Subatomic Sound System

Mykal Rose + Subatomic Sound System March 26, 2022

February 14, 2022 By Subatomic

Mykal Rose / Michael Rose of Black Uhuru links with Subatomic Sound System

Veteran superstar Mykal Rose of Black Uhuru is set to propel his iconic vocal style into the future in a new collaboration with NYC”s Subatomic Sound System. Their debut live performance will be March 26, 2022 headlining the 11th Annual Spring Break Reggae Festival in Florida (click for info & tickets). While heavy on bass and drums for the new millennium, they will also preserve the roots and foundation of reggae with horns and percussion as exemplified in Subatomic’s decade long tenure as a hybrid live and electronic band backing dub reggae pioneer Lee “Scratch” Perry. Winner of the first ever reggae Grammy back in 1985, Mykal Rose’s style has resonated across generations of reggae. Mykal’s latest single “The Weed”, a collaboration with Vybz Kartel, debuted in February 2022 at #1 in Jamaica.

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Filed Under: News

Lee Scratch Perry Memorial Shows with Subatomic Sound System + Screechy Dan

September 30, 2021 By Subatomic

Brooklyn, Saturday 11/6, 6:30-10PM, final memorial show! October 9-15 & November 6 in the USA, Lee “Scratch” Perry’s NYC based band, Subatomic Sound System, celebrates his life & music with the first in a series of memorial performances across the USA featuring frequent collaborator, Brooklyn based Jamaican singer Screechy Dan, on the mic.

11/6 BROOKLYN NY | @ Public Records (plus Addis Pablo, Queen Majesty, and special guests) 6:30-10:00pm. Limited capacity. Advance tickets recommended.

Lee Scratch Perry & Subatomic Sound System

A musical memorial for a king, Lee Scratch Perry (1936-2021), will be performed by Scratch’s NYC based band Subatomic Sound System celebrating the monumental life of the legendary Jamaican reggae and dub originator who departed this earth one month ago, a stones’ throw from where he was born. Jamaican health restrictions limited the actual funeral on September 23 to only ten people, not even enough for family, so these shows are organized for all the friends and fans unable to attend. Known to many as the eccentric producer and co-writer of some of Bob Marley’s most famous work (like “Sun is Shining”, “Kaya”, “One Drop”) and many more reggae classics, he is revered across music genres for his inspired music production and boundless creativity which includes being the first to use a sample in a song, the first to record a singer chatting (which was Jamaica’s vocal predecessor to rapping), and the first producer to appear as an artist on an album cover. During the most recent decade, he brought this to the stage with Subatomic Sound System.

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Filed Under: News Tagged With: funeral, Jamaica, Lee Scratch Perry, memorial show, Screechy Dan, Subatomic Sound System, tribute

Lee “Scratch” Perry, the Super Ape, RIP 1936-2021

September 3, 2021 By Subatomic

Lee Scratch Perry & Subatomic Sound System at KEXP

UPDATE: Subatomic Sound System + Screechy Dan had a tour scheduled Oct 9-15 in the USA and Nov 6 in Brooklyn. By request, these shows will be musical memorials for Scratch, in light of the demand to celebrate the life of Scratch and the restrictions in Jamaica barring large crowds at the funeral.

Several people have asked about music released by Lee “Scratch” Perry & Subatomic Sound System to play in tributes:

2017’s acclaimed “Super Ape Returns To Conquer” album captures the 40th anniversary of “Super Ape” live tour and features versions of some of Scratch’s biggest productions “Chase the Devil”, “War Ina Babylon”, “Zion’s Blood”, “Dread Lion” and more. Live video of the song “Dread Lion” from Bumbershoot festival

2016 release “Black Ark Vampires” was Scratch’s closing song on almost every show since its release and is Scratch’s explanation for burning down the Black Ark studio in 1983. Live video from KEXP studio session.

2018 “A Me (The Dub Organizer)” was released on Bandcamp exclusively as a promo for the 45th anniversary of “Blackboard Jungle Dub” allbum tour.

Playlist of Releases: Below is a Spotify playlist of Scratch & Subatomic that includes all the above releases plus additional remixes we did in 2007 (some vinyl & some digital as described in this documentary) and second playlist of some of Scratch’s personal favorite productions.

