RasItes first burst onto the English reggae scene in the late 90s cutting their debut album Urban Regeneration in 2001. There was a lot of excitement about the release – suggesting these young London Rastafarians were going to revitalise the moribund state of the music in its historic second outpost and recapture the glory of the likes of Aswad and Steel Pulse.
Sadly the group then fell into a dispute with their label Jetstar and their recording career was curtailed for a number of years. But as any regular London reggae show goer can tell you they have not gone away – for many a visiting artist has been backed by all or some of their constituent players. Under the management of Eddie Brown of Pride Music they recorded their Dean Fraser co-produced second album Sex Violence and Drugs in Jamaica – which after further delays was released in 2008 by Mad Professor’s Ariwa to minimal promotional fanfare.
Now independent, the quartet has decided to prioritise being a self-contained band over a backing outfit and has returned with this – the first of two scheduled EPs. The rhythms were laid in each of the members’ home recording spaces, voiced at the studio of Urban Regeneration engineer Fitzroy Wizard, and mixed by singer/guitarist Kashta Menelik at Prince Malachi’s musical base.
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