Global REGGAE Vibes!

Happy Halloween!  On "Black Ark Vampires" Lee "Scratch" Perry & Subatomic Sound System have crafted a throbbing sound-man tune propelled by subsonic bass, bubbling skanks, and pulsing beats that balance the murky and mystical vibes of Perry’s classic Jamaican dub reggae recordings with the flammable energy and bass vibrations of current electronic music, fine tuning a recipe that they have slow cooked throughout their last four years of U.S. tours spreading authentic dub to a new generation in places like Coachella, Dub Champions Festival, and Red Bull Music Academy. Lyrically the track features Perry’s most focused lyrics in a decade, a poignant oath of vengeance against the vampires that corrupted the ark of the covenant and forced him to burn down his famed Black Ark studio, told in comical rhymes that echo the cadence of a Dr. Seuss story coupled with the morbidity of Edgar Allan Poe, promising the details of where, when, and how he will kill these vampires, from Kingston to London to New York City and everywhere; vampires beware; he will kill them with his hair, with fire, with electric wire, and even with roast corn. Melodically the tune packs soaring vampire hooks, spiritual vocal choirs, groaning melodica bursts, and even a few lines from dancehall vocalist Jahdan Blakkamoore, produced and recorded by Emch at his Subatomic Sound laboratory in NYC. Scratch’s vocals were recorded in Brooklyn at the Hook Studio after an NYC performance with the production assistance of On-U Sound’s legendary Adrian Sherwood, producer of some of Perry’s finest post-Jamaica recordings. The session was filmed by a Dubspot video crew after a long drive through NYC during which Perry recounted the better part of his life story as a warm up for the session.

At the age of 78, Lee "Scratch" Perry has built a life based as much on his fame as a reggae and dub inventor who exhibited boundless creativity and innovation in music composition and production, as he has on his reputation as a madman with playful wit, a propensity for lighting things on fire, a natural mystical spirituality that he famously introduced to Bob Marley, and his defiant individuality and commitment to personal freedom. "Black Ark Vampires" brilliantly ties together these divergent characteristics to create classic Lee "Scratch" Perry material on all levels.

Perry loves to dance and loves dancehall. His nickname actually comes from the name of dance he invented called Chicken Scratch. During his tours with Subatomic Sound System, Scratch had a voracious appetite for hearing new sounds and was interested in the "Vampires & Informers" dubstep track Subatomic Sound System had produced for dancehall vocalist Elephant Man. Perry began performing on the riddim live which led to developing the lyrics for Black Ark Vampires and Subatomic developing a riddim for Perry that captured his vibes. Though Perry is known for seldom giving straight answers and many have wondered if he really burned down the Black Ark studio, Emch from Subatomic Sound System says that one night after performing a show in California, he and percussionist Larry McDonald, a Black Ark studio veteran, were talking backstage when Scratch told them the reasons for his own longevity: "Stress will kill you. That’s why I had to burn down the Black Ark." He said the popularity of the studio had attracted the vampires who came to suck him dry and corrupted the magic of Black Ark, but rather than let that slowly destroy him like a cancer, he chose to close the book on that chapter of his life and move on by torching the studio and making an exodus to the UK leaving the vampires with nothing but the ashes.

THE ARTISTS: Grammy winning reggae and dub inventor Lee "Scratch" Perry is a living legend, one of Jamaica’s most prolific producers and a true original with a spirit that has defined and influenced countless artists across genres and generation, decades of great Jamaican artists from Bob Marley to Max Romeo, punk rockers The Clash, The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards, The Orb, The Beastie Boys, Paul McCartney, Kode9, and the list goes on. At 78 he continues to tour, record, and paint incessantly.

Spearhead by producer, DJ, and instrumentalist Emch, NYC’s Subatomic Sound System is leading a dub music renaissance, founders of the US & Europe Dub Champions Festival, 4 years acting as the live band for legend Lee "Scratch" Perry on tours including Coachella & Red Bull Music Academy; plus independently touring North America, Europe, and Asia, and for a decade producing flavors ranging from classic dub to dubstep.

THE SUBATOMIC SOUND LABEL: Subatomic Sound specializes in limited edition exclusive vinyl releases that push the envelope of dub, reggae, & dancehall in the context of electronic bass music through forward sounding productions and unlikely collaborations with icons such as Lee "Scratch" Perry, David Lynch, Anthony B, Elephant Man, Ari Up of The Slits, as well as new school torchbearers like Dubblestandart, Jahdan Blakkamoore, Dub Gabriel, and many more. Subatomic Sound actively produces events and founded the annual Dub Champions Festival running 4 years in the USA and Europe. Subatomic Sound Radio airs on Brooklyn Radio and for three years ran on KEXP’s Radio New York, 91.5FM broadcast which transmitted to a footprint of 11 million listeners.

