Heavy dubs by the Mad Professor of Massive Attack's great Protection LP. The Professor takes the trip hop pioneer's album into uncharted territory with some great atmospheric dub renderings of the tracks. 8 tracks in all, including "Radiation Ruling The Nation (Protection)", "Bumper Ball Dub (Karmacoma)", "Trinity Dub (Three)", "Cool Monsoon (Weather Storm)", "Eternal Feedback (Sly)", "Moving Dub (Better Things)", "I Spy (Spying Glass)" and "Backward Sucking (Heat Miser)". (New Grooves, Reggae) CD

A stunning double-length collection of work from dub producer Errol Brown – a massive 42 tracks in all, each of which definitely live up to the "tip top" promised in the title! The work here is from the years 1977 and 1978 – all originally issued on the High Note or Sky Note labels, at a time when Brown's talents in the studio were able to completely transform elements from contemporary tunes, and take them into all sorts of wonderful new directions with instrumentation help from The Revolutionaries! There's plenty of echo throughout, but most tunes also have a very straightforward vibe too – lean and forward-moving, without getting too bogged down in the production – just using the right elements to make everything sound super-cool throughout. The set features 25 tracks that have never been on CD amidst the total of 42 – and tracks include "Phase One Special", "Roots Man Dub", "Dancing Dub", "Wooga Man", "King Ruler", "Ital Dub", "Dub Walla", "Chapter 15", "Know Your Friend Version", "Strictly Roots"- "Lizard Version", and "Dub In Dreamland". CD

A massive amount of radical records from the great Joe Gibbs – a producer who forever changed the face of Jamaican music with a legendary run of dub albums in the 70s! Joe was no stranger to the scene by the time of these tracks – but the sessions had him really burrowing in to very experimental territory, coming up with sounds that were years ahead of their time, and which set the tone for so many other dub productions in years to come – all very far from some of the chart-topping reggae hits of the decade! The work features plenty of hypnotic rhythms from Sly & Robbie, and great guitar work from Earl Chinna Smith – plus nice horn parts and keyboard lines too – all elements that are whipped up into a sonic souffle by the maestro. This 4CD set features this legendary run of records – Dub Serial, State Of Emergency, Majestic Dub, More Majestic Dub, and the African Dub albums, chapters 1 to 4 – with 12 tracks that have never been on CD before, and the usual deep detail and top-shelf presentation of the Doctor Bird label. CD

A massive package – the full rare Undertaker album from Derrick Harriott & The Crystalites, plus an insane amount of bonus tracks too! The core album is instrumental – a wicked set of rhythms from The Crystalites, a group who have a vibe that's right up there with the best of the late 60s Kingston scene, but a groove that's definitely their own – almost a razor's edge to some of the rhythms, as they snap through some excellent late rocksteady/early reggae modes! Harriott produced, and adds in all these cool touches and sounds that almost predate some of the later experimental modes of Lee Scratch Perry. Titles include "The Undertaker", "Bombshell", "Biafra", "The Bad", "Lady Madonna", "Fistful Of Dollars", "The Barefoot Brigade", and "Dr Who". 2CD set features 14 more instrumental tracks from The Crystalites – plus 27 more Harriott-produced numbers, including work by Rudy Mills, Junior Murvin, Keith & Tex, The Chuckles, Eric Donaldson, Pat Satchmo, Tinga & Ernie, and The Ethiopians. CD

Pivotal early dub! Depending upon whose history of the Jamaican recording industry you subscribe to, this is can be considered by many to be the first dub LP – and whether that's proveable or not, it's certain among the first! History aside, it's a mighty set with some raw early dub style workouts at the hands of Errol Thompson at the renowned 16 North Parade recording studio run by Randy's, with some deft production by Clive Chin. Needing virtually no introduction, the Impact All Stars drop some incredible rhythms, many which will be immediately recognizable as having been versioned from massive numbers for Augustus Pablo, Junior Byles and the Soul Vendors. Titles include "Java Dub", "Cheating Dub", "ET Special", "Ordinary Version Dub", "Hide Away Dub" and "Black Man's Dub". CD

Really early work from the legendary Derrick Morgan, and a set that was one of the earliest full length sets in the Island Records catalog – the start of a legendary run of Jamaican music, with proof that Morgan was one of the originators who was there at the start! As you might guess from his look on the cover, Derrick is working in a ska-based mode on the set – but he's also drawing plenty from American soul for inspiration too – wonderful vocals that float in a dreamy way over the tight-stepping rhythms in the tunes! There's a few cuts that feature duets with Patsy Todd – and titles include "The Hop", "Look Before You Leap", "Last Chance", "Don't You Worry", "Blazing Fire", "Housewife's Choice", "Don't Be A Fool", and "It's True My Darling". CD features a massive amount of bonus tracks – 46 titles added to the original record, some from The Best Of Derrick Morgan, many of which are new to CD too. Titles include "Real Ring Ding", "Revenge", "Try Me", "Greedy Gal", "Don't Say", "Horse Dead Cow Fat", "Sunday Morning", "Gypsy Woman", "Be Still", "Corner Stone", "Sail On", "Tell It To Me", "Loving Baby", and lots lots more! CD

