Irie Ites Records, France, is quite simply where it’s at when it comes to tasteful, hype, upful modern reggae-dancehall.*Listen to their releases from 2003 to present, and you’ll realise there are a multitude of hits: Only Solution Riddim, Mr Officer (Chezidek & Lorenzo), Su Su Pon Rasta (Naggo Morris’ rewrite of the 1975 cut) and now the latest:

This, my friends, is the loudmouth ‘Stop That Sound Riddim’. As the bullet holes on the artwork suggest, it’s deadly.

SHELL DOWN!!

Out now on three 7-inch vinyls and one 10 (with the version on the flip), it has fine cuts from Sizzla and General Levy. My favourite has to be the above, ultimately because I remember seeing a video of the duo recording it back in 2006, tearing it up ina studio, and I hoped to God that it would, one day, get pressed. Well, that moment has arrived, over half a decade later! Check them performing it here:

Absolute muadness! Heaps of energy.

Overall, the production - as with pretty much all Irie Ites material - is totally on point; the bass is well-balanced with the mid-range sounds and vocals (as a comparison, Da Grynch aka Curtis Lynch aka bossman of Necessary Mayhem has his composition & drops down to a t, however I feel sometimes there is a flatness sonically and the low frequencies are a little too imposing, but that’s just me).

Above: Spectacular on the promo ting

Back to the French label: beautiful sampling of the 1978 Keith & Tex classic ‘Stop That Train’ (sped up to 94bpm from the original plodding tempo of 79), alongside some intense spitting, makes for a great alliance of rootical and party vibes. BOOF.

Above: European soundboy humour from DJ Coltjah, Irie Ites Sound

* Oh, and Necessary Mayhem, UK, they’re on it in many ways!

PS: Furybass Soundsystem are killing it - if you missed their last one (production by Red Cat), don’t sleep on the latest re-press - this one is bass-driven, tun up!