American ‘dirty reggae’ masters The Aggrolites are to have four of their albums repressed on vinyl in a major reissue campaign.
The band were formed in Los Angeles in 2002 as a live backing group for Jamaican reggae legend Derrick Morgan.
They were also asked to record music for a new album by the Housewives’ Choice singer, which was never released, but the sessions inspired them to become a band in their own right.
The Aggrolites have backed the likes of Phyllis Dixon, Prince Buster and Rancid’s Tim Armstrong, as well as touring with Madness, and releasing six studio albums of their own.
The most recent, last year’s Reggae Now! (reviewed here), was released by US punk and ska label Pirates Press Records last year, and made it into many ‘best of 2019’ lists, including IPA Music’s (read it here).
Pirates Press also reissued the band’s 2003 debut Dirty Reggae, which is how they describe their sound, which combines soul and funk with skinhead reggae.
Now the label is to reissue another four albums from the band’s back catalogue, including one on vinyl for the first time.
The first record is the band’s 2006 self-titled LP, which was their first release on Hellcat. This album has long been out-of-print, with original pressings fetching up to three figures on the collectors’ market.
Their third album, Reggae Hit L.A., from 2007, has never been released on vinyl, despite featuring perhaps the best-known song in their set, Free Time. Pirates Press are about to put that right.
In 2009 The Aggrolites sealed their reputation as one of the finest purveyors of modern reggae with their fourth album, simply titled IV. Again, it’s been out of print on vinyl for years.
Finally, 2011’s Rugged Road rounds out the reissue campaign, and it’s a remastered version which fans will be keen to add to their collections.
All four of The Aggrolites reissues will be available from the Pirates Press webstore HERE on 27 November.
