News

Gappy Ranks – Still Rising

July 23, 2010 | 0 Comments

A few months back I had the pleasure of photographing Gappy Ranks – one of the UK’s hottest artists – for his new album, the Peckings-produced “Put The Stereo On” (out 23 August on Greensleeves). The album was initially delayed so I nabbed my favourite photo from the shoot for the cover of his EP, “Rising Out Of The Ghetto” [Above]. Now Tony McDermott (who else?) has finished the album cover, featuring Gappy looking out from the centre of an old-school 7″ sleeve. It also features some of the best UK reggae tunes of recent years – “Heaven In Her Eyes”, “Put The Stereo On” and “Mountain Top”. Maad! If you’re more on a dancehall tip you should pick up the EP, featuring “Stinkin Rich” and “Rising Out Of The Ghetto”.

Creative Review

July 22, 2010 | 1 Comment

Creative Review have posted a piece on the Stüssy x Greensleeves x Al Fingers project on their blog, including an excerpt from my interview with Greensleeves’ long-time designer, Tony McDermott.

It’s funny, looking at the Greensleeves book now, you’d have no idea what a mission it was to find those 100 album covers to get them photographed. Greensleeves no longer have any of their original LPs in their archive (CDs only), so I had to track them all down from weird and wonderful places. It was a massive mission! Thanks to all the collectors who helped out.

For anyone unfamiliar with Tony McDermott’s work, here is his classic Scientist series, released on Greensleeves between 1980 and 1982. A cricket-themed cover was next in the pipeline after Pac-Man but the series came to an end and it never happened. Apparently Scientist was unhappy because it looked like he had been eaten by Pac-Man for his final Greensleeves release, although at the time it wasn’t known that this would be the last album in the series, with McDermott’s comic strip on the back cover leaving the story “to be continued…” Personally I think Scientist should be honoured to have one of the dopest album cover series of all time!

R.I.P. Sugar Minott (1956—2010)

July 12, 2010 | 0 Comments

Vusi The Voice

July 4, 2010 | 0 Comments

South African singer Vusi Mahlasela’s performance of his tune “When You Come Back”, shown on ITV after the Brazil vs Chile game, was sweeeeet. No wonder he’s nicknamed “The Voice” in South Africa. Plus he’s one of Mandela’s favourite artists. Maaad!

Here’s Vusi again at Mandela’s 90th birthday concert in Hyde Park, 2008.

Staying on the sweet voice vibes I’ve put together a new chart – the sweetest voices in reggae music. Disagree with it here.

The Swinger

June 4, 2010 | 0 Comments

Tristan Jehan (a computer coding genius and hyperinstrumentalist from MIT) has created a program called The Swinger, that uses timestretch to put a swing into your favourite tunes. Check out the swung versions of “Money For Nothing” and “Sweet Child Of Mine”. Crazy!

Money for Nothing (swing version) by TeeJay

Sweet Child O’ Mine (Swing Version) by plamere

Stüssy Deluxe x Greensleeves x Al Fingers

May 6, 2010 | 4 Comments

After almost two years, a collaboration between Stüssy Deluxe, Greensleeves Records and Al Fingers has finally touched the road.

The project, a visual and aural history of the early days of British reggae label Greensleeves Records, began during the summer of 2008 when Stüssy designer Nick Bower asked whether I would put together a mixtape for Stüssy Deluxe. I asked Greensleeves Records for permission to use their music, and the project then grew to include by the end: a mixtape (“Greensleeves The First 10 Years“), a book on Greensleeves history and album cover artwork (“Greensleeves The First 100 Covers“), a poster featuring the first 100 Greensleeves covers, and a capsule collection of nine Stüssy Deluxe tees, featuring elements from classic Greensleeves album cover art (Mister Yellowman, Jammy Destroys the Invaders, Sleng Teng, etc).

The book is a document of the first 100 Greensleeves album covers, containing interviews with Greensleeves’ founders, Chris Sedgwick and Chris Cracknell, as well as the label’s chief designer, Tony McDermott, who has worked for Greensleeves almost since the day the label launched in 1977.

During the project I was fortunate to be able to spend a few days in the Greensleeves archive, where I dusted of pieces of reggae history, including a couple of amazing unused Tony McDermott 12″ sleeve designs from the early ’80s. If Greensleeves don’t use them for a series of special edition Junjo 12″ reissues they are sleeping!

The mixtape the accompanies the book features 56 tracks from Greensleeves’ first ten years, including a few specials and some Al Fingers refixes (how could I resist?), mostly newer acapellas over classic Roots Radics rhythm tracks from the early days. You can grab a couple of them from the Remix section – Sizzla & Morgan Heritage’s “All I Want” over Junjo Lawes’ Diseases/Mad Mad rhythm, and Mavado’s “Wa Dem A Do” over the Wailing Souls classic, “Fire House Rock”. The mixtape, book, hats & tees are available now at Stüssy outlets and other stores.

Ten Pound Soundclash

April 29, 2010 | 0 Comments

The £10 soundclash. The most fun you can have with £10!

