In 1966, the Merritone label was founded as a subsidiary of Federal Records when the Ska beat was slowing down its tempo to take a next musical form called Rocksteady. From the sons of Ken Khouri, Paul and Richard, engineers at the Federal Records to even employees at their pressing plant - everybody involved at the label followed the Merritone productions with passion. They recorded many songs under the Merritone label. However, those only appeared on vinyl records in limited quantities in Jamaica and a small bunch of titles were released on the Island label in UK. Some of the recordings never saw the light, some became hardly known and many of them are now considered being ultra rare records. Thus the label became a mysterious Rocksteady production in the Jamaican musicology. The label name is originated from Winston Blake's sound system. Merritone recordings were undoubtedly a collective of veteran musicians at Federal Records, using high-technology recording facilities, traditions and being proud of the record company. Many would still describe the sound so unique, elegant, sophisticated and authentic like no other. Dub Store Records is the Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae and Dancehall reissue label run by the eponymous Tokyo based record store. The label aims at accurately covering the 50-plus years of Jamaican music, and passing on many rare and magnificent recordings, which are non-commercial and highly artistic. Carefully handing down the tradition of reggae music, Dub Store has so far issued recordings from labels and artists such as Studio One, Federal Records, Jammys, Bunny Wailer's Solomonic, Derrick Harriott, Kiddus I, Redman International, King Tubby's Firehouse, Fam's and BMN.
