Brilliant Vibes album review
Thursday, August 1st, 2013Brilliant Vibes album review from a Dutch Reggae magazine:
http://www.reggae-vibes.com/rev_sin/vi-remin.htm
Brilliant Vibes album review from a Dutch Reggae magazine:
http://www.reggae-vibes.com/rev_sin/vi-remin.htm
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Talisman I-Surrection new album available to preorder now
‘THE BRISTOL REGGAE EXPLOSION
LIVE’ – VARIOUS ARTISTS
17 Track CD / 11 Track DVD & Digital Download. Released 3rdJune 2013.
For the past three years, Bristol Archive Records have shone the spotlight on the City’s musical legacy, particularly reggae. Last year we decided we’d turn the spotlight on the artists themselves and so in August, a who’s who of Bristol reggae artists gathered together for The Bristol Reggae Explosion Live. It was a unique chance to enjoy more than ten of the city’s finest veterans sharing the same stage, in some cases for the first time in two decades.
The show was a huge success with the whole crowd and all the artists going home with large grins on their faces, having enjoyed one of the best shows and some of the nicest vibes in years. By chance, young film makers from 8th Sense Media and the “Dubplate To Dubstep” Ujima Radio film project were in attendance to document the evening and although we hadn’t planned a commercial release, the show was such a great success we decided that perhaps we should share the footage.
With many of the artists coming from St. Paul’s and with most of them having been involved in past carnivals, it seemed obvious to turn this celebration of Bristol and St. Paul’s musical legacy performed by the elders and filmed by the youths into something that could benefit the community and the next generation of performers.
Knowing of the yearly struggle to raise funds for St. Paul’s Carnival, Bristol Archive Records will be releasing “The Bristol Reggae Explosion Live 2012” as a CD/DVD package on 3rd June 2013 with profits donated to The St. Paul’s Carnival.
Although technical issues mean that not every artist is represented, the DVD contains eleven performances from Lord John Hutchinson, Bunny Marrett, Dennis McCalla aka Dallas, Popsy Curious, Glen Crookes, Dan Ratchet, Jashwha Moses and the mighty Talisman, who also provide backing for the other acts.
The accompanying CD contains 17 studio recordings from the acts involved and as well as those featured on the DVD, we get to enjoy the talents of Winston Minott, Veronica Morrison aka Veereal, Vibes and Cool Runnings with several tracks previously unreleased.
A special mention must go to Michael Jenkins and Steve Street whose hard work on the video and soundtrack respectively, made this release possible and of course the young film makers who captured the evening.
Whether you were fortunate enough to be present on that August night, are a fan of the acts or the label, want to support St. Paul’s Carnival or are just curious, you are sure to enjoy this package.
St. Pauls Carnival takes place in Bristol on 6th July 2013.
30th Anniversary Re-release
RECORD STORE DAY SPECIAL with Unique Hand Made Screen Printed Sleeve (original sleeve included)
Strictly Limited to 100 copies and Limited to 3 copies per person
Released 20th April 2013.
With the release of the latest Black Roots album “On The Ground” and its dub counterpart “On The Ground In Dub” via our sister label Sugar Shack Records, Bristol Archive Records decided to do something special to celebrate the band’s return to the studio. What could be better than a very special reissue of Black Roots self-titled first album, released to coincide with its 30th anniversary and, as this will be a vinyl only release we thought we’d combine it with this year’s Record Store Day event.
“Black Roots” was originally released in 1983, by which time the band was established as one of the UK’s leading live acts with a strong repertoire of socially aware songs reflecting the issues of the day. When it came to their first album, they chose eight of their strongest tracks and assembled what was to become one of the classic British reggae albums of the decade.
Featuring the tracks; “The Father”, “Survival”, “Juvenile Delinquent”, “What Them ‘A Do”, “Opportunity”, “Tribal War”, “Africa” and “Move On”, the album covers themes of social alienation, deprivation, repatriation, Rastafari, violence within the black community and ends, with the tale of a failing relationship. Three decades later, many of the songs are just as relevant and provide the perfect complement to their latest recordings.
This new release will be strictly limited to 500 copies worldwide. 400 copies will be available for Record Store Day, 20th April 2013, at participating retailers and feature a facsimile of the original sleeve, whilst 100 copies will be available directly from Bristol Archive Records and very select retailers and feature a unique handmade screen printed sleeve as well as being individually numbered, a very special edition.
