Strictly speaking this track hasn't actually been released yet - not in it's original incarnation anyway...
International Roots first came to my attention early last year when it was briefly posted on Earl 16's myspace - there was no information about who produced it, but it clear that it could only be the Glaswegian dub gurus Mungo's Hi Fi.
The track then seemingly disappeared from the face of the earth for about a year, before resurfacing in the form of a dubstep remix produced by LD for the Dub Police label. It was a very good remix and was certainly well-received on the dubstep scene, but it wasn't a patch on the original version in this soundboy's humble opinion.
I suppose it's actually quite confusing that the remix came about before the original - a wee bit of a chicken versus egg scenario. Regardless, the important thing is that the original is about to drop and it's set to blaze fire upon soundsystems throughout the world.
It's an epic track with all the classic elements of Mungo's signature sound - a militant late 80s style digi-dub riddim dubbed out with a vintage spring reverb and tape delay, a monstrous squelching bassline, subtle dubstep influences and an extremely-conscious message delivered by a gifted vocalist - in this case Earl 16.
A legendary figure in the world of reggae, Earl 16 has been at the vanguard of forward-thinking roots music since the early 70s. Here he uses his distinctive nasal vocal style to enlighten us about reggae's potential to smash down the barriers preventing global harmony and iration. Listening to the surging bassline on this track it's hard to imagine how even the darkest forces of babylon could withstand the righteous power of ital roots reggae.
Have a listen for yourself on Mungo's Hi Fi Myspace.Naram
Comments
nice one
Yeah, some irie things they doing...Forward Eva, got their 'Ruff Mi Tuff Riddim' playin' @ myspace.com/JahLoveSounz
check it out.(played off Jah Love Sounz)
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