You Got To Be True...

...in everything you do!
-Bobby Melody 'Try So Hard'


photo by Beth Lesser

BOBBY MELODY RIP 4/26/10

Aksumites and Mankind 12"s are available NOW at online shops. New releases near the end of May. Thanks for your support!

THEBES SOUNDS & MAN KIND 12" DISCO 45

OUT NOW - DEEPER KNOWLEDGE RECORDS & DIGIKILLER RECORDS NEW RELEASES

THEBES SOUNDS 12" DISCO 45

DKR-013
AKSUMITES - ARK OF THE COVENANT B/W NIGGER CHARLIE - COVENANT ROCK





high quality US pressing.

From the deepest wellspring of New York City roots, the Bronx, returns one of the most seldom heard and mystical pieces of roots music ever made. The Aksumites were a roots harmony trio unlike any other, and the 'Ark of the Covenant' is their masterpiece. Group leader and song writer Andrew McCalla came to New York City from Trenchtown in the first half of the 1970's, and quickly took up work as a solo artist and song writer for Bullwackie's and Munchie Jackson, releasing solo tunes on now-legendary labels like Aires. But at the turn of the 1970's into the 1980's, the Aksumites group got to work self-releasing some discomix 12-inches , including this one, a just-shy-of eight minutes long vocal side of singing and chanting, backed by a rhythm heavy enough to match their message. The flip side is the same heavier-than-lead approach, with the rhythm being mixed for vocal delivery in fine deejay style by Nigger Charlie (despite some labels saying 'Dub', the flip has in-fact always been the deejay version!). The incomparable rhythm track was laid in New York by the New Breed Band, now well known for their work on many releases from the Wackie's camp. The rhythm was then taken to Channel One in Kingston, for voicing, overdubbing and mixing. The group released the disco just once, but with two different labels - the THEBES SOUNDS label was designated for Jamaican distribution, while the AKSUM RECORDS label would be for distribution in NY. Over the years this record has quietly attained the reputation it rightfully deserves, among the select few lucky enough to hear it. But it need be quiet no longer, and so Deeper Knowledge Records joyfully presents it again...behold the Ark of the Covenant!

and

MAN KIND 12" DISCO 45

DKR-014
MANKIND - THESE THREE GIRLS / DUB B/W COUNTRY LIFE / DUB





high quality US pressing.

Double-sided late '80s digital monster, from longtime collaborators Sydney 'Mankind' Francis and Dennis 'Jah D' Fearon! Jah D is one of the unsung heroes of reggae music - uncredited session player and arranger on countless classic sides, including many from Studio One, much of Joe Gibbs' classic roots material, Junior Dan's tunes, as well as piano tuner extraordinaire at just about every legendary studio in Jamaica. Jah D continues to arrange and produce music regularly at his Grant's Pen studio, along with his son, on their own Builder's Music label. Sydney 'Mankind' Francis began as the singer in Jah D's former band Food Clothes & Shelter, while voicing tunes for early '80s labels such as Music Ambassador. By the time of the full-on digital explosion of the late '80s, Mankind was honing his skills as a solo artist, voicing tunes for big labels of the day, such as the wicked 'Hot Number' for Stereo One. It was around this same time that Mankind and Jah D entered Aquarius studio, to work on making some tunes intended for Mankind's debut album, and to be voiced over some wicked new digital riddims freshly built by Jah D on the new digital keyboards and drum-machines which had fast become the standard bearers in dancehall production. Two tunes from this session were given to an upstart UK producer for issue on his new label, and there you have 'These Three Girls' and 'Country Life', originally issued on 12" via the Jah Man label, only in UK. Over twenty-years later, these tunes have been rightfully recognized by astute listeners as classics of their era - the riddims sharp and crisp, the vocals a sweet match, the dubs...heavy! Digikiller humbly re-presents this great music of our friends, these two tunes are one in the world!

FOR WHOLESALE ORDERING INFORMATION, please email digikillerrecords at gmail dot com. the minimum order is 15 total pieces. for retail/individual sales, please visit any of the online shops linked on this page, who should be stocking these titles shortly.

sound clips are below:

Aksumites - Ark of the Covenant


Nigger Charlie - Covenant Rock


Mankind - These Three Girls


Mankind - These Three Girls DUB


Mankind - Country Life


Mankind - Country Life DUB

Forward Ever!

Just an update to say that all Leggo Sounds releases have shipped and should be reaching shops worldwide any day now. Philip Myers 7", King Kong 12", and the 14 Karat label 12"s should be available at most of the shops linked on this page. If you are having trouble finding any of them, email us and we will help sort it out. These releases are getting down to the last copies from us, and are not likely to be pressed again anytime soon. Nuff new releases are in progress and we should have a pair of wicked new 12" releases in a few weeks, right alongside more forthcoming heat on our bredren's GOLDSHOP label. So keep your eyes open! Plenty big tune back on road right now and more and more to come, just the way we like it. We leave again with another snapshot from Kingston -

the sign in the yard at the legendary Dynamic Sounds, 15 Bell Road, Kingston 11, says it all. NO IDLERS. Forward Ever!

