Forty one years after Lee "Scratch" Perry defined dub music with his iconic 1976 Super Ape album, he returns with New York City's Subatomic Sound System to conquer the bass generation. Subatomic reincarnates the magic of Perry's Black Ark studio in Jamaica, going in heavy on Ethiopian horns & percussion, reinvigorated by booming 21st century bass & beats to capture the energy of their innovative live electronic show and vibes of the urban jungle. The original album is a cornerstone in the development of independent, producer fueled, beat and bass driven music. This new album breaks ground of its own as Perry & Subatomic create an unprecedented level of dynamic improvisation between live performers, computers, and studio manipulation, exploding traditional concepts of what is a live performance versus a studio recording. Recorded in New York City at Subatomic Sound, in Brooklyn at The Hook, in Jamaica at The New Ark, in the ocean, under a tree, and at concerts around the world.

Lee 'Scratch' Perry + Subatomic Sound System | Super Ape Returns To Conquer (drops 9/22)

Available 9/11/17 instantly with pre-order of "Super Ape Returns To Conquer" new album from Lee "Scratch" Perry + Subatomic Sound System dropping 9/22/17.  More info at www.SubatomicSound.com

The 1976 version of “Underground Roots” on Super Ape was a mostly instrumental ganja tune but in this new rework features Ari Up, pioneering singer of the first all-female UK punk band The Slits, joining Scratch on vocals calling out the underground youth to wake up and seek out the real truth beyond what they are taught in school, playing on the metaphor of underground roots and culture. Sadly it this was Ari’s last recording session, shortly before she passed away, recorded not long after her live performance with Scratch, Subatomic, & Dubblestandart in NYC.  Ari and Joe Strummer of the Clash dated during the early days of punk in London. Ari introduced Strummer to reggae and even taught him some guitar chords. The Clash brought the Slits on tour with them and scored a big hit covering Lee Perry’s “Police & Thieves” track. Strummer later asking Perry to remix their dub album “Black Market Clash”.

Super Ape Returns To Conquer

Lee "Scratch" Perry + Subatomic Sound System | Underground Roots w/ Ari Up of The Slits (out 9/11)

Available 9/11/17 instantly with pre-order of "Super Ape Returns To Conquer" new album from Lee "Scratch" Perry + Subatomic Sound System dropping 9/22/17.  CD and vinyl available for pre-order now. More info at www.SubatomicSound.com
Tempo: 65/130bpm Key: G major ] Lyrically timely and always a favorite at concerts, this version of the reggae classic “War Ina Babylon” has  Subatomic Sound System mixing an old school one drop beat into a thumping 909 kick & snare, a reggae bass line mixed into modulating electronic sub-bass, and impeccably reincarnated horns, guitars, and percussion build on Scratch’s original influences, introducing stylistic elements of Jimi Hendrix and a new, key-modulating bridge section that veers into Malian blues and features the African kora.  Scratch originally wrote the song for singer Max Romeo and included a dub remix “Black Vest” on his original Super Ape album with featured sparse chatting vocals and new horn lines.  All those elements are tied together here with Scratch adding new lyrical themes to address current issues with corrupt government, police shootings, and religious leaders while Screechy Dan sings all the vintage Heptones harmonies.

Lee "Scratch" Perry + Subatomic Sound System | War Ina Babylon (out 9/11)

Song out 9/11 on iTunes with full album pre-order.  The title track of the new Super Ape Returns To Conquer album is reimagined as a pulsing bass fueled four on the floor journey, trodding through creation with the Super Ape, while Scratch proclaims the healing power of music, of vibration, of meditation, and of dub, perfect dub equals perfect love -- synchronicity with nature: “This is the ape man/ trodding through creation/ are you ready to step with I-man?”  Super Ape is Scratch’s metaphor for the power of nature, the power of the sky manifested by the hurricanes with their thunder, lightning, wind and rain that frequently decimated Jamaica.  In a time of environmental crisis, the song serves as a reminder of the fragility of humanity in the face of nature and how little we understand about the mystery and magic of nature exemplified by the jungle, the sea, and the elements.  Though a self-identifying Rastafarian, Scratch is also very much a naturalist and a vegetarian. Sampled by Murs & 9th Wonder on “Are You Ready”.

