Various
Compendulum
Reggae has been around for nearly fifty years and as such, it's rare to find an album that takes a truly new and unique approach to the music, but that is exactly what "Compendulum" does. This album isn't a compilation, it's not a remix project, it's not the vision of one producer or musician, it's not old and it's not new, yet it is also in part all of those things and most importantly totally fresh and enjoyable. Chris Potter aka Compendulum became the keyboard player for Zion Band in 1981, and was then invited to join well established Bristol band Talisman. He left Talisman in 1985 to pursue a successful business career, but his interest continued and he built himself a recording studio. Bristol Archive Records head, Mike Darby gave Chris access to various masters to see what he could come up with. The results are a 16 track compilation of Chris' take on how some old and new, familiar and unfamiliar tracks should sound. Mike gave Chris free reign and thirty years outside of the music business has given him an entirely fresh approach to mixing. He doesn't try and make them sound vintage, he doesn't follow any fashion, he just follows his instincts and they are spot on. Six of the tracks are from Birmingham's Black Symbol which are the earliest recordings on "Compendulum" and date from the early 1980s. These include unreleased tracks that had never been mixed. Chris' mixes are straight but timeless emphasising the beauty in their music although "Jah Children Come First" is given the urgency it deserves. The other vintage recordings are those by Prince Green aka Drummie, who grew up in Kingston Jamaica before moving to Bristol where he lived for many years collaborating with the Moonflowers and Henry and Louis, as well as toasting with his unique voice at many a local reggae night. Not only did Chris have carte blanche he also had to add various missing parts to the incomplete and unmixed session tapes. Also included are tracks by Septuagenarian Bristol reggae legend Bunny Marrett plus Jashwha Moses, and Capital Letters