Groundation - The Next Generation Live (Baco Records)
As record sleeves immediately telling the whole story of an album go, Groundation's 'The Next Generation Live' - the first live registration in the band's twenty years of existence - can definitely count. These are live recordings made during the Italian leg of the 2018 European promo tour for the release of the album 'The Next Generation', and also meant to introduce the new band around front man Harrison Stafford to the public.
La Gallera Social Club - Tropico Salvaje (Tortuga)
La Gallera Social Club is a music project by Venezuelan twin brothers Alexis and Miguel Romero, who with 'Tropico Salvaje' present a new long player.
Zenobia - Halak Halak (Acid Arab Records/Crammed Discs)
Following in the footsteps of 'Jdid', their second release on the Crammed Discs label, with Acid Arab Records, Acid Arab now launches its own sublabel. First up is Palestinian duo Zenobia with 'Halak Halak'.
Etuk Ubong - Africa Today (Night Dreamer)
Described by Seun Kuti as: "One of the best things to come out of Lagos", trumpeter Etuk Ubong is one of Nigeria's hottest music revelations.
Various Artists - O Aperto Da Saudade (Far Out Recordings)
We've come to known Far Out Recordings as regular suppliers of reissues of Brazilian gems and new work by artists like Marcos Valle, Nomade Orquestra, Sabrina Malheiros, Clara Moreno and of course Azymuth. But in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, the label now exceptionally presents 'O Aperto Da Saudade', a compilation album for which Josh Tautz delved into the label's rich archives, selecting 15 tracks that all breathe Portuguese saudade.
The Dubwegians - King Of Dub EP (Dub-O-Phonic)
Two years after the re-release of their 2011 'South Of The River Clyde' EP, Glaswegian duo The Dubwegians return with this 'King Of Dub' EP.
Dre Island - Now I Rise (Dre Island Music/Kingston Hills Entertainment/DubShot Records)
As one of the last exponents of Jamaica's so-called reggae revival generation to do so, Dre Island is now finally also dropping a first long-player for which he joined forces with Jamaican Kingston Hills Entertainment and American DubShot Records, as well as reggae and dancehall producers like Jam2, Anju Blaxx, Teetimus, Winta James, Dretegs Music and Barkley Productions.
Chouk Bwa & The Ångströmers - Vodou Alé (Les Disques Bongo Joe)
When we first got to know the seven-piece Haitian Gonaïves based standard-bearers of the so-called mizik rasin back in 2015, they were still called Chouk Bwa Libète. But for this collaboration with The Ångströmers, the band name was shortened to Chouk Bwa.
TootArd - Migrant Birds (Glitterbeat Records)
If predecessor 'Laissez Passer' was still clearly influenced by Tuareg blues, brothers Hasan and Rami Nakhleh took a completely different direction for successor 'Migrant Birds'.
Alpha Steppa - Raise The Ark (Steppas Records)
With his new album, 'Raise The Ark', Alpha Steppa is also celebrating the tenth anniversary of his Steppas Records label.
O.B.F. - Signz (Dubquake Records)
Has it really been six years since the release of 'Wild', the long-played debut of Geneva-based sound system collective O.B.F.? Of course, there was also the impressive album by dub poet Nazamba, two albums with English MC Charlie P, and a lot of 12inch releases, but now O.B.F. finally presents 'Signz', a project which started about two years ago with the idea to create an album without paying heed to time, allowing space for creativity and letting chance encounters shape the music.
Touki - Right Of Passage (Captain Pouch Records)
More than ten years ago Senegalese griot Amadou Diagne and French-American singer-songwriter, troubadour and multi-instrumentalist Cory Seznec met busking in the streets of the British town of Bath. After that cordial meeting in 2007, both musicians went their separate ways again, but fate allowed their paths to cross again and that eventually led to 'Right Of Passage', recorded under the aptly chosen band name Touki.
Alpha & Omega - Shadrach, Meshach And Abednego (Steppas Records)
Three years after 'One By One', their last long-player on the Steppas label of Ben Alpha, UK-dub pioneers Alpha & Omega return with 'Shadrach, Meshach And Abednego'.
Reggae Roast - Turn Up The Heat (Trojan Reloaded)
Reggae Roast has been a fixture in the London reggae scene since 2008, as a sound system, party and concert organizers, but also as record label, riddim builders and producers. With 'Turn Up The Heat', James Harper and Matt Lane, two members of the collective, now finally present a self-produced LP for which they invited a truly impressive lineup of guest vocalists.
iSt3p - Dub Business EP (Self-published)
iSt3p is the alter ego of French producer Maxime Quennesson, who in recent years has become a fixture in the French dub circuit.
Lila Iké - The ExPerience EP (In.Digg.Nation Collective/RCA Records)
If last year most reggae fans were still eagerly looking forward to the release of Koffee's debut EP 'Rapture', we now turn to her peer Alecia Grey aka Lila Iké, who's also finally rejoicing her fans with a first EP.
Victor Rice - Drink (Easy Star Records)
After 2017's excellent 'Smoke' album, Victor Rice returns with 'Drink', an almost perfect successor.
Bi.Ba - Experience (Batelier Records)
Four years after the release of the highly praised 'Massavana', Franco-Madagascan formation Bi.Ba returns with 'Experience', an album for which they collaborated with Bratislava based French label Batelier Records.
Moja - Home EP (Art Beat Records)
Two years after their debut album 'One', Moja, the French band around Nantes Based singer Marine 'Mamatya' Annic, returns with 'Home'.
Steady Social Club - Take One (Self-published)
The immediate reason for the foundation of Steady Social Club was the production of the very first Polish rocksteady album; a mission in which they definitely succeeded with 'Take One'.