Chrome Roots 49

 

One from the archives - Social Living Dub Shack Version Part 2 - recorded January 2009.

I recently rediscovered a box full of minidiscs & a few CDR's (mixtapes going back to 1999) & have been really enjoying this one - top drawer reggae selection (all vinyl).

I must have recorded this after playing in the Dub Shack at Peats Ridge Festival 2008, so is likely similar to my set. Was there a Part 1? Probably yes, but since lost in a dead hard drive somewhere :)

Peats Ridge was a great festival (see previous post), I played in 2006 & 2008 & loved it. I think I was also supposed to play in 2007? Memory is a bit hazy, but possibly it got cancelled due to extreme weather conditions?

The last time I played was a pivotal moment for me though - it was a pretty hot few days & I was genuinely concerned that my records were going to melt in the car & spent too much festival time worrying about that! Definitely a big factor in moving to digital for DJing & vinyl for home use only :)

'Music which tells about the future'

El Toro - Etherealites (Roots Garden 7")
Pon Mi - Knatty P / RDK & Disciples (Universal Roots 10")
Jah Eternally - Sister Charlotte (Black Wheat 12")
Let Us Unite Dub - Sister Charlotte / Munky Lee (Black Wheat 12")
Fade Away - Junior Byles (Heavenly LP)
Chant Rasta Man - Knowledge (Wambesi 7")
Fire Burn Version - Knowledge (Wambesi 7")
Dub In Unity - The Rebels (Ja-Man 7")
Truth & Rights - Johnny Osbourne (Massive B 7")
Something Dub - Danny Red / Gussie P (Cousins 10")
China Rock - Vibronics (Jah Tubbys 10")
Cool & Humble Riddim - Murray Man / Disciples Riddim Section (Cultural Warriors 10")
Never Get Burn - Kenny Knotts (Reggae On Top 10")
Kunte Kinte - Aquizm & Mad Professor (Ariwa 10")
Arrival Part 2 - Knatty P / RDK Hi-Fi (Universal Roots / Free Radical Sounds LP)
War Of The Stars - Gregory Isaacs (Blood & Fire LP)
Victory Train - Tenor Saw (Victory 7")

On This Day - 29th of December 2006

 

On this day… 19 years ago

29th of December 2006. Day 1 of the Peats Ridge Festival, 4 days of ‘world music, blues roots & dub, chilled beats, contemporary music’.

Stunning location on the Central Coast of NSW (not too far from where we live now), sunshine & good vibes, beautiful way to welcome the new year & I got to play 2 DJ sets (as Social Living in those days) 😊🔈

Some dubby Balearic stuff in one of the big tents (early afternoon, on the first day I think, to very few people 😆) & later in the weekend a reggae set in the Dub Shack - all vinyl for both - happy days 😊

Such a good festival - beautiful location, lots of reggae & dub, swimming in the lagoon, Chai tent, Banco De Gaia for NYE. Good memories 😊

Tune Of The Day - Christmas Special

 
                    

Tune Of The Day: Santa Baby - The French Impressionists / Jingle Bell Rock - Thick Pigeon (Operation Twilight, 1982)

Festive 7” goodness, a jazzy version of Santa Baby & a post punk / synth pop version of Jingle Bell Rock.
Released on Operation Twilight which was an offshoot of @lesdisquesducrepuscule

I don’t know anything about the French Impressionists but Thick Pigeon were pretty good - a decent album on Factory & some later, more electronic, work as Stanton Miranda.

Merry Christmas to all :)

Chrome Roots 48

 

Acid House / Deep House / House / Tech House

An hour of dubby, chugging, acid house groovers - followed by some house / deep house & into some more techy goodness.

'Can you hear? Everybody can hear?'

