Horace Andy – The Voice In Sound

Horace Andy’s ‘timbre’ is definitely of the “once heard, never forgotten” variety, regardless of whether you first heard it on one of the numerous Jamaican reggae singles he released during the 1970s or – as most people did – on one of the Massive Attack albums to which he contributed vocals. His falsetto and characteristic slow-motion vibrato has breathed a unique spirit into tracks like “Spying Glass”, “Cuss Cuss”, “Skylarking” and “(You are My) Angel”.

His origins are in the roots reggae of the 1970s, but he has always enjoyed experimenting: whether with British dub master Mad Professor (who also dubbed Massive Attack’s “Protection” into “No Protection”), house master Ashley Beedle and the New School album on the legendary Strut Records label, or most recently with On-U Sound legend Adrian Sherwood.

Echo Beach continues this tradition – and, of course, the much older tradition of versioning – by inviting friends of the label to treat Horace Andy’s classics to a new sound outfit. This is also very much in the tradition of Echo Beach, which 25 years ago created a perennial hit much embraced by free-spirited sound systems across Europe with the Black Star Liner remix of his song “Do You Love My Music” (Select Cuts From Blood & Fire Vol. 3).

Horace Andy’s voice has become deeper with age, but by no means weaker, as can be heard on this album, where Echo Beach invites old acquaintances and new faces to take a seat behind the mixing desk: the cast includes Rob Smith aka RSD, who, as part of More Rockers and Smith & Mighty, was just as important to Bristol’s musical reputation as Massive Attack or DJ Krust & Roni Size. From Munich come the legendary Captain Yossarian (percussionist with La Brass Banda) and aDubta, now a versioning legend. Both conjure up superb versions, from extreme, super-quirky delay settings to perforated dub treatment with the legendary Roland Re-201.

A super crisp contribution comes from TVS. The acronym stands for Trance Vision Steppers, a Hanover reggae band institution led by drummer Fe Wolter, who was already thinking, seeing and playing ‘in dub’ in this country when only a small group of insiders even knew what the term meant. Now, TVS has applied a solid 20 years of studio and stage experience to Horace Andy’s immortal hit “Skylarking”. Also reliably excellent: Different Drummer Soundsystem, legendary for rising from the ashes of the Birmingham group Rockers Hifi who have retained their very fresh and danceable sound.

Alongside this European all-star line-up, there’s also a Cologne connection: Dubmones, who released a legendary album on Echo Beach in 2025, will be a familiar name to fans on account of their “In Dub” workings of classic Ramones tracks. Their version of “Wicked Babylon” is high class. Fenin’s version pulsates somewhere between Berghain hypnosis and Yaam relaxation, but like all the others, the focus is always on the spiritual identity of the songs and respect for the 40-year career of an exceptional artist. The beats of the artists involved are legendary, as is Horace Andy’s voice. Echo Beach’s new album ensures that this unique voice is never forgotten.