Turn Up the Heat

Stalwart reggae promoters Reggae Roast release a killer selection of dancehall on renowned label Trojan Reloaded. Turn Up the Heat aims to celebrate dancehall's golden age with a modern twist, as is represented by the mix of legends and rising stars that pepper these 12 tracks. Brixton-based singjay Brother Culture's ‘Mash Up the Dancehall (Stop That Train)’, for example, takes the 1965 Keith and Tex hit and updates it perfectly; drum machines, toasting vocals and a general ‘added bounce’ fill the gaps of the sparse original without compromising the laidback coolness that makes it a timeless summer anthem.

Elsewhere, Earl 16 of Dreadzone fame adds his trademark sweet vocals to ‘Bad Company’, a deliciously smooth track that deserves a hammock and coconut-based cocktail in accompaniment. This is probably as easy-on-the-ear as the disc gets, with the remainder being more dance floor inspired, complete with liberal uses of keyboard bleeps and air horns. ‘The Music’, another offering featuring Brother Culture, is a late highlight that celebrates this grittier style. If you're not into dancehall there won't be anything here to convert you, but even those with a flirting interest in the scene will find themselves nodding along approvingly.