RIP Max Romeo

 

Romeo reaches rave through this unlikely conduit 

While we're paying tribute to Max, this tune is oddly topical - reusing the "War Inna Babylon" rhythm 

Would love to read something really probing on the Anti-Papacy subcurrents in Rasta 'n' roots culture. 

Given that Rasta is essentially Afro-Protestant - a  Caribbean cousin of the born-again, fundamentalist, Scripture-is-literal-truth offshoots of Calvinism in America - one explanation would be that it is simply sourced in the anti-Catholic paranoia that impregnates Protestantism from the start: the idea that the Church of Rome is an ungodly perversion of true Christianity.  It taps into the same wellsprings that led to the anti-Catholic secret societies in 19th Century and early 20th Century America, the nativist newspapers with their fears of an influx of Catholic immigrants from Ireland, Italy, Poland, changing the fundamental make-up of the country. At its extreme edge, there were fevered fears of the Pope arriving at the head of a new Armada to conquer the USA. 

But perhaps there are some uniquely Jamaican ingredients involved.... 

I seem to remember reading that at dancehall events to this day (or at least whenever it was I read the piece) you would get anti-Pope shout-outs from the deejay

Here's another Vatican-themed tune - Lee Perry, no Max - about the Conclave itself

Here's a really sharp piece of writing about Lee Perry - specifically his way with a kick drum, but also his whole sono-spiritual project - by Nick Coleman at his Substack. There's also some great outlandish quotes from Scratch from an interview Nick did some time ago. 

Assassinating Rydim (Back to the Phuture)

Breaks 'n ' bleepsy bizness

From a recent comp of very early Suburban Base / Boogies Times Record stuff

Loved their tunes so long - but I've never once thought to look see who Phuture Assassins were - the name alone sufficed. 

"Long running act made famous for their ragga tinged hardcore releases on seminal UK breakbeat label Suburban Base. Originally started off as a collaboration between Dave Jay (as Dave B) and Reesh for the very first release on Boogie Times [i.e. "I Like Techno"] , the name was then passed on to Austin Reynolds who collaborated with Krome & Time for the remaining Suburban Base releases." - Discogs

That's Austin Reynolds in the middle there, with Krome & Time. 

Phuture Assassins stuck with the "future" thematic through much of the output

All excellent stuff, but true immortality for this one - the title alone and the resonances it's set off, but the madcap rub-a-dub meets Hava Nagila frolic of it. 

Vocal lick sourced in this

Flipside starts with a Pam Ayres sample about a deejay rocking the house!

Dis, dis is my CULCHA!

Lots of good tunes that don't have "future" in the title, of course

Plus stuff he did as Austin - blogged earlier here  - 

Plus engineering many - most? - all? - of the Suburban Base golden age tuneage. 

After "Roots n' Future", Austin Reynolds folded that identity - went into other ones (including the Big Beat-aligned-I-think band Soul Hooligan) but then  reactivated the name just a few years ago

"The rhetorics of temporality" 

A 2022 EP on Kniteforce, custodians of the flame.

"The long awaited Ancient & Modern from Phuture Assassins is finally in hand and due for release on the 3rd of August. If you have heard Luna-C play live at an event this past year or so, or SupaSets 21 & 22, then you would of heard a couple of these tracks already but Austin really shows what the early days of Rave was all about with this insane double vinyl release. All inclusive and not afraid to try things. This is rave meets jungle meets industrial meets sitar music, an instrument that Austin actually plays himself."

Sitar!

For Kniteforce, Austin also ruffed up this Jonny L classic

And indeed another EP for Kniteforce - Babylon Newspaper

From a few years ago, Austin Reynolds interviewed by Vinyl Junkie

"I was brought up in a house with a piano. I don’t remember where I learnt it from but I started playing simple boogie woogie 12 bar stuff aged 7 or 8.  I Picked up the guitar as a teenager and did bands and gigs while at school.  You can blame Alan Suger for my recording career... one day an ad for the Amstrad Studio 100 appeared on the telly, it was a four track studio and record player combined that came with headphones, a tape of drum beats and four microphones. Myself and friends started recording as a ska band, badly named The Janitors. It happened to include Kevin Beber (D-Zone/Toxic) on drum machine. Surprisingly I was offered a record deal off the back of the tapes, but couldn’t commit to a touring schedule while I was busy failing my A levels.  These were my first dabbling’s"....

[More evidence for the 2-Tone / nuum nexus - as is his comment below from elsewhere in the VJ interview]

".... the complete set of 2-tone singles I call ‘my precious’" 

Who do you see as your major influences in music and why?

"Jerry Dammers - King Tubby - Motown - Studio 1 - Nick Drake - Ginger Baker.  From the rave scene.. ‘The Scientist’ (The original keyboard wiz in the studio at Kicking Records, he also engineered SB001) The Rebel MC. Longsy D. Shut up and Dance. Rob Playford and The Meat Beat Manifesto." 

"Early releases Shot Like Dis, Please Don’t Stand In My Way and I Get High were recorded in my bedroom at my family home. One session was attended by SB founder Dan Donnelly, myself, both of M&M and my mum on the hoover. My equipment was then moved into Dan’s Mum’s garage where I began recording with DJs and other musicians for the label at what is known as Sub Base Studio’s."  

"... One PA that stands out was my first one, an appearance as Phuture Assassins at the Eclipse in Coventry. I remember the unforgettable and overpowering smell of Vicks Vapour Rub, topless dudes on platforms covered in the stuff, smoke and lasers."  

Some people say you are the unsung hero of hardcore and that you are one of the innovators of this sound...

To be honest there were so many talented people in the rave scene in those days and so much we copied off them or owe to them.  It’s easy to say ‘Yeh I did the first this or that, but it’s a bit narcissistic.  No one really invented anything. It was all the people, clubs, records labels and technology, it was collaborative.

Scenius ahoy!

But modesty aside, Austin Reynolds certainly warrants the term "hardcore hero". 

Fave tunes of AR's according to the Vinyl Junkie interview