This is a project that I thought was so dope, I had to talk about it. We here at Flea Market Funk pride ourselves in giving a different perspective to vinyl and DJ culture. This, my friends, is the true spirit of recording music, the origin of the drums, and the instrument’s shift from Africa to Jamaica and spread throughout the world. Kalbata & Mixmonster were recently signed to Freestyle Records, a forward thinking record label that puts out all kinds of music. These two producers, government names Ariel Tagar & Uri Wertheim, have been putting out music you love. Ariel is a producer with releases on Soul Jazz, Brownswood and Greenmoney and remixes for Fat Freddy’s Drop, Spank Rock, The Count & Sinden and Roll Deep. Uri, is the man behind the brass Funk band The Apples, which we have highlighted here on Flea Market Funk before, a member of the cut and paste group Radiotrip, and a talented producer. He is also an expert on analog tape recording.
Two years ago, the two of them holed up in a recording studio in Tel Aviv to record a 100% analog Reggae/ Dub record in the spirit of King Tubby as well as the producers of the early Dancehall era of the 1970’s and 1980’s. There were no computers involved in this recording, which is a blend of Funk, Techno, Funk and African music. They then traveled to Jamaica, and looked up their favorite players, Dee Jays, and singers to get them on the record. The line up is incredible: Jah Thomas, Little John, Trinity, Echo Minott, Mutabaruka, Major Mackerel, Puddy Roots and Prince Jazzbo, who we just lost recently. The completed project, Congo Beat The Drum, is 100% analog and follows the true Jamaican way of recording a record. The result is nothing short of spectacular. this full length, the original way of making bass music, is a must for all Reggae and Dub heads, as well as people who appreciate the warm analog sound. Prepare to have your speakers rattled! The video is the story behind the making of the record and features some authentic Jamaican dance hall shots with legends performing inna dance hall style. Look for the single “Prisoner In Love” featuring Little John, available later this month on Freestyle records on 45 featured here on Flea Market Funk.

Keep Diggin’!