Last year, Aggrobeat Records reissued the long sold-out album Shake It! by reggae outfit The Upsessions — a band that stands among the leaders of today’s retro reggae wave. Their sound consciously builds on the golden era of the late 1960s and early 1970s, delivering it with such ease and attention to detail that it never feels like mere nostalgia, but rather a living, breathing continuation of the tradition. The album also features the legendary Lee “Scratch” Perry, which in itself sets the bar pretty high. The result is fifteen tracks offering a solid dose of music without a single dull moment.
The record opens with the calypso tune The Big Bamboo Threat. If you’re not quite sure what calypso sounds like, think of those classic James Bond scenes — Bond in a beach bar, drink in hand, charming a local beauty while danger lurks somewhere nearby. This very stereotype was brilliantly parodied in the film Le Magnifique. Next comes the title track Shake It, which dives straight into that late ’60s/early ’70s reggae sound. The third track, Keep On Loving You, brings a slightly sweeter vibe thanks to Tim Knol’s vocals, with the atmosphere further enriched by warm keyboard lines and a more laid-back arrangement.
Ska influences come through strongly in Hold Your Winning, a more danceable and upbeat number that feels fresh and lively. The album returns to calypso with Punani Strike, before slowing things down a bit with Collie Weed — a track that strongly evokes classics from labels like Nu Beat or Camel, recalling the period around 1968–1972. The penultimate track on side A, 100.000.000 Tons Of Reggae, gives the keyboards plenty of room to shine, flowing smoothly into the slower, gently grooving Kitty Bush. Both tracks maintain a high instrumental standard and showcase the band’s strong sense of album dynamics.
Side B opens in grand style with the instrumental Dirty Cash, which is as fun as a cake fight at a kids’ party — playful, energetic, and irresistibly entertaining. It’s followed by I Will Be Your, which keeps the romantic mood alive while delivering a beautifully authentic retro sound. The opening stretch of side B works particularly well from a sequencing standpoint — the songs flow naturally, and even the more laid-back Cool The Pepper fits perfectly within the overall structure. From a listener’s perspective, this section of the album is crafted with real care and keeps your attention throughout.
Things slow down with Look Who Dem A Boss Now, only to kick back into gear with the unapologetically funky Funki Lumpini. The final two tracks bring things back into reggae territory, closing the album in a way that perfectly reflects its overall spirit — stylistically pure, yet playful and far from stagnant.
Shake It! will especially appeal to listeners who associate skinhead culture with reggae and tend to view Oi! fans as straightforward punks. At the same time, it will resonate with anyone who appreciates this “traditional” sound delivered in a modern but respectful way — without leaning on the ska revival influences popular in the late ’90s and early 2000s. This is retro at full power and in its finest form. If you want retro, you don’t want a Trabant — you want The Upsessions.
TOP TRACKY: Hold Your Wining, Dirty Cash, Collie Weed
