Blue House Rockin'

Blue House Rockin’ is the result of a unique collaboration between Soul Sugar and Dub Shepherds — two projects bonded by a shared love of roots reggae, vintage studio gear, and warm analog sound.

Recorded live over two intense days at Blue House Studio by Christophe “French Kiss” Adam, using ribbon and tube microphones from the ’50s and ’60s, classic analog preamps and tube amps. Sessions were tracked to a 24-track tape machine and mixed the old-school way by Dub Shepherds at their Bat Records Studio, using analog consoles and various vintage outboard gear.

The album blends deep cuts, timeless classics, and original compositions. Curtis Mayfield’s Give Me Your Love and Aaron Frazer’s My God Has a Telephone (Colemine Records) — one vintage, one modern — are reimagined in reggae style with Jolly Joseph on lead vocals, his falsetto shining throughout. He also delivers on Hold My Hand, a mellow lovers rock original written during the session. Another standout: UK singer Shniece McMenamin brings fire and soul to Family Affair (Mary J. Blige / Dr. Dre), flipped into a hip-hop-meets-reggae burner full of attitude.

Instrumentals like Disco Jack, Choice of Music, and Drum Song — all from Jamaican organ legend Jackie Mittoo — highlight Guillaume “Booker G” Metenier’s Hammond work in playful interplay with guitar and rhythm section, boosted by dub delays, spring reverb, and filter sweeps.

The explosive title track, Blue House Rock, was composed and cut on the spot at the end of the session — a raw, greasy groove somewhere between The Meters at Studio One and a lost Beastie Boys B-side.

Blue House Rockin’ is a vibrant mix of soulful roots reggae and funk, wrapped in dusty analog warmth. A joyful, live studio experience — to be played loud.