Artistic Freedom Mix (Oneness Sound)

This mix CD from the Northern California sound system Oneness Sound (oneness-sound.com) is, as far as I can tell, offered only as a companion to the snowboarding DVD Artistic Freedom (trilogyarts.com), but packed with 32 tracks that don't peter out after 30 seconds or so, it's more than a typical cheapie sampler. It's all roots reggae throughout, strategically blending Oneness Sound artists like Biblical, Ishence, Sista Kat, True Love, Ras Matthew, and Soul Medic with legends like The Heptones, Garnett Silk, and Bob Marley, lesser-known veterans like The Twinkle Brothers, The Chantells, and Misty In Roots, modern stars like Luciano, Sizzla, and Anthony B, and even Virgin Islands talent like Midnite, Nubian Natty, and Xkaliba (the latter three having released albums on Oneness Sound cohort Donny Dread's Groundbreaking label). The bigger names of course provide the better material -- C'mon, how can you compete with "Forever Loving Jah"? -- but there are fine lesser-known efforts like Biblical's "Let Love In" and "Jah Works," Ishence's "Good Thoughts," Sista Kat's "Carry InI," and Soul Medic & General Smiley's "In I Heart," plus selections from Nubian Natty, Xkaliba, and Yahadanai that have been reviewed on this site already. Even with the bigger names, the songs chosen aren't of the expected, well-known variety, like The Heptones' "Thru the Fire," Midnite's "Word & Deed," Mikey General's "As a Man Think," and Anthony B's "Oneness" (not too hard to figure out why that one was chosen). They all carry the general theme of unity and righteousness, though, and rather than running in minute-long snippets, as many mixes do, most these songs run for well over two minutes -- a few over three -- providing a much fuller listening experience. It's hard to say that it's worth buying a DVD just to get this album, but if you do, you're in for a nice treat. (It should be noted, by the way, that some of the titles here are a bit different from what you might know the songs as; for instance, Misty In Roots' "Heathens" is credited as "Dancehall Babylon" on their Roots Controller album, The Chantells' "New Garden" is also known as "Jah Jah New Garden", and Garnett Silk's "The Rod" is "Music Is the Rod.")