Lee "Scratch" Perry + Subatomic Sound System | Super Ape (out 9/11)

Out now on Super Ape Returns To Conquer - Curly Dub (Sing Along Jah Jah Children) [Length: 6:06  Tempo: 62/124bpm Key: A minor ] “Curly Dub” features a bold steppers beat and unlikely swaggering jazz bass line that get turnt up and taken on a psychedelic trip back to Africa. Though reggae is often identified by its signature bass lines, Scratch upends convention on this composition with a massive walking jazz bass line originally over a four on the floor steppers beat (somewhat groundbreaking in the 1970s) that is redone by Subatomic Sound in heavyweight fashion with tight 808 house kicks, big belly sine wave bass, and an added energy boost from improvised Ethiopian sax solos – extending the original American jazz influence all the way back to Africa.  Screechy Dan reincarnates Scratch’s original vocals, a melody that harkens back very clearly to the vocal phrasing style that Scratch famously nurtured in Bob Marley.  Legendary Jamaican percussionist and Black Ark studio veteran, Larry McDonald, lays down all the shaking, scraping, and rattling sounds as well as his signature conga patterns that dance around the bubbling organ skank.  Scratch blends his spirituality with signature humor, proclaiming “I am free” and that he is "black Moses", here to free the people, imploring the to feel it, smell it, and taste it. Scratch was a huge influence on the Beastie Boys, one of the few respected artists also known for their humor. Beastie Boys who featured Scratch on their track Dr. Lee Phd.

Lee "Scratch" Perry + Subatomic Sound System | Curly Dub (Sing Along Jah Jah Children)

Out now on Super Ape Returns To Conquer [Length: 3:20 Tempo: 77.5/155bpm Key: A minor ] “Lucifer son of the morning, I’m gonna chase you out earth!” One of the most memorable beginnings to any song, one of the most sampled, and one the most classic in tunes in reggae, Scratch wrote “Chase the Devil” with singer Max Romeo, but in his typical fashion did several remixes and dubs of it, one of which was the hit “Disco Devil” sung by Scratch, and another called “Croaking Lizard” with chatting vocals, chatting being what Jamaicans called the rhythmic speaking which would later in the USA become rap music.  All those concepts are tied together in this version with Brooklyn’s Jahdan Blakkamoore nailing the opening vocal, Scratch adding new verses to taunt Satan, and NYC dancehall don Screechy Dan chatting inna classic Jamaican party rocking style while Emch recreated the music with impeccable reverence to the genius original Black Ark production but with heavy 808 kicks, sub-bass lines, and dubwise congas from Larry McDonald (who performed on the original 1976 Black Ark recording) guaranteed to move a 21st century dancefloor.  Note the elaboration on the guitar melody in the verses, revealing new lines that sound like missing parts from 1976 finally revealed and brought up in the mix 41 years later.   “Chase the Devil” has been sampled and referenced in countless popular tunes across genres, recently by Kanye West & Jay Z on “Lucifer” all the way back to the 90s rave anthem by The Prodigy called “Outer Space”.

Lee "Scratch" Perry + Subatomic Sound System | Chase The Devil w/ Jahdan Blakkamoore & Screechy Dan

Out now on 'Super Ape Returns To Conquer' album! Zion’s Blood [Length: 4:24 Tempo: 67/134bpm Key: A minor ] The roots of the mystic spiritual vibes Scratch conjured up from Africa and was known to have instilled in the likes of Bob Marley are here combined with Subatomic Sound’s pulsing 21st century sub bass and 909 kick drums guaranteed to rattle massive bass bins like the latest trap or dubstep track while maintaining  a deep meditation.  “Zion’s Blood is flowing through my vein, and I&I shall never work in vein/ African blood is flowing through my vein/ and I&I will never fade away” is repeated like a mantra throughout the song, upending typical song structure and in many ways capturing the essence of Scratch’s creativity and ideology, reclaiming his lost African history through musical production, inventing the genres of reggae and dub to establish his reputation, but refusing even at 81 years old to stop innovating.  Rebuilding this song with no samples from the original, it was critical to capture the magic of the original like the introductory heavy tom toms and whistle that announce the arrival of the Super Ape and the majestic African horns signal the royal Emperor H.I.M. Selassie who Scratch claims to be his spiritual twin (notice the resemblance of their faces).  The Wes Montgomery style guitar lines in the original are further developed here by Emch and the regal horns lines, though produced in gritty and vintage Black Ark fashion, are pushed to the forefront to pump up the energy and highlight the African roots of the composition.

