Back catalogue: Reggae

Review: The hard-digging record fiends at Kalita are back with more brilliance. This one is the first-ever retrospective of work by Jamaican-born artist Desmond Chambers. The first tine is a proudly politically aware tune previously only avialbel on his 1987 album Tiger Born, while the single 'The Morning Show' has before now only been available as the B side of little known single 'I Have Seen Love In Your Eyes.' The two other tracks are mega cult, hugely loved acid-infused dub snakers with boogie-infused rhythms. Original copies will cost you a huge amount so make sure you snap this one up asap.

Review: There is real fire and fury in this opening tune on the new drop from Bongo Joe Records out of Switzerland. A ceremonial chant opens up and is sure to bring dance floor delirium from the off over the high-speed dub rhythms and raw percussive sounds. The raw, high octane and primordial influence of techno looms large throughout with Chouk Bwa & The Angstromers really going for the jugular. Heft modern bass weight, deft electronics and traditional Afro-Caribbean polyrhythms all collide with trance-including and mind-melting results.

Review: George and Glen Miller are undoubtedly best known for their West End Records released 1982 boogie-soul classic "Touch Your Life". They released plenty of other records that flitted between soca, reggae, disco, and - in the latter stages of their career - electrofunk. "Easing", which appeared at some point at the turn of the '80s on London label Third World, remains one of their most potent releases - and, in its original form at least, formidably hard to find. This Soundway reissue wisely replicates the track list of the original release, beginning with the title track - a deliciously percussive, musically intricate chunk of peak-time disco smothered in sharp, Afro-funk style horns and George and Glen Miller's lilting reggae-soul style vocals. The flipside "Version" strips out the vocals, allowing listeners to hear in greater detail the pair's impeccable arrangements and instrumentations (particularly the fine orchestration and rich groove).

Review: The mighty Soundway Records label head Miles Cleret and DJ/collector Jeremy Spellacey turn their expert digging and curatorial skills to the Soca Dub & Electronic Calypso sounds of 1979 to 1998 on this bumper new triple pack. The 17 tracks touch on obscurities, instrumentals and dubs, vocal edits and all manner of roots, boogie, reggae, house, soul and disco gems. It makes for a never less than heart swelling collection that bring immediate sunshine to even the most rainy, cold days in the north of England. Highlights are plentiful, but our picks of the bunch are Bill Campbell's "Body Beat" which does exactly what it says on the tin, Adonijah's disco stomper ("It's Alright") and Levi John's "Soca", a lo-fi oddity with brilliantly loose drum work.