Noel Robinson
It's Like Yesterday

Arguably the greatest Jamaican record producer of all time, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry was instrumental in transforming the island’s national sound throughout the Sixties and Seventies, with his unique approach to music making pushing the music beyond previously perceived boundaries.To mark the first anniversary of his passing, the very best of his work is showcased across a number of products, all of which effectively demonstrate why Perry was widely venerated figure for so long..

DJ-kicks starts off its 25th year with Mr Scruff, a selector who’s been doing his thing for even longer. A true giant of the underground dance world and the original ‘Jazz Potato’ himself, his 31-track masterclass which includes one new and exclusive track. Spanning the decades like a funky timelord, Scruff brings some of the world’s best analogue and digital musicians together in a head-spinning melange – ably blending many varied elements into a nourishing whole.

Brainpower is a multi-platinum, pioneering bilingual Hip Hop artist, songwriter and producer from Amsterdam, The Netherlands. After performing in Jamaica with Yellowman (aka the original King of Dancehall) Brainpower wanted to create a record with reggae versions of some of his greatest hits. He teamed up with Black Star Foundation, worked with producer Asher E. and the world-renowned Firehouse Crew and together they made it happen. The Dub & Dwars record was well received, and reached the number 1 spot in the Dutch Reggae Charts on iTunes. One of the mixed riddims from these sessions was also used for Anthony B's recent single 'Negus'. Having released eight albums, Brainpower is an established recording artist in a league of his own. After many hit records in Holland & Belgium, his recent single All The Same made it to the number four spot on the National Rapnetwork Record Breakers chart in the USA. The single has picked up a Global Peace Song Award, which will be presented in LA this year. Dub & Dwars is available for the first time on vinyl, newly remastered and available on clear red vinyl, in a limited run of 350 individually numbered copies.

The Caribbean has long been an incubator for the sounds that will animate and shape the culture of the rest of the world for decades to come: From the rhythms of Cuba helping to shape American jazz, blues and rock n’ roll, to Trinidadian calypso introducing a bouncy lightness and gaiety to American party music, to Jamaica’s reggae showing a new way to rebel against convention. But what about the music of Belize, the Caribbean nation that holds the odd position of being a former British colony on the coat of Spanish-speaking Central America? Most people don’t know about the country at all, let alone about the rich sounds it has to offer.Bredda David Obi set out to change that in 1984 with the release of his debut LP No Fear, and the introduction of a new Belizean groove he called kungo (or cungo). A mélange of traditional Belizean brukdown music and sprinklings of the rock, funk, calypso and reggae he had played in various bands during his years as a journeyman musician in the United States. He would further develop this modern tropical sound on subsequent albums, integrating more and more elements from Belizean niche genres like sambai and paranda.Cultures of Soul is proud to take part in documenting Bredda David’s journey into the soul of Belize with an anthology of his early recordings including tracks from No Fear, Cungo Musik (1987) and We No Wa No Kimba Ya (1990) albums.Bredda David’s kungo is hard to describe exactly—its various ingredients make it feel somewhat familiar, but the recipe with which he blends them is slightly strange, fresh and intriguing. But one thing is for certain, it is sure to electrify the dance floor and make everybody jump up and bruk down!