A fresh iteration of the mid-eighties LP (itself a compilation of recordings from the previous five years or so), replacing two tracks — Dancing In The Rain and All Things — with their full 12” versions.
This is a deeply personable, expert, limber blend of roots and lovers, kicking off with an exclusive mix of the deadly Mash Down Babylon; dropping classic, lush, spaced-out Wackies dub science to close; and taking in reworkings of Lickshot, Billie Jean and The Righteous Flames’ I Was Born To Be Loved, along the route.
The moniker ‘Chosen Brothers’ is Lloyd Barnes’ spiritual way of sharing the credit for his solo projects. “Anyone in the studio at the time could be a Chosen Brother,” he says. In this case a full crew includes Sugar Minott and Prince Douglas at the desk; Jah Batta, Milton Henry, Wayne Jarrett and Junior Delahaye all on backing vocals; and such dream-team Bullwackies instrumentalists as Clive Hunt, Jerry Johnson, Fabian Cooke and Ras Menelik.

Ska classics produced by Ken Khouri (who founded the first recording studio in Jamaica), including deadly unreleased selections.
Murders from the get go — a knockout acoustic version of You Made Me Warm, by The Sharks.

Monster dubs of Yabby You productions of Michael Prophet, Patrick Andy, Alric Forbes and Wayne Wade, by way of King Tubbys. The first-round knockout is pure Shaka fire: an extended version of Gates Of Zion.

A survey of Nashboro Records gospel, by Mike McGonigal of the Detroit Gospel Reissue Project.

Killer Duke Reid productions, originally put together in 1969. Also featuring Roland Alphonso, Don Drummond, Rico Rodriguez and full Skatalites crew; Justin Hines, Stranger Cole and Millicent Patsy Todd.

An eighties set of Tado’s dubs of rhythms recorded at Ariwa and Easy Street by the Mad Professor and Sid Bucknor.

Originally out in 1983, Love Power is co-produced by Fabian Cooke (from Itopia) and Lloyd Bullwackie Barnes, with assistance from Prince Douglas. Cooke plays most of the instruments himself, with his drumming centre-stage, though Ras Menelik puts in a brilliant shift on congas, and backing vocals are by Sugar Minott and the Love Joys. Cooke’s own well-crafted compositions are joined by covers of Irene Cara and the Four Tops, infectiously bridging roots, lovers and synthy, soulful eighties boogie.
Betrayed is solid-gold, signature Wackies. He’s My God is a tasty sip of low-slung, grooving gospel-reggae. Evoking Michael Jackson, the jamming album-closer Drums is top-notch disco-reggae, opportunely poised for revival.
Terrific stuff. Transgressive; full of personality and charm.

Superb soulful gospel from 1986.
Thank You Lord is a Floating Points shot.

Amazing, psychedelic, engagé afro-disco from the same milieu as William Onyeabor, with Gaspar Lawal on percussion. Very warmly recommended.

Terrific big band music from 1970. What a lineup— built around a core of Tolliver, Stanley Cowell, Cecil McBee and Jimmy Hopps, but also featuring all-time greats like Clifford Jordan, Jimmy Heath and Curtis Fuller.

‘Phil Ranelin was a session trombonist for the likes of Steve Wonder before setting up the Tribe label with Wendell Harrison in Detroit… The title track is lusciously, greasily funky and stands in pretty stark contrast to the kind of airbrushed fusion that was in vogue at the time. Sounds From The Village is even better (and dirtier), showcasing Ranelin’s oily trombone gymnastics and a viciously fuzzed guitar solo… The obligatory Coltrane tribute He The One We All Knew is the kind of groove-based free-playing typical of Pharoah Sanders, though only really picks up when the band launch into post bop swing mode in the last six minutes or so… Beautiful stuff… Essential.’

With Monk.

Four lost works by the electro-acoustic pioneer and GRM stalwart: Electrucs!, a synthesizer soundtrack to an imaginary film, from 1974; Foliphonie, a kind of postscript to his own La Grande Polyphonie, the same year; Cinq Dessins En Rosace, from 1973; and Marpège, dedicated to Bernard Parmegiani, from 1995.

New minings of his mountains of work for the screen — dozens of documentaries, shorts, features, animations — and for dance, stage and television.

A dreamily odd, Antillean blend of synths, flute and drum machines, featuring a children’s choir. Originally a tiny 1986 pressing in Guadeloupe, revived by the Diggers Digest crew.

Heavyweight dubs of DEB murder like Words Of The Father by Earl Cunningham, Warning by Desi Roots, Mop & Cry by Freddie McKay, Wood For My Fire by Black Uhuru, Slave Driver by Dennis Brown, Armed Robbery by Junior Delgado, Augustus Pablo doing over Swing Easy…