Words by Deejay Theory —
Yow! Welcome back to another week of vibes here at Mixtape Mondays. Shout to our friend The Large from Shimmy Shimmy who filled in last week while I was deep in the redwoods. We’re holding a mixed bag of heat this week from the UK, LA, Italy and Cali so dial up some downloads below.
The Heatwave, Voice Kartel: Leave it to our folks in London at The Heatwave to go the extra mile and compile all the works that the imprisoned Wurl’ Boss has been up to locked away in JA. This 75-minute mix may clear up a few things if you’ve been wondering where Vybz Kartel‘s steady flow of material has been coming from the last two years, as Gabriel and The Heatwave squad “tell the story of reject releases, cellphone recordings and whether or not Kartel is voicing new material from behind bars.” Make your own call and catch up on some big tunes and b-sides from Vybz and some of his compadres right here. Stream and download below, tracklist here.
Thee Mike B, Nothing But … A Summertime Dancehall Mix?: Not mad at this one from veteran Los Angeles selector/producer Thee Mike B. Dude’s been deep in the game for a minute now, with projects stretching from disco house to straight up jungle, but for this he dips into an obvious love affair with bashment dancehall. From throwbacks and party forwards to more modern hitters, the title might imply that this mix was an accident but really Mike B is a badman and isn’t afraid to pull a few cards on an unsuspecting soundbwoy. This tape reminds me of running a sweaty basement house party with a crate of records and a bag a ‘dro.. Watch ya now. Stream and download below, tracklist here.
Castaparia Sound, Easy Forward Vol 3: Verona, Italy’s Castaparia Sound make their return to Mixtape Mondays with their annual reggae mixtape, a criss selection of carefully selected summer vibes from start to finish. Moving from steady one drop into dancehall, this one ties the thing together nicely with some big tunes, garrison anthems and easy favorites around here. Mixed up clean with no long talking or unnecessary biz, this is an easy download this week. Stream and download below, tracklist here.
Jah Sun x PGM, Rise As One Megamix: California’s Jah Sun has a brand new album out to the world, and who better than Oakland’s DJ Child of the mighty Project Groundation Massive to endorse the ting with a megamix preview to give you a quick taste of the works in store. The record Rise As One includes the large talents of Chronixx, Sizzla, Kabaka Pyramid, Gappy Ranks, Richie Spice and more, so if you’re feeling the preview make sure you cop the real thing right here. Stream and download below.