Reggae a worldwide thing. Educate us MANUDIGITAL!!

Living every reggae lover’s dream, French bad-boy producer, Manudigital, has been traveling the world with his legendary Casio MT-40 keyboard and a microphone, recording the most prolific as well as lesser known DJs as they toast over his riddims. His sessions almost always occur in the most casual of settings, the places where ideas and vibes are flowing outside of the sterility of an over air-conditioned music studio.

To date, he has taken his vintage Casio to Kingston, Jamaica, Mexico, New York and the United Kingdom. The vast majority of these collaborations can be viewed on his YouTube channel, but some of them have been released collectively as LPs on streaming platforms, such as the U.K. session recorded during Notting Hill Carnival in August 2023 and having just dropped on June 21st.

The history of reggae in the U.K. is as young as reggae itself. The dancehall vibes are nonstop and they got so much things to say. Manudigital provides the grooves and the amplification for these singers as they deliver the sizzling vocals.

Below is a breakdown of the blessings they bestow upon us.

Brother Culture & Manudigital

Right off the bat, Manudigital’s Digital UK Session comes super tough with drum n’ bass vibing as Brother Culture demands to “Jump Up Pon it.” A 40-year veteran of soundsystem culture, Brother Culture spits fresh n’ hot fire inside and out of dubbed snares and the wicked tempos get ya right out of your seat and moving your feet. “Fit for the work of Jah Jah. Fire is fire and class is class.” Brixton represent every time!

The red light stays on. Shumba Youth, a best kept UK secret of the London reggae/jungle scene endorsed by genre pioneers like Congo Natty, Tippa Irie, and more, keeps us “Standing Firm” and swaying to the pendulum rhythm. Layering simple and complex, Shumba Youth is a master weaver of lyrical bliss reminding us “Don’t give up the fight” with plenty of zinga ding ding to keep us fresh.

Original bad mon Daddy Freddy, who revolutionized the U.K. scene in the 80s with his super speed style, reminds us of the unmistakable power Jamaican sound systems dropped on the British Empire, blowing all other genres to bits and pieces. Nothing in this world is impossible to Daddy Freddy. Relentless bass grinding through this track making ya move like a bee sting to the brain.

Have no fear though. The beauty of Congo Natty aka Rebel MC soothes our urgent care needs with a blessing titled “The Children of Shaka.” The singjay solicits prayer and redemption, reminding us Rastafari doesn’t deal in violence and hate, no matter where in the world. Still, this is an army the world will reckon with. This deep digital riddim is made more mystical with the invitation of singer and Guinean percussionist Falle Nioke, making this chune a rare trio performance in the Manudigital universe.

Manudigital & Demolition Man

The energy injection that the U.K. scene put to the world is best known as jungle and its motivation is potent and infectious. You gotta get it done today? This one comes in at a proper 180 bpm to burn down the dancehall, fix your car, and clean your house in under 5 min. Jungle massive representing as Demolition Man aka Ras Demo leads us through the legendary “More Fyah We Require” 90s classic (titled simply “More Fyah” for this version) – revisited with Manudigital coming with the same power and sizzle it has always retained in form.

“No Fear” is perhaps the most remarkable release coming for this new season of Manudigital, who transfers this burning riddim to the Casio MT-40 giving the Blackout JA classic a searing presence. This mid-tempo straight jog still drives steady – breaking down walls with swirling dub and hard quarter-note hits, backing the powerful rasp of Blackout JA’s Jamaica to England dragon smoke vocals.

Wha-wha-wha-whaaat?!?!?! Killa P gonna fuck you up with “Again.” Straight up. Slow tempo riddim with a vocal speed pushing your brain to the absolute limit. Down for his impactful grime flow, this former Roll Deep collective member delivers over the Casio MT-40 in pure freestyle form. Epic.

Liam Baily has had “Enough!” Crooning over a dark mystical groove, the singer joins Manudigital, pleading for the sake of the planet to resist against the fires of Babylon. We are in it together. Reggae makes us remember that we cannot give up the fight, no matter how Babylon tries to weaponize us against each other. A chilling and sobering message to round out this incredibly potent season of Manudigital.

As if this collection of music was not great enough, what makes it even better is that fans can see the performances for themselves on Manudigital’s YouTube channel.  Watching these dynamic vocalists deliver the goods showcases their mad skills even further, upping the horsepower and adding to the excitement and impact.

You can’t stop the power of these collaborations. The hits keep coming and we are all here to receive. Give thanks and praise for the best in the digital world, supplying endless ammo for the fights ahead.