The latest offering from producer extraordinaire, Victor Axelrod - AKA Ticklah. Jamaican reggae and dancehall singer Mikey General reconnected with Axelrod during the pandemic to create “It Choose Me,” a throwback to the early 1980s analog rub-a-dub style that has become a touchstone for reggae’s global appeal. Axelrod had used the backing track years ago with Rob Symeonn for a song called ‘Jah Only,' Luckily for us MG loved the track and blessed us with this instant classic.
Mikey General has been a steady presence in reggae and cultural dancehall scenes since the 1980s, making a mark at the grassroots level in London, New York, and Jamaica. His early releases, produced by Sugar Minott, Blacker Dread, and Gussie P (UK’s Fashion label) and Mafia & Fluxy earned the essential street credibility before he linked up in New York with producer Hyman “Jah Life” Wright (Barrington Levy’s “Black Roses”) for “Walker John” and “Singer With The Flavor.” In the late 1980s, Mikey recorded for Fatis Burrell’s Vena, eventually releasing the LP Stronger Rastaman for his Xterminator label and touring globally with Luciano and Sizzla in the mid to late 1990s.
On the flip is the instrumental/dub mix, “Prattle,” featuring keyboardist Earl Maxton on clavinet. Axelrod, known for his signature analog productions and dub mixes created at his Brooklyn studio, was able to coax the enigmatic Maxton back to the studio after a 15-year hiatus in St. Lucia, where he has been handcrafting soundsystem loudspeakers using paper made from indigenous plant fibers. So sit back and enjoy the fruits of these three legends.
