UK reggae group Creation Rebel announce first album in 40 years

The UK-based reggae group, Creation Rebel - who were often used as backing singers for touring reggae solo artists like the late Prince Far-I and Lee “Scratch” Perry in their early days - are releasing their first album in 40 years.

The title, ‘Hostile Environment’, is in reference to former Home Secretary Theresa May’s policy towards asylum seekers and the ensuing Windrush scandal — in which hundreds of Commonwealth citizens from the Windrush generation were wrongfully detained, deported and stripped of their legal rights.

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The band's debut album, ‘Dub from Creation’ was released in March of 1978, the same year the outfit formed, and was one of record producer Adrian Sherwood’s early ventures into production, supported by Dennis Bovell’s sound engineering.

The U sound blog page described the debut as “Languorous, funky, spacey, and totally intoxicating, it’s exciting to hear the awesome production/mixing talents of Sherwood in their early days.”

It continued by mentioning the skillful and creative talents of the original band members - “drummers Style Scott and Fish Clarke, bassist Clinton Jack, keyboardist Bigga Morrison, guitarist Crucial Tony, and percussionist Slicker” - who “play with a grace, effortlessness, and power that most studio bands would kill to achieve”. It concludes that the release was without a doubt some of the best and most important non-rock music to be made in England in the late ’70s.”

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As of today, the only tracks released from the upcoming album are "Swiftly (The Right One)” which features Prince Far I, "Stonebridge Warrior" and "That's More Like It."

Check out the full album tracklist below, and listen to the three recent releases

1. Swiftly (The Right One) (feat. Prince Far I)
2. Stonebridge Warrior
3. Under Pressure
4. That's More Like It
5. Jubilee Clock
6. This Thinking Feeling (feat. Prince Far I & Daddy Freddy)
7. Whatever It Takes (feat. Denise Sherwood)
8. Salutation Gardens
9. Crown Hill Road
10. The Peoples' Sound (Tribute To Daddy Vego)
11. Off The Spectrum

Tiffanie Ibe is Mixmag’s digital Intern, follow her on Instagram