Lee “Scratch” Perry is the Dub Organizer

Click this link to listen & love on all digital services the new 4/19/23 release from Lee “Scratch” Perry, Subatomic Sound System, & Screechy Dan revisiting the classic vibes of the Black Ark studio on the 50th anniversary of the Blackboard Jungle Dub album. Special thanks to Tuff Gong Radio for airing the world premiere! Subatomic Sound System & Screechy Dan touch down in Washington state to perform & celebrate the new release:

4/21 Friday in Ellensburg @ Pounder’s Hall

4/22 Saturday in Seattle @ Clock-Out Lounge on Beacon Hill

Jack Johnson + Lee “Scratch” Perry + Subatomic Sound System “Traffic in the Sky” single

New single out now! Subatomic will be on tour with Jack in Europe, June 11-16. Listen on all platforms. From Emch: “Been working on this for awhile. Single out with two dubs from Lee Scratch Perry & Subatomic Sound System and a full album that I’m mastering right now with more dub remixes from us as well as Scientist, Mad Professor, Dennis Bovell, Nightmares on Wax and more. Lookout for upcoming summer tour dates with Jack Johnson & Subatomic in support of the album!” At the 2/18/23 Cali Vibes Festival after party Subatomic met and performed for the first time with Jack Johnson and his band and joined them again during Jack’s headlining set at the festival the following night — after Subatomic performed their own Lee Scratch Perry memorial set on the main stage earlier that day featuring special guests Mykal Rose & Blakkamoore on the mic.

[Read more…]

“No Bloodshed” Don Husky + Subatomic Sound System

No Bloodshed in Kingston, JA! New single song and dubstrumental out today on Spotify, Apple Music, and all digital platforms. Don Husky on the mic. Produced by Subatomic Sound System for Yard Birdz Records. Upcoming video shot in Tivoli Gardens and directed by Tizzy Tokyo.

Mykal Rose & Subatomic Sound System @ CaliVibes 2/19, Red Rocks 4/20, Cali Roots Festival 5/25

The mighty Mykal Rose + Subatomic Sound System debut at several massive festivals in 2023! Cali Vibes, Sunday 2/19/2023,

Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Thursday 4/20/2023 with The Marley Brothers & Steel Pulse,

Cali Roots Festival , Thursday, 5/25/2023 in Monterey, California.

Performances will include Mykal’s tunes from his Grammy winning run with Sly & Robbie in Black Uhuru. Subatomic will include selections from their decade of work for dub legend Lee “Scratch” Perry. Stay tuned for announcements in the next weeks about the upcoming album and more tour dates in 2023.

Subatomic & Screechy Dan shows in Washington state
(click venue names for tickets)

Fri 4/21 Ellensburg @ Pounders,

Sat 4/22 Seattle @ Clock-Out Lounge

Mykal Rose + Subatomic Sound System headline Word Sound Power festival August 13, 2022

Lookout for the mighty Mykal Rose + Subatomic Sound System delivering bass heavy dubwise versions of his Black Uhuru classics plus new Subatomic riddims pon tour this summer and headlining the Word Sound Power festival on August 13 in Minneapolis along with Turbulence, Scientist with Johnny Osbourne & Junior Dread, Joe Nice, DJ Madd, Green Lion Crew, Reggae Rajahs and many more across the spectrum of dub and bass. Tickets on sale 5/27/2022. One of the heaviest dub and sound system events to ever take place in the USA. Outside all day on multiple stages and multiple custom built sound systems…

[Read more…]

Mykal Rose + Subatomic Sound System March 26, 2022

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. 

[Read more…]

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

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.

10/9 AUSTIN TX | @ Flamingo
10/10 SAN ANTONIO TX | @ Paper Tiger
10/12