Lost In Translation (International Observer Meets Horace Remix) - Pitch Black (Dubmission)
Zephyr - Guy Contact & Solar Suite (Wax'o Paradiso)
Karahi King (Dub) - Jura Soundsystem (Isle Of Jura)
Morisyen Acid - Akio Nagase (Emotional Especial)
Manifesto - Shape Of Space (Shape Of Space)
Sleighride Blizzard (Andrew Weatherall Remix) - Timothy J Fairplay (Astro Lab)
Burning Down The House (Tech Support Dub Version) - Talking Heads (Tech Support)
Natural Lifespan (Acid Orchestra Mix) - Cos / Mes (ESP Institute)
Just A Daydream Away (Joe Morris Beach Breaks Remix) - Marshall Watson & Cole Odin (Shades Of Sound)
Sunwave - Hybrid Man (Wax'o Paradiso)
Keep Me Hangin' On (Hardway Bros Swamp Dub) - Dan Wainwright (Through God's Own Eyes)
Time Passage - Asa Tate (Silver Bear)
I'm Doing Fine - Moodymann (Peacefrog)
Ezio - Motorbass (Motorbass)
Dust (Melvo Baptiste & AMicity Extended Remix) - Recloose featuring Joe Dukie (The Remedy Project)
The Cure & The Cause (Dennis Ferrer Remix) - Fish Go Deep & Tracey K (Defected)
Deep Inside (Extended Mix) - Ferreck Dawn & Hayley May (Defected)
Voices (Fata Morgana Remix) - KC Flightt vs Funky Junction (Alternative Route)
Bubblebath (Omid 16B Remix) - Agent 001 (Alola)
Know What You Mean - Ambusher (Grayhound)
Mispent Years (Silicone Soul Darkroom Dub Mix) - Schatrax (Soma)
As - Klon Dump (Kalahari Oyster Cult)

On This Day - 19th of November 1988

 

19th of November 1988. Classic NME cover

ACID CRACKDOWN
PANIC IN THE STREETS OF LONDON?

I don’t have the original NME anymore (I got NME weekly for many years & the hoarder in me wishes I kept them all, but they’re long gone).
i do have this, which is a postcard that came with NME a few years later - I think maybe a set of postcards of NME covers?

Love it ❤️📷

Tune Of The Day - Halloween Special

 

Some spooky 7 inch vinyl:    

1. There's A Ghost In My House - The Fall (Beggars Banquet 1987)

I have many records by The Fall, but this was probably the last one I bought on release day. They'd put out a lot of excellent albums & singles before this, but were always singularly uncommercial. Mark E Smith in the pop charts would not have been considered possible prior, yet here they were at #30. Manchester meets Motown, splendid stuff & with a cool, limited edition hologram cover.

2. I Ain't Nuthin But A Gorehound - The Cramps (New Rose 1983)

The Cramps were so good, I think I love them ever more as the years pass, just brilliant. This was probably the first of their records I bought, live at The Peppermint Lounge, raw, groovy, punk, rockabilly with a classic sleeve, love it.

3. Spirit - Bauhaus (Beggars Banquet 1982)

Bauhaus would be considered one of the originators of Goth, but they were always more than that, definitely dark & moody but also full of funk & dub. This one came out just before their big hit (a cover of Ziggy Stardust), & is a decent, kinda Bowie-esque track.

4. Ghosts - Japan (Virgin 1982)

Loved Japan, great band, before this they'd released European Son, Life in Tokyo & Quiet Life which were all excellent. Ghosts was a massive hit, #5 in the pop charts & really just such a weird record to be so big - slow, minimal & moody, with no drums at all. Later sampled by Goldie for a Rufige Kru release that definitely did have drums :)

5. Anaconda / Phantom - The Sisters Of Mercy (Merciful Release 1983)

Anaconda is nothing special, but Phantom is one of my favourite Sisters tracks, groovy & spooky. I was very into this band, they had a great run of singles leading up to the first album, & also amazing live shows, full of dry ice & vibes. I remember being quite underwhelmed when the album came out, but I've been listening to it recently & really like it now :)

I don't buy a lot of records these days, having settled into the convenience of digital, but still love crate digging when there's opportunity. It's always a joy going through the collection & digging out gems - all these records still sound good 40+ years later. 