This is the first time this album has been available on vinyl for twenty five years and there is every likelihood that demand will outstrip supply so be sure to grab your copy.
www.bristolarchiverecords.com / www.nubianrecords.co.uk
ARTIST: Black Roots
TITLE: Black Roots
RELEASE DATE: 20th April 2013 – RECORD STORE DAY
LABEL: Bristol Archive Records
DISTRIBUTION: Shellshock
FORMAT: Limited Edition Vinyl and Digital Download
CAT NO: ARC265V
BARCODE: 5052571041611
Tracks:
1.The Father
2.Survival
3.Juvenile Delinquent
4.What Them A Do
5.Opportunity
6.Tribal War
7.Africa
8.Move On
‘THE BRISTOL REGGAE EXPLOSION
LIVE’ – VARIOUS ARTISTS
17 Track CD / 11 Track DVD & Digital Download. Released 3rdJune 2013.
For the past three years, Bristol Archive Records have shone the spotlight on the City’s musical legacy, particularly reggae. Last year we decided we’d turn the spotlight on the artists themselves and so in August, a who’s who of Bristol reggae artists gathered together for The Bristol Reggae Explosion Live. It was a unique chance to enjoy more than ten of the city’s finest veterans sharing the same stage, in some cases for the first time in two decades.
The show was a huge success with the whole crowd and all the artists going home with large grins on their faces, having enjoyed one of the best shows and some of the nicest vibes in years. By chance, young film makers from 8th Sense Media and the “Dubplate To Dubstep” Ujima Radio film project were in attendance to document the evening and although we hadn’t planned a commercial release, the show was such a great success we decided that perhaps we should share the footage.
With many of the artists coming from St. Paul’s and with most of them having been involved in past carnivals, it seemed obvious to turn this celebration of Bristol and St. Paul’s musical legacy performed by the elders and filmed by the youths into something that could benefit the community and the next generation of performers.
Knowing of the yearly struggle to raise funds for St. Paul’s Carnival, Bristol Archive Records will be releasing “The Bristol Reggae Explosion Live 2012” as a CD/DVD package on 3rd June 2013 with profits donated to The St. Paul’s Carnival.
Although technical issues mean that not every artist is represented, the DVD contains eleven performances from Lord John Hutchinson, Bunny Marrett, Dennis McCalla aka Dallas, Popsy Curious, Glen Crookes, Dan Ratchet, Jashwha Moses and the mighty Talisman, who also provide backing for the other acts.
The accompanying CD contains 17 studio recordings from the acts involved and as well as those featured on the DVD, we get to enjoy the talents of Winston Minott, Veronica Morrison aka Veereal, Vibes and Cool Runnings with several tracks previously unreleased.
A special mention must go to Michael Jenkins and Steve Street whose hard work on the video and soundtrack respectively, made this release possible and of course the young film makers who captured the evening.
Whether you were fortunate enough to be present on that August night, are a fan of the acts or the label, want to support St. Paul’s Carnival or are just curious, you are sure to enjoy this package.
St. Pauls Carnival takes place in Bristol on 6th July 2013.
ARTIST: Various Artists
TITLE: The Bristol Reggae Explosion Live
RELEASE DATE: 3rd June 2013
LABEL: Bristol Archive Records
DISTRIBUTION: Shellshock
FORMAT: CD/DVD and Digital Download
CAT NO: ARC267CD
BARCODE: 5052571045923
Gene your dream inspired us!
Mike Darby ‘Bristol Boys Make More Noise’
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The release date of the CD will be put back slightly from the anticipated 15th April 2013 – but the release will be well worth the wait.
