News
Chronixx – Beat & A Mic
January 21, 2012 | 0 Comments
While in Jamaica recently I linked up with upcoming reggae artist Chronixx and his fellow Zinc Fence Crew members, Ricardo Lynch and Shady McGrady. Hailing from Vineyard Town, Kingston 3, nineteen-year-old Chronixx, real name Jamar McNaughton, is the son of veteran reggae artist Chronicle and is currently creating a buzz in Jamaica with tunes like “Start A Fyah” and “Behind Curtains“. It was an honour to be at Big Yard studio alongside Special Delivery Music while Chronixx recorded his current single “Beat & A Mic“. I couldn’t say no when they asked me to design the single’s cover art.
Buy “Beat & A Mic” on iTunes here.
Follow Chronixx & Special Delivery on Twitter: @iamchronixx @specialdmusic
Champion Sound @ Silver Bullet, Finsbury Park
January 2, 2012 | 0 Comments
This Saturday 7th January sees London reggae crews Shimmy Shimmy, Tighten Up and Extra Classic get together for Champion Sound!, a 7-inch-only soundclash at Silver Bullet, London N4 (opp Finsbury Park station). Doors: 10pm til 3.30am. Check the facebook page for more info.
Extra Classic 3
December 7, 2011 | 0 Comments
Friday 16th December is Extra Classic 3, a vinyl-only night of reggae, dancehall, soul and lovers rock selected by Disorda, Cool Hand Luke, Sash Kuttah and Al Fingers with Seanie T on the mic. Taking place at Babalou, St Matthew’s Church, Brixton Hill. 11pm til 5am. Check www.extraclassic.co.uk for full details.
Dub Vendor Soho
December 4, 2011 | 0 Comments
Legendary reggae record shack Dub Vendor, who went exclusively online last September, have reopened in the basement of Black Market Records on D’Arblay St, Soho. I have spent many hours of my life in both shops and it seems weird that they’re now in the same building but I guess that’s a sign of the times. Big up Oxman and Papa Face for opening the new shop. In the words of Simon Music Temple: “It’s good to have real reggae back up west”.
For those who know and love Dub Vendor, here’s a photo of Ox and John just before the Clapham Junction shop closed its doors in September this year.
Yuri Suzuki’s Red Stripe Sound Sculpture
November 15, 2011 | 4 Comments
Gappy Ranks and Al Fingers demonstrate Yuri Suzuki‘s sound sculpture, built out of thousands of Red Stripe cans recycled from Notting Hill Carnival.
No Ice Cream Sound
November 9, 2011 | 0 Comments
I’ve been meaning to big up Shimmy Shimmy for issue 2 of their No Ice Cream Sound zine, featuring interviews with Sizzla, Ward 21 and Solo Banton. It came out mid-August so there may not be many left, but if you’re interested check the list of stockists here.
RIP Heavy D
November 9, 2011 | 0 Comments
Schuh 30th Birthday Party
October 26, 2011 | 0 Comments
Spinning some tunes tomorrow night at the Schuh 30th birthday party in London. I’m reppin Clarks, while Trevor Nelson’s reppin Adidas. Shoe clash Biznizz…
Extra Classic 2
September 27, 2011 | 0 Comments
Extra Classic part 2. Coming soon…
Friday October 7th, 11pm til 5am.
@ Babalou, The Crypt, St Matthews Church, Brixton Hill, London SW2 1JF.
Free entry with flyer or guestlist.
Email names to
www.extraclassic.co.uk
www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=254462171241317
Dub Vendor Shuts Up Shop
September 7, 2011 | 0 Comments
This Saturday is a sad day for reggae music as London record shop Dub Vendor in Clapham Junction closes its doors indefinitely, to become an exclusively online retailer. John MacGillivray, who founded Dub Vendor with Chris Lane as a market stall in 1976, felt the move was inevitable due to a sharp decline not only in music sales over recent years, but also in actual physical product coming out of Jamaica.
The crunch point came after the London riots, when Lavender Hill, where the shop has stood since 1982, was ransacked and the party shop next door was burnt out. At this point MacGillivray decided it was the timing was right to lease out the shop, although the mail order business will remain upstairs, and may open to the public for a half day a week by appointment only.
“I feel alright about it,” says MacGillivray, “We’ve gone out at a time when people still care sufficiently about it to care. If I took it on for another year there’d be less and less people who would feel like that. The timing seems right. And after 35 years I’m going to get my Saturdays back! But the phone number, emails, website, address, emails remain the same, it’s just that there’s no shop. But we continue along…”
Legitmix To Offer Legal Mash-Ups
August 11, 2011 | 1 Comment
Legitmix, an innovative new company that enables copyrighted music to be remixed or sampled and released legitimately, are featuring my Bob Marley x Amy Winehouse remix for the launch of their new website. Check it out here.
The Legitmix platform allows a consumer to recreate a mix (a remix, mash-up, sample-based beat, DJ set, or whatever) using their own purchased copies of the copyrighted source music used to produce the mix. With support from Mad Decent, and $1.2 million secured in seed financing, the company is a breath of fresh air for remixers, mixtape DJs, film/documentary makers, sample-based musicians and other artists seeking to use copyrighted material in their work.
Limited edition business cards – collect them all!
August 5, 2011 | 1 Comment
All new Al Fingers business cards featuring 7″ vinyl imagery. Each card is unique, featuring its own design. Highly collectable! All you need to do to claim your free business card is work with Al Fingers. It’s that simple! Just commission Al for a highly paid project and get your one-of-a-kind card, free of charge! Wow.
Jah Tubby’s Flyers
July 11, 2011 | 0 Comments
Came across a wicked collection of old school Jah Tubby’s flyers here.