There's something very satisfying about vinyl, that digital can never have - the memories, cover artwork, even the ring-wear on the sleeves & dusty crackles are all part of the magic.

Chrome Roots 47

 

House / Acid House / Tech House / Progressive House / Techno / Trance

Still feeling the post BSS Spring Bounce glow – a very welcome return to playing tunes & dancing in beautiful Bouddi – a stunning location, great music & good vibes

This is pretty similar to what I played at the party, with a few extras that I could have played – deep, groovy, spacey sounds 😊

Big up to all the BSS crew

‘more freedom than you’ve ever felt before’

Sometimes Feel Like - Nuage (House Of Youth)

Dancing Is Life (feat. Diamondancer) - Massiande (Freerange)

Foreign Nature - Vhyce (Vhyce)

Love You Got (Club Edit) - Kelly Lee Owens (DH2)

Meteors - Scuba (Last Night On Earth)

Euphoria Simulator - Guy Contact (Haws)

Fever - Command D (The Vibesmith)

Entropy & Ecstasy - Mooglepuff (Shades Of Sound)

Into Dust (Still Falling) - Four Tet (XL)

Close To You - Boys' Shorts (Correspondant)

Hot Life - Retromigration (Edits From The Function)

Monte Kali - mpeg (Haws)

Far Away Places - Escape Artist (Craigie Knowes)

Sunscreen (Live Mix) - Spriitzz (Punctuality)

Reward Chemicals - Sleep D (Kalahari Oyster Cult)

To The Edge - Spencer Parker (Trick)

Artist Of The Day: Blancmange

 

Listening to Blancmange today.

Wonderful early 80's electronic pop. Loved these records then & still love them today.

From the moody electronica of Running Thin & the excellent I've Seen The Word, to the dancefloor with Feel Me (best heard in Greg Wilson / Derek Kaye version) & Blind Vision (12" extended mix). Sitars & tablas on Top Of The Pops for Living On The Ceiling, & the Mange Tout album is just full of highlights (+ the 12" versions of the singles). 

All brilliant stuff :)

Top marks for the artwork as well, particularly on the first three.

RIP Stephen Luscombe

Blancmange Spotify Playlist

Chrome Roots 46

 

House / Tech House / Progressive House / Techno / Trance

Friday night dub house disco | Deep spacey goodness :)

Look out for BSS Spring Bounce, coming to a lush Bouddi location 04/10/25

'This cosmic journey'

Bansuri Breeze (Extended Club Edit) - Mooglepuff (Mooglepuff)
Lose Your Love (Andrew Weatherall Remix) - Le Carousel (Phil Kieran Recordings)
The Hope (Recondite's Nocturnal Car Ride) - Scuba (Hotflush)
Eternal Thing - Nhar (Azzur)
Samarkanda (Zombies In Miami Audio Guide Remix) - Cannibal Ink (Rotten City)
Astra (Sasha's Daydream Mix) - Sasha & Super Flu (Last Night On Earth)
Animatronic - Scuba (Last Night On Earth)
Spa Down - Rambal Cochet (Space Lab)
Close To You - Boys' Shorts (Correspondant)
Planet Love - Boudi & Boy Boogie (Work Them Records)
Sort Of Like A Dream (feat. Anunaku) - Avalon Emerson (Dead Oceans)
Virtual Flight - Solar Suite (On Rotation)
Forward Motion - Nathalie Capello (Permanent Vacation)
Invoke Hysteria - Tifra (Haws)
Reward Chemicals - Sleep D (Kalahari Oyster Cult)
Remembering - Escape Artist (Phonica)

On This Day - 11th of September 1991

 

On this day… 34 years ago.

11th of September 1991. Flowered Up at The Event, Brighton. Support from Soul Family Sensation & DJ Terry Farley.

