Dean Fraser
Parade

J SPARROWBeholdZamZam Sounds USLeeds bass man Jack Sparrow aka J Sparrow serves strictly limited, carefully designed and screen printed 7" on Zam Zam. He is one of the enduring stalwarts of the UK scene having turned out plenty of killer dubstep and bass gems over the last 15 years plus. He also runs Navy Cut and has landed on Deep Mehdi and Tectonic, adn as this one proves is still knocking it out of the park. These are classically informed tunes, with 'Behold' marrying a ice melody with bulbous bass and deep lyrics. 'Paradise Bird' is another prime slice of 140 bpm weighty minimalism for the best sound systems.

You can't overestimate the importance of The Heptones in the evolution of Jamaican music, after they defined the transition from ska to rocksteady and on to reggae. This album, "Back On Top", captures the band in the early '80s, when they had reached an international audience after working with Lee 'Scratch' Perry and releasing on Island Records. By this point they were back producing themselves, creating a perfect spanning sweet ballads and upbeat skankers, not to mention a cover of The Beatles' "Yesterday". Lovingly repressed on 180 gram red vinyl, this is a welcome reissue of an album that's been tricky to get hold of for some time, from one of the all time great reggae acts.

So Ashamed / Black Board Jungle by Tony Brevett & Joe White