Computer All Stars – Sunset Records

Dropped out of Jamaica’s mid-’80s digital pivot, Computer All Stars on Sunset Records catches that moment when the new computerised bounce was still sounding raw and novel. The set links Carl Meeks, Frankie Paul and Pad Anthony to a bright, clipped riddim that sits right between singjay swagger and early dancehall chatter, with Charlie Chaplin’s “Bionic Man” and Jah Screw’s “Boom Shock Attack” adding a bit of sly character to the lineup. 1985 was the year this kind of programmed pulse started taking over the soundsystem lane, and you can hear that shift in the sharp phrasing and lean arrangements across the cut. It’s a ten-track run, with Keith Sterling and The Turbos and Little John helping give the whole thing that slightly futuristic, after-hours feel, right down to the name.