Edited by Yasushi Ide, Chika Minami. Preface by Don Letts. Afterword by Yasushi Ide.
Flyers, posters and other ephemera position the story of reggae at the intersection of music, politics and street culture
From early Jamaican sounds to UK developments and contemporary innovations, Vintage Reggae Poster Scrap traces the visual language of reggae and dub and their many subgenres. Featuring hundreds of carefully reproduced images of rare vintage posters, flyers, advertisements and press photographs from the collection of music producer and DJ Yasushi Ide, the book highlights design approaches ranging from raw DIY aesthetics to highly stylized promotional graphics, reflecting the diversity and rebellious energy of the scene. While books focusing on reggae record sleeves are already rare, this poster-centered volume stands apart as a pioneering work, positioning printed ephemera as a vital historical record. This collection of posters is accompanied by a special contribution from Don Letts, DJ and videographer for The Clash, who provides an authoritative commentary on the cross-cultural exchange of reggae.
This late-1990s promo poster for the King Tubby heavy dub album At the Controls is reproduced from new release Vintage Reggae Poster Scrap, notably subtitled All You Need Is Dub. Part of the influential Tokyo music label and select store Grand Gallery’s highly collectible Poster Scrap series, this 256-page compendium collects more than 200 rare vintage posters, flyers, advertisements and press photographs from the collection of music producer and DJ Yasushi Ide. “There’s a tactile power in these pages,” British filmmaker, DJ and musician Don Letts writes. “Before social media algorithms and endless event listings, posters and flyers were the way the culture spoke. They were street-level transmissions, as essential as the basslines. They had to grab your attention and pull you in. The smudged ink, the off-register colors, the urgent typography—they weren’t imperfections. They were the pulse and Yasushi captures that vibration perfectly. You can practically hear the bass just by flipping through the pages. And let’s be clear: this isn’t just a book of pretty pictures. It’s resistance at work. Reggae has always been the music of the people, the music of truth, the soundtrack of the marginalized. These posters carry that same spirit. They weren’t polished—they were powerful. They weren’t curated—they were created out of necessity and passion. And they speak louder today because of it.” continue to blog
FORMAT: Pbk, 5.75 x 8.25 in. / 256 pgs / 215 color. LIST PRICE: U.S. $55.00 LIST PRICE: CANADA $77 ISBN: 9784991160547 PUBLISHER: Grand Gallery AVAILABLE: 7/28/2026 DISTRIBUTION: D.A.P. RETAILER DISC: TRADE PUBLISHING STATUS: Active AVAILABILITY: In stock TERRITORY: WORLD Excl UK EUR JP KR TW
Published by Grand Gallery. Edited by Yasushi Ide, Chika Minami. Preface by Don Letts. Afterword by Yasushi Ide.
Flyers, posters and other ephemera position the story of reggae at the intersection of music, politics and street culture
From early Jamaican sounds to UK developments and contemporary innovations, Vintage Reggae Poster Scrap traces the visual language of reggae and dub and their many subgenres. Featuring hundreds of carefully reproduced images of rare vintage posters, flyers, advertisements and press photographs from the collection of music producer and DJ Yasushi Ide, the book highlights design approaches ranging from raw DIY aesthetics to highly stylized promotional graphics, reflecting the diversity and rebellious energy of the scene. While books focusing on reggae record sleeves are already rare, this poster-centered volume stands apart as a pioneering work, positioning printed ephemera as a vital historical record. This collection of posters is accompanied by a special contribution from Don Letts, DJ and videographer for The Clash, who provides an authoritative commentary on the cross-cultural exchange of reggae.
