Mato’s back with on Stix with “Jazz-Funk Dub Tribute”, a new project by the French producer with exclusive dub versions of some of the most famous jazz-funk, soul-jazz, funk & fusion tracks.

After the amazing success of his “Summer Madness / Maiden Voyage” single, respectively covering Kool & The Gang and Herbie Hancock, Mato got deeper within the American black music repertoire. He worked on tracks that can be considered as serious classics of the jazz-funk scene.

We all remember the melodies from Eddie Henderson ("Inside You"), WAR ("The World Is A Ghetto"), Weather Report ("Black Market"), Deodato ("Caravan"), Grover Washington Jr. ("Loran's Dance"), Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra ("Midnight Groove"), Herbie Hancock ("Maiden Voyage"), The Meters ("Cissy Strut") or Lonnie Liston Smith ("Visions Of A New World"). Imagine them reworked and tailored by the modern dub master. Needless to say, Mato, who’s playing most instruments and synthesizers, did a fantastic job and you’ll be blown when hearing these versions.

Starting his reggae production career in 2006, Thomas Blanchot (aka Mato) has released music through various projects on EDR Records, Big Singles or Makasound... In the meantime, he developed a real trademark: taking over classic French, hip-hop, OST, classical or pop songs, into roots reggae-dub new versions. Besides, since 2010, Mato has built a solid reputation thanks to his hot remixes of hip-hop classics on Stix Records. Last year he also released “Scary Dub”, which focused on scary movies' soundtracks.

TRACK LISTING

Summer Madness Dub (Album Version)
Inside You Dub
The World Is A Ghetto Dub
Black Market Dub
Caravan Dub
Loran's Dance Dub
Midnight Groove Dub
Maiden Voyage Dub
Cissy Strut Dub
Visions Of A New World Dub

All Nations Records comes back again with a 12" composed and mixed by established sound system and rising producer Agobun out of Lille, France. It features the sweet voice of Jacko, well known by the French sound system followers, here singing in his unique style, about the constant efforts and works that man and woman shall do all their life to be a better person. In a pure sound system tradition, this record comes with two dub cuts and a mesmerizing guitar cut for maximum playability in the dance.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Modern sound system pressue from this French talent. Deliciously rootsical yet poised with a modern prowess.

TRACK LISTING

All Life Long
Dub Life
Dub Action (Guitar Cut)
Dub Reaction

'It Ain't Easy Living In The Ghetto' 1980

Produced by Phil Pratt

Vocals: Jimmy London

Bass: Aston 'Family Man' Barrett & Robert 'Robbie' Shakespeare

Drums: Carlton Barrett & Lowell 'Sly' Dunbar

Lead Guitar: Bertram 'Ranchie' MacLean

Rhythm Guitar: Radcliffe 'Dougie' Bryan

Keyboards: Ansell 'Pinkie' Collins & Bobby Kalphat

Tenor Saxophone: Tommy McCook

Alto Saxophone: Felix 'Deadly Headley' Bennett

Trombone: Vincent 'Don D Junior' Gordon

Percussion: Christopher 'Sky Juice' Blake, Noel 'Scully' Simms & Uzziah 'Sticky' Thompson

Recorded at: Channel One Recording Studio, 29 Maxfield Avenue, Kingston 13, Jamaica

Engineers: Ernest Hookim & Oswald 'Ossie' Hibbert

TRACK LISTING

It Aint Easy
Rock And Roll Lullaby
Jimmy Say Hello
You Know What I Mean
Running Wild
Got To Change Your Ways
Family Man
Moving On
Peggy My Love
Loving You

This is a licensed release of the impossibly rare and very much in demand Run Fattie by The Slickers. It was initially released in 1969 on Trojan Records. It has never been released on a single since and it is simply not on sale anymore. This is yet another exciting song that combines Rocksteady harmonies with a mid-tempo early Reggae beat plus rather cryptic lyrics about the poor Fattie running all over town… Cracking! The B-side is a licensed reissue of the very rare 7" vinyl single track Hoola Bulla. It was originally released as the B-side of Run Fattie on the 1969’s 7inch vinyl single and it has never been repressed on 7” until now. This lovely “hot shot” combines an infectious rhythm infused with Caribbean percussions along with sweet group harmonies, an instant and unstoppable hit. A perfect flip for this killer double sider.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Another rare-as-hens-teeth rocksteady double header from 1969 Jamaica. Again, following the genre's development into reggae, these never before reissued tracks are stupendously important figureheads in the history of Jamaican music.