Track listing:
1. My Love
2. My Love (Dub)
3. Jah Hold Up The Rain
4. Jah Hold Up The Rain (Dub)
5. Reminisce
6. We Must Go Home (Jah Jah Children)
7. Judgement On Creation
8. Judgement On Creation (Dub)
9. Hurting So Bad
10. Sell Out
11. Sell Out (Dub)
12. Tribulation
Bonus Tracks:
13. We Must Go Home (Steve Street Mix)
14. Jah Hold Up The Rain (Steve Street Mix)
15. My Love (Steve Street Mix)
The album has been mixed by Dave Sandford who has previously completed some remixes for Black Roots with the exception of the three bonus tracks which are mixes completed by Steve Street aka Doug The Dub
More news soon a CD and Digital release coming your way via www.bristolarchiverecords.com – MORE CLASSIC BRISTOL VIBES
Music didn’t play a big part in Mike Darby’s early life until 1977 when his brother Paul brought home a copy of “My Aim Is True” by Elvis Costello and then a week later “Never Mind The Bollocks” by The Sex Pistols. The spirit of the Punk era caused that Mike found some confidence and believed that anybody could be in a band. Thus he was committed to try his luck and his first effort was Mike and The Molemen. The latter was the stepping stone for Mike to have the confidence to approach better musicians with the aim of forming The Rimshots. With one of the later line-ups of this band, he supported The Beat at The Locarno in 1980 and got a singles deal with a new Bristol based label called Shoc Wave Records. After the split up of The Rimshots, Mike had two more attempts at fronting a band before he moved into management picking up his little brother Neil’s band Fear of Darkness. The latter led into Love Jungle which led into managing Rita Lynch. Nowadays Mike Darby is an independent financial advisor and label head of Bristol Archive Records. |
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Q: Greetings, Mike! Over the last few years, Bristol Archive Records has been unearthing some of the most crucial British Reggae to see the light of day. How did your concept and dedication start? A: We released a compilation called The Bristol Punk Explosion 1977 -1983 approx two years ago. It didn’t sell very well but it mapped out the template for the extensive sleeve notes, hidden unreleased gems and the pictures. As soon as I saw the finished product I knew I had to pull a Reggae compilation together and I knew that the challenge would be to get Black Roots and Talisman together on the same record. I had a white pop reggae / ska band in 1980 and The Rimshots had supported both of these awesome roots bands, the problem was that they had only ever shared the same stage once and there was history between the two groups. I knew or thought I could get access to other reggae material by making contact with Gene Walsh who had run Shoc Wave Records in the 80′s and had released Joshua Moses and Sharon Benjamin so the challenge was on. Q: Your label’s Reggae catalogue started out with “Bristol Reggae Explosion”; full of exciting songs from virtually unknown artists. Did you anticipate the huge amount of material that must have come across your desk? There was enough material for two more successful compilation albums. A: We’ve released three successful compilations up until now actually and are currently working on Reggae Explosion 4 which will be the end of the 80′s and then Reggae Explosion 5 which will be the start of the 90′s. We had no idea how much material was in people’s houses, under beds, on cassettes, old quarter inch, limited edition vinyl. I was introduced to Martin Langford who compiles the records and writes the sleeve notes, Martins memory of all things Reggae is amazing and my skill has been in finding the artists and engaging them in the project. The quality of the unreleased material is astounding! |
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Q: The world now is familiar with the sheer brilliance of artists like Dan Ratchet and Joshua Moses , to name a few. Did these talents approach you? A: No I approached Dan and then his producer Simba Rashe Tongogara. Both live in Bristol. Joshua, again living in Bristol was introduced via Gene Walsh who then introduced me to Joshua’s producer Mikey Taylor Hall. I had met Joshua once in the 80′s at a Domino game at Gene’s house, he didn’t remember but it made the approach easier as we had friends in common. Q: Bristol has Reggae talent on par with London and Kingston and all points between; any more artists or groups coming out of the woodwork? A: Wow thank you for saying that, the artists will be really happy. We are mixing a Vibes album at the moment, recorded in 1989 it features Popsy Curious, Winston Minnott from Cool Runnings and Veereal and was never mixed back in the day so was never released. Some killa tunes on here. We are awaiting the final delivery of a Restriction album, now this will be something special. Mikey Taylor Hall has given us unreleased material that he has produced which will appear on Reggae Explosion 4. Q: Perhaps your greatest concept was to work with Black Roots and reissue some of their earlier works. How was it to work with these legends? A: A privilege and a pleasure. Jabulani is a quiet man so it’s taken a while to build the relationship. Martin Langford came up with the concept of the Singles Anthology as he is a lifelong fan. We are releasing a Dub album of ‘On The Ground’ in the spring and will probably release on Vinyl only, a Limited Edition of Black Roots first ever album with additional sleeve notes. |