Live videos are compiled in this YouTube playlist of Scratch & Subatomic shows from 2009-2020 primarily in the USA, Canada, & Europe, but the last tours included Mexico and the final band show 2019 was in Dubai and final US festival show was Feb 2020 with Scratch & Emch.

Statement from Emch of Subatomic Sound System: Lee “Scratch” Perry. Boundless creativity and inspiration, the curiosity of a child and the soul of a prophet, unleashed on the earth for the past 85 years The spirit, the magic, and the soul fire Super Ape will live on forever. Inspiration is the greatest gift, one which you gave us so freely, unlocking pathways to self-discovery in us and the people you interacted with on a daily basis throughout your life, a creative miracle worker. You changed our lives, our perspective, our way of doing things, our understanding of what was possible. In shock to hear today that this earthly presence has come to an end, closing this decade long chapter of working, traveling, & laughing together. To anyone reading this who has crossed paths on this journey, please share a comment on our IG or Facebook of some time you remember and what it meant to you. It would mean a lot to us in this time. Scratch always said “I conquer death” and those memories and that energy is how death is conquered

Conga player Larry McDonald does an extensive interview about Scratch here.

Live in Brooklyn at Elsewhere for the 45th anniversary of “Blackboard Jungle Dub” tour, the world’s first dub album performed live for the first time. The video was also shot in 3D VR here if you have a headset.

Scratch & Subatomic at Coachella 2013

Zion’s Blood was the opening song for nearly every live show until the late 2017. This is a 360 VR recording from a show in North Carolina. According to Emch “the vibes were great that night but sadly the first row was clogged with press photographers at the start of the show which initially blunted the otherwise vibrant energy of the sold out sweaty room.”

After hearing the rough mix, Scratch requested that the new opening song for shows be changed to the updated version of Dub Organizer titled “A Me” which Emch recorded with Scratch in Jamaica during the sessions for the “Super Ape Returns to Conquer” album in 2017. This led to a discussion about doing 45th anniversary of “Blackboard Jungle Dub” which began in 2018.

Spotify playlist of digital releases from Lee “Scratch” Perry & Subatomic Sound System

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Filed Under: News Tagged With: Black Ark, Lee Perry, Lee Scratch Perry, RIP, Subatomic Sound System, The Upsetter

Live! Subatomic Sound System + Screechy Dan in Brooklyn, Saturday August 28

August 24, 2021 By Subatomic

Yes people! Saturday, August 28 in Brooklyn, Subatomic Sound System & Screechy Dan will be live, outdoors, for the JunXion NYC ,7 year anniversary, 2-10pm in the back yard of the venue now called 3 Dollar Bill at 260 Meserole Street, Brooklyn, NY 11206, formerly The Wick & The Well. Get advanced tickets and check out the COVID policy. Facebook event here. Dub, roots, dancehall, and the Champions Sound style, plus a wicked lineup of DJs and performers all day long. If you missed the epic Subatomic & Screechy session at Natty Garden, back in May, don’t slip up again! Sound system will be on point and vibes will be UPPP!!!! Ready we ready to hold a vibes, family.

Filed Under: News

Police in Helicopter – Yaadcore, Jah9, & Subatomic Sound System

April 7, 2021 By Subatomic

Out now! Get both the vocal single and dubstrumental mix on Bandcamp , iTunes or Juno. Stream it on Apple Music, Spotify, or Deezer. Don’t forget to give it a heart and drop it in a playlist! Tag Subatomic, Yaadcore, and Jah9 on social media to let us know you are rocking to the sound. On all digital services everywhere April 9.

Yaadcore & Jah9 together on the mic for the first time on this heavyweight Subatomic Sound System re-lick of the incendiary 1982 John Holt anthem “Police in Helicopter”. Big bass for your speakers in the style of our “Super Ape Returns to Conquer” release with Scratch.

