Eighties Reggae Recommendations

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Omaar

Guest
Really like the crispness, upbeat feel, and electronic percussion of Sly and Robbie's - Taxi Fare (1987), especially 'triplet', 'taxi connection' and 'unmetered taxi'. Especially now that the sun is beginning to appear again in London.

Can anyone recommend anything else to check out in this sub-genre, or give it a label?

Actually I suppose it's more dub than reggae, perhaps.
 
O

Omaar

Guest
Cheers Droid - The kind of sound of stuff I'm looking for is not really that King Tubby Firehouse stuff, maybe some similar production stuff going, but I'm looking for stuff that has a more upbeat vibe and cleaner production. Anything on that thread that fits you think?
 
S

stelfox

Beast of Burden
well, you've got the whole early-80s birth of raggamuffin dancehall thing, with all the junjo-produced stuff, like barrington levy's shaolin temple, eek a mouse's wha do dem etc. probably one of my favourite periods of reggae actually.
 
D

droid

Guest
A lot of the Jammy stuff would fit into the mould Id say... Theres also loads of really really bad but ultra clean Sly and Robbie electro influenced LPs from the 80s. 'Language Barriers' "Rhythym Killers' and 'The Summit' for example... but the only one I know of that covers the kind of styles you want is 'Taxi Fare', and 'Unmetered Taxi' has all the best tunes on it.

Best thing to do is look for Taxi 7s or re-issues with instrumental verions if you want such a specific sound... You might also want to check out some of Gussie Clarkes' 'Music World' productions from the late 80s early 90s...
 
john eden

john eden

male pale and stale
Junjo - you want the Greensleeves "dancehall anthems 79-81" set and some of their Scientist dub albums. Whilst these are done with proper instruments they SOUND like they are made by rasta robots. crisp snares echoing...

"What’s interesting about early 80s productions of people like Junjo and Sly & Robbie (and Scientist’s dubs) is that they were getting increasingly sparse and robotic – as if the culture was reaching out for the technology long before it actually became available or affordable."

Some of the Fashion stuff made in London in 86 and 87 is worth checking as well - Nerious Joseph's Sensi Crisis springs to mind - digi hand claps!
 
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matt b

matt b

Indexing all opinion
check any of the later recordings featuring roots radics http://www.jahsonic.com/RootsRadics.html.
very clean sounding. they recorded loads for junjo.
seekout in second hand bins- greensleeves released loads of it!


(in particular look out for a split lp between d. brown and g.isaacs- i'm not at home so can't check the title- but that's well crisp and clean*)


*probably linked to the rise of cocaine?
 
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