Super Ape Returns to Conquer

Lee "Scratch" Perry + Subatomic Sound System | Zion's Blood

Lee Scratch Perry + Subatomic Sound System | New Ark Subatomic Energy

Bonus cut on CD only on the Super Ape Returns to Conquer album.  More info http://www.SubatomicSound.com

Dread Lion Dubstrumental (CD bonus cut) | Lee Scratch Perry + Subatomic Sound System

NYC dub & bass specialists: performers, label, events since Y2K spearheaded by Emch. DJ or live, worldwide. Check http://www.subatomicsound.com Founded Dub Champions Festival (USA/ Europe). Stacks of music w/ Lee Scratch Perry, Anthony B, Elephant Man, Jahdan, and more.  Spearheaded by Emch Subatomic Sound is the label and Subatomic Sound System is the crew, DJ, live band, production team and radio show on www.BrooklynRadio.com

Select list of Subatomic Sound System shows...
Dub Champions Festival USA & Europe tours 2011-2019 w/ Lee Perry
USA May 2019 tour w/Julian Marley 
Coachella 2013 w/ Lee Scratch Perry
Red Bull Music Academy  2014 NYC  w/ Lee Scratch Perry & Adrian Sherwood

Check www.SubatomicSound.com for good stuff.
www.DubChampions.com for the festival.

Latest releases: 
SS039 Subatomic Sound & Screechy Dan "Babylon Soon Fall"
SS038 Subatomic Sound & Junior Dread "Revolution 2 Freedom"
SS037 Subatomic Sound & Screechy Dan "Champion Sound"
SS036 Subatomic Sound System "Shaolin Dub"
SS035 Sting & Shaggy "Morning is Coming" Subatomic Sound System remix
SS034 Lee Scratch Perry & Subatomic Sound "A Me"
SS033 Lee Scratch Perry & Subatomic Sound "Super Ape Returns To Conquer"
SS032 Word Sound Power "Discipline"
SS031 NYC-2-Africa-2-Brasil
SS030
SS029 Lee Scratch Perry & Subatomic Sound "Black Ark Vampires"
SS028
SS027
SS026
SS025 Noble Society "Living the Life"
SS022 Anthony B "Dem Can't Stop We From Talk - Remixed" LP (digital) March 2012
SS024 Anthony B meets Subatomic Sound "Dem Can't Stop We From Talk" vinyl Oct 2011
SS023 Anthony B meets Dubblestandart "Dem Can't Stop We From Talk rmx" vinyl Oct 2011
SS021 Sancocho e' Tigres "Lujo de Pobre" LP (digital)
SS020 Sancocho e' Tigres "Lujo de Pobre: Single & Samples" EP (digital) 
SS019 Elephant Man "Vampires & Informers" LP (digital) April 2011
SS018 Elephant Man "Vampires & Informers"  (vinyl) 
SS016 NYC-2-Africa Nov 2010
SS017 Elephant Man "Vampires & Informers" EP (digital) Oct 2010
SS015 Dubblestandart meets David Lynch & Lee Scratch Perry "Chrome Optimism" (digital & vinyl) Sept 2010
SS014 Subatomic Sound System meets Ari-Up & Lee Scratch Perry "Hello, Hell is Very Low" (vinyl) Aug 2010
SS009 Lee Scratch Perry & Dubblestandart meet  Subatomic Sound System & Jahdan Blakkamoore "Blackboard Jungle" (vinyl) April 209
SS008 Subatomic Sound System meets Lee Scratch Perry "Iron Devil" (vinyl) Oct 2008

For over a decade Emch has been the producer, selector, and musician behind Subatomic Sound System and the Subatomic Sound label. Founded at the turn of the millennium, NYC’s Subatomic Sound System has built a reputation worldwide for explosive shows, genre bending production, and breaking down barriers with their unique adaptation of 1970’s Jamaican sound system culture and dub reggae studio techniques to all types of bass heavy music genres, current technology, and live performances. A record label, DJ/production crew, live band, and event promoters, the Subatomic Sound crew is at work in NYC on every level. For 3 years, Subatomic Sound Radio blasted out to a footprint of eleven million terrestrial listeners in the greater NYC area on KEXP's Radio New York broadcast, 91.5fm and also via BrooklynRadio.com  

Subatomic Sound System has toured throughout N. America, Europe, & Asia  including with Lee Scratch Perry at NYC's Central Park, RBMA NYC, Poland's One Love, and Moscow's Milk with John Forte.

As the Subatomic Sound record label head, Emch has produced and released dub reggae innovator Lee Scratch Perry's first dubstep tracks plus eclectic collaborations with icons like filmmaker David Lynch, Prince Far-i, & UK punk pioneer Ari Up of the Slits as well as new school torchbearers like Anthony B, Elephant Man, Jahdan Blakkamoore, Dubblestandart, & his own group Subatomic Sound System.

Want to book Subatomic Sound? Hit us on Soundcloud or mail BOOKING (at) SubatomicSound (dot) COM  

Pushing dub and bass globally! Next stop your city or festival?