What I'm Listening To: September

"The Future" by Turbulence [Lustre Kings Productions/Jet Star - 2003]

I was actually supposed to do the last review I did, of "Celebration of Life" by Turbulence, maybe a week or so before I got it completed and the trouble that I was having was focusing and that was partially due to the fact that I simply could not figure out how to stop listening to an album he had done nearly a decade earlier, "The Future". This is an album which will find its way back onto my players pretty much anytime I have a reason to listen to Turbulence music and while I'm not going to call it his finest piece of work (because it isn't), it's definitely in his top half and after my favourite couple ("Rising" and "Join Us" both of which I've already declared modern classics), it just may be there. "The Future" was and remains a very dynamic album and, produced by Lustre Kings Productions, it had more than a few favourite moments of mine. To this day, the absolutely STUNNING 'We Need Liberation' remains its biggest tune, although lately both 'Revolution Pon Di Wicked' and the album opener, 'Go And Tell The World' ["I'm proud to be a Rastaman, a Rastaman!"]. 

CD + Digital

"Riddim Driven: Beauty & The Beast" [VP Records - 2009]

Definitely the biggest hold from the madness that was the "Discography: Riddim Driven" piece, as far as my tastes has been the Beauty & The Beast which, for one very large reason I've been unable to let go of. As its title would suggest, the Beauty is… beautiful and it's obviously something which I hadn't paid a great deal of attention to in the past couple of years or so. This album is set so wonderfully as the Beauty well gets your attention and completely dazzles you and then in comes the Beast to shake away any kind of frustration - most perfect for a workout playlist. 

CD + Digital  

"Destination Dadli 2" [Chosen Sounds - 2012]

If you paid not the slightest bit of attention of Antigua Carnival 2012, you still have time to catch up (not really though) in the form of the second edition of Chosen Sounds' "Destination Dadli" compilation featuring some of the finest Soca this year from out of Wadadli. This album primarily focuses on some of the more Groovy, although it also packs in just a few moments of full on chaos. Appearing are some of the biggest names such as the divine Claudette Peters (whose 'Rude' is the best song I hear on this set), the man of the moment, Tian Winter, Ricardo Drue, The Burning Flames (twice) with 'Kick Een She Back Doh', which took the road this year in Antigua and, of course, my personal favourite, Tizzy & El-A-Kru. There've been some FINE official Soca compilations this year - and here is another. 

CD [I THINK] + Digital 

"Jam Sessions" by Jalena [Jalena - 2010]

And speaking of Soca and personal favourites, I've AGAIN, been stuck back on the debut album of the wonderful and delightful Jalena, "Jam Sessions". Having now 'withstood' a couple of years worth of scrutiny and not really been diminished to any grand degree - it's still as intoxicating today as it was about twenty-four months ago, when it reached - and it remains, in my opinion, her greatest complete piece of work to date. I've dug into this one as much as I possibly can, so I'll spare you the rerun, but as always check out something from Jalena and if you never have, "The Jam Sessions" is my suggestion as an EXCELLENT starting point ["In meh system! The music in meh system!"]. 

CD + Digital 

"Mo Fyah Chat" by Volcano [Natural Vibes - 2006]

Lastly, on my radars this month is an album which found its way back into my attentions following the "Discography: Midnite" piece we did (which got a CRAZY amount of response and still is) (MAD!), the wicked debut set from the wickedly underrated chanter from out of the VI, Volcano, "Mo Fyah Chant". It certainly is the dominant title track here which will keep me coming back until there is no me to come back to the album named after it, but listening to it now, it's clear that I've been missing a GEM over the past six years or so from when this one reached. 'Rastafari Da Cure' is MASSIVE! It is a powerful song and one which is essentially lost to fans these days, but if you just go back here and have a listen, maybe You and I can do something about that. 

CD