Jstar presented Control Tower 12, a Christmas show, for Scientific Sound Asia in December 2018. Scientific Sound Asia operates as an Asian electronic music radio station, DJ agency, promoter and music news outlet, connecting audiences across Asia and internationally.
London artist Jstar had already built more than 15 years of experience as a DJ, remixer and producer by the time of this edition. His work had received support from David Rodigan, Norman Jay and Grandmaster Flash.
His recorded work includes the albums Stand To Order and Dub To Order, which form part of a substantial body of productions and remixes. The programme placed that output within a wider selection of Reggae, Dub and bass-focused material.
At that point in his career, Jstar had also championed Reggae artists in China, India and New Zealand. A tour of China was among his international activity during that period.
The Christmas edition drew on Nice Up! Records’ 12 Dubs of Xmas compilation, which included Jstar alongside other artists. Nice Up! Records made the release available as a free download at the time.
Voluntary payments for the release were directed to Centrepoint, the charity supporting young people facing homelessness. That arrangement gave the seasonal compilation a clear charitable purpose alongside its musical focus.
Jstar’s contribution was Joe Revell’s remix of All I Have, a song originally issued on Stand To Order and featuring Blackout JA. The remix was prepared specifically for the festive collection.
Jstar presents Control Tower 12 Christmas Special on Scientific Sound Asia, with a seasonal sound system selection moving through Reggae, Dub, Jungle, Bass Music, Dancehall and Afrobeat. The episode features music from Dreadsquad, Parly B, Blackout JA, Prince Fatty, Ishan Sound, Rider Shafique, Koffee, Reggae Roast, Aries and Sam And The Womp.
Control Tower is Jstar’s programme for reggae, dub, dancehall, bass music and sound system culture. This Christmas Special links roots vocals, seasonal dub versions, UK bass refixes, Jungle remixes and Afrobeat-influenced selections.
Dreadsquad open the show with Dub Princess on No Walls, followed by Trinity on Power To The People. Parly B and Interrupt then move the opening section into Dancehall with Lyrics Spree, before Jstar and Blackout JA appear with All I Have in the Joe Revell remix.
Capital 1212 and Earl 16 bring a reggae version of Love Will Tear Us Apart, followed by Little Kirk’s So Long. Nimroy Hendricks then appears twice with One Big Road and One Big Version, moving the programme from vocal reggae into Dub.
Preacha and Jay Spaker’s Crying appears in the Escape Roots remix from the Nice Up! Records 12 Dubs Of Xmas Vol 3 series. Marina P and Homeys follow with Suburbia Dubwise, taken from X - Ten Years Of 4weed Records.
Lion Warriah returns the set to Reggae with Freedom Fighter, before Alter Echo and E3 meet Ishan Sound and Rider Shafique on Ah Mi Guide. Jstar and Spikey T then bring Babylon Children in the Kabanjak remix, keeping the middle section close to dubwise production.
Dub Spencer And Trance Hill add the first seasonal entry with Jingle Bells Dub, followed by David Hillyard & The Rocksteady Seven on So Long Cedric. Blackout JA’s Raggamuffin and G Duppy’s Run Fi Cover in the Jstar remix then return the episode to Dancehall and sound system MC culture.
Unknown T’s Homerton B appears in the Shepdog refix from 12 Dubs Of Xmas Vol 3, taking the programme into Bass Music. Dub Spencer And Trance Hill then return with We Wish You A Merry Christmas Dub, followed by Max Rub A Dub and Lutan Fyah on Jah Nah Sleep.
Jstar Meets Max Rubadub and Crosby bring Dem Nah Ready, before R.Esistence In Dub and Jules I add R.Esponsibility. Ted Ganung and Sabir Adjibade’s Ile, Umoja with K.O.G on Kponyole, and Afro B’s Drogba in the Origin One remix then move the episode through Afrobeat and African-rooted club rhythms.
