Heartical Sound - Heartical & BDF present I'm A Revolutionist (2025)

Heartical Sound & Label’s brand new one-riddim album pays tribute to the great Freddie McGregor’s song “I’m a revolutionist”, originally recorded in 1976 at Studio One under the name “I man a rasta”. As usual, all instruments are played by the Basque Dub Foundation band, under the leadership of Inyaki Yarritu.

The line up of this new one-riddim project includes many legendary names of Jamaican music. The icon Horace Andy, who got his break singing for Clement Dodd’s Studio One label in 1969 and has recorded countless classics through the years, delivers a heartfelt ballad titled “Secretly” with his distinctive vocal signature. Another giant of the reggae industry, Johnny Clarke makes his first appearance on the label with the striking “Never give up on Jah”. The big rastaman Macka B, who surely needs no introduction, returns for a third single on Heartical label, this time it’s all about the crowning of “The Emperor of Ethiopia”. The great late Trevor Junior music lives on with a previously unreleased song that he recorded in 2013 for Heartical, titled “Trodding”. Another veteran singer gone but not forgotten, Colour Red, also known as Clive Hylton or Jah Clive, graces the riddim with some inspired conscious lyrics on “Back to my roots”, while Owen Knibbs, who relaunched his career recently, years after his early digital debut hit song “Juggler” in 1987, sings in fine style giving “Thanks & Praises”. Tampanae who learned his craft at Sugar Minott’s Youthman promotion school, displays his amazing vocal skills on “Jah never fail you”. The Canadian singjay Neto Yuth borrows lyrics from Freddie McGregor original song to create his own version titled “Revolutionary soldier”. On the European side, Rootsamala, the accomplished sister and brother duo from Malaga (Spain), urges us all to “Keep on walking”, while the French reggae scene is aptly represented by Straika D, singing in French on “Playlist” and also Greencross, who prefers using the English language for his rub a dub track “Style ah weh we love”. The Swiss singjay Guidan tells us about the critical situation of “This World” and the set is finally complete with the Basque Dub Foundation teaming up with the talented UK based engineer Darren Jamtone, providing a proper dub treatment to the riddim on “Revolutionist in dub”.

The full album is available worldwide from all download and streaming platforms, but also as a vinyl release made up of four 7" singles, available from Heartical and many record shops around the globe.
credits
releases May 16, 2025

TRACKLIST

01. Johnny Clarke - Never Give Up On Jah
02. Colour Red - Back To My Roots
03. Macka B - The Emperor Of Ethiopia
04. Tampanae - Jah Never Fail You
05. Horace Andy - Secretly
06. Owen Knibbs - Thanks & Praises
07. Trevor Junior - Trodding
08. Rootsamala - Keep On Walking
09. Neto Yuth - Revolutionary Soldier
10. Green Cross - Style Ah Weh We Love
11. Straika D - Playlist
12. Guidan - This World
13. Revolutionist In Dub