Gappy Ranks “Thanks And Praise”
June 4, 2011 | 0 Comments
Gappy Ranks’ second album, “Thanks & Praise”, is released on June 13 on Gappy’s Hot Coffee Music imprint, featuring the hits “Tun Up” (feat Russian), “Long Time”, “Thanks And Praise”, and the ghetto anthem “Stinkin Rich”, and a sleeve designed by yours truly. Cop that!
RIP Gil Scott-Heron
May 31, 2011 | 0 Comments
The original political rapper. RIP.
Volcano Revisited
April 6, 2011 | 3 Comments
Hot off the press comes “Volcano Revisited”, an updated version of the seminal and long-out-of-print “Reggae Inna Dancehall Style” by Pekka Vuorinen and the late Tero Kaski (Black Star, 1984). Expanded from 96 to 206 pages, the new version is published by eronen (Helsinki) and has been completely redesigned in full colour with previously unseen interviews and photos as well as reproductions of twelve of Sassa’s stunning hand-drawn dancehall posters.
Sassa poster for a Volcano dance, via newromantic.blogg.se.
The original book came about following a trip to Kingston by Vuorinen and Kaski in August/September 1983, when modern dancehall was in its infancy and Henry “Junjo” Lawes was challenging sounds like Gemini and Black Scorpio with his recently built Volcano soundsystem. Despite the title though, this book doesn’t just focus on Volcano, with a full list of featured artists that is impressive to say the least: Henry “Junjo” Lawes, Burro Banton, Josey Wales, Barrington Levy, Little John & Ranking Toyan, El Fego Bacca, Shadowman, Billy Boyo & Little Harry, Charlie Chaplin, Peter Metro, Robert Ffrench, Tony Tuff, Jah Thomas, Hopeton Lindo, Horace Andy, Al Campbell, Earl Sixteen, Johnny Clarke, Singie Singie, Frankie Jones, Roland Burrell, Jah Stitch, Lady Ann, Soljie, Prince Far I, Reggae George, Sylvan Morris, Roy Cousins, King Tubby, Devon Russell, Pablove Black, Bagga Walker, Jackie Mittoo, Rappa Robert, Bongo Herman, Brent Dowe, and Sassafras. Wow.
“Volcano Revisited” is available direct from eronen, priced at €24 plus postage. To get your copy, email eronen here.
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Also just out and highly recommended is Beth Lesser‘s “The Legend Of Sugar Minott & Youth Promotion”, published by Ray Hurford’s Muzik Tree imprint, and available from his Small Axe website. Another essential addition to the reggae library!
Pour Out A Little Henny
March 24, 2011 | 0 Comments
RIP Loleatta Holloway (1946—2011)
RIP Nate Dogg (1969—2011)
RIP Joe Morello (1928—2011)
RIP Smiley Culture (1963—2011)
March 15, 2011 | 1 Comment
Smiley Culture died today from a single stab wound to the heart, inflicted during a police drug raid at his house in Surrey, England. The police say he stabbed himself after asking whether he could go back into his house to make a cup of tea. Apparently the knife went right through his body and out the other side. Is it even possible to do that to yourself?
“Cockney say Ol’ Bill, we say dutty Babylon.
Inna di cockney translation.”
Born and raised in South London, Smiley Culture – real name David Emmanuel – was a DJ on the Saxon Soundsystem before signing to Fashion Records as an MC and achieving British chart success during the mid 1980s with the tunes “Police Officer” (which he performed on Top Of The Pops) and “Cockney Translation“. His songs – political yet humourous and always profoundly lyrical – will be fondly remembered. I got a request to play “Cockney Translation” while DJing just a week or so ago. RIP a true British reggae legend.
Al Fingers Meets Clarks Originals Uptown
March 2, 2011 | 1 Comment
I’ll be spinning some classic reggae and soul at the Clarks Originals pop-up shop on Regent’s Street over the next few days, including **how could I resist?** an hour’s worth of reggae tunes that namecheck Clarks (I’ve found 19 tunes so far…) I’ll also be previewing some new mashups that I’ll be releasing over the next few weeks, while Sunday will be a lazy Sunday rice & peas selection so pop in if you fancy listening to some Maze, Shirley Brown, Richard Dimples and Teddy P whilst browsing your desert boots and Wallabees.
Thursday 3rd March, 4—8pm
Saturday 5th March, 3—7pm
Sunday 6th March, 2—4pm
Clarks Pop-Up Shop, 101 Regents Street, London W1.
Extra Classic – Friday 1st April
March 1, 2011 | 0 Comments
A brand new “vinyl only” dance at the Star Of Kings, a new basement venue in the heart of Kings Cross, freshly fitted with a Funktion One sound system. This is EXTRA CLASSIC!
Spinning the finest reggae, bashment and soul gems, residents Disorda & Al Fingers will be joined on the night by Daddy Skitz, a true pioneer in the game.
Taking place Friday 1st April at the Star Of Kings, 126 York Way, Kings Cross, London, N1 0AX.
Runs from 9pm ’til 2am. Entry just £3 before 11pm, £5 thereafter. Come and join us for an extra classic night… Oh! Awoe!!
Extra Classic Facebook Event Page.
- 80 Blocks From Tiffany's
- Adam Curtis – Century Of The Self
- Adam Curtis – Power Of Nightmares
- Fatsarazzi
- Ghetto Bassquake
- John Pilger – The War On Democracy
- Kate Gibb
- One In The Jungle Archive
- Pinkyvision
- Prism
- Reggaemani
- Rotter & Friends
- Shariff Miller
- Shimmy Shimmy
- Smutlee
- Special Delivery Music
- Style Wars
- Suspect Packages
- Wax Poetics
- Zakee Shariff
