ENTITY · CONCEPT
Crate digging as reggae research
Well supported
For much of this music the record itself is the primary source. Labels went out of business, session sheets were never kept, and a matrix number scratched in the run-out groove may be the only evidence of who pressed what and when. Serious research into Jamaican music is done partly in archives and partly in boxes of vinyl, and the two are not in competition.
At a glance
- Type
- concept →
- Confidence
- Well supported
Coverage areas
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Connections
Debate & reception
How people argued about the music — praise, criticism and public debate. See all debate & reception →
commentary
Reissues need transparent credits
Reissue labels and retailers help preserve Jamaican music, but
Stance: reissue curation vs original-release evidence
debate
The crate-digger economy: raising reggae's profile or pricing out local access?
A documented debate about foreign collectors, dealers and reissue demand, stated neutrally: one view is that global crate-digging and vinyl revival have raised reggae's profile and preserved rare pressings; another is that speculative collecting and export inflate prices and move the music out of reach of the communities that made it. Sources: The Vinyl Factory; United Reggae; Jamaica Gleaner.
Stance: global collectors and reissues raising reggae's profile vs pricing the music beyond local reach