Biggie Smalls Jackin house remix

Piper Street Sound is back with a sprawling EP that collects new vocal versions and remixes of two instrumental reggae songs originally released in 2020; “Small Plate” (a collaboration with Augustus Pablo’s son Addis Pablo) and “Rid Them”. While the vinyl release focuses on the more reggae centric material, including two new vocal versions by veteran Jamaican dancehall artist General Pecos, the digital release includes some remixes that range a little further stylistically; with influences that include cumbia, electronic, and even trap.

Piper Street Sound, real name Matt Mansfield, is a musician, producer, and sound engineer with a focus on dub Reggae. He maintains a studio in Clarkston, Georgia, on the outskirts of Atlanta, where he uses the techniques of dub and electronic production to explore global soundscapes and instigate musical intersections. With over twenty years of recording, performing, and touring as bassist and live dub engineer, Mansfield artfully crafts this EP by connecting the dots to just a few of the musical links and personal influences he has across the globe, providing something for every listener while sparking new connections.

The original "Small Plate / Rid Them" EP was envisioned as a preview of the potential for the two instrumental riddims that constitute it; he had always intended to add vocals eventually. Releasing instrumentals before vocal versions gives the instruments space to be themselves before being instantly associated with the vocal they host. Piper Street Sound’s instrumentals have a life of their own, though they're meant to be malleable, like a folk song, easily used to support new melodies and lyrics.

The headliner of the release is a two-part collaboration with General Pecos (real name Lloyd Anderson), a foundation Dancehall artist from Jamaica who gives a totally new direction to the original tracks. Pecos adds a special cadence and style to everything he does, perhaps this has to do with the range of music he has been involved in; starting with boastful and fun sexually charged lyrics and a lightning fast delivery in a few big digital dancehall/ragga hits during the the late 80’s and early 90’s, he also recorded for some early Jungle/Drum N Bass producers as well, and later transitioned into a more spiritual Rasta influenced style.

Pecos’s features on this release are no exception to his daring yet nuanced style, typical of Jamaican sound system and dancehall culture. On "Always Ashine”, he uses many uplifting spiritual references with a bold and almost boastful confidence, creating a satisfying juxtaposition to Mansfield’s tight instrumentals. “Waves Rocking the Boat” seems at the start as though it will be playful, but quickly transitions into a low swinging chorus that feels soothing despite lyrics that speak of suffering. Here, the marimba de chonta, a folkloric diatonic marimba made from chonta palm played on the pacific coast of Colombia and Ecuador, makes an appearance, whose water drop-like sonic textures fit nicely amongst sea metaphors that speak of pushing on despite difficulties, eventually leading the listener towards a feeling of overcoming. The marimba was played by Jhon 'Pitufo' Cortés of the band Plu Con Pla.

This release sees Piper Street Sound blending years of different phases of production into different, softer forms, creating the musical foundation and then stepping back and trusting his collaborators to take the work to new places based on what they do best. It’s quite a diverse EP taken as a whole but each song works on its own and synthesizes the elements at play in a way that creates a balanced listening experience.

Small Plate / Rid Them Remixes

Always Ashine ft. General Pecos

The picture is from Breiavannet, in Stavanger, Norway

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Piper Street Sound presents 'Punch In / Punch Out'.

Buy/Add/Love: https://lnk.to/punchinpunchout

‘Punch In’, is a snappy shuffling little number Matt Mansfield created all by himself, not even one friend or ally lent a hand. I’m telling you poor Matt was all alone for the creation of this single. But this lowdown lonesome method makes the cost of production much easier to recoup. And let’s face it, most of us bravedumb enough to continue following our musical dreams are just hoping to break even at this point. So enjoy this budget savvy dub for these lean times for us musical fools. With drums and bass at the fore, melodica and synths on sparse melody duties, while the rest of the instrumentation is pure tonal texture and bouncing rhythm buoyed by boinging springs, set a-flight with fluttering delays. ‘Punch Out’ is a heavyweight bass and drum version on the B side to boot.

Punch In / Punch Out

Punch In

Punch Out

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