New 7″ singles from Fruits Records

With the release of the brand new Bonanza Charge riddim series, Swiss reggae collective The 18th Parallel, the in-house studio band of Fruits Records, keep the momentum going. They’re not resting on past successes. Instead, they’re building on them with another heavyweight roots production.

Produced at the band’s studio in Geneva, Bonanza Charge arrives as three 7″ singles. The series features two vocal cuts and a horns instrumental, with deep dub versions mixed by the ever-reliable Roberto Sánchez.

The first tune on the riddim, Don’t Tell Me To Smile, marks Nightshade’s debut on Fruits Records. It’s a powerful song that speaks to an experience many women know all too well. Nightshade turns the all-too-familiar comment, “you should smile,” into a bold response, calling out the everyday sexism behind the idea that a woman somehow owes the world a pleasant expression because it makes her “look prettier.”

The second release brings in the unmistakable high-pitched voice of Young Kulcha. On his cut, Mystic Revelation, the rising singer explores the timeless Rastafari theme of spiritual revelation. It’s conscious roots music with a deep message, built to shake speaker boxes and bring people together at sound system gatherings.

The series closes with the instrumental title track, Bonanza Charge. After previously working together on Meeting In A Wonderland with Denmark’s Horns of Guiding Star Orchestra, The 18th Parallel take that collaboration a step further. Recorded between Geneva and Copenhagen, the track enhances the band’s rock-solid riddim section with one of Europe’s finest three-piece horn sections.

Single 1.
01. Nightshade, The 18th Parallel – Don’t Tell Me To Smile
02. No Flowerpot Dub

Single 2.
01. Young Kulcha, The 18th Parallel – Mystic Revelation
02. Dub Revelation

Single 3.

01. Horns of Guiding Star Orchestra, The 18th Parallel – Bonanza Charge
02. Bonanza Dub