Release Date: 9th October 2020

Reggae and dancehall thrive when repurposing the familiar to create something new. This is what French producer Stalawa has achieved with his limited edition Record Store Day release, Trod on.

He’s refashioned a rare Canadian production of the King Tubby inspired Tempo rhythm, Dunne Done, and enlisted gritty-voiced Jamaican dancehall emcee Junior Demus for a haunting, horns-driven track with a hypnotic and unstoppable groove. Stalawa followers will recognise the rhythm, christened Dundee Done, from his Stalawa In East Africa EP project on Glasgow’s Scotch Bonnet Records.

Junior Demus is a dancehall talking legend of the early 80s, who took his name from his resemblance to the similarly granite-toned microphone pioneer Nicodemus. Demus’ vocal, with its resolute, Rasta-inspired lyric, was recorded in New York by the trumpeter and engineer Mush1. The limited quantity vinyl release, on Stalawa’s Foreign Mind label, comes with a stripped down instrumental version for the next generation of emcees to ride...

a1. Stalawa - Trod On ft Junior Demus

b1. Stalawa - Dundee Done

Released 14th October 2016

French producer and digital archaeologist Stalawa puts a new shine on a forgotten 80s gem for the second single from his Foreign Mind label. The riddim is a relick of a 1988 production for the Ottey’s imprint: Sunny Gets Blue by Naturalee. Where the original merged sound-boy burial with a Johnny Mathis jazz standard, Music With A Message is a conscious chant by London emcee Dark Angel. The revamped backing was built using a vintage Yamaha DX-27 synth and Korg DDD-5 drum machine - for those visceral rolls! Only in Jamaica could an easy listening classic played on national radio find its way into the dancehall. And now, thanks to Stalawa, it will be rocking the sessions of today…

Audio coming soon

a1. Stalawa - Music With a Message (feat. Dark Angel)

b1. Stalawa - Sunny Gets Blue Riddim