Reggae Roast’s eleventh release is a collaborative effort straight from label boss James Moodie’s studio, featuring the talents of revered vocalist Earl 16 and remixes from Noisses, long-term collaborator Nick Manasseh and Adam Prescott.
And we have an exclusive stream of the Occupy The Session EP right here for you!
Earl 16 has become one of the most revered Reggae singers of his generation and has been an integral part of the industry. Since leaving school to follow his passion as a recording artist at the legendary Studio 1, he has worked with the crème de la crème of producers in both Jamaica and Europe. His recordings have been produced by names such asLinval Thompson, Lee Scratch Perry, Augustus Pablo, Clement Dodd & Sugar Minott. He’s currently touring with Leftfield as the live front man for the band after guesting on a number of their infamous tracks in the 1990s.
If you like reggae then you will love this five track EP. The vocals are smooth and even, the vibe is easy to listen to and inspiring. And the various remixes show how individual producers can add their own stamp to the music, creating some great versions.
Speaking exclusively to Glasswerk, Moodie told us more about the release:
“Occupy The Session is the culmination of a collaborative production between myself, Moodie, the Reggae Roast label boss and UK Reggae production legend Nick Manasseh. I have wanted to get into the studio more for some time, but due to the work load of running the events and label it doesn’t leave as much time as I’d like. When I eventually did get into the studio Manasseh and I produced 3 tracks in as many days and this is the first of those to be released. As soon as we had made the rhythm, I immediately thought of Earl 16, whose sweet melodies I knew would work with the vibe of the track. Earl is a true legend and it’s always an honour to work with one of the most enduring talents in Reggae. The result is a summery Rub A Dub track about forgetting your worries at in the dancehall.
“The first remix was done by Adam Prescott, one of the best up and coming Digi-Dub producers in the UK right now and he has been making waves with productions and remixes for the likes of Iration Steppas, Mungo’s Hi Fi and Vibration Lab among many others. I love his take, with a dubsteppy, rub a dub take on the Full Up Riddim. He is also going to be working with the label a lot more in the future both in terms of remixes and original productions and playing at the events so make sure you check him out.
“The ‘Carnival Mix’ for this release was done by Noises who is signed to possibly the hottest independent label in the UK right now, Black Butter Records. Black Butter, if you don’t know of them, have just had a massive number one with ‘Feel the Love’ by Rudimental. The vibe of Noises’s mix is a lot more old school which creates a nice contrast to the other two versions.
“Over all the track is a light hearted summery track that will hopefully make people smile.”
Can’t say fairer than that, can we?