Simon Coates

culture writer @discogs @observer & more
| artist | producer |

"utterly cretinous" - man on Facebook
"brilliant work" - Amnesty
"finally..." - Dua Lipa

[Simon Coates @simonjcoates]

Crucial dub maker recreates a crucial dub album. Following his appearance at this year's Le Guess Who? festival, Scientist is coming to the UK in early 2027.

[Sun Ra Arkestra @SunRaUniverse]

Sun Ra and Don Cherry performing at a Summer Solstice concert Battery Park, New York City, 1989.

[Flashback Records @flashbacklondon]

Flashback Records is looking for a reliable, organised music lover to join our team.

We’re hiring a part-time mail order assistant at our Shoreditch shop.

We want to hear from you!

For more details, head over to https://t.co/nZSQOXqh7y

[British black music & music industry runnings... @BBMBMC]

THANK YOU to all who attended yesterday's launch of British Black Music Month and The Brent Reggae Album Covers Exhibition which is on at Harlesden Library until Oct. 31.

The audience was wonderful with nice vibes, and one person came from outside London!

[Norman Records @normanrecords]

JUST IN! 'Spatial, No Problem.' by Lee 'Scratch' Perry & Mouse on Mars

The 2019 full-length collaborative recording between the dub reggae pioneer and German electronic duo finally surfaces.

@MoM_official @Dominorecordco
https://t.co/b3tY2qQCh9

[Julia Thee Junglist Historian @Miss_Toppin]

LAUNCH DAY!
@WestminsterWave
Very excited to see the launch of the only London wide radio station for students housed @UniWestminster Harrow campus.

[British black music & music industry runnings... @BBMBMC]

Click and check out the first BBM Newsletter in months - it contains details of our stripped-down British Black Music Month 2026 activities, etc:

https://t.co/osbqnSwBTS

BTW, the Brent #Reggae Album Covers Exhibition runs from TODAY June 1 at Harlesden Library

[Joseph Farquharson @jtfarquharson]

On Thurs, 4 June 2026, my colleague Byron M. Jones & I will be doing our first public presentation on the work we have been doing over the past 3 years putting together the "Dictionary of Jamaican Slang". Register for the event by visiting this page https://t.co/9omvIh4co1

[Simon Coates @simonjcoates]

@johnnytheshort Aha, the old Spanish Bar. What a place, what nights. Happy memories.

[Simon Coates @simonjcoates]

Incredibly sad to hear from Adrian Sherwood that reggae archivist and the force behind the Blood & Fire label, Steve Barrow, has died. This is a loss that will be felt deeply across the music world.

[Johnny Haddo, GeNt_ @johnnytheshort]

@simonjcoates 💙in the late 7ts Steve worked at Daddy Kool Records on Hanway Street, opposite the old Spanish Bar, with Keith Stone.
Before starting at Honest Jon's, spent time as a postie to keep body and soul together.
Rest in Peace, m8!
May your memory be a blessing.

[Simon Coates @simonjcoates]

This is very clever, Bandcamp users 👇

[Christa Terry, Arts Editor @CTerryObserver]

My husband built something for people who like #music: Kamp ingests your @Bandcamp downloads, auto-tags them via @MusicBrainz, fetches artwork and organizes your library — all without a single manual step. Currently in public beta - try it! https://t.co/vlRdCIorET

[The Voice Newspaper @TheVoiceNews]

📷 OUT TODAY | SPECIAL WINDRUSH EDITION for June 2026!✨✨

Britain's only Black newspaper brings you this special 48-page issue celebrating the lives, legacies and lasting contributions of the Windrush generation that helped build this nation.

This is history. #windrush78 #juneissue

📰Get your copy now: https://t.co/eqby8hpZox

[Simon Coates @simonjcoates]

Ijahman Levi and Earl 'Chinna' Smith
📷Arlene Green-Bromfield

[Simon Coates @simonjcoates]

Bristol massive: Jah Tubbys World System alongside Fatman Sound System at the Trinity Centre on Fri, June 12. Jah Tubbys is celebrating 55 years as a sound system, and has been building sound equipment since 1971.

[V’ghn @vghnofficial]

First artist that sings soca to do an outdoor stage at City splash. Another Door opened 🙏 #AllglorytoGod

[Okayplayer @okayplayer]

Miles Davis might be one of the most sampled artists of all time. His sound lives everywhere, Hip-Hop, R&B, Neo-Soul, Jazz fusion and more. OKP is ranking the top 5 BEST Miles Davis samples

🎺🔗 VIEW MORE: https://t.co/0R5AqGvgpM

[Sonny Rollins @sonnyrollins]

It is with deep sorrow and profound love that we announce the passing of Sonny Rollins. The Saxophone Colossus died this afternoon at his home in Woodstock, NY at the age of 95. 1/2 https://t.co/6AGmFrB7x4

[Simon Coates @simonjcoates]

One of the greatest records ever > https://t.co/EqFCLunqnn

[Trojan Records @trojanrecords]

This week we are commemorating the King of Ska, Desmond Dekker, 20 years on from his passing. Dekker's influence on ska and reggae remains as powerful as ever. As one of Jamaica’s first global music stars, he helped bring the sound of Jamaican music to audiences worldwide.

[dj short @_DJShort]

Dr. Wes, founder of The Jazz & Democracy Project, will be conducting a multimedia presentation on D'Angelo at the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco on July 2nd

https://t.co/Q2AoqdVuNG