After his silky-smooth vocal feature on Eva Lazarus’ Light As Feather, it was inevitable that Mungo’s Hi Fi would pursue a project with London-based pure sing-jay Kiko Bun.Ms. Burnett is an ode to a lady friend of distinction, atop a dreamy major key rhythm whose bass-heavy clarity could have come out of Jamaica’s Channel One studio in its glory days. 

TRACK LISTING

A1 - Mungo’s Hi Fi X Kiko Bun - Miss Burnett
A2 - Mungo’s Hi Fi - Burnett Version

For over two decades, Glasgow’s Mungo’s Hi Fi and their label Scotch Bonnet have spread their fun, forward-thinking reggae music around the world. And this ethos is triple-distilled into their now eagerlyawaited Puffer’s Choice compilations. The latest, third edition in the series collects some the last few years' top collaborative highlights onto one LP. With its cover bearing the MacLeod of Lewis tartan, Puffer’s Choice 3 is a celebration of both the label’s Scottish heritage and their global family tree of links with sound systems, artists and producers who share the same spirit. The album begins with Heavenz by Norwich-based producers Chief Rockas, featuring the hypnotic flow of Jamaican-born emcee Mr Williamz, over a smoking “re-lick” of the famous Heavenless rhythm. It’s followed by the soulful voice of Ireland’s Cian Finn, singing traditional Celtic song Go Lassie on a sparse, dubby Mungo’s backing. This track was previously released on Mungo’s offshoot imprint Dumbarton Rock which quickly sold out. The pastoral becomes the political as US-born, Wales-based crooner Jeb Loy Nichols gently reminds the world that To Be Rich (Should Be A Crime).


It’s a biting message from Nichols’ album 'Long Time Traveller' produced by legendary dubbist Adrian Sherwood of On-U Sound. Scotch Bonnet crew member Stalawa draws on the African excursions that yielded 2019’s acclaimed Stalawa In East Africa EP. Rather Be Alone, featuring Kenya's 'First Lady of hip hop and reggae’ Nazizi, is the next cut to Ease Up the Pressure by Jamaica’s Delroy Melody and Uganda’s C Wyne. Swedish production unit Viktorious (who Puffer's Choice fans will remember from 2016’s volume 1) revive Hotstepper, a lost lyric from Jamaican veteran Earl Cunningham. It was an unreleased artefact from a 1980s sound system cassette that deserves a wider audience. The digital sounds that rose in the 80s continue with Crucial by Swiss producer Bony Fly and New York vocalist JonnyGo Figure – whose style reminded Mungo’s of another NYC legend, Shinehead. The record flips over to celebrate UK sound system heritage, with the first ever vinyl release of Interrupt’s Lyrics Spree, a family affair involving three generations of British lyricists, Parly B, Daddy Freddy and Tippa Irie. Also getting a first release on wax is hard-puffing, all Jamaican dancehall affair BBS, featuring Shokryme and RTKal. Produced by experimental Kingston collective Equiknoxx, it demonstrates that however far Mungo’s Hi Fi’s interest in reggae may travel, they still listen to the island where it all started…

At the other end of the scale, musically and geographically, is Weak Hearts, a haunting, mechanical soundscape from New Zealand dubstep project Flying Fox. Its sparing, sampled vocal contrasts with the loud and clear anti-racist lyricism of Black, chanted by Jamaican sing-jay Skari over a deliberately unobtrusive backdrop from Belgium’s INT DUB. Mungo’s Hi Fi themselves make a reappearance on the flipside with hymn to solitude, In My Zone, by Bristol emcee Gardna and singer Charli Brix. Taken from Gardna's debut album, the rhythm is a Mungo’s homage to Coki - Dry Cry (a dubstep bootleg using an old Sizzla acapella). The album’s final port of call is Sailor West by Cumbrian dubstep producer Somah and ethereal Edinburgh-based singer Nem, who appeared on Puffer’s Choice volume 2. The third installment in what is now a reggae and dub lover’s institution, Puffer’s Choice 3 once again balances diversity with shared musical vision. Carefully selected by the Mungo's and Scotch Bonnet team, it stands for everything its creators value: community, experimentation, heavy bass and good times.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Mr Williamz – My Heavenz (prod. Chief Rockas)
A2. Mungo's Hi Fi Ft. Cian Finn – Go Lassie
A3. Jeb Loy Nichols – To Be Rich (Should Be A Crime) (prod. Adrian Sherwood)
A4. Stalawa Ft. Nazizi – Rather Be Alone
A5. Viktorious & Earl Cunningham – Hotstepper
A6. Bony Fly Ft. JonnyGo Figure – Crucial

