SPECIAL EDITION: Soundsystem from Jamaica to Europe 1950 – 1995

In their own words, we hear the legends of reggae music recall the early days of soundsystem in Jamaica. As Tommy McCook remembered: “Duke Reid came to me after I had been at Treasure Isle a little while and said that the people who come to his dances were getting older and they couldn’t dance to Ska all night and then go to work in the morning. So he asked me to slow down the tempo, and see w’happen.”

Musical meditations on the Middle East feature in this new issue as we look for reggae music in Israel and Palestine. What did the Jamaican musicians feel about their visits to Israel? And where, incidentally, is the Ark of the Covenant? Read all about it in our extended feature. From the early days of dancehall, we feature Volcano Hi Fi, and I Mitri of Counteraction Soundz spells out a future philosophy of UK dub.

It’s a UK special in Irie Up number 9 as we travel to London, Bristol and beyond as we cover stories across the generations of English soundsystem history. Our Reggaetown Bristol has a deep reggae history, with connections to Africa and Jamaica stretching back to slavery days. We’ve plenty of stories connecting UK with the world, of emigrants and immigrants, and the vital contributions that reggae continues to make in and from the UK.

Now we find out who is the real revolutionary. There is a revolution about to come full circle ... in 2012. Time is the master in the new issue of Irie Up

Amsterdam Dreaming ... Since the 1960s and before, Californians have cultivated the best strains of marijuana in the world. Now they’re bringing the cultivation to new levels, and have kicked off a revolution in America with medical marijuana available in 15 states.

Solar Sound It’s the secret nightmare of soundmen – what happens if the power runs out? The Gaggeldubbers from north Germany show the way to run a high powered dub soundsystem using solar power and batteries.