LINER NOTES

for the

WARRIOR's DANCE MIXTAPE

by Pete Murder Tone

CENTRY

"Stepping Time"

First release by now famous UK producer Dougie Wardrop, a simple affair built
around an insistent drum machine pattern and heavy synth bass:

"Basically I got started on a small 4-track cassette machine which I had in my friends
house, Manasseh called Nick Manasseh… I used to go to his house and make tunes on his
little 4-track and it got to the point were some of the tunes sounded really good, I
thought. So I decided to release one (Stepping Time) and it was pretty popular. Made
some money and so we made another one. And the money from that we started to make our
studio better. We get like an 8-track, you know. Then a little better mixer and so on
and so on. And really, till were we are were we are today, quite a bit of a studio now.
But we started from nothing really." – DOUGIE WARDROP

ALPHA & OMEGA
"Pure and Clean"

Killer steppers from their first album "Daniel In the Lion’s Den" (1990).
Started life as a dubplate that Shaka showed a great interest in and was a big
tune in his dances.

HORACE ANDY / SHAKA
"Jah Glory Dub"

Ruthless motorized dub, offset somewhat by the Nyabinghi drums. Shaka turns
digital in this dub of a Horace Andy collaboration.

MIXMAN
"Dub to Zion"

Deep Sleng Teng style triangle-wave bass meets chirping and clattering
drumboxes inna UK style. From Mixman, aka Blakamix – a cornerstone of the UK
dub scene from the early days.

DUB JUDAH
"Deep Meditation Dub"

From the classic "Babylon is a Trap" LP from the early 90s. A vocalist,
producer and player Dub Judah had been playing in bands since the late 70s,
but turned to a tough digital backing for his bass here.

THE DISCIPLES
"Soloman"

Proving that orchestral stabs, bass pops and slaps have their place in reggae!
From the album "Addis Ababa", the first in their new (almost) wholly digital
style.

ALPHA & OMEGA
"Dub Mightier Than
The Sword"

From the early LP "Watch & Pray", displaying their trademark ethereal style.

IRATION STEPPAS
"Kilamanjaro"

Awesome early dub from the self-consciously futurist Leeds-based sound.
Started in 1990 or so. Now one of the big three UK roots sounds alongside
Shaka and Aba Shanti.

ABA SHANTI-I
"Guidance and
Protection"

Minimal, ghostly, but totally captivating one-drop from the London roots
sound veterans' first LP:

"I was born in England, with inner city vibes. So many artists strive for a Jamaican
sound, or an American sound, but I feel that is the wrong road for UK artists to take.
We’ve been born here and we must create our own sound forms, and put our stamp on the
world. When I go outside I see city smoke everywhere, traffic, darkness, no birds, no
trees, no nature. I know that some Jamaican musicians see our music here as too hard and
harsh, but we’re in a concrete jungle, you understand." - BLOOD SHANTI

DUB JUDAH
“Tena/Tena Dub”

Another winner from the "Babylon" LP. TENA STELIN on vocals!

THE DISCIPLES
"Jah Militia Dub"

Bit of a mystery this one: the flipside of the Disciples recent release of
their ’89 dubplate "Oh Jah Jah". Possibly recorded recently, but nonetheless
built in that inimitable DISCIPLE’s old-school style.

PRINCE ALLAH / SHAKA
“Captive Birds”

Heartfelt roots from the Freedom Sounds JA veteran on a tradmark Shaka
steppers with a deceptively simple b-line.

BARRY ISAAC
“Jah Children Rise Up

Finishing off proceedings is a great vocal cut on the "Stepping Time" riddim,
by roots singer Barry Isaac.

TAPES