Keyboardist, composer, producer, DJ, Hirofumi Asamoto is one of those musicians who goes under the radar, but whose influence is over a lot of great records. He plays with, and has written songs for, the wonderful singer UA, has played with dub band Mute Beat, Ram Jam World and many others, as welll as making solo dub records from time to time. On this album he plays kind of soft, piano dub versions of his own compositions. Definitely one for dub lovers.

Jinta-La-Mvta, (the smaller version of Cicala Mvta) perform Heiwa ni Ikiru Kenri - The Right to Live in Peace, wiritten by Victor Jara, with Japanese lyrics by Takashi Nakagawa of Soul Flower Union (who performed the song on their album Electro-Asyl Bop) together with Likkle Mai, ex-singer of dub band Dry & Heavy. Infectious.

Drum & bass album in the literal sense from drummer Gota Yashiki and bassist Takayoshi Matsunaga, both of the group Mute Beat. Mute Beat were one of the most influential bands in Japan, in the fields of dub and reggae. Gota went on to perform with Simply Red, and collaborated with Soul II Soul, Sinead O'Connor and Seal among others. Mostly drums and bass with some keyboards, guitar samples, and effect vocals.

Post dub trio Miimo's fourth album creating minimal, electronic but analogue music using steel pan. Includes cover of Bjork's 'Hyperballad'. Group members are Tatsu (bass, electronics), Yoshio Machida (steel pan, electronics) and Norihide Saji (drums, electronics).

All the big names from the Japanese reggae and dub music scenes get together and record 10 new tracks. Artists are from Mute Beat, Little Tempo, Major Force, Determinations, Dry & Heavy, Audio Active, Dubsensemania and other bands.

Remix by OKI and dub engineer emperor Naoyuki Uchida (Little Tempo, Dry & Heavy) of Sakhalin Rock released in 2010. Brillaint album of hard and spacy dub.

Dubdub On-Seng are one of the hippest acts in Japan right now. They are the duo of drummer Manabu Sakata, son of the renowned saxophonist Akira Sakata, and guitarist Yasuhiko Tanaka aka Marron. Calypso On-Seng has become quite a big dancefloor hit with it's punchy drumming, steelpan riff and qawaali intro.

Solo project of Toshimi Watanabe of Tokyo No. 1 Soul Set is a dub/reggae/ska mix.

Fourth album from Japanese ragga artist who has built up a steady following since his first album in 2006. Hip-hop/reggae mixture on what has been a breakthough album.

Cool Wise Man have been through a few incarnations since they first got together in 1993. This latest, seven piece version of the band, with a great horn section, plus bass, drums, guitar and keyboards is probably the best yet, with a really tight and original sound. Played a well received set at Fuji Rock festival 2009.

Jama-Ichi is the band of Akira Umezu, ex-drummer with Jamaica Ichi Chome. They describe themselves as an acoustic riddim band, playing dance hall, roots and dub. This album features an impressive support cast including Rankin Taxi, Cocoa Tea, Bukky Rankin, Kurtis Fly and, intringuingly, Kazutoki Umezu Kiki Band. 12 tracks.

Born in 1984 Chehon is a rising star of the Japanese reggae scene. Ragga, dub, hip-hop mix.

Excellent first album from Ratville, a 3 piece dub band (guitar, drums, dub mix/melodica) based in Kyoto. There is beauty in the simpleness of their music, with deep sounds and dynamic grooves and a punkish and free jazz atmosphere. Some tracks are mixed with funk and tribal with guests on trumpet and soprano sax.

Excellent 11 piece reggae outfit. Good tunes, good singing, good musicians. Doesn't break new ground, but hugely enjoyable.

Superb third album from the female roots reggae singer, and former singer with dub band Dry & Heavy. High quality dub and roots album with great vocals, strong melodies and tight horn section.

Hakase-sun is a keyboard player, specializing in reggae and dub. He started off as a member of the excellent Fishmans, joined Little Tempo, worked with UA, played as a support member with Brilliant Green and has done remixes for Bonnie Pink. This is his sixth solo album, and includes guest Tica from Little Tempo.

Japan has for several years now, been one of the centres for dub music. Influenced by King Tubby, Lee Perry and others, Japanese dub artists have gradually formed their own identity and sound. One of those innovators is Takeshi 'Heavy' Akimoto, former bassist and leader of a dub band, Dry & Heavy. The Heavymanners are the latest group formed by Akimoto in 2002. 'Heavy' has supposedly been holding them back from performing and recording until last year, and this is their first album recorded in Jamaica. Guests include Shing02, King Yellowman, Killer-Bong and Sly (from Sly & Robbie).

Bananamuffin is a reggae/raggamuffin dj living on Amami island, Kagoshima. There's not much local 'island' music evident; more of a island reggae/comedy/ska dj mix although the wonderful Maricamizki guest on the infectious 24/7, plus keyboards, bass, drums and various horns. Infectious. 10 tracks.

Some of Japan's top reggae musicians get together under the guidance of Masakazu Nagai to create a unique sounding ska album. Musicians include Masakazu Nagai, keyboardist with Ska Flames.

Reggae has always had a following in Japan, a trend that continues until today. Compilation of young Japanese reggae artists. These include Chee, Chehon, Rickie-G, Domino Kat & Romir, Nissin, Da Pump, Arare and more.

Japan's dub pioneer is back with a new album of his cool trumpet dub doodling. New versions of tunes originally recorded by his seminal group Mute Beat, Bob Marley (Jah Live Dub, Sun is Shining) and Gregory Isaacs (One More Time) covers and even versions of What a Wonderful World and From Russia with Love, the theme song for the Bond film. Comes as a set with a 30 minute DVD of live performance, recording with interviews.

Kazufumi Kodama is back in a new guise as Kodama and the Dub Station Band. Not much change in the music though. More of the brilliant reggae/dub trumpet sound set over a cool backing from a brilliant band. 10 tracks.

Latest album from trumpet player, with his usual cool, laid back dub sound. His trumpet lays over mainly programmed beats and synthesized sounds. Comes with an extra video clip and deluxe packaging envelope style booklet. Up to the usual high standard of this highly respected musician, who influenced a new generation of Japanese dub musicians.

Superb compilation of songs taken from throughout the trumpet playing dub master's illustrious career from his Mute Beat days to solo including fairly rare tracks such as Mute Beat's first singles, and every significant album since. Kodama has always been backed by talented musicians, including Takayoshi Matsunaga on bass, Gota Yashiki on drums, Hirofumi Asamoto on keyboards, and guests including UA, Rico Rodriguez, Hakase (Little Tempo) and many others. A great introduction to the work of a significant artist, still remembered for his scintillating show at WOMAD in the UK.

Out takes and tunes that Kodama recorded for soundtracks. Features Tico from Little Tempo and Yoshie Nakano of the excellent Ego Wrappin. Atmospheric and brilliant from the dub trumpeter.

Heavy, dark dub from one of Japan's dub originators, with distinctive trumpet playing blending perfectly with dub instrumentation, includes bizarre trumpet solo version of 'O Little Town of Bethlehem', otherwise the album's centerpiece is Kodama's own composition, 'Requiem'.

Latest album by dub outfit is heavy dub version of their 'From Creation' album. Probably deeper, rootsier dub than any other Japanese dub outfit, and collaborators with the UK's Asian Dub Foundation. Regular performers overseas including WOMAD and many other festivals around the world.

Dub master and trumpeter (ex-Mute Beat) Kodama releases an album of classy,swirling dub including guest vocalist UA on one track, otherwise instrumental. Fantastic stuff. Made a big impression at a WOMAD festival in the UK a few years ago.

Best of compilation of Kazufumi Kodama's now legendary dub band. Strong melodies played on trumpet to heavy dub backing.

Kodama and drummer Yashiki Gota (drummer with Simply Red) live album from 1996 with ex Mute Beat members.

New album from the brilliant Little Tempo, mixing dub, reggae, calypso and more into a cool, club sound. 1. Little Journey 2. Tropical Rock 3. Yama to Umi 4. Ran de vou 5. Mellow Stone 6. Sky High 7. In The Rain 8. Dance Killer 9. Onsen Monogatari 10. Over The Rainbow 11. Hoshizora

To mark their 13th anniversary the super dub calypso band release a live album of some of their best know tunes. Little Tempo are not a studio based group, but are talented musicians who even in the studio prefer to play live, and here the energy of a Little Tempo is captured for the first time.

A best of compilation of tracks from tracks from between 1999 and 2001. Includes a track from the film 'Muno No Hito' and elsewhere featuring the wonderful Eddie Reader and Linton Kwesi Johnson. Good place to discover the excellent dup/reggae/calypso sounds of Little Tempo.

Dub remix of Little Tempo's most recent album, 'Super Tempo'. Dub/reggae with trademark steel pan laying down the melody. Two tracks feature legendary trombone player Rico Rodriguez and percussionist Tony Uter. Excellent.

New album from the steel pan reggae and dub outfit. Includes covers of Summertime and My Baby Just Cares for Me, alongside originals. Good, without breaking new ground.

Dub mix of their excellent Musical Brain Food album. Calypso steel pan and heavy dub mixture.

Fantastic new album from the steel drum and dub instrumental outfit, one of the most original Japanese bands.

Strictly instrumental dub album of songs previously recorded by Little Tempo. In some ways more satisfying than their usual output.

A kind of calypso club reggae dub band whose lead instrument is steel pan drums. It's a very nice sound, although their choice of songs to cover sometimes lets them down. Here the Beatles get the Little Tempo treatment.

Calypso/reggae/dub and club mixture.

Excellent Japanese dub unit, includes unlikely guest vocalist Linda Lewis, plus Fresh Funky Four and Trio Esperanca. 12 tracks.

Japanese and Western pop songs end up as ska, reggae, rock steady and calypso tunes in the hands of this excellent reggae outfit.

Excellent rock steady and dub band, includes songs by Bunny Lee and Joe Gibbs sung in Japanese.

Excellent Japanese Dub outfit produced by Kazufumi Kodama (Mute Beat), with 3 tracks given a dub mix by Dry & Heavy.

Likkle Mai, used to be the female singer with acclaimed Japanese dub unit Dry & Heavy. Now, she has decided to go solo and releases her first solo album. It's decidedly more pop oriented than Dry & Heavy and she sings in Japanese (as opposed to English in D&H) on three tracks, perhaps in an attempt to popularize reggae with 30 something Japanese females. Perhaps not as cool as Dry & Heavy but a confident debut worth seeking out.

Tenth album from Japan's perennial high energy ska band.

TSPO have for many years now been one of Japan's most exciting live acts.There are so many high energy workouts on this, it's exhausting just to listen. It's not straight Jamaican ska though, more rock ska such as their versions of Skaravan, Ska me Crazy, Tin Tin Deo, and The King of the Mosh Pit.

Excellent album of heavy dub mixes by including Chari Chari, Dub Squad, Dry and Heavy and others. Nine superb tracks.

Brilliant dub outfit, who combine dub sounds with heavy electronic dance rhythms to stunning effect. Six pulsating tracks.

This exilerating CDbegins with Japanese festival (ondo) music before launching into a Japanese ondo raggamuffin workout. It continues in much the same vain, pulsating modern festival music, before going out on the same traditional note.