Rupie Edwards – Ire Feelings (Skanga) [Cactus]

Originally released in 1974 on London’s Cactus Records, Rupie Edwards’ ‘Ire Feelings’ introduced the ‘Skanga’ riddim that, like many a popular reggae backing, found itself repeatedly recycled and rehashed by both Edwards and his contemporaries.

Both a vocalist and producer, Edwards came to prominence in reggae’s ultrasonic awakening of the early seventies, recording the likes of Gregory Isaacs, the Heptones and the Ethiopians, and turning out versions with the Rupie Edwards Allstars.

Delectably dubby with a quirky guitar twang and reverbed vocal track, ‘Ire Feelings’ epitomises the appeal of early dub productions; we could spend all day trying to disect the horizontal rapture of its mind-expanding space and earth-crumbling bass, but all said it simply feels good.

‘Ire Feelings’ was released as a single and later developed into an album of the same name [Cactus Records].