| Ainshant
Maps J
Dubbs
I'm a big music fan, and listen to all types of music, but have a
special love for reggae. The first album I ever heard was Bob Marley's "Survival"
when I was just 9, and it introduced me to a new world...a protest against the oppression of
the black people and a cry for the unity of black people in Africa, Jamaica, and the rest of
planet earth. I was instantly captivated.- More
Reggae Reviews:
Ainshant Maps can be seen as a companion piece to
Scheme a Things – and if you had to choose, this would be the more vital
of the two (although they’re priced moderately enough that you can get both). It starts a bit slow – literally and figuratively
– with the minimalist acoustic guitar of “Praise Jah,” but quickly picks up
with blistering roots tracks like “Drought,” “Judgement for Sentence,”
“True King,” “Ainshant Maps,” and my personal fave, “Knocka
Fia.” -
More
Scheme A Things
Ireggae
While there has been an abundance of Midnite Branch I, Midnite/I
Grade and even a dub album released during the past 1½ years, "Scheme A Things"
represents Midnite’s first studio album since the release of Seek Knowledge Before
Vengeance in June of 2002. - More
Ray X:
Go to the deepest roots in reggae music those
that go straight back to Africa, and you will find Midnite. This set pulls together all the
various stands that make the band so good. The chanting, the dense rhythms, and most of all
the lyrics - that are full of worldview concepts.
- More
Intense Pressure
Ray X:
The very first dub album from the band, and what a magnificent
set it is. The power and majesty of the bass and drum as never sounded so good. This is a set
for those who like there dub minimal - not a gimmicks thing. It works it way through a number
of great rhythms allowing the bass and drum to come and go, keyboards and guitars come forward
in the mix provide melody and then move off into the distance. - More
Seek Knowledge Before
Vengeance
Skank Productions:
“Seek Knowledge Before Vengeance,” Midnite’s
4th release since its debut in 1997, is truly another classic from this St. Croix quintet. As
was the case with their previous release, “Jubilees Of Zion,” this
new masterpiece was recorded in their homeland of St. Croix at their Afrikan Roots Lab
studios. - More
Reggae Reviews:
Thanks to what is approaching a Sizzla-like
pace of releasing albums over the past couple of years, Midnite has finally
released enough material for me to feel comfortable saying that they are my favorite reggae
act today. - More
Celebrity Plus:
A new sound is on the horizon. It is Midnite, not the time of day, but
the wicked Reggae group out of St. Croix, Virgin Island. A five-member band with a driving
reggae sound and lyrics to die for. - More
Jubilees
Of Zion
Reggae Reviews:
I hate to say that Jubilees of Zion is the
weakest of Midnite's first 3 albums, because people might infer that it is a
poor set, but that is far from the truth. In fact, this is an excellent album that
maintains the group's rich sound. It's just that the songs aren't quite as consistently
classic as they are on Ras Mek Peace and Unpolished (but
they're damn close). - More
Ras Mek
Peace (Before Reverb & Without Delay)
Ireggae:
Midnite captures the essential qualities of roots music with their latest album
Ras Mek Peace (Before Reverb and Without Delay) released on Mapleshade's
Wildchild! label. Reggae - naked and raw is perhaps the best description that
can be given to the 60 minutes of superb musical works that can be heard on this album. - More
Worlds Music:
I own over 1000 reggae albums and was very suspicious when handed
this LP from a recent reggae fan...truly, how many GREAT AUTHENTIC ROOTS lps have been
released since the 70s golden era? That is an album where each track is a gem, from start to
finish. Simple: great bass, solid drumming, perfectly crafted one drop rhythm, raw voice, no
gimmicks. - More
Reggae Reviews:
Only one word comes to mind when I listen to Ras Mek Peace:
wow. It is an unadulterated and woefully overlooked classic of modern roots and has
immediately become one of my all-time favorites. Originally formed in the Virgin Islands
in 1989 (St. Croix, to be precise), the quintet Midnite has been based in Washington, DC since
'93 or so. As listed on the cover, the subtitle of this album is "Before Reverb
& Without Delay," which indicates the simplicity of the recording process --
utilizing only one vocal track and one instrumental track and few if any of the standard
engineering techniques that are supposed to make things sound "professional."