LEGGO SOUNDS 7" 45

OUT NOW

DIGIKILLER NEW RELEASES

LEGGO SOUNDS 7" 45







DKR-009
CANE JUICE - JOKER BAD BOY B/W VERSION
DKR-011
THE HAX - DUPPY B/W VERSION
DKR-012
MYSTIC - YOUTHS GET TRICKED B/W VERSION

high quality US pressings.

Digikiller proudly presents the first round of releases in a multi-part program of reissues from producer Trevor "Leggo" Douglas! As a long-time Orange Street producer, record store owner and then studio owner, Leggo has built a solid catalog of both wicked roots and dancehall, from the 1970's all the way thru the 1990's. For some time we've been huge fans of Leggo's productions, but as collectors we've found many of them inexplicably hard to find. So we're honored to be able to bring back some of our favorite Leggo productions and make them heard by all who will listen!

From 1986, "Joker Bad Boy" by Cane Juice, and "Duppy" by The Hax. Two tunes which blew us away from first listen with their amazingly advanced digital riddims, played live and arranged by Leggo's longtime spar Flabba Holt of the Roots Radics. Cane Juice, long one of our favorite singers, sends a message about all false bad boys, with his infamous lyric "nuff bwoy a love up di gun but dem fraid a di bullet". Next, The Hax, another unsung DKR favorite singer who did most of his recording for Leggo, sings "Duppy", delivering a warning with a killer Waterhouse-style vocal...."nuh go dung deh!" Lastly, forward to 1995, with "Youths Get Tricked" by Mystic. A pinnacle of 1990's digital roots, wailing against the corruption of the upper class.

FOR WHOLESALE ORDERING INFORMATION, please email digikillerrecords at gmail dot com. the minimum order is 15 pieces. for retail/individual sales, please visit any of the online shops linked on this page, who should be stocking these titles shortly.

Sound clips are below:

Cane Juice - Joker Bad Boy


Cane Juice - Joker Bad Boy VERSION


The Hax - Duppy


The Hax - Duppy VERSION


Mystic - Youths Get Tricked


Mystic - Youths Get Tricked VERSION

"All who gone abroad, remember yard..."

Just a quick update - DKR crew has just returned from an awesome time in Kingston, so we're back to work here in Brooklyn on upcoming releases. In approximately two weeks we will have our next releases, the first round of a multi-part reissue program of tunes from one of our favorite producers, who's work we feel has yet to receive the attention it deserves. We hope to change that, so keep an eye out. The King Kong 12", 14 Karat label 12"s, and Philip Myers 7" are all still available, so get in touch if you would like to place a wholesale order, or check any of the retailers linked on this blog for individual copies. We've also added another name for our works. In thinking about our often-used acronym, we came up with Deeper Knowledge Records as something a little more suited to some of the serious roots music we have in the works. But really, our name is of no concern in light of the many big tunes that are on the way, so thanks for your continued support. I'll end this message with a photo of the mythical CHANNEL 1 studio, circa February 2010. We recently had the pleasure of standing witness to this legendary spot, and we won't soon forget it.

CONCIOUS MUSIC 12" DISCO 45

OUT NOW

CONCIOUS MUSIC 12" DISCO 45

DKR-006

King Kong - He Was a Friend / Dub // Try Not I / Dub

High quality US pressing.

One of the baddest double-sided late 80s digital twelve-inches from one of our favorite singers, now back on road! King Kong self-produced and released this disco in the UK, with "He Was a Friend" also coming out on seven-inch in JA on the Jah All Mighty label. "He Was a Friend" is an awesome far-east tinged riddim, the lyrics a memorial tribute to the late great Tenor Saw, a spar and friend of King Kong. "Try Not I" is a pure sound killing tune, over a spare but heavy and menacing riddim.

FOR WHOLESALE ORDERING INFORMATION, please email digikillerrecords at gmail dot com. the minimum wholesale order is 15 pieces. For retail/individual sales, please visit any of the online shops linked on this page.

Soundclips are below:

He Was a Friend


He Was a Friend DUB


Try Not I


Try Not I DUB

Junior Militant 7" repress and more...

The Philip Myers 7" has been repressed and should be restocked in some places, and now available in some new places where it was not before. Check the fine retailers linked on this blog if you're looking for a copy. In the grand tradition of many reggae 45's, some copies have a mis-printed label with the credits cut off. Sorry about that! But the tune should mash it up sameway! The first batch of 14 Karat 12"s are sold out for the moment but they will be repressed very soon. Please get in touch if you'd like to place a wholesale order. We have a steady stream of releases planned for the rest of 2010, more big tunes! And be sure to check out our bredren GOLDSHOP's reissue series of killer tunes from NYC's immortal WITTY label. Thanks for all your support. More more more music...
-DKR CREW