Martin Campbell - Babylon Come (1981) - from "Historical Tracks (1978-1981) The Foundation"

Martin Campbell first became known on these shores (U.K.) when Jah Shaka would regularly deploy his roots classic 'Who Can We Run To' in the late '80s. Historical tracks 1978-81 proves that Martin had actually been producing for ten years prior to UK fame, appearing as a sort of bedroom maverick, playing all the instruments himself and recording drums in his mum's garage, although some vocals were pro recorded at King Tubby's, such as 'Love Has Gone' and the final cut 'War and Plunder' is set to a previously unreleased Aggrovators riddim 'Death In The Arena' recorded by Bunny Lee. We're struggling to think of any precedents for this lo-fi aesthetic because pretty much all the reggae we can think of was recorded in a proper studio setup, lending this album a fairly unique status in the Jamaican canon. The recordings have been subject to a fine restoration job by Gadd 59's Phillip Gadd, allowing for a fascinating (and clearer) look at an authentic reggae anomaly. Copies are limited to 500 for the world.