- More
Unpolished
Worlds
Music:
This is arguably the greatest reggae
album ever made. The mistic and melodic vocals of Vaughn Benjamin is simply a
genius at play. after listening to songs like "the eyes are the light" or "dont
move(lion dread)", you will understand the dept of knowledge, overstanding,genius,
passion, love and soul that midnite brings with this incrediable album and whats even more
impressive is hearing them live and listening to there cd is indistinguishable.
- More
Reggae Source:
From the uprising St. Croix-based quintet Midnite
comes Unpolished, a rare debut album. Beginning with "Bushman," a
mesmerizing, one-away tune, the set's 10 tracks captivate with hypnotic Afrocentric
incantations, chants and jams. Though the press notes liken the band's sound to Lucky Dube,
another more subtle comparison describes their musical identity and spiritual foundation as
well. - More
Inside World:
Midnite is a reggae music quintet that originates
from the Virgin Islands. Musically, Midnite incorporates traditional reggae
beats and grooves in the typical staccato fashion. However, Midnite's
strongest talents are evidenced lyrically. Unpolished includes songs that
deal with important topics, such as politics, violence, spirituality, greed and hope in times
of utter despair. - More
Reggae Reviews:
Once again, wow. If you thought that Ras
Mek Peace and Jubilees of Zion were flukes, check out Unpolished.
It is every bit the equal of these other works. Although it was released widely to the
public on the Rastafaria label in 2001, it is actually Midnite's
debut album (and one of the few that is fairly widely available). At the risk of
sounding repetitive, once again everything hits on all cylinders here: vocals, lyrics, music,
everything. - More
Midnite
I Grade
Jah Grid JahWorks.org:
The Songwriting 101 teacher must have had some
frustrating moments when Vaughn Benjamin was in class.
Unfortunately I can only imagine half of the
conversation between them. That’s because Benjamin’s
half would be a dazzling display of extended verbal
comebacks that couldn’t possibly be duplicated by a mere
critic. -
More
Reggae Reviews:
"Jah Grid" is the
fifth Midnite-I Grade collaboration release, another
addition to Midnite's growing catalogue which meanwhile
comprises almost twenty full length albums! Indeed... a
remarkable (and also astonishing) amount of album
releases from a modern roots reggae band, which was
started by brothers Vaughn and Ron Benjamin, and has
been playing since 1989.
-
More
VI Roots:
Midnite and I Grade again team up for another
outstanding release. This one is special since it
features all live instrumentation heavy roots throughout
- no programming or hip hop production on this
one - just pure roots. Vaughn's writing and singing is
in top form as always and reaching ever new heights (and
depths) of lyrical content and melodic form.
-
More
Let
Live
JahWorks.org:
Half a minute into the first track and you KNOW this is not pop music. A steady reggae
beat, but rudimentary. Minimalist melody. Intense, chanting vocal. Subdued arrangements.
Nothing to seduce you with mere charm and decoration. The atmosphere is dark; the atmosphere
is dread. Thus the singular vision and original sound of Midnite continues
with another chapter called Let Live. It’s a chapter very much centered
on the uniquely textured vocals and literate lyrics of Vaughn Benjamin. - More
Reggae
Reviews:
Midnite continues to push the boundaries of
reggae with more gust, more audacity, and more skill than any other act. While their
experimentation has been reserved more for their Midnite Branch I offspring,
recent releases have had more of an avant-garde sound than their earlier efforts. And
Let Live is perhaps their boldest album to date. Here the band’s sense of
adventure leads them down the path of hip-hop. Yes, hip-hop. No, you’re not going to hear
them rapping about bling and bullets, but Vaughn Benjamin has always had a
unique “talky” chatting vocal flow that occasionally veers close to rapping, so when
he raps a bit on “Fighting for Her,” it’s feels quite natural. - More
Reggae Vibes:
The album 'Let Live' is the fourth collaboration album between Midnite
and I Grade Records. Previous albums such as "Nemozian Rasta",
"Assini" and "Vijan" got rave reviews in
the press and were well received by the public. This brand new 14 track album "pushes,
crosses and destroys the boundaries placed on typical reggae music". 'Let Live' is an
artful mosaic of roots, jazz, funk, hip hop and African drumming. Unlike many bands who caved
in to the popularity of main stream reggae and fashion rastafarian, Midnite
decided to stick to their guns and play music from their heart and souls. - More
Vijan
Ireggae:
I Grade and Midnite have once
again come together to collaborate on "Vijan", the latest dose of
St. Croix roots reggae to be unveiled by I Grade Records. Vijan features
Midnite’s mystical lead vocalist, Vaughn Benjamin, and drummer Dion
Hopkins joining Laurent "Tippy" Alfred, Tuff Lion
and Kenyatta Itola on 14 wonderful selections. - More
Reggae Vibes:
First there was "Nemozian Rasta",
then came "Assini" and now there's "Vijan",
the much anticipated third collaboration project between one of reggae's best surprises in
recent years, St. Croix's sensational roots band Midnite, and I Grade
Records. Crediting the music on this cd to "A Midnite-I Grade
Collaboration" means that it's not an official release by the group, even though it
sounds a lot like Midnite. - More
Ray X:
Another very important album from the Virgin Island based band.