B1. Parly B Ft. Daddy Freddy, Tippa Irie & Interrupt
B2. Shokryme & RTKaL – BBS (prod Equiknoxx)
B3. Flying Fox – Weak Hearts
B4. Skari Ft. INT DUB – Black
B5. Mungo's Hi Fi Ft. Gardna & Charlie Brix – In My Zone
B6. Somah Ft. Nem – Sailor

By 1995 Kwaito was already a well established and distinguishable sound compared to the International House Remixes that preceded. The tempo was slowed down, Soulful vocal samples were replaced by catchy and repetitive hooks and versus sang in vernacular. The new hit sound had a template and studios worked around the clock to pump fresh releases into the demanding market.

After the successful 1995 release of Import mixes Vol 4, The Groove City team behind the productions now decided to venture into the territory of Mid Tempo. They would craft an album for a young frontman with the help of Kwaito pioneer Oscar Warona, and without much trouble, the team had their first hit on their hands. Filling the boots of their cars with copies of the cassettes and taking the stock to various townships around Johannesburg the tape quickly circulated and sold out every new batch that was printed. Demand was high for the release but as with much of the music at the time, the fast paced demand for the music moved on. Without a follow up release Scotch failed to ride the momentum built by the debut and remained largely unknown although he is still in the music industry to this day.

Even with their first artist release being a success, the following years proved more difficult in reaching such a large audience for the Kaleidosound studio. With popularity for the genre growing, the simple templates for early classics were changing as Kwaito fused with hip hop. Rapping took over as the preferred vocals for the masses. Mysterious production teams and labels that served as guides for music lovers were eclipsed by frontmen and groups that could draw crowds. The fight for fresh sounds continued as the airwaves became the main battleground for artists and the more club oriented music was pushed back underground, eventually evolving into some of the earliest examples of Deep House seen on the continent. The Kaleidosound production team would finally strike gold again in 1997 when reviving Groove City for vol. 5 which acted as the debut for the newly formed group Chiskop. The group would become superstars of the new commercial era that followed, sparking solo careers for the members and creating some of the biggest hits the genre knew.

To this day Scotch remains one of the best albums to come out of the golden era of Kwaito. Although it was outperformed by other groups from the time it has a special place for those who knew it and can still be found as a treasured piece in many collections. The various people involved created a one off fusion of sound that has remained fresh for 25 years. Playful lyrics over floaty grooves resulted in favourites like “Jam Alley” which uses catch phrases from the beloved TV show and “Bafana Bafana” guaranteed to get the boys on the dance floor. Here you have these two tracks taken from the album pressed on a club ready Maxi Single for the Deejays

TRACK LISTING

A1. Jam Alley
B1. Bafana Bafana

THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2019 EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

Reggae's African connection meets the global ethos of Glasgow's Scotch Bonnet Records for their historic new EP. French-born, Glasgow-based producer Stalawa has voiced a talented selection of East African vocalists to thrilling effect, over his heftiest roots rub-a-dub rhythms. This project is the culmination of multiple fruitful visits to Kenya and Uganda by Scotch Bonnet proprietors, Mungo’s Hi Fi sound system. It has been fine-tuned between Glasgow and Kampala over the last three years.The A side features the wailing voice of Ugandan singer and emcee Blessed San. Showcasing a vocal style not unlike legendary Jamaican reggae veteran Michael Prophet (despite never actually having heard him before), Traitor is a mournful rebuke to all who violate his trust. Stalawa has mixed a haunting accompanying dub: all crashing drums and biting horns.The B side hosts a Kenyan-Caribbean collaboration on a vintage classic. Connoisseurs’ Jamaican singer Delroy Melody has recut his 1979 local hit Ease Up The Pressure, adding verses from Luganda Rasta lyricist C Wyne Nalukalala (meaning “the troublemaker”). The remade backing, based on Dennis Brown’s Easy Take It Easy, was built in Jamaica by renowned drummer Sly Dunbar and keyboardist Dennis ‘Jah D’ Fearon. Also on the flip is Kenya's “first lady” of hip hop and reggae Nazizi. Her song Ukiangalia (“when you see” in Swahili) rides a dubby update of King Tubby’s famous Tempo rhythm.All vocals bar Mr Melody’s were recorded in Kampala, Uganda by David Cecil and Wana Benjamin of East Africa Records, with brass parts dubbed by Stalawa in Glasgow. The guitar on Traitor is the work of popular Scottish vocalist Tom Spirals. Hornplay comes courtesy of Tim Quick, Liam Shorthall and Matieusz Sobieski.