Throughout August, Reggae Roast take charge of This Is Trojan, with 14 of our favourite Trojan tracks added to the spotify playlist every Friday morning over the next 4 weeks.

Founding member, James Harper, who has selected the tracks had the following to say regarding his affinity with Trojan and reggae music as a whole:

“I was first introduced to reggae through my older half-brother who was an avid collector in the 80’s. He was mad into his digital reggae and dancehall and collected 100’s of yard tapes. I was about 5 then. But it wasn’t until quite a bit later on that I really discovered Trojan through my local Caribbean bar/ restaurant when I was about 15.

The guy who owned the restaurant had loads of old Studio 1 and Trojan vinyl that he stored under the stairs in the venue and he’d play them on a Friday night when we were in there eating and drinking. When I started listening to them I realised that I already knew a lot of the rhythms that I heard my brother play as a kid. 

I realised that Trojan and Studio 1 Records and other, similar labels were responsible for so much music that I knew and had influenced so much more. It was then that I started collecting reggae and haven’t stopped since.

There so much music to discover, you could go on forever. The restaurant was called Posh Nosh and I played my first ever DJ gig there, so that place has a important place in my heart.”