Trojan Christmas Box Set - Various Artists

Advantages: Amazing track selection, value for money
Disadvantages: None!

...'s All Stars, "Skinheads A Bash Them" by Claudette & The Corporation, "Skinhead A Message To You" by Desmond Riley, "Skinhead Revolt" by Joe The Boss. These tracks might be unknown to you now, but a few days after listening to them they'll be your new favourites and you'll be making tapes for your mates! If you like this CD you should also check out the Trojan CD's "Dancehall '69", "Skinhed Revolt" and "Dawning of a New Era", and you'll soon have an amazing Skinhead reggae selection that would cost you around £5,000 on the original vinyl. The CDs come in paper sleeves with some notes, but for the money the music is all you need! Seriously, buy this. NOW.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Timeless classics; 50 tracks for £7
Disadvantages: Recording quality of older tracks

...---WHAT'S THIS THEN?--- It's a 3CD, 50-track box-set collating early reggae tracks from a record label called Trojan. Set up in Britain in the mid-1960's, as a subsiduary of the Island label, it was intended as a menas of bringing the hot new sounds of Jamaica over to the ex-pats living in the UK. With a growing Caribbean community in the UK, the label couldn't fail. It continued to function through to the mid-1980's and enjoyed a boom in the early 1970's when first the burgeoning skinhead movement and then, later, the punks, grasped the similarities between their ideals and reggae's. The Clash were probably the most high-profile punk band to use reggae''s influence in their music, most notably with the dubby Bank Robber. In the mid-70's Trojan fell behind the times and subsequently went into administration. They were... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Great dubby sounds
Disadvantages: some tracks are a bit weak

...BOX OF DUB-Various artists is a showcase of tracks taken from the new popular Dubstep-future garage genre. This record covers the dubbier side of the scene with names such as 'Skream, Digital mystiks, Scuba, etc) . The tracks are original, with some bordering on strange (Digital Mystikz 'Guilty' is an example). Overall the quality is very high and rather enjoyable. The record kicks off with Digital Mystikz 'I wait' which is a lovely stripped down Dubstep drum workout with minimal synths and subs. skream shines on this record and features on two tracks. The first is 'Sub Island', a detailed drum workout over minimal but heavy sub bass and an even more minimal pad sound which suggests the tropical island feel. Skream's other track is a well known dubby jump up number which has featured on underground radio and is a sure hit. Other tracks... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful