King Kong – Repatriation
(March 2018, Irie Ites) With poise and discipline, King Kong’s Repatriation is equal parts statement and celebration. Over polished heavyweight rhythms – all fresh takes on vintage styles – the…
Revolution Sound Mix for NiceUp
Long-time in the reggae scene, Nealske has been collecting records for around 20 years. He has a love for all styles of reggae and his selections are wide-ranging. Nealske holds down the Revolution…
Reality Shock – Ketch A Fire
(April 2018) The Reality Shock label – run by Kris Kemist out of Reading, England – returns in triumph with the release of the Ketch A Fire compilation. Spanning nineteen tracks, there’s a lot of…
Reality Chant – Ancient Kingdom Riddim
This is reggae from the South Pacific, not ‘Pacific Reggae’. Pure Aotearoa Roots! Reality Chant’s latest three-track release on the Ancient Kingdom Riddim has the confident and commanding Exile Di…
Carlton Livingston – She Done With Him 12″
Limited edition 12", LegsMan Records (2018) ‘She Done With Him’ by Carlton Livingston, a limited edition 12" (300 copies), is the debut release on LegsMan Records. A new London-based reggae label…
Fish and Bread Sound System Mix for NiceUp
Launched in 2017 and one of the newest sound systems out of Aotearoa, Fish and Bread is impacting on the scene, with its first major outing at the 2018 Ruapuke Roots Festival. Hailing from Snells…
Fish and Bread meets Revolution Sound – Fri 25 May
When: Friday 25 May Where: Whammy Bar - 183 K-Road, Auckland 9pm - 3am, $10 on the door Fish and Bread in session with their 2-scoop sound and a tough selection of tunes, old and new. Alongside…
Weeding Dub – Another Night Another Day
(Wise & Dubwise Recordings/Control Tower - France) Not being a fan or denizen of the European club dub scene, at first I struggled to get into this album. But after a few listens, its charm was…
Israel Starr feat. Tomorrow People – Love Her Mind
First and foremost, congratulations to Israel Starr on the win in last years Vodafone Music Awards for Best Roots Artist. I say it's about time this man got the recognition he deserves, bless up!
Monkey Marc – Yaad n Abraad feat. Dre Island
Monkey Marc's back with another quality release, kicking off 2018 with yet another impressive riddim following last year's scorching "No Surrender" project. The lead single, the socially-conscious…
System Unknown Sound System Mix for NiceUp
System Unknown are a collective of selectors and musicians who share a love for Jamaican music and sound system culture. Meeting in Melbourne through their work as sound engineers, the crew was…
Dubmatix interview and Overdubbed review
With his highly anticipated meeting with Sly and Robbie just out, Dubmatix kindly took time out of his busy schedule to speak with The Groove Thief about the Overdubbed project, his recent remix…