Saw Flowered Up a few times, great band, always very vibey. Good times 🔈

It’s On & Weekender (+ Weatherall remixes) are still top tunes 🔈
The Flowered Up album was reissued last year with extra tracks & some new remixes - all good stuff, go check it out 😊
Had a listen to the Soul Family Sensation album earlier, for the first time in many years, enjoyed it 😊

@flowered_up_official @terryfarley

Tune Of The Day: Total Confusion (Heavenly Mix) - A Homeboy, A Hippie & A Funki Dredd

Tune of the day: Total Confusion (Heavenly Mix) - A Homeboy, A Hippie & A Funki Dredd (Tam Tam 1990)

The A side is pretty good, kinda breakbeat / hardcore (with P.E samples)… but the Heavenly mix is an absolute gem, almost trance, totally hands in the air 🙌

Massive flashback, joyful memories of Stoke on Trent 1989/90 🔈

Very happy to find this in @relitrelit today 😊

Chrome Roots 45

 

Ambient / Dubstep / Dub / Post Punk / Reggae / Techno / Electronica

The whole world has gone mad, it’s been cold & raining for weeks & has also been the toughest time for our family

Escaping into music for a few hours, when I can, is really helping me right now 😊

Introduced with some words of wisdom from Joe Strummer, this is 2 hours of dread bass weight, music for serious times, but there’s always beauty & light in the darkness 🔈

(when I recorded it I saved it as ‘Moody’ 😆)

‘It’s all of us or none’

Past Is Past - Demdike Stare (Modern Love)
State Forest - Burial (Hyperdub)
Ghost Town - Kode9 & The Spaceape (Hyperdub)
Your Say - Headhunter (Tempa)
One Of Us - Kryptic Minds (Swamp 81)
Friend Version - Rhythm & Sound (Burial Mix)
Can't Touch Jah (Dub) - Centry (Dubhead)
Forward Youth - RSD (Punch Drunk)
Lockjaw - Special Request (Houndstooth)
Skeng (Feat. Killa P & Flowdan) - The Bug (Ninja Tune)
Robber Dub - The Clash (Columbia)
Two Thieves And A Liar - Gary Clail & On U-Sound System (On-U Sound)
Black Eye Boy - Renegade Soundwave (Mute)
Lone Swordsman - Daniel Avery (Phantasy Sound)
Pushed - Stray (Exit)
Focus Inwards - ASC (Nonplus)
Life We Live - Commix (Soul:r)
Electronic Rhythm Number Two - Pye Corner Audio (Type)
Things You Do For Love (Heartbeat) - Apiento (Test Pressing)
Fast Moving Cars - Carla Dal Forno (Blackest Ever Black)
Laundry Pt. 1 - Neotropic (Ntone)
Arachnae - Ancestral Voices (Samurai Horo)
Like a Motorway (Skin Up, You're Already Dead) - Saint Etienne (Heavenly)
Paradise Circus - Massive Attack vs Burial (Massive Attack)
Street Halo - Burial (Hyperdub)
Breakthrough - Versa (System)
Jammin' For Survival (12" version) - The Morwells & Prince Jammy (Trojan)
War Of The Stars - Gregory Isaacs (Blood & Fire)
Spying Glass - Horace Andy (Wackie's)
Live Up - Bush Chemists (Dubhead)
Version 78 Style - Glen Brown & King Tubby (Blood & Fire)
Nuh Skin Up Dub - Keith Hudson (Pressure Sounds)
Long Life - Prince Far I & The Arabs (Pressure Sounds)
A Wonderful Life - Carl Craig (Blanco Y Negro)

Chrome Roots 44

       

    

Winter solstice mix 2025

Deep sounds for peace in troubled times

Ambient / Electronica / World / Dub

'It's like being in the eye of a hurricane'