Lee Scratch Perry & Subatomic Sound System "Black Ark Vampires" vinyl 45 mix

Take This Toke.



Superfly Studio SF023
Dr. Ring Ding & Dreadsquad - Dig It All

Artist: Dr. Ring Ding & Dreadsquad
Title: Dig It All
Format: Digital Download / CD
Genre: digital reggae / dancehall  
Label: Superfly Studio
Cat.No: SF023
Release date: 28.11.2014
Artwork: Ellen G / MyLord


Track list 

1. Shubeen
2. Soundbway Warning
3. Your Sound Is Done
4. Sweet Like Candy
5. Think Positive
6. Hurry Up To Wait
7. Come Test
8. Dig It All
9. Telemarketer
10. Modern Time
11. Creation
12. Ugly Gal
13. Animal Party
14. Don’t Waste My Time

Dig It All - calling all digital immigrants and natives!
 
After a number of previous collaborations in various styles of the Reggae
genre (such as Roots, Dancehall, Ska and Dub) and uncounted hours of sharing
the passion for this music by talking about it, listening to it and
performing it, we decided to join forces for a venturesome project.
 
It is no secret that both of us have a predilection for the origins of the
computerized Dancehall style that was created and developed in 80s Jamaica
by innovative producers such as King Jammy and Bobby Digital. The
instrumental-track to Wayne Smith's "Under Me Sleng Teng",
a Jammy production from 1985, is claimed to be the first 'all digital'
rhythm in Reggae. It has paved the way for literally thousands of artists
and producers, including ourselves.
 
On the performance side, the inspiration lies in the works of veteran
Deejays such as Admiral Bailey, Chaka Demus and Cutty Ranks, to name a few.
Storytelling as a way of entertainment, finding diverting topics,
interesting expressions and riding the riddim with a peculiar flow.
 
On the producer side, the inspiration came from the pioneers of digital
Reggae such as Jammys, Harry J, Steely and Clevie, and Gussie
Clarke.  During the production, a lot of classic original gear from back in
the day was used - Yamaha CS-01, Casio Mt41 and MT100, Roland Space Echo,
Fisher SpaceXpander, and the Coron DS-08 Drum Synth.
 
This way, it was possible to catch the sound and the spirit of the
originators and respectfully and sensitively transport it into modern times.
 
So here it is - our tribute to the veterans and pioneers of the digital
style, dedicated to all digital specialists!
 
Dr. Ring Ding       &     Dreadsquad

Dr. Ring Ding meets Dreadsquad - Dig It All (album promomix)

Bamcie

Life Is Beautiful

Any Day

Tru Organics

Munyon Canyon

OUTLANDER

Faith

Rich Sex

Guerre (before After Mastering)

07 Komadub - Tal Abyad

Ghetto Life

Zion Awaits

buy it on ITunes or Google Play support Sizzla Kalonji.

Sizzla Kalonji - Thank You Jah 2019 [Kalonji Records x Vision House Records]

Weekend Love Riddim

Feelings

Explorer of Sounds, Souls & Seas. 
#DJ #BeatMaker #Producer
Now in Istanbul (Turkey).
#BetonOrman #NomadicWax #ZeroPlastica

1/2 of @firealarmsound
#Musictheweapon
#Musicthemission 
U.S. / INT'L. BOOKING: bookmetricman@gmail.com


Brian Cummings, better known by his stage alias Metric Man, is a reggae and hip-hop musician based in New York and the D.C. area. Originally from Trinidad, Metric Man’s lifelong obsession with music started at the age of 6 in a local calypso competition. By the mid-90s, his work as part of the soca/reggae group Culture Clan put him on the map in Trinidad alongside other talents such as Bunji Garlin and MX Prime. In 1997, Metric Man joined the rapso fraternity, a prestigious niche with a devoted following in the Afro-Caribbean music community.

After moving to the United States in 2004, Metric Man began actively pursuing his roots in reggae because, as he put it, the genre “had the perfect BPM for his socially conscious lyrics.” Since coming to the U.S., he has shared line-ups with beloved artists such as Ky-Mani Marley, Yellowman, Barrington Levy, Sister Nancy, Junior Toots, and more. 2009 saw him on tour with renowned artist Bushman. In 2012, Metric Man was featured at Catalpa Festival which had him alongside Snoop Dogg, AraabMuzik, and A$AP Mob.

Most recently, Metric Man has collaborated with Proper Villains on a side project, Fire Alarm, which is currently signed to Feel Up Records and will see a full-length release in 2016.

His unique fusion of hip-hop, dancehall, reggae, and soca makes Metric Man an incredibly versatile performer whose voice can uniquely shape shift to match the vibe of his surroundings. With his mission statement to “achieve global unity, equal rights, and justice for all mankind” through the power of music, Metric Man’s focus on building a stronger community through his roots in Afro-Caribbean soundscapes makes him stand out amongst the pack.

Take This Toke.

Metric Man

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