Studio 17: The Lost Reggae Tapes

As glimpsed in both The Harder They Come and Rockers, Kingston’s Studio 17 was the beating heart of mento, ska, reggae and dub for decades. Both studio record shop, it was integral to Jamdown sound, and when owners Randy and Patricia Chin moved to NYC in 1979, their new venture hit Queens with the potent sound that would push bass cultures out to the wider world. Studio 17: The Lost Reggae Tapes tells those tales vividly, then delves deep into how to best bring an amazing long-lost archive of music up-to-date.

When you watch Studio 17: The Lost Reggae Tapes you hear why Scratch Perry decided to make most of Bob Marley and the Wailers’ records there after he left Studio One. He needed that Studio 17 sound… Studios in Jamaica were a whole vibe, it was like being a member of a club. You knew exactly what sound was gonna come out of the studio - not just because of the quality of the equipment, but also because of the people associated with that studio.

Producer Reshma B, from an interview with GQ