Mr. Ital is the moniker under which Claudio Rooms has been making steady waves for the past few years. After a string of single releases, the reggae crooner from Sint-Niklaas now presents his debut EP 'State Of Mind', a six-track collection that marks a new chapter in his musical journey.
By Jah Rebel
For the recordings, Mr. Ital travelled all the way to Jamaica, where he worked at renowned studios such as Tuff Gong and Mixing Lab alongside celebrated musicians like Kirk Bennett (drums), Robbie Lyn (keys), Bongo Herman (percussion), Donald ‘Danny Bassie’ Dennis (bass), and veteran producer Clive Hunt.
Most of the songs on the EP, however, were recorded back home with The Pineapple Express, Mr. Ital’s trusted live band featuring bassist Lorenz Van Guyse, keyboardists Alejandro Donoso and Matthias Mareen, guitarist Pim Van Hoywegen and drummer Wim ‘Radix’ Verbruggen.
The most instantly recognizable track is probably ‘Big Man’, built on the classic riddim of The Heptones’ ‘Heptones Gonna Fight’. There’s also ‘Waistline’, the EP’s first single, which rides a riddim that nods playfully to Gregory Isaacs, but our personal favorites are ‘Discipline’, an ode to inner strength and self-control, and ‘Hakuna Matata’, where Mr. Ital fondly reminisces about his childhood days.
Enjoyable debut statement from a Belgian reggae artist well worth keeping an eye on.
Mr. Ital & The Pineapple Express will present ‘State Of Mind’ live on Wednesday, December 17, at De Casino in Sint-Niklaas!
Founder alongside Jah Shakespear who transitioned to this role in late 2014. Previously worked as critic and reporter, balancing passions for music and Haile Selassie spirituality.
November 10, 2025