No Safety Zone - ASC & Sam KDC (Auxiliary)
Drunken Galleon - Walls (Kompakt)
Shinagawa - Kiyoko (Auxiliary)
Vision - Versa (At One)
Weed Out Version - Zvuloon Dub System (Med Tone)
Lightning Flash Weak Heart Drop - Big Youth (Front Line)
Amassakoul 'N' Ténéré - Tinariwen (Independent)
Plains - Tycho (Ghostly International)
Good Over Evil - A.J Robinson / WhoDemSound (Meditator Music)
Too Dangerous Dub - Manasseh (Roots Garden)
Sweet Incense - Wareika Hill Sounds (Honest Jon's)
Textures - The Amalgamation Of Soundz (Filter)
The Frequency Ov Thee Truthers - The Black Dog (Dust Science)
Candles - Jon Hopkins (Domino)
Into The Night - Angelo Badalamenti (Warner)
Come To Me Slowly (Pt.2) - Rohan (One World)
Knuddelmaus - Ulrich Schnauss (City Centre Offices)
Balthus Bemused By Color - Harold Budd (All Saints)
Dorje Ling - David Parsons (Celestial Harmonies)
Sub-Surface - John Beltran (R&S)
Melt - Leftfield (Quango)
Chasing Circles - Broken Chip (Feral Media)
Ralome - Plaid (Warp)
Danny's Song - PFM (Good Looking)
Living - Moby (Elektra)

Chrome Roots 43

 

Some current dub house disco favourites for Friday night

Loving this kinda sound right now - lots of Australian producers - go buy all these records :)

Acid House / Tech House / Progressive House / Techno / Trance

'That's the mystery about it'

Hoomba - Totem Projects (Totem Projects)
Chugboat (Rich Lane Remix) - Duncan Gray (Tici Taci)
Subtropique - Solar Suite (Haws)
New Life (Tech Support Remix) - Arp Deco (Shades Of Sound)
Eternal Thing - Nhar (Azzur)
Stairway To Heaven - Zombie Affair (Permanent Vacation)
Sansara - Vlad Jet (Disco Halal)
Head On - Eden Burns (Public Possession)
Anybody Out There? - Guy Contact (Contact Therapy)
Du Bist Ernst - Mala Ika (Roam)
Entropy & Ecstasy - Mooglepuff (Shades Of Sound)
Every Ending - Vhyce (Vhyce)
Desire (Mala Ika Remix) - Boys' Shorts (Correspondant)
Transcendence - Jeku (Haws)
Gentle Grit (Baby Rollen Remix) - mpeg (Permanent Vacation)

Progression - Eversines (Nous'Klaer Audio)
Lost At Sea (Dub Mix) - Reflex Blue (Haws)
Nostalgia - Jordan Nocturne (Correspondant)
Apus Cosmica - Suki (Haws)
In Your Mind - Hybrid Man (On Rotation)
Monte Kali - mpeg (Haws)
Motomami's Chant - Guy Contact (Craigie Knowes)
Far Away Places - Escape Artist (Craigie Knowes)
Negen - Human Space Machine (Space-Lab)
Rain Dance - Manami (Rhythm Section International)
Raging Spirits (mpeg Remix) - Benjamin Fröhlich (Permanent Vacation)
She Who Sees All (Human Movement Remix) - Soul Wun (Gallery Recordings)
To The Edge - Spencer Parker (Trick)
Rave Up - Blu:sh (Kalahari Oyster Cult)
Fitzroy Garage Party (Tjade Remix) - Cleanfield (Correspondant)
Evolution of Thinking - Juliet Fox (Drumcode)

Chrome Roots 42

 

Late afternoon / sunset

Kincumba Mountain April 2025

Big up Bouddi Soundsystem everytime :)

'Going back to the mountains'

Mountain Top - Gappy Ranks (Greensleeves)
Laguna Azur (Jalusi's Acid Dub) - Suncream (Avec Plaisir)
Sunwave - Hybrid Man (Wax'o Paradiso)
The Orange Place - Apiento (Test Pressing)
Crockett's Theme - FPU (Turbo)
Subtropique - Solar Suite (Haws)
Summertime Sadness (Asadinho Dub) - Lana Del Rey (RVS)
New Life (Tech Support Remix) - Arp Deco (Shades Of Sound)
Eternal Thing - Nhar (Azzur)
Serenade - Tom Demac (Kompakt)
Magic Strings - Ivan Fabra (Nang Records)
Stairway To Heaven - Zombie Affair (Permanent Vacation)
Foreign Nature - Vhyce (Vhyce)
Floating Against Time (Wata Igarashi Shimmering Mix) - Wata Igarashi (Kompakt)