Two rare compilations from Trojan Records – back to back in a single set, with an insane number of bonus tracks too! Both records capture that time when the groove was moving from rocksteady to early reggae – still yet to hit global fame, which makes for a really nice mix of music from an array of lesser-knowns who were getting circulation outside of Jamaica by Trojan. The set really digs deep, way past the bigger tracks and hits – and there's a fair bit of artists here who might be new to anyone but the more serious reggae collectors. Plenty of work here resonated strongly with the growing UK reggae market for reggae at the end of the 60s – and alongside soulful vocals, there's a nicely laidback groove on most numbers – never too overproduced, and filled with plenty of surprises along the way! The set features the full tracks from both records in the title, plus 31 bonus tracks – and most cuts are new to CD – a massive lineup of work from The Slickers, GG All Stars, Maytones, Keeling Backford, Lloyd & Robin, Gladstone & The Followers, Charlie Ace, Trevor & Keith, Vernon Buckley & Alvin Ranglin, and Eric Monty Morris. CD

A huge collection of work handled by producer Alvin GG Ranglin – initially a member of The Maytones, but an artist who gave a much stronger contribution to Jamaican music through his work in the studio! GG may not be as legendary a name as some of the other producers from the time, but as this set shows, his top-shelf work was a key part of the sound of early reggae – served up here in a massive amount of cuts issued by Trojan at the start of the 70s, 16 of which appear here on CD for the first time ever! As usual with Doctor Bird, not only is the track selection great, the whole thing is supported with really detailed notes that offer up the full story behind the music and the man who created it – in a package of 48 tracks in all, with work from The Slickers, Maytones, Ethiopians, Invaders, Cynthia & Irving, Maxie & Glen, Jah Huntley, Dennis Alcapone, Trevor Brown, Charlie Ace, Cynthia Richards, and others. CD

A massive tribute to the long career of Dennis Bovell – the British artist who first rose up in the late 70s group Matumbi, then went on to share his production talents with a host of other artists in the decades that followed! This double-length set brings together a career-spanning set of tracks that all were handled by Bovell – a first half that features his own recordings under a number of groups, and a second half that features Bovell production and studio work with a range of other artists too – including some rare and unissued material, in a package put together by Dennis himself! Titles include the Bovell cuts "Run Rasta Run" with African Stone, "Come With Me" as Dennis Curtis, "The Grunwick Affair" and "Za Lon" with 4th Street Orchestra, "Blood Ah Go Run/Blood Dem (12" mix)" by Matumbi, and cuts "Brain Damage", "Chief Inspector", "Dub Master", "Silly Dub", "Caught You In A Lie", "After Tonight (acoustic version)", "Raindrops", "Eye Water", and "Pow Wow" – all issued under Bovell's name. The second half features titles that include "African Queen" by Errol Campbell, "Africa Is Our Land" by Joshua Moses, "Take Five" by Young Lions, "Portrait Of You" by Gladwin Wright, "Hooked On You" by Delroy Wilson, "Cry" by Angelique, "A Little Way Different/Differentah (12" mix)" by Errol Dunkley with Julio Finn, "Silly Games" by Janet Kay, "Get Up Stand Up" by I Roy, and "Positive Vibrations" by Pebbles. CD

Seminal work from Dandy – one of the key figures in the Jamaican musical community in London during the second half of the 60s, and an artist who was really important in helping the UK forge its own version of music from Kingston! The set begins with Dandy's classic album for the Giant label – a masterpiece of well-done rocksteady, with production and instrumentation that are nice and lean – shifting the groove from the previous ska generation, while also allowing for some great horn work, especially on saxes, to flesh things out next to Dandy's great vocals! There's a nicely different vibe to the set than most Jamaican material, but also none of the cliches that might later mark some London recordings – a really fresh vibe that's totally great, served up on tracks that include "Keep Them Fretting", "Turn Your Wheel", "You're No Hustler", "Rhythm Of The Rain", "Sock It To Me", "Soul Power", "Play It Cool", "People Do Rock Steady", and "Turn On Your Lovelight". This massive 2CD set adds in 31 bonus tracks, for a total of 43 tracks in all, 32 of which appear here on CD for the first time ever – with great notes, sound, and a wonderful package! CD

A massive overview of work from the legendary Front Line label – an imprint started by Virgin Records in the mid 70s, and one that quickly became as important as Island or Trojan in the growing world of reggae! Front Line was heavy on roots, but also released some great dub material as well – all of which is brought together in this huge box of 92 tracks – which includes 11 previously unreleased selections, and 30 that had never been issued on CD! The package is divided up into sections – with a three chapter evolution of the label, plus additional 12" mixes on one CD, and another devoted entirely to material from the vaults – which makes the collection an essential set for collectors, and not just an introduction to the label. Artists include The Mighty Diamonds, U Roy, Twinkle Brothers, Gladiators, Gregory Issacs, Sly Dunbar, Jah Lloyd The Black Lion, Big Youth, Delroy Washington, I Roy, Tapper Zukie, Althea & Donna, Prince Far I, Poet & The Roots, Johnny Clarke, The Revolutionaries, Keith Hudson, and many many more! CD

The roots of a legend – and a massive look at the early work of the great Desmond Dekker – the singer who would soon explode on the global scene as one of the first big ambassadors of Jamaican music, heard here on a whole host of singles done at the start of his career! The set brings together titles that Dekker cut for producer Leslie Kong – some as a solo act, some as a member of The Aces – and the package includes both sides of every single, so that you'll also get some very cool instrumental cuts from Roland Alphonso and the Beverleys All-Stars! Titles include "It's A Shame", "007 (Shanty Town)", "Wise Man", "Madgie", "Sinners Prepare", "Parents", "You've Got Your Troubles", "Keep A Cool Head", "Sweet Music", "Unity", "Dracula", "Pretty Africa", "Sabotage", and "Mount Zion". CD