Midnite at this moment in time are one of the most important reggae bands ever. What is
interesting is our they combine the best traditions of Jamaica bands - studio based outfits
working on and with a number of producers and labels, like Soul Syndicate, The Roots Radics,
Now Generation, in this instance I Grade. - More
Reggae Reviews:
There's little doubt that Midnite remains at the cutting edge of reggae music, although
for some listeners, that edge may be a bit too sharp at times. Vijan is a good
example. As with the Midnite-I Grade Collaboration Nemozian Rasta, this album has an
experimental sound, this one in particular more akin to the offshoot Midnite Branch I than to
the usual Midnite sound itself (not surprising, since Midnite Branch I 's Geoman is an I Grade
release also). - More
Assini
Ireggae:
I Grade and Midnite have once
again come together to collaborate on "Vijan", the latest dose of
St. Croix roots reggae to be unveiled by I Grade Records. Vijan features
Midnite’s mystical lead vocalist, Vaughn Benjamin, and drummer Dion
Hopkins joining Laurent "Tippy" Alfred, Tuff Lion
and Kenyatta Itola on 14 wonderful selections. - More
Reggae Vibes:
'Assini' is Midnite's fifth album and also their
first release in 2002, already followed by two more cd's entitled 'Seek Knowledge
Before Vengeance' and 'The Cipheraw'. This 'Assini'
set could be regarded as a kind of 'Nemozian Rasta Volume 2', but only if you
listen superficially. Vaughn Benjamin and Laurent "Tippy"
Alfred arranged the album and they created an atmosphere on 'Assini'
which is more or less hypnotic and darkish, we would call it a 'dwelling' sound. - More
Skank Productions:
Every once in awhile, I find an artist or group that totally blows me away. Nasio
Fontaine has been that artist since 1998. This singer/songwriter from Dominica is one of the
most talented and righteous bredrin I've ever heard. I still feel he's deserving of
superstardom. But recently I was turned on to a group called Midnite and they
are, in a word, incredible. Hailing from St. Croix, this quintet has a raw roots sound which
is unlike any other. They've released three excellent discs, but the one that's being reviewed
here is their second collaboration with I Grade records (their first is
another crucial release entitled "Nemozian Rasta"). - More
Reggae Reviews:
This admittedly is not an easy album to listen to; it certainly took me the longest of
all of Midnite's albums so far to get into. The pace is slow, the
melodies indistinct, the overall tone is somber, subdued, and serene. This isn't to say
that Assini sounds so terribly different from previous Midnite
albums. In fact, it sounds like a direct extension of Nemozian Rasta
(both "Midnite - I Grade Collaborations"), except without as much of an
experimental, dynamic edge. - More
Nemozian
Rasta
Reggae Vibes:
Hailing from the Island of St Croix, Midnite
is one of the most promising roots reggae bands of the millennium. They are vanguards of
conscious reggae who represent the King's and Queen's music to the fullness of Jah. - More
Reggae Reviews:
Described as "a Midnite - I Grade
collaboration" (I Grade encompassing the record label, production company, and
contributing musicians) -- although it contains 3 tunes from Dezarie (two of
which are on her breathtaking debut Fya) -- Nemozian Rasta (Nemozian
referring to the Greek goddess of memory who gave birth to the Muses) could be interpreted by
fans as a straight Midnite album. - More
Midnite
Branch I & Other Collaborations
| 
