Romain Virgo and Swiss selector-producer Skyscraper Stereo have connected on a new reggae track called “Run It Back,” and the recording location alone makes it worth paying attention to.
The song was laid down at Tuff Gong Studios in Kingston, Jamaica, the studio founded by Bob Marley that still carries serious weight in the reggae world.
The pairing is an interesting one. Virgo is one of the most consistent voices in contemporary reggae, a singer who built his reputation on raw vocal ability and a knack for soulful delivery, while Skyscraper Stereo brings a European perspective to the riddim, the kind of cross-cultural exchange that has kept reggae’s global reach alive and evolving.
Recording at Tuff Gong is never just a logistical choice. It carries a cultural statement, a signal that the artists involved are thinking about legacy and lineage, not just putting out a quick release.
For a collaboration between a Jamaican artist and a Swiss producer, doing it there grounds the project in something real.
Skyscraper Stereo has been quietly building a reputation as a producer who takes reggae seriously rather than treating it as a genre to borrow from casually.
Working with an artist of Virgo’s caliber, and in a studio with that kind of history, suggests this is a project both sides invested in properly.
Virgo, who rose to prominence after winning the 2006 Digicel Rising Stars competition in Jamaica, has spent years proving he belongs in conversations about the best voices the genre has produced in the modern era.
His catalog leans into classic reggae and lovers rock territory, and “Run It Back” appears to sit comfortably in that space, described as a soulful track rather than a hard dancehall cut.
The international dimension of this collaboration is something reggae fans have seen more of in recent years, with European producers and selectors developing genuine relationships with Jamaican artists rather than simply sampling or replicating the sound from a distance.
Skyscraper Stereo fits into that tradition, and the choice to record in Kingston rather than remotely or in a European studio says something about the level of commitment involved.
What “Run It Back” actually sounds like beyond its soulful description is something listeners will need to judge for themselves.
But the combination of Virgo’s voice, a Swiss producer with roots in the selector world, and the acoustics and history of Tuff Gong creates a setup that reggae followers will find genuinely curious.
The track is out now, and the conversation around where it fits in both artists’ catalogs is just getting started.