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Q: There have been some incredible album launch concerts within the last year. Is there a chance of some international appearances? A: Now that is interesting. Black Roots, Talisman and Joshua Moses all have the same agent and all are back out playing live and have made big British festival appearances this summer. All three have new albums either just released or ready for the spring release. All three would love the opportunity to tour in Europe, just ask a promoter to approach us. I’d also like to take The Bristol Reggae Explosion Live show out on the road. We played a monumental gig this summer with nine of the featured singers on the compilation albums all singing their track from the records. Talisman acted as the backing band and played a set in their own right – it was brilliant. Q: It’s fantastic news that the Fashion catalogue is going to be reissued by your sister label. Are you going to be involved in this project? A: I set the deal up with Chris Lane but it’s Martin Langford’s baby to put the track listings together. We are hoping for two new compilations in the spring. Fashion In Fine Style Significant Hits Vol 1 is out now. Q: Your resident “minister of information” Martin Langford is a plethora of knowledge. How did he come on board Bristol Archive Records? A: I was introduced by a DJ and Vinyl collector John Stapleton. We met in the record shop Martin works in on a Saturday. I told Martin about my plans for the Bristol Reggae Explosion Vol 1 and he just threw a few names at me that I either wasn’t aware of or hadn’t considered. It was obvious from that moment that we should team up and we haven’t looked back since. We both have very different skills and personalities but as a team we’ve proved unstoppable. |
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Q: Your releases show that you have a tight knit staff working with you. Did you anticipate the international success of your projects? A: Not a clue. Steve Street who masters all the material is my brother in law. He was a studio engineer in the late 70′s and 80′s here in Bristol and recorded some of the material first time around. He later worked for Tears For Fears as their in house engineer at the Wool hall. Steve was in bands in the 80′s and believe it or not has made two Top Of The Pops appearances! We couldn’t run the label in the way that we do without Steve’s expertise and experience but also his unbelieveable commitment to quality. Q: Mike, give thanks for bringing the Reggae gems of Bristol to the world. It has rekindled true recognition of original and authentic Roots Reggae Musik. Keep Jah Fire burning and sharing what this world needs!! A: Thank you. The pleasure I’ve had in the project is delivering the finished cds and vinyl to the original artists and seeing them smile and be proud. First time around nothing much happened for them, now in 2012 and beyond they are all achieving their little slice of recognition and success. |
Interview by Robert “Higherman” Heilman (October 2012) | Pics courtesy of Bristol Archive Records |
Aba Shanti-I at Notting Hill Carnival 2012 showcasing the forthcoming album ‘Brixton Rec’ by Dubkasm
Here’s the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtsbXZT4SzI&feature=share&list=UUnNrXzIDET7U2S1rJ2xpMGA
Here’s the show folks: http://youtu.be/sWDGz9vr8ig
Here’s the press release for the album:
BUNNY MARRETT- ‘I’M FREE’
Released 18th June 2012 as Vinyl LP (Limited Edition), CD & Digital Download,
through Bristol Archive Records / Shellshock and all digital platforms.
An influential figure on the Bristol reggae scene since the 1970s, Bunny Marrett has been shamefully neglected on record with just two tracks on the A side of a 1981 Shoc Wave 12” his sole output, although his compositions have fared somewhat better having been recorded and released by both Black Roots and Delroy Ogilvie.
Bristol Archive Record’s June 18th release of Bunny’s 1986 recorded album “I’m Free,” should go some way to making up for that oversight. As a bonus, Bunny is accompanied by legendary Bristol band The Startled Insects and equally legendary local jazz drummer Tony Orrell.
Bunny may be a reggae artist, but he is also a jazz lover and with first rate jazz accompaniment, the music they produced is a totally natural fusion of reggae and jazz that more than twenty five years after it was recorded still sounds totally fresh. It’s naturalness, it’s simplicity and it’s beauty make this music timeless and with an appeal far beyond the traditional reggae market. This is joyful music created by musicians who were obviously having fun and that shines through. There is no artifice in this meeting of Jamaica’s and the United States’ greatest musical gifts, it just works as a perfect blend of styles.
Bunny has been singing since his childhood in Montego Bay and after relocating to Kingston was soon entering talent competitions. Moving to England whilst still in his teens, Bunny continued to sing as well as becoming involved with sound systems. He also embraced the local jazz scene as well as the diverse music of the West Indies including learning to play Piano with Laurel Aitken. Although his profile outside of Bristol may not have been high, by the time he recorded “I’m Free” he was an experienced writer and performer.
When they collaborated with Bunny the, Startled Insects had already made an impact with their first two records on Antenna and were about to be signed by Island. One of the Startled Insects, Richard Lewis, will be well known to fans of Bristol Archive Records as legendary engineer and producer UK Scientist. The remaining band members known as just the Insects, would go on to a very successful career scoring music for film and television, writing for Massive Attack and working with several leading UK acts.
Drummer Tony Orrell is something of a legend in Bristol music circles. In fact, having played with Spirit Level, Sphere, Andy Sheppard and Adrian Utley to name just a few, he’s a hugely respected musician on the UK jazz scene and has often utilised his talents for non jazz artists.
The vinyl LP contains the 1986 album as it was envisioned, four vocals, the uplifting title track “I’m Free”, Bunny’s tribute to Bob Marley with “Jazzy Reggae” making an excellent adaptation of the Wailers original. “Farm Diggin’” inspired by life in rural Jamaica and “Natural Princess” a pure love song, “Jazzy Reggae and “Farm Digging” are accompanied by their versions/dubs. For the CD issue we have added “Times Are Getting Harder” and “Hard Times (dub)” both tracks from Bunny’s Shoc Wave 12”.