Chrome Roots 41

 

Some current dub house disco favourites, for dancing at sunset or sunrise, or any point between :)

House / Acid House / Progressive House / Dub / Tech House / Trance

'A new way of looking at the future'

Serenade - Tom Demac (Kompakt)
Amnesia (Lindstrøm Instrumental Mix) - Radio Slave & Cagedbaby (Rekids)
Ignorance Is Bliss - Vhyce (W&O Street Tracks)
Magic Strings - Ivan Fabra (Nang Records)
All We See - Hardt Antoine (Kompakt)
On The Z-Plane - Guy Contact (Haws)
Love Loop (Club Mix) - Benjamin Fröhlich (Permanent Vacation)
In This Life - Joeski (Crosstown Rebels)
King Pharoah's Plague (Jay Tripwire Remix) - Yabby You (Repeat)
Euphoria Simulator - Guy Contact (Haws)
Ephemeral Eyes - Whitesquare (Correspondant)
Initiate Sequence - Guy Contact (Haws)
Gentle Grit (Baby Rollen Remix) - mpeg (Permanent Vacation)
Transcendence - Jeku (Haws)
Nostalgia - Jordan Nocturne (Correspondant)
Crop Circle - Robert Dietz (Nous'Klaer Audio)

Tune Of The Day: Poor Mans Story (Reggae Mix 1) - Dattman

Tune of the day: Poor Mans Story (Reggae Mix 1) - Dattman (Tomohawk 1993)

Lovely dubwise progressive house 🔈

My CD copy is dying (the curse of PDO), so very happy to find the 12” last weekend*

*at a market in the hall where Chrome Roots Jr plays basketball 😆

Chrome Roots 40

A mixed bag of splendid tunes :)

Psychedelic / Trip Hop / Reggae / D&B / Post Rock / Shoegaze / Balearic / Acid House / Techno / Electronica

'A fuller, more meaningful understanding'

Don't Let It Pass - Junip (Shock)
Empire - Bomb The Bass Feat. Sinéad O'Connor & Benjamin Zephaniah (4th & Broadway)
Drifting - Charlie Chaplin (Doctor Bird)
Murderous Dub - Tuff Scout All Stars (Tuff Scout)
Youth Dem Cold - Richie Spice (VP)
In The Mood - Dillinja (Mo Wax)
Cruising Detroit - PFM (Moving Shadow)
Goodbye - Apparat w/ Soap & Skin (Mute)
Green - Tycho (Ninja Tune)
I Know - The Beta Band (Regal)
Speed Of Dark (Andrew Weatherall Remix) - Emiliana Torrini (Rough Trade)
Falling Up (Leo Zero Acid Dub) - Vanity Project (Eclectics)
2000 - RPM (Mo Wax)
The Dream Machine (Space Echo Mix) - Sukia (Mo Wax)
Where Were U In 92? - Eden Burns & Christopher Tubbs (Public Possession)
A-B Music - Hardway Bros (Throne Of Blood)
It's True What They Say (Instrumental) - Sarah-Shaun (Hobbes Music)
Rheinlust - Fürsattl (Claremont 56)
Loner - Burial (Hyperdub)

Funny Break (One Is Enough) Weekend Ravers Mix - Orbital (FFRR)
Should I Get A Dog - Robert Dietz (Nous'Klaer Audio)
Another Girl, Another Planet - The Only Ones (CBS)

FACT 56 A Factory Video

 

FACT 56

A Factory Video

Factory Records compilation video featuring:

Section 25 / New Order / A Certain Ratio / OMD / Cabaret Voltaire / Durutti Column / Kevin Hewick / The Names / Crispy Ambulance / Stockholm Monsters

Released August 1982.