Pressure Sounds discography

Pressure Sounds started off as a subsidiary of On-U Sound run by Adrian Sherwood's long term associate Pete Holdsworth but quickly became a self-supporting label in its own right. The label's brief is to select, revive and re-release quality, hard-to-find reggae from the golden era of the genre.

In particular releases are often from the lesser known labels, artists or producers in order to present the freshest material and to give a broader range of coverage. It also sometimes means that completely unreleased material comes to the surface or product makes it onto CD for the first time ever. Maximum Pressure was a sub-imprint and collaboration between Pressure Sounds and Frenchie of the label Maximum Sound. For 18 months or so beginning in 2002 issued a handful of more modern (post 1985) productions.

The label is very much run by reggae enthusiasts for reggae enthusiasts with each album release accompanied by detailed, informed sleeve notes giving historical background together with period photos. The occasional Sounds & Pressure CD-only samplers present a mixture of new material and selections from other catalogue releases. Apart from the Maximum Pressure collaboration, Pressure Sounds has also increasingly offered other label's selected material for sale through its website, including Green Tea, Auralux, Hot Pot, 30 Hertz, and Blood & Fire. With the exception of Green Tea (whose releases are detailed elsewhere), these releases are not listed. Pressure Sounds also sells much of its own merchandise, particularly T-shirts, but once again these are generally beyond the scope of this website and are not featured.

Detailing the original artists and producers behind Pressure Sounds' releases is largely beyond the remit of this website and notes will remain deliberately brief except to note where there is crossover On-U Sound interest. It is also clear that re-working of rhythms commonly takes place within these releases, but once again only rhythms related to On-U Sound are noted for simplicity.

In summary, Pressure Sounds pays tribute to those who made ground breaking and quality reggae music in their era and who inspired the likes of Adrian Sherwood in the roots revival that continues to this day.