Jah Warrior

Jah Warrior entered the consciousness of roots and culture lovers with the spiritual depth and bass led melody of the Napthali album, "One of These Days". That album featured massive bass overload and beautiful message lyrics of resolute stoicism and even mindedness.

After that, he changed direction, moving into cut and splice sample territory with his "Dub from the Heart" series. These were thoughtful and intelligent works, reworking samples of classic drums and percussion structures, but not in any imitative or derivative fashion. The drum samples were so imaginatively broken up, broken down and twisted into different forms, that they were transfigured into rhythm patterns of his own creation. These were cool, reflective yet tough albums, featuring some of the most interesting examples of that genre from the mid to late 90's.

From that time, the Warrior sound has shape shifted and morphed into new forms, stripped down, metallic and urban drum and bass styles, pounding snares and digital percussion with massive echo distortion.

Reggaenews asked Jah Warrior which tunes had influenced him during his life, and also, what were his favourite new releases/re releases of last year, and to comment on why he selected those choices.

Read our exclusive interview with Jah Warrior.

Songs that have influenced me during my life

1. Alicia Keys - "Songs in A Minor"
   "There are four or five works of genius on this album and I'm amazed she produced, wrote, sang and played it all at the age of 21. Plus, anyone who has Isaac Hayes playing on their music has to be a force to be reckoned with. I'm really impressed by her single minded dedication to her work. She's miles ahead of the competition."
2. Johnny Clarke - "Babylon"
   "One of my all time favourite roots tunes and to me also unforgettable for being the soundtrack to Shaka's appearance in the film 'Babylon'"
3. Ronnie Laws - "Friends and Strangers"
   "My first jazz purchase and it's a great example of jazzy horns, something I've found myself incorporating more and more in my own work over recent years."
4. The Revolutionaries - "Don't Trouble Trouble"
   "This is the killer dub cut of Sam Bramwell's "It ago Dread inna Babylon", on Revolutionary Sounds 12". I heard this one on the Peel show circa '78 and invested the then outlandish sum of £4.00 on it. Definitive Shaka style."
5. The Upsetters - "Super Ape"
   "There is so much happening on every track. Another early reggae purchase of mine from 1977, and it still stands the test of time 27 years later."
6. Augustus Pablo - "King Tubby Meets the Rockers Uptown"
   "Still the greatest album of all time. I'd already heard the title track single, and when I heard the album, it blew me away."
7. Jah Lloyd and Bingy Bunny - "African Culture"
   "One of the first heavy dubby records I ever heard, courtesy of john Peels show circa 1976. It made a deep impression on me."
8. The Sex Pistols - "Anarchy in the UK"
   "As soon as punk arrived its raw energy grabbed me, but now a lot of it just sounds like heavy metal by people who cant play."
9. Hawkwind - "Silver Machine"
   "I hate to admit it, but my early teen years saw me into "progressive rock", of which this disc was a prime example and the soundtrack to many an evening smoking dope with my friends in my bedroom!"
10. Norman Greenbaum - "Spirit in the Sky"
    "This track is neither a favourite track, nor did it influence me in any way, but it is the first record I ever bought at the young age of 14 or so, so it is worthy of inclusion for that reason alone!"

My favourite fresh release tracks/re-releases of 2003

1. Vibronics - "Guide I" (10")
   Killer horns instrumental. My style of music!
2. Twilight Circus/Luciano - "What we Gotta Do" (10")
   "Ryan Moore is an excellent producer. I love his Big Youth release too. To me they represent a major shift in direction from just dub to something more satisfying."
3. Michael Prophet - "Provider" (10")
   "For me, Gussie P is running things in UK right now, both in terms of quantity and quality output. I love this rhythm and Michael Prophet puts in a solid vocal performance."
4. Dread and Fred - ""Warrior Stance" (12")
   "Jah Shaka reissued a pile of 12" last year, and for me this was the best. A definitive UK digital steppers which was massively influential when first released in '87 or so."
5. Luciano - "God is Greater than Man" (10")
   "Donville Davis established himself as a producer of merit last year, and this Mafia and Fluxy version of Aswad's "Warrior Charge" was wicked with The Messenger on the vocal."
6. Creole - "Beware of your Enemy" (10")
   "The Channel 1/Attack Gold/Observer series didn't always cut it in the pressing quality dept. but this 70's steppers, a hybrid of Kunta Kinte,is a classic slice of roots."
7. The Wailers - "Higher Field Marshall" (10")
   "Killer dub with a bassline to destroy the foundations of any building."
8. Ranking Joe - "Zion High" (BAF CD)
   "The original bong diddley at his tongue rolling best on an overwhelming set of storming rhythms. Roots reissue album of the year for me."
9. Bob Marley and The Wailers - "Natural Mystic" (10")
   "A magnificent 10" from Trojan complete with majestic blazing horns. Total killer."
10. Cedric Im Brookes - "Light of Saba" (Honest Jon's LP)
    Reggae meets Jazz, and I love it."