Best of Best of 2011 (cont.): Playlist for Jan. 6, 2012

We continue our backward glance over the last year's output in reggae, dub and dubstep with a look at Steve Barker's picks for best of 2011 from the January 2012 issue of The Wire magazine. And of course we check in on this month's dub news.
It should be said, Barker has hepped us to a LOT of great music over the last year, and even more over the 11 and 1/2 years we've been doing this show. Thus, Wake The Town is troubled to hear that On The Wire, the radio show Barker hosts on BBC Lancashire, may come to an abrupt end due to budget cutbacks to local radio at the BBC. After 28 years?
Don't ground a flagship show!
Barker's show debuted many On-U Sound releases over the years, and of course dropped tons of the highest quality reggae and dub. He was also the first UK dj to play Detroit techno pioneers Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson. Some of Barker's remarkable dub specials are available for a download, click and listen!
(Photo via Boomkat.)


PLAYLIST:
Jeb Loy Nichols: Moving Time -- Long Time Traveler (On-U Sound JP 2010)
Generation Rockers: Coast To Coast -- Rhygin Showcase (Rhygin 2011)
Dub Spencer & Trance Hill feat. William S. Burroughs: The Saints Go Marching Through All The Popular Tunes -- King Size Dub Chapter 15 (Echo Beach 2011)
Peikko & Lassi: Pula Dub (Groove) -- Pula Dub EP (Sahko 2011)
Dub News Selections:
Frente Cumbiero & Mad Professor: Chucusteady Dub -- Frente Cumbiero Meets Mad Professor (SalgaelSol 2010)
Gregory Isaacs: Bad Da -- The Ruler (1972-1990) (VP Records 2011)
Gregory Isaacs & Dennis Brown: Big All Around -- The Ruler (1972-1990) (VP Records 2011)
Little John & Billy Boyo: Brandy/Houseman Connection (Springhill 2011)
King Midas Sound feat. Green Gartside: Come & Behold -- Without You (Hyperdub 2011)*
Sugar Minott: Good Thing Going -- Hard Time Pressure (VP Records 2011)
Carl Moore: My Forefathers Died In The Sand/Strange Mood (Pressure Sounds 2011)
Muslimgauze: Untitled 1 -- Babylon Iz Iraq (Fathom 2011)*
Selections from Steve Barker's Dub Top Ten of 2011:
The Upsetters: Deep & Deadly -- The Return Of Sound System Scratch (Pressure Sounds 2011)
Lee "Scratch" Perry: Obeah Room (Digital Mystikz Remix) -- Nu Sound & Version (On-U Sound 2011)
Soom T & Disrupt: Puff The Police -- Ode To A Carrot (Jahtari 2011)
Bunny Lee & The Aggrovators: Dub Is Everything -- Dub Will Change Your Mind (King Spinna 2011)
RSD feat. Ricky Ranking: Dancehall Rock -- Go In A Good Way (Zettai-Mu JP 2011)
Phil Pratt: Dr. Bash -- Dial M For Murder in Dub Style (Pressure Sounds 2011)
African Head Charge: God Willing -- Voodoo Of The Godsent (On-U Sound 2011)
Deadbeat: Second Quarter -- Drawn & Quartered (BLKRTZ 2011)
Last Song, Not Part of the Barker List, But We Sure Like It:
Dubmatix feat. Brother Culture:Rough Likkle Sound (Marcus Visionary Jungle Remix) -- Clash of The Titans: System Shakedown Remixes (Collision 2011)

(*Also on Barker's top ten list: King Midas Sound's Without You & Muslimgauze's Babylon Iz Iraq)


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Gregory Isaacs, the "Cool Ruler", and Dennis Brown, the "Crown Prince of Reggae", were great friends, and never let their monarchical duties get in the way of a good collaboration: