"Root of David"

Sundays are one of those days that people used to resting after a crazy saturday night... Santander is a small city were all weekends are the same, few chance, few concerts, few clubs and less dj sessions. That's why I used to get up earlier in the morning and enjoy this sunny sunday. First thing I do is have a breakfast (hard one... croissant, orange juice, oil and bread, coffee and another coffee...), have a shower and drive to the center.

Santander's sundays are very quite, silent I think. Old people and families walk along the harbour in a relaxing step by step, reading the local newspaper or taking the popular "vermut" (a special drink) with "rabas" (oil octopus cooked). I see those habits in my way to the center. My first stop is on the Sundays flea market. A mix of stand take place in one of the most popular tunnels in Santander. Most are selling old things (computers, radios, shoes, t-shirts, coats, furnitures...) and only two are specialized on vinyll records, but if you have enough time to search you can find some stand with a small box with old records, some with rust, some like new or some just broken. One of this stands has a small box of jazz records, latin and soul. Nobodys look at this box like me. The owner is a "freak" of american psichodelic, rock and garage music, so I find good records in a good price (and I can bring them to my home to listen!).

Surprise me when this morning cars cross the tunnel! That's means today I couldn't get record from the old box. Last Sunday I didn't find a special one but I have to return 2 old 10" records to the owner. Other chapter I show you what a beautifull collection of those 10" I'm doing... wait latin and cuban fans!

So the day turns into cloudy on my mind. I spend all the afternoon at home working.

Most Sunday afternoons are rehearsel time for Lone Ark. One of the best reggae bands in Spain and in my opinion of Europe, leading by spanish producer Roberto Sanchez. Long time since I don't visit my friends at the studio, so the aim of this day is dedicated to Rober and the band... Lone Ark Riddim Force mush up the dance!!!

Latest Roberto's release is called "Root Of David" featuring the mighty Earl Zero... another killer tune!. Here I give you the right text: "...Legendary West Kingston rootsman Earl Zero gives us strictly roots and dub inna fine style. A-Lone Productions presents four crucial versions of The Park Riddim. Zero is internationally renowned for roots’ anthems None Shall Escape the Judgment, Please Officer and Righteous Works. Alongside Greenwich Town giants Prince Allah, Rod Taylor and Phillip Fraser, Zero took the lead in creating some of the most deeply conscious roots music to come out of Kingston in the 70’s. With this release of Root of David, Zero takes us back to that golden era. The song then gets a brutal dub treatment with Zero introducing the mix. This first ever dub mix of the Park Riddim showcases the talents of Roberto Sanchez at the board.

On the B-side we find rising UK singer and A-Lone Label regular Ben Jammin´ riding the same riddim. Jammin’s song Spring Soon Come, in his enchanting roots style, will sound fresh to all reggae massive. After that we hear from the wicked DJ singer Ranking Forrest, A-Lone’s emerging top DJ for the label. When Ranking Forrest toasts on a riddim, he rides it in an uncompromised foundation style reminiscent of Prince Jazzbo or U-Roy, his early inspirations when growing up in California. His song, Go deh brother Ben, with echoes of Spring Soon Come flying across the mix, is a solid return to the ‘70’s DJ tradition… ride on brother Forrest!

Lone Ark Riddim Force is the band playing along Roberto Sanchez´s solo musical project called Lone Ark.

The Park Riddim is an original composition by Roberto Sánchez from his 2004 solo album Countryside.

ARK 10" 004 - Listen Tune