Roots Radics
Heavy, skeletal rhythms that defined the transition from roots to dancehall. Deep basslines and cavernous echoes for late-night immersion and rhythmic meditation.
Heavy, skeletal rhythms that defined the transition from roots to dancehall. Deep basslines and cavernous echoes for late-night immersion and rhythmic meditation.
Roots Radics represent the heavy, muscular heart of Jamaican music at its most pivotal transition. Their sound is defined by a massive, unwavering low-end anchored by Flabba Holt's bass and Style Scott's precise, almost mechanical drumming. It is music that feels architectural, built from solid blocks of rhythm and then hollowed out by the dub engineer's console to create vast, echoing spaces.
What truly distinguishes them is their 'steppers' precision. Unlike the fluid, swinging grooves of the 70s, the Radics brought a harder, more disciplined edge that paved the way for the dancehall era. Their tracks are masterclasses in restraint, where every snare hit and guitar chop is placed with surgical intent, leaving plenty of room for the ghostly echoes of reverb and delay to haunt the mix.
Start with 'Dub Fi Junjo' or their work on Gregory Isaacs' 'Night Nurse' to hear how they provide a rock-solid foundation that still feels incredibly soulful. This is essential listening for anyone who wants to understand the evolution of bass culture and the power of the groove.
The Roots Radics Band is a Jamaican reggae group, formed in 1978 by bass player Errol "Flabba" Holt, guitarist Eric "Bingy Bunny" Lamont and drummer Lincoln "Style" Scott. The nucleus of Holt and Lamont had previously worked together in the group The Morwells and in the backing band for Prince Far I called The Arabs. They were joined by many musicians, including guitarist Noel "Sowell" Bailey, Dwight Pinkney and Steve Golding, keyboard player Wycliffe "Steelie" Johnson, Pianist Gladstone "Gladdy" Anderson and saxophonist Headley Bennett. As a combined force the Roots Radics became a well-respected studio and stage band, which dominated the sound in the first half of the 1980s. In addition to their own catalogue, they have worked with artists such as Bunny Wailer, Gregory Isaacs, Michael Prophet, Eek-A-Mouse, and Israel Vibration. In 1979, the band recorded the riddims for Barrington Levy's first songs for producer Henry "Junjo" Lawes, credited at the time as the Channel One Stars. As a sought after studio lineup, Roots Radics backed several reggae stars in the studio and on tour. For example, they appear on several Eek-A-Mouse albums: Bubble Up Yu Hip (1980), Wa-Do-Dem (1981), Skidip (1982), The Mouse and the Man (1983) and Assassinator (1983). They backed reggae superstar Gregory Isaacs on his album Night Nurse (1982), and are often credited on releases by Prince Far I, both on his solo recording work, and as part of producer Adrian Sherwood's studio supergroup Singers and Players. Johnson went on to become half of the production duo Steely and Clevie. Lamont died in December 1993 from prostate cancer. Bailey died of cancer in July 2014, aged 61. Lincoln 'Style' Scott was shot dead in his home 9 October 2014. In 2019 they received their first Grammy nomination for the album The Final Battle: Sly & Robbie vs Roots Radics, a collaboration with Sly & Robbie that was produced by Hernan "Don Camel" Sforzini.
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