Single Reviews

Robert Dallas: Tek It Easy/Do Good Brother Single Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com. Poor Man’s Friend, the Bristol, UK and Jamaica-based outfit, are back with Robert Dallas for a rich and potent 7” vinyl release – and it’s top-quality, naturally. Tek It Easy/Do Good Brother, released via Poor Man’s Friend Studio Inc and available in the Pauzeradio shop here, sees veteran Dallas (formerly known as Yabba Youth) team up with the Bristol-based outfit – known for their slick production and engineering, and sheer class. Here is no different – notably that both tracks sound almost analogue in terms of

Don Hartley Do You Have What It Takes Single Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com. Don Hartley is back with another new track – this time asking us if we have ‘what it takes’, while showing us that him and his team certainly do. Do You Have What It Takes, released via World One Entertainment, is a pleasing Roots track, listen here or watch the video below, which is authentically Old Skool while still feeling fresh. The composition, co-writing and co-production comes from Linval Allison, with production from Hartley himself and the instruments being in the capable hands of Pedro

Simha Roots feat. Princess Linn Rising Sun Single Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com. Another fresh vinyl release has hit the Pauzeradio shop – and as always, we’ve selected the best of the best in modern, progressive Roots. Rising Sun, released via Roots Masala Records, is the B side to a great vinyl cut available in the Pauzeradio shop. The A side sees Nia Songbird deliver the track We Rise. Grenadian-born Linn also featured on Rasta Hood Productions’ Timeless Selections Riddim in 2021. Here, she and Simha Roots deliver a broodingly rich and engaging affair. The haunting track is in

RCola and Ranking Joe: Champion Selector/Chant Down Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com. Established UK outfit Totally Dubwise are back with two fresh Jungle cuts – perfect for festival season, but also perfect in their own right. Because the label has teamed up with two legendary names for the release. Champion Selector/Chant Down will be released by Totally Dubwise Recordings on Friday 15 of July. It sees the label team up with Montreal-based RCola and the “legendary lyrical sound killer” Ranking Joe. As always with the label, the quality of the production and engineering is top-notch – particularly the attention

Soul Revivers feat. Ken Boothe Tell Me Why Single Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com. The Pauzeradio shop has some fresh stock. And if you were looking for something fresh that also ‘revived’ the best traditions of Soul-influenced Roots Reggae music, then look no further than the legendary Ken Boothe. Tell Me Why is released via Acid Jazz and available on 7” vinyl in the Pauzeradio shop. Produced by Nick Manasseh and David Hill (known as Soul Revivers), the track is from their recent release On The Grove. To say the track is gorgeous and expertly crafted would be an

Nadia McAnuff featuring The Ligerians: Lock Down Single Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com. Sometimes a song is worth revisiting – not least when it was highly pertinent at the time, and still is. A track from Nadia McAnuff’s 2021 EP with The Ligerians fits this bill – and it is perfection. Lock Down featured on McAnuff and The Ligerians’ November 2021 EP. It was composed by The Ligerians, written by McAnuff and produced by SoulNurse Records. The mixing by Gabriel Bouillon is on-point, and the final mastering by Laurent “Tippy I” Alfred of I Grade Records (and Zion I

Ray Isaacs Slave Master Single Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com. To celebrate what would have been Gregory Isaacs’ 72nd birthday, his nephew Ray is releasing a new track – but it’s a reimagining of one of his uncle’s classics. What better way to mark the earthstrong of a legendary singer? Slave Master is set to be released on 15 July (Gregory’s birthday) by Anotha One Productions. It forms part of Isaacs’ new album, due out in December 2022. Called Gregory Isaacs Tribute: Like Uncle – Like Nephew, it will see the nephew team up with Sweden’s Bewarehouse Studio band

Various Artists: Richie Culture Bag of Herb Remixes Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com. Totally Dubwise Recordings are back – this time with a big selection of remixes across a track from 2020. And it shows the breadth and depth of the outfit’s capabilities – as the remixes cover various genres really well. Bag of Herb was originally released by Richie Culture in 2020. The track is in a classic Reggae formation: drop-beat bass, those call and response horns, skanking guitar and bubble rhythm on the keys. Culture’s singjay-come-vocal is expressive and engaging – and the track is a very

Norris Man Shine Your Light Single Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com. Ahead of the release of his forthcoming album Deep Conversations, Pauzeradio is humbled to take a look at one of the lead tracks from the release – and it’s a gorgeous offering. Shine Your Light is from the Train Line Records-produced and released Deep Conversations, which is out on 20 May 2022. Production comes from founder Real Mckoy and there are three legendary musicians adding their talents to the track (and the album): Sam Gilly, Dean Fraser and Dave Richards. The overall engineering, mix and master are of

Uwe Banton: The People Need To Be Free Single Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com. German Roots legend Uwe Banton is back with a fresh track for 2022 – and as is always the case with this consummate artist, he blends musical ingenuity with lyrical power to create something magical. The People Need To Be Free, released via Ancient Mountain Records, see Banton’s song and lyric writing skills combine with Markus Dassmann and Martin Musch – the latter also producing the track. It’s currently available as a limited edition 7” press in the Pauzeradio shop, here. It’s firmly a Roots