In line with Jamaica’s 50th anniversary of independence, Nascente Records have compiled a four-volume, 160-track summary of the island’s greatest musical exports. The Bass Culture series aims to integrate pivotal stars with unheard names, taking us from a Prince Buster, Clement Dodd and Duke Reid ruled age of ska through to rocksteady, reggae, dub and dancehall.

This balance between essential tracks and rarity is well maintained throughout volumes one and two. Desmond Dekker’s beautifully soulful ‘Fu Manchu’ has been selected over better-known tracks, whilst Toots & The Maytals explode on the scene with ‘Pressure Drop’ – a three-minute definition of reggae, if such a thing were possible. Cornell Campbell, possessor of the sweetest Caribbean falsetto (as every true reggae enthusiast will tell you) makes three appearances, confirming Bass Culture as a series with excellent taste. Volume 3, featuring a cool looking (even by his standards) Gregory Isaacs on the cover, presents the series’ biggest challenge. The fruitful 1970s have been summarised expertly; every song here is a gem. Familiar tracks from Johnny Clarke and Black Uhuru have been given dub makeovers, satisfying both long-time reggae fans and newcomers. The most valuable rarity is an acoustic version of Peter Tosh’s ‘Get Up Stand Up’, an arms call that packs a huge punch. Volume 3 does, however, fail to honour Lee Perry and King Tubby, two dub masters whose absences are unforgivable. It’s also hard to justify why Lee Perry produced tracks aren’t peppering volumes one and two.

Perfection comes with Volume 4’s tight-knit celebration of early dancehall. It was dancehall’s experimentation with digital electronics and ‘toasting’ vocals that gave birth to so much modern music, and the genre proves worthy of a separate dedication. Tenor Saw’s massive hit ‘Ring The Alarm’ gets a deserved place but the final Bass Culture word comes from his lesser-known contemporary Nitty Gritty; the infectious, skin-crawling bass line of ‘Run Down The World’ epitomising what makes Jamaican music so influential.