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Filed Under: News, Releases, Subatomic Sound System releases Tagged With: Dub, John Holt, Lee Scratch Perry, reggae, Super Ape

“Babylon Soon Fall” Subatomic Sound System + Screechy Dan

October 30, 2020 By Subatomic

Full “Babylon Soon Fall” 5 song EP drops everywhere on Black Friday 11/27/20. Stream it now on repeat at Spotify & Apple Music or DL from Bandcamp, ReggaeRecordDL, Beatport, Juno and so on. Following the 10/30/20 single, this release features new dub tracks with reckless amounts of conga and horns from Larry McDonald & Troy Shaka Simms plus blistering vocal cuts with Screechy Dan. Musical victory to make oppression crumble and spirits rise. ”Babylon, Your whole entire system soon fall down!” A message from Brooklyn to the world, echoing a long tradition started in Screechy Dan’s birthplace Trenchtown, Jamaica, of chanting down corruption through song. In this case, incantation is done by voice, by the banging of the drums, by earthquaking bass vibrations, and by howling saxophones. Brought to you by the same Subatomic Sound System lineup as on Lee “Scratch” Perry’s acclaimed “Super Ape Returns To Conquer” album and the 2020 boomshot single “Champion Sound”, this has been a big tune live for years on Subatomic tours that many selectors have been asking to get in their record box. Jamaican percussion legend Larry McDonald is on the congas & shakers. Follow our “Revolutionary Reggae” playlist on Spotify for more of this energy.

Produced, mixed, & mastered by Emch at Subatomic Sound in NYC & LA. Singing, chatting, & yodeling: Screechy Dan | Congas & percussion: Larry McDonald | Saxophone: Troy Simms | Bass, Keys, Guitars, Samplers, Melodica, & Dub Effects: Emch | Art by Irie Design, France. Recording engineered in Brooklyn at The Bridge Studio by Amon and at Subatomic Sound by Emch.

“Revolution 2 Freedom” Subatomic Sound System + Junior Dread

June 30, 2020 By Subatomic

"Revolution 2 Freedom" album art Subatomic Sound System & Junior Dread

“Up here a war a gwan, so we must unite to fight against Babylon/ We’re tired of the lies! We want the truth!” – New 5 song release with Brasil’s Junior Dread “Revolution 2 Freedom” out now on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes and everywhere on Juneteenth: Friday, June 19. Out early exclusively on Bandcamp June 4. New lyric video soon come!

“Champion Sound” Screechy Dan + Subatomic Sound System

March 21, 2020 By Subatomic

Full 4 song release now out and blazing on Spotify, iTunes/AppleMusic, and everywhere Friday 2/21/2020. High rez wav files on ReggaeRecord, Beatport, Juno , and our Bandcamp | Save it to your library & playlists! ->

See the video premiere April 18, 2020, 4:15 New York time and comment live on YouTube.com right here

Musical victory booming out of the speaker: a love letter to the competitive art of sound clash, dub mixing, Jamaican sound system culture and reggae riddims from roots to dancehall! Brought to you by the same Subatomic Sound System lineup as on Lee “Scratch” Perry’s acclaimed “Super Ape Returns To Conquer” album. A hit tune live for many years on Subatomic tours, every selector needs a tune like this in their record box to let the competition know they are the boss!

Feb 23 Champion Sound release party in Brooklyn at Public Records with Subatomic & Screechy live! Stay tuned to our Instagram and Facebook pages for stories on the creation of the song, live performances, and interviews with the creators!

Happy 84th Birthday! 3-D Virtual Reality Concert “Blackboard Jungle Dub” Tour

March 20, 2020 By Subatomic

Wish Lee Scratch Perry a Happy 84th Birthday today! Here are some presents for you from Scratch & Subatomic: 1) Grab our recent relick of the “Dub Organizer“ single by Scratch & Subatomic Sound System on our Bandcamp as a limited time free download released for the “Blackboard Jungle Dub” 45th anniversary album tour. 2) And this will blow your mind: 3-D, 180 degree, 4 camera virtual reality video of Lee Scratch Perry & Subatomic Sound System “Blackboard Jungle Dub” tour sold out in Brooklyn at Elsewhere. To pan the video, move your cellphone around or click on the screen and drag, and to see it in 3-D immersion, use goggles or a VR headset like Oculus, good headphones and a Subpac! 3) We have some great new playlists on Spotify too for Lee Perry’s Birthday playlist, for COVID19 Quarantine playlist, and for hot new reggae trackcs. Follow those playlists as we will be updating them!

We will follow this video up next week with another VR video from our Brooklyn Industry City show that will feature Screechy Dan singing our new single release “Champion Sound”
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Filed Under: News Tagged With: brooklyn, concert video, Dub, Lee Scratch Perry, reggae, Subatomic Sound System, Super Ape, tour dates, virtual reality