Music Action is well known as the organiser of Reggae Sun Ska and the booker of Groundation and Sebastian Sturm in Europe. Less well known is Soulbeats, its label activity developed only recently. It was on this label that last year's albums by Sebastian Sturm ("One moment in peace"), the Shaolin Temple Defenders (supercharged funk, not to be missed on stage) and Marta High came out.
Rather discreet until now, the label will step up a gear in 2010, with no fewer than seven albums between January and October. Music Action was known to be torn between soul, funk and reggae; Soulbeats will be no exception. From January, the first album by The Jouby's, a band from the Gironde that mixes soul and rocksteady, as in the great days of Alton Ellis or Ken Boothe, will kick off the series. In March, Rebelution, the biggest reggae seller in the USA, and the Swiss band Moonraisers will release their albums. And finally, Sebastian Sturm's new album will come out in May 2010.
Note that Soulbeats will also release albums by Gizelle Smith (soul/funk; February), Dee-Ann & The bad soul band (soul/funk; April) and finally the Shaolin Temple Defenders (soul/funk; October).