin The Blue Notes - Todays Your Lucky Day (Dub)
Diater Edwards - Loving Sweet Devotion (Sweeter Mix)
Mad Professor - Hs204
Original Rockers - Push Push The Underwater World Of Jah (Couteau Mix)

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Shiva

Never Gonna Give You Up (Jura Soundsystem Special)

Isle Of Jura

Never Gonna Give U Up (Jura Soundsystem Dub Edit)

Limited one sided 12” featuring an extended edit by IOJ label boss Jura Soundsystem that teases out the vocal and pulls back on the sax with judicious amounts of delay and reverb to create a 11’25 mins dubby disco excursion.

Super limited copies, one time pressing - you know what to do!

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Matt Says: Swaying, sumptuous, disco-reggae dubbed out to the max with a lil' bit of lover’s rock flavour about it. This is fuckin' incredible - miss at your peril!

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Never Gonna Give U Up (Jura Soundsystem Dub Edit)

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The NM Band

She Wants

Isle Of Jura

The long awaited official reissue of ‘She Wants’, one of the first UK street soul singles originally released in 1985 by The NM Band.

The NM Band was an alias for UK lovers' rock band Natural Mystic, responsible for a number of hits in the late 70’s and early 80’s most notably ‘Runaway Love’ and ‘Groove Rocking’. They released a string of acclaimed reggae LPs and toured extensively throughout the UK, but by 1985 wanted to try something away from their trademark roots reggae sound. Influenced by the availability of affordable hardware the band set about fusing reggae and soul using an Akai drum machine, Yamaha DX7 and Roland sound module. ‘She Wants’ is one of the forebearers of UK street soul, raw machine drums paired with an incredibly soulful vocal from Ashley Sommers. The band created their own imprint Mixdown to release the single, but it slipped under the radar, despite strong radio play from Choice FM and the then pirate station Kiss. The 12” is backed with dub version ‘She Wants (More)'.

A 140gram pressing in 3mm spine black disco sleeve with metallic sticker designed by Bradley Pinkerton.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Phwwoooarr! Isle Of Jura really know how to treat us. Unearthing and repressing this absolute GEM of a street soul jam from The NM Band. Rich with the duo's reggae heritage but exercising those (then modern) drum machines and FM synths with all the excitement that new equipment brings! A true holy grail.

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She Wants
She Wants More

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Various Artists

Jura Soundsystem Presents Transmission One

Isle Of Jura

Since they made their entrance on the reissue stage in 2016 (with the essential reissue of "Fire In My Heart" no less), Isle Of Jura have dropped nothing but fire, proving to have a formidible ear for an unheard hit. Now the crew come through with the first in a series of compilations which blend Dub, Ambient, Downtempo, Boogie and Proto House with a focus on music never before released on Vinyl, sought after out of print titles and some special versions edited specifically for the album.
The intention with this project was to delve deeper into the reissue pond and unearth some lesser known tracks and artists. Highlights include Smackos' (AKA Legowelt) ambient epic ‘We Can Watch Alf In The Hotel Room’, never before released on Vinyl, the dub / psych hybrid of Minus Group’s ‘Black Shadow’, Kash’s sought after ‘Percussion Sundance’ and special edits of Ken Dang and Tabou Combo. As if that weren't enough to tickle your pickle, then the four ambient tools the Jura Soundsystem have cooked up for the finale totally take the cake.

STAFF COMMENTS

Patrick says: After a string of excellent reissues over the past two years, Isle Of Jura drop their first compilation, a mega set of not-on-vinyl heat, out of print excellence and specially edited bangers for disco, house, downtempo and dub fans. Maximum respect!

TRACK LISTING

1. Smackos - We Can Watch Alf In The Hotel Room
2. Astral Engineering - Seashore Dub
3. Minus Group - Black Shadow
4. Ken Dang - Born In Borneo (Jura Soundsystem Edit)
5. Trevor Bastow - Integration
6. Kash - Percussion Sundance
7. Tabou Combo Superstars - Ooh La La (Jura Soundsystem Edit)
8. Blindboy - Traumerei
9. Mix-O-Rap- All Party People (Special Mix) (Go-Go Style)
10. Jura Soundsystem - Jungle Ambient Tool
11. Jura Soundsystem - Ocean Ambient Tool
12. Jura Soundsystem - Time Ambient Tool
13. Jura Soundsystem - Pyramids Ambient Tool

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Reduced

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Melody Beecher

Movie Star

Isle Of Jura

A stunning cover version of Errol Dunkley’s ‘Movie Star’ originally released on Brooklyn label Witty in 1987. Produced by Paul Beecher, the 707 drums are phat & crisp and the keys shine brightly in the mix to complement the incredibly soulful vocal from Melody Beecher. Backed with Dub Version and an extended 12” mix, housed in a sky blue and red IOJ Island Disco sleeve with sticker designed by Bradley Pinkerton.

STAFF COMMENTS

Paul says: Another cover from Beecher! I've been seriously digging her versions of these 80s hits. "Movie Star" is a true classic - but it works so well as a reggae-rub-down!

TRACK LISTING

Movie Star
Movie Star (Dub)
Movie Star (Extended 12" Mix)

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Novidade

Voaria

Isle Of Jura

Originally released in 1990 ‘Voaria’ was written by Benjamin Nhassavele and produced & arranged by the late Tata Sibeko, the revered South African producer and member of Kabasa. Taken from the LP of the same name ‘Voaria’ was released at a time when early house music was emerging as a key influence in the South African musical landscape, an evolvement of the Bubblegum pop sound that had fused disco and boogie with township funk. Characterised by Roland kick drums, Yamaha DX7s and Juno Synthesisers the Kwaito sound is the musical heartbeat of ‘Voaria’.

As well as being in Novidade, Benjamin toured the world extensively as part of Alec Kaholi’s Umoja and ‘Voaria’ is a song about his desire to go back to Maputo, his hometown in Zimbabwe. Featuring Benjamin on lead vocals ‘Voaria’ comes in 2 versions, a main House mix on the A side and the Clubhouse mix on the flip which switches up the arrangement placing more emphasis on the magical groove. The 12” is housed in a full sleeve jacket by Bradley Pinkerton based on the original release design.

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Voaria (House Mix)
Voaria (Club House Mix)

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House Of Assembly

Hot Rock

Isle Of Jura

Originally released in 1988 ‘Hot Rock’ was the final single from Pennsylvanian based roots reggae band House Of Assembly. The band, comprising main songwriter Norman Bailey, Marc Campbell, Claver Campbell and Louis Putman, grew up in the Water House area of Kingston, Jamaica bonding over their shared love of Dub & Reggae. The 4 members moved to Pennsylvania in the US in the early 80’s and released one album ‘Confusion’ on the local Meadowlark label, touring throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and becoming stalwarts of the Pennsylvanian roots scene.

The band started their own Concrete label in 1988 releasing ‘Hot Rock’ complete with a Dub Version possessing a potent combination of punchy 707 drum programming, killer rolling bassline, stripped back lead guitar and a rising synth line. For the official reissue there’s an added ‘Rockapella’ version not found on the original 12” and a new full sleeve jacket designed by Bradley Pinkerton.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Isle Of Jury continue to gift us overlooked moments of musical brilliance. Here they focus on House Of Assembly, the unlikely Pennsylvania reggae band who had modest local success but never really broke the big time.