What you need:
• Two to four players, each with ten pounds (or equivalent in your currency).
• Record shop with a good bargain basement (eg. 50p per record or less).
• Venue (eg. someone’s house) with a decent soundsystem.

Players spend their £10 budget on the biggest tunes they can find in the bargain basement, keeping the selection secret from the other players. Back at the venue, each player spins one tune per round, then all players vote on the biggest selection. As well as the tune, other elements may influence the vote, including record condition, cover artwork, etc. If the tune is on a Telstar compilation that’s going to knock off some points. Who won the clash? »

Happy Easter

April 3, 2010 | 0 Comments

Gappy Ranks Inna Di Maybach

March 24, 2010 | 0 Comments

Pass Out Remixes

March 9, 2010 | 0 Comments

Big up to Tinie Tempah, who went straight in at UK number one this week with his debut single, “Pass Out“. Big up to Labrinth too, who produced the track and sings a wicked chorus on it. I put together a couple of mash-ups over the beat – a medley by Capleton and Richie Spice’s “Marijuana” (yeah I know it’s been remixed to death already, but what can I tell ya). Download them in the Remix section… Gappy Ranks has also voiced a tuff freestyle over the beat – “All The While”. Download Gappy’s version here. Maaad!

Heart On Your Sleeve Wallpaper

February 12, 2010 | 0 Comments

Not quite sure what to get that special somebody for Valentine’s day? Look no further than this romantic desktop wallpaper, featuring heart-inspired album and 12″ artwork. Now available for iPhone! Check the graphics section for free download.

Music Quote Screen-Prints

February 12, 2010 | 0 Comments

I’ve silkscreen-printed a few music-themed art prints (A2 & A3) which I’ll be selling at an art fair this valentine’s day at Jaguar Shoes, 34–36 Kingland Rd, London E2. Come down between 11am and 6pm if you fancy grabbing one.

Tahuna Breaks – Black Brown & White Remix

February 5, 2010 | 0 Comments

New Zealand band Tahuna Breaks asked me to remix “Black Brown & White”, the title track from their recent album. Big up James and the rest of the band.

Black Brown & White (Al Fingers Remiix) Play Now

Cocoa Tea Sings For Buju

January 30, 2010 | 0 Comments

"Buju" - Cocoa Tea Play Now

Cocoa Tea’s wicked re-lick of the Heptones’ 1976 classic, Country Boy, dedicated to Buju Banton, whose cocaine trial begins in Florida at the beginning of March. According to the Jamaica Gleaner, Buju’s lawyers are set to use entrapment as their defence, claiming that a “paid government informant” persistently pestered Buju to buy cocaine after befriending him on a flight from Madrid to Miami in July 2009. Can that really help his case?

Produced by Roaring Lion.

Busy Signal Inna Gary Mix Up

January 25, 2010 | 0 Comments

busy-signal

Vybz Kartel may have been 2009′s deejay of the year, but Busy Signal wasn’t far off, and judging by some of his recent tunes (You Never Knew and his three versions over Shane Brown’s re-lick of the Boops riddim), 2010 could be a Busy year. Right now though, he finds himself in a bizarre mix up. Read more

Busy Signal - One More Night Play Now

Top 100 Reggae & Dancehall Tunes Of The 2000′s

January 5, 2010 | 0 Comments

Pat Metheny vs Kenny G

January 2, 2010 | 0 Comments

Kenny G gets a critical beatdown from Pat Metheny in this interview on jazzoasis.com. Yeah, Kenny deserves it, but he does have one massive soul weekender tune – 1982′s Hi How Ya Doin (Youtube link here) – whereas Pat doesn’t. On the same site, Wynton Marsalis gets dissed pretty bad by Keith Jarrett (here). Who ever said there was love between jazzers?

Best Reggae Lyric Of 2009?

December 30, 2009 | 0 Comments

If Holiday Inn had any balls they would use Terry Linen’s tune “Holiday Inn” in their next ad campaign.

“Rolling the hips, shaking the tits, bouncing, bouncing, bouncing.
How could I resist a lady like this? Bouncing, bouncing, bouncing.
She just drop it like it’s hot, inna Holiday Inn.”

Holiday Inn Play Now

I Can Transform Ya

December 19, 2009 | 0 Comments

transformers

There are some wicked new versions over the Chris Brown/Lil Wayne “I Can Transform Ya” instrumental (produced by Swizz Beatz). My favourite is the Gappy Ranks, although Assassin, Demarco (who voices a medley of his recent hits) and Mr Lexx all sound tuff.

GAPPY RANKS – “Nothing From Dem”
ASSASSIN – “Warning”
MR LEXX – “Watch Me Transform Ya”
DEMARCO – “Transformers Medley”

GAPPY RANKS (I Can Transform Ya riddim) Play Now

ASSASSIN (I Can Transform Ya riddim) Play Now

MR LEXX (I Can Transform Ya riddim) Play Now

DEMARCO (I Can Transform Ya Riddim) Play Now

Just Blaze – MPC Master

October 9, 2009 | 0 Comments

If you are ever considering buying an MPC player, watch this for confirmation that you definitely need one.

Page 3 of 4« Prev 1 234 Next »