Music Video: Super Cat - Dem No Worry We ft. Heavy D (1992)

Championship Riddim Mix

I'm a mixing beast. This is a 11 Minute Championship Riddim mix produced by Stephen "Di Genius" McGregor:
http://soundcloud.com/prince-banton/championship-riddim-mix-1

Favorites of the Year (2010)

Last year, I was somehow able to make a list of my favorite albums of the year from a variety of genres. Granted I had only heard one or two albums from each of those genres. This year I've pretty much buckled down on listening to dancehall and reggae; I barely have any idea what's going on in the rest of the world of music. I also realized that I have not even given a total of ten albums a decent number of listens to be able to see if they really are favorites. I've only really done that for eight. So here's my eight favorite albums of the year in ascending order of greatness:

Favorite Albums:

8) Gappy Ranks - Put the Stereo On
7) Sizzla - Crucial Times (reissue of old never before released material)
6) Coffinworm - When All Became None
5) Bobby McFerrin - Vocabularies
4) Daisycutter - Invertebrate 7"
3) Romain Virgo - Self Titled
2) Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here
1) Gyptian - Hold You

Here's a list of other albums that I've heard this year which I enjoyed but haven't listened to more than 2 or 3 times: Mulatu Astatke's "Steps Ahead", Carolina Chocolate Drops "Genuine Negro Jig", No Bunny's "First Blood"

I also listened to a lot of stuff off of my good friend's Indiana punk label, Midwestern Decline. In particular I've rocked Karloff's and Close Only Count's EPs multiple times, and those releases have taken a good part in my listener ship for this year. Another highlight from their young discography is Cloud Rat's LP. Considering that they've only been around for a short while it's pretty impressive to think all these releases came out in the last year.

Favorite Mixtapes:

Assassin mixed by Shadyville Carribean - Assassin is Agent Sasco Mixtape
Young Jeezy - Trap or Die 2

Favorite Riddims of 2010:
Bad People Riddim
210 Computer
One Day Riddim
Cosa Nostra Riddim
Baheba Riddim


Favorite Live Shows:
Holy crap. I've been to a lot of shows this year. These are only the particularly awesome/good ones.

-Fresh Ben et al. for Cerebral 1.0 at C2G
God dang people going nutty for Ben's set and getting half naked. I danced SO hard. Worst part was people not showing up until late.
-Close Only Counts Release Show at Dash-In (Support the Troopz, Castles)
First time seeing Support the Troopz and the first time seeing Castles in a long time. A good show.
-Emi Knight and Toby/Theo/Ryan
This shit was touching. Perhaps I need more folk/singer songwriterness in my life?
-Coffinworm, Charnel House, and Slam Dunk at the Bishop
Goddang. Coffinworm was awesome.
-Beast in the Field at Berlin
Probably my 5th or 6th time seeing Beast in the Field. They closed with "Discovered: Large Iron Core" and I head banged real hard.

Harrison House Shows:
-Deep Shit and Pizza Hi Five w/ Sick to Deth, Karloff
I remember the singer for Deep Shit wearing a dope Bell Div Devoe shirt at this show.
-Karloff's Second to Last Show [?] (Balaclava, Bob Denver)
I hadn't seen Karloff for while and all of a sudden they had a posse of fans and kids went nutty at this show like I hadn't seen before
-Desperate Measures and Guide
Both of these bands were sweet.
-Greedy Mistress (an Italian hardcore band)
Those dudes were real goofy, I remember the singer drinking maple syrup between songs. Afterwards we were just hanging so late in front of the house with Fresh Ben reading stupid stuff to us from the internet on his new phone. Good time.
-Inter Arma, Bastard Sapling, and Daisycutter
Inter Arma destroys.
-Grind the Night Away
Ok, it hasn't actually happened yet but yuh already know it's gonna be the best



Fests:
-Culture Shock 2010
Not as good as 2009's but still some sweet acts. Really enjoyed Native. Best Coast was a bit disappointing considering how much hype they have now, I thought they were pretty lame.
-Bayfront Reggae Music Festival--Duluth, MN (Headlined by Michael Rose)
First ever time seeing reggae music live. Danced with this real sweet older Jamaican American in a circle of sorts. Mykal Rose performed "Real Jamaican" and I flipped my shit.
-Free Flow Electronic Music Festival 2010 at CS3
A lot lamer than 2009's (thanks to TRF not funding it) but it was still way fun. Was very flattered when I got hit on by a transvestite.
-XRA Fest at Russian Recording/Bishop
Sweet fest made way sweeter by my dude, my guy Grey coming down for it.
-Stay Young Fest at Pint and Slice
Arguably the best $10 ever only diminished by it's low attendance. Frontier(s) was incredible and Into It Over It was the best dude ever. We chanted some rude women out of the show.

Anyway can't say that the year has been too bad to me musically nor otherwise. Have a happy holidays everybody.

1 Hour Sleng Teng Mix

Here's a one hour mix I made for broadcast on WIUX of sleng teng and it's various offspring:

http://soundcloud.com/prince-banton/1-hour-sleng-teng-mix

I've also decided my selector/DJ pseudonym is Prince Banton--adopting Buju's name, so if you see stuff with that from this point on that's why.