Aries and Rony Blue introduce a Jungle turn with Falling in the Jinx In Dub remix, before The Heatwave and Stylo G add Closer To Me in the Roska remix. Boy In The Basement then returns the set to Reggae with International, keeping the late section tied to vocal and bass culture.
Gentleman's Dub Club and The Nextmen feature Gardna on Raised On The Amen, opening a Jungle-focused run. Aries, Jacky Murda and Kambo Don then link with Cheshire Cat on Highgrade in the DJ Hybrid remix, followed by Aries, Krak In Dub, Troy Berkley and Eva Lazarus on I I in the Dr Meaker Dub remix.
Aries, Fleck and Sheco feature David Boomah on My Sound in the Jstar remix, keeping the set close to Jungle and dubwise pressure. The Rebel and Nicodemus then bring The Sculptor, before Reggae Roast and Natty Campbell return to Reggae with Pam Pam.
Sam And The Womp’s Ice Cream Man appears in the Jstar remix, adding another bass-led entry to the closing stretch. Koffee closes Control Tower 12 Christmas Special with Raggamuffin, ending the episode on modern reggae and dancehall influence.
Control Tower 12 Christmas Special with Jstar
Dreadsquad feat. Dub Princess - No Walls
Dreadsquad feat. Trinity - Power To The People
Parly B - Lyrics Spree feat. Interrupt
Jstar - All I Have feat. Blackout Ja (Joe Revell Remix)
Capital 1212 feat. Earl 16 - Love Will Tear Us Apart
Little Kirk - So Long
Nimroy Hendricks - One Big Road
Nimroy Hendricks - One Big Version
Preacha feat. Jay Spaker - Crying (Escape Roots Remix) [Nice Up! Records 12 Dubs Of Xmas Vol 3]
Marina P - Suburbia Dubwise feat. Homeys [X - Ten Years Of 4weed Records]
Lion Warriah - Freedom Fighter
Alter Echo & E3 Meet Ishan Sound & Rider Shafique - Ah Mi Guide
Jstar - Babylon Children feat. Spikey T (Kabanjak Remix)
Dub Spencer And Trance Hill - Jingle Bells Dub
David Hillyard The The Rocksteady Seven - So Long Cedric
Blackout Ja - Raggamuffin
G Duppy - Run Fi Cover feat. Parly B, Dandelion, Jago (Jstar Remix)
Unknown T - Homerton B (Shepdog Refix) [Nice Up! Records 12 Dubs Of Xmas Vol 3]
Dub Spencer And Trance Hill - We Wish You A Merry Christmas Dub
Max Rub A Dub - Jah Nah Sleep feat. Lutan Fyah
Jstar Meets Max Rubadub feat. Crosby - Dem Nah Ready
R.Esistence In Dub - R.Esponsibility feat. Jules I [X - Ten Years Of 4weed Records]
Ted Ganung feat.Sabir Adjibade - Ile
Umoja feat. K.O.G - Kponyole [Be Careful [Wormwood London]
Afro B - Drogba (Origin One Remix) [Nice Up! Records 12 Dubs Of Xmas Vol 3]
Aries feat. Rony Blue - Falling (Jinx In Dub Remix)
The Heatwave feat. Stylo G - Closer To Me (Roska Remix)
Boy In The Basement - International
Gentlemans Dub Club vs The Nextmen - Raised On The Amen feat. Gardna
Aries, Jacky Murda, Kambo Don - Highgrade feat. Cheshire Cat (DJ Hybrid Remix)
Aries, Krak In Dub, Troy Berkley - I I feat. Eva Lazarus (Dr Meaker Dub Remix)
Aries, Fleck, Sheco - My Sound feat. David Boomah (Jstar Remix)
The Rebel & Nicodemus - The Sculptor
Reggae Roast - Pam Pam feat.. Natty Campbell
Sam And The Womp - Ice Cream (Jstar Remix)
Koffee - Raggamuffin
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