TRACK LISTING

Run Fattie
Hoolla Bulla

Reissue of 1997 album on 180 gram RED vinyl by Toots & Maytals

Lead Vocals: Toots Hibbert

Background Vocals: Raleigh Gordon, Jerry Matthias

Guitars: Hux Brown, Carl Harvey, Rad Bryan

Keyboards: Winston Grennan

Bass: Jackie JacksonProduced by: Toots Hibbert

Executive producer on tracks 2,3 & 4 Wayne Chen

Track 1 produced by Peter Simon

Mastered by: Dale Ashley at Grace Note Productions

TRACK LISTING

Back To The Island
One Eyed Enos
Judge And The Corporal / Irie
Woman Liberation
54-46 That's My Number
Revolution
Loving Spirit
Koo Koo
Pee Pee Cluck Cluck
Love Gonna Walk Out On Me
I See You

This is a licensed release of the very rare and very much in demand Lu-Lu Bell by The Versatiles. It was initially released in Jamaica in 1969 followed by Amalgamated in the U.K. in 1970. It has never been released on a single since. Only one copy is presently on sale at USD 1200. Beside its rarity and monetary value, this cracking song combines suggestive lyrics with a cheerful call-and-response tune delivered on a frantic rhythm with the chorus strongly reminiscent of Ray Charles’ “What I say”. Rock on! The B-side was originally released as the B side of Lu-Lu Bell on the 1969’s 7inch vinyl single on the Amalgamated label. This song has never been repressed on 7” vinyl until now. This lovely gem is another great example of the popular Rocksteady/Reggae hybrids with its sweet harmonies on top of an infectious Reggae beat. A brilliant B-side and a perfect flip for this killer double sider. Long long time indeed!

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Hens-teeth-rare rocksteady from 1969 Jamaica which shows the early development into reggae. The kinda shit collectors would give their right arm for - never before reissued.

TRACK LISTING

Lu-Lu Bell
Long Long Time

Dub No Frontiers is inspired by and features female vocalists that Adrian Sherwood and the On-U Sound label knew from the UK or had met while travelling around the world. Many of the singers said they felt the dub and reggae arena was a bit of a male preserve and a little intimidating even, so Sherwood decided to invite artistes to perform a song of their choice, all in non-English on his rhythm tracks. Vocalists include Likkle Mai (singing in Japanese), Rita Morar (Hindi), Kerieva (Romani), Neyssatou (Arabic) & Yehaiyahan (Chinese).

The album is dedicated to the memory of both Ariane ‘Ari Up’ Forster and Lincoln Valentine ‘Style’ Scott with whom the project started.

Peter Harris’s cover painting of Afeni Shakur Davis sets the visual tone of the record and both the LP and CD come with a 12-page booklet featuring more of his paintings of inspiring women from the world of literature, politics, law, civil rights and medicine, such as Claudia Jones, Flo Kennedy, Barbara Jordan, Claudette Colvin and Mary Seacole.

TRACK LISTING

1. Yehaiyahan — Love Hurts [3:11]
2. Likkle Mai — Haste Makes Waste [4:12]
3. Rita Morar — Meri Awaaz Suno (Hear My Voice) [3:15]
4. In Temi Oyedele — I Dupe (Thanks Giving) [4:21]
5. Neyssatou — War [4:15]
6. Maria Wenda — Okama Werek Halok [3:42]
7. Kerieva — Chavale [3:52]
8. JaGodDa — Krysztalowy Aniol (Crystal Angel) [3:57]
9. Saba Tewelde — Semarulay Daqey [2:36]
10. Nadya Ostroff DR.NO — Little Cosmonaut [4:31]

‘Disco Reggae Rockers’ features wicked reggae disco versions of funk, soul and disco classics.

This new album follows on from Soul Jazz Records’ earlier highly successful ‘Hustle: Disco Reggae’ and features reggae covers of classic songs by Earth, Wind and Fire, Michael Jackson, The Isley Brothers, Candi Staton, Curtis Mayfield and more, as performed by Derrick Harriott, Devon Russell, Hortense Ellis, Glen Adams, Dave Barker and others.

The most straightforward definition of ‘Disco Reggae’ is to describe it as American disco and soul songs covered by reggae artists. But the relationship is binary – this is no mere subservient island appreciation of North American dominant culture but instead an example of the interweaving thread of Jamaican and American music that travels back and forth between the major cities of Kingston, London, Toronto, New York, Chicago and Philadelphia.

TRACK LISTING

Devon Russell - Move On Up
Crashers - Flight To Jamaica
Valerie Harrison - Fool’s Paradise
Bill Campbell - For The Love Of You
Risco Connection - It’s My House
Dave Barker - Glow Of Love
Derrick Harriott - Caught You In A Lie
Hortense Ellis - Young Hearts Run Free
Ed Watson And Brass Circle - Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’
Devon Russell - We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue
Seventh Extension - Reasons
Derrick Harriott - Brown Baby
Ed Watson And Brass Circle - Let’s Groove
Pete Campbell & The Sunshine Girls - Don’t Let Love Get You Down
Webby Jay - In The Rain
Glen Adams Affair - Just A Groove