Bob Marley: The Transformative Sound of Selling Out

This is a nice article by Dmitri Vietze on the Wailer's work with Chris Blackwell on Catch a Fire:
http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/bob-marley-the-transformative-sound-of-selling-out.html

Gyptian - Hold You (2010)

Artist: Gyptian
Album: Hold You
Genre: Reggae/Lover's Rock/ Dancehall
Release Date: July 20th, 2010
RIYL: Beres Hammond, Everton Blender

Rating: *****

Gyptian's newest effort is a fantastic album that moves effortless about a number of styles. Unlike his prior 2008 release, "I Can Feel Your Pain", all of the production here contains a level of reggae or dancehall influence. The farthest reaching from it's Jamaican roots, is the rolling "Tease Me" which features a synthesized drum line that recalls current hip-hop trends, but regardless of this inclusion, a pounded snare and bass rhythm underlays the entire song in a classic dancehall style. These touches create an extremely contemporary listening experience that still remains distinctly Jamaican. Autotuning is also very tastefully used here, not as a crux (because Gyptian's singing voice is excellent) but as a tool to create interesting effects. This is most apparent on "Call Gyptian" in which an autotuned echoed version of the lyrics follows the original unedited version of the vocals. Autotuning is used as an electronic accent that further deconstructs dancehall music into an digitally textured genre.
The album is also commendable for it's large variety of styles that maintain the listener's interest from start to finish. Some of the songs like "Na Na Na" fall back on a classic reggae rhythm, including soaring guitar solos that don't feel the least bit cheesy. "Tease Me", as mentioned, is in a contemporary dancehall/hip-hop style, while "Leave Us Alone", featuring the Diseases riddim, acts as a throw back to the 90s. The title track "Hold You", featuring a sparse piano rhythm coupled with marching snares, even after becoming an anthem of the summer and hearing it a million times remains excellent if given a fresh listen. Gyptian's emphasis on singing rather than toasting (not that there aren't hints of it here) while including many dancehall rhythms reminds one of Everton Blender's fusion of roots and dancehall of the 90s. Extremely impressive is the dub styled "Where You Belong", featuring an addictive trumpet line and a sharp dub attack that turns instrumental at the end of the 5 minute 30 second song. The album is held together by an overarching lyrical theme of lover's numbers, with few exceptions in the two closing tracks. Much of it's success can be chucked up to the production. This isn't to discredit Gyptian's songwriting or singing which has been great on less enjoyable prior albums, but it is likely at it's best here. Massive album, highly highly recommended.

1. To Be Held [Intro]
2. Beautiful Lady *****
3. Call Gyptian *****
4. All In You ****
   
5. Hold You *****!
6. Nah Let Go *****!
7. Tease Me (Haffi Easy) *****
8. L.U=V0.E [Interlude]
9. Rendezvous *****
   
10. So Much In Love ****
    
11. Na Na Na (A Love Song) *****
    
12. Drive Me Crazy ***
    
13. Where You Belong *****!!
14. Leave Us Alone *****!
15. Selah ****
    

A List of Reggae Labels

Here's a brief list of modern Reggae labels that I've compiled (I'm not including the classic Jamaican labels (such as Studio 1), these are more the heavy hitters with global distribution that you would come across searching for reissues and contemporary CDs). I'm sure the list is insufficient even with that standard, but it is merely a list of ones that occurred to me as important, and I will expand it if necessary. Also the "Major Artist" lists are very incomplete, and there's a lot of crossover (almost all of these artists have had releases on 2-4 of these labels) but it's more to give a little flavor of what kind of material the label represents.

VP Records http://www.vprecords.com/
VP records is the largest distributor of reggae today, and the label for many major dancehall artists particuarly. VP also releases Soca music as well as Jamaican music.
Founded: 1979
Founders: Vincent "Randy" Chin and Patricia Chin
Location: Queens, New York
Major Artists: Mavado, Elephant Man, Busy Signal, Gyptian, Sean Paul, almost all of the major dancehall artists today
Wiki Bio: "The VP Records label was founded in 1979 by the late Vincent "Randy" Chin and his wife Patricia Chin, Chinese Jamaicans who owned the Randy's Records in Kingston, Jamaica (as seen in the 1978 film Rockers) as well as the Studio 17 recording studios. In the mid-1970s, the Chins moved to New York City, setting up a record store in Brooklyn called VP Records in 1975, from which they sold and distributed records. In 1979 they relocated the store to Jamaica, Queens. In 1993, the record label was formed after the success of the retail store. The name of the label is a product of the first letters in the founders' names, hence the title "VP"."

Greensleeves http://greensleevesrecords.blogspot.com/
Greensleeves is now part of VP records, but has a huge back catalogue.
Founded: 1975
Founders: Chris Cracknell and Chris Sedgwick
Location: Isleworth, London
Major Artists: Huge list (Dr. Alimantado, Eek-a-mouse, Sizzla, and Vybz Kartel just to name a few, most recently Gappy Ranks)
Wiki Bio: "The company was founded by Chris Cracknell and Chris Sedgwick and started as a small record store in West Ealing, London, in November 1975 and is based in Britain... Greensleeves Publishing has the largest catalogue of reggae songs in the world, including the copyrights of Shaggy's "Oh, Carolina," Sean Paul's "Get Busy", and "Break it Off" among over 20,000 copyrights.
In February 2008, Greensleeves was acquired by VP Records, the largest reggae label in the world."

Island Records http://www.islanddefjam.com
Island records today specializes mostly in rock and pop records. But it was originally founded in Jamaica and brought Bob Marley (and by extension, reggae) to a global market. The record label "Tuff Gong", founded by Bob Marley, is a subsidiary of Island.
Founded: 1959
Founder: Chris Blackwell
Location: New York City
Major Artists: Bob Marley and the Wailers, Jimmy Cliff's "The Harder They Come" soundtrack
Wiki Bio: "Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group. The label now operates as a division of The Island Def Jam Music Group in the United States (where it is now a largely rock-oriented label) and as a standalone label in the United Kingdom (also known as Island Records Group or Universal Island)"

Trojan http://www.trojan-records.com/
Trojan records is a British record company that originally was a major provider of reggae music to the skinhead and mod subcultures in Britain during the 60s. Today they are well known for their "Trojan Boxsets" that release themed compilations of crucial hard-to-find tracks.
Founded: 1968
Founder: Lee Gopthal
Location: United Kingdom
Major Artists: Desmond Dekker, Ken Boothe, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Horace Andy
Wiki Bio: "Trojan Records is a British record label founded in 1968. It specialises in ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub music. The label currently operates under the Sanctuary RecordsTrojan comes from the Croydon-built Trojan truck that was used as Duke Reid's sound system in Jamaica. The truck had "Duke Reid - The Trojan King of Sounds" painted on the sides, and the music played by Reid became known as the Trojan Sound.
Trojan Records was founded in 1968 by Lee Gopthal, who had previously run a record store called Musicland, and before that collaborated with Chris Blackwell of Island Records on mail order sales... Trojan's main function was not to develop new artists, but to serve as a sister label for Island Records... The music became especially popular in British youth subcultures, such as the mods, skinheads and suedeheads.
In 1972, Island Records pulled out of its partnership with Trojan Records. Around the same time, there was a declining interest in Jamaican music among British youths, who ventured towards other genres when Rastafarian lyrics and slower tempos entered the music...By the late 1980s, Trojan was unearthing and compiling many ska, rocksteady and reggae recordings and re-issuing them for the first time in 25 years... They also started the popular Trojan Box Set series, which usually feature 50 songs on a 3-CD (or vinyl record) set in a simple cardboard package. In 2001, the Sanctuary Records Group purchased Trojan Records. The deal gave the label leverage to buy music rights controlled by other vintage reggae labels, secure worldwide distribution, and enact slicker marketing campaigns."

Shanachie http://www.shanachie.com/
Shanachie is a label with many releases under it's belt. They have held the rights for many classic releases from the 70s and done reissues on CD. They also release traditional folk and world music, as well as jazz and blues.
Founded: 1975
Founder: Richard Nevins and Dan Collins
Location: ? United States
Major Artists: The Mighty Diamonds, Culture, Max Romeo, Augustus Pablo
Wiki Bio: "Starting as a label that specialized in fiddle music, they began releasing work by CelticPlanxty, Clannad and The Chieftains groups such as ...Shanachie Records is first, foremost, and most famously known as a Reggae label... Shanachie was also the U.S. liaison for the UK-based Reggae label, Greensleeves Records until about 1987. Shanachie also issued material for Augustus Pablo under the Message imprint of his company, Rockers International. The label is named for "shanachie", an Irish 'story teller'."

RAS (Real Authentic Sound) http://www.rasrecords.com/
RAS records has a dedication to positive reggae, and thus releases material by many roots oriented artists. The label is likely inactive as the last release provided on the website was in 2005.
Founded: 1979
Founder: Doctor Dread
Location: ? United States
Major Artists: A huge list again: Charlie Chaplin, Dennis Brown, Israel Vibration, Sizzla, Culture, Black Uhuru to name a few.
Wiki bio:"RAS Records was founded in 1979 by Doctor Dread. In his travels to Jamaica he created a network within the reggae artist community there."

Heartbeat
Heartbeat Records is another solid distributor and has many important reissues as well as originals. It appears their website has disappeared and the fate of the label is questionable.
Founded: 1981
Founder: Duncan Browne and Bill Nowlin
Location: Burlington, Massachusetts
Major Artists: Big Youth, Michael Rose, Everton Blender, Mutabaruka, Burning Spear
Wiki Bio: "Founded by reggae music enthusiasts Bill Nowlin and Duncan Brown, the label's first release was a vinyl LP reissue of Linton Kwesi Johnson's Dread Beat an' Blood (1981). In 1989, Chris Wilson was hired as VP of A&R and the label began their association with Studio One label founder Clement Dodd and released Best of Studio One... Heartbeat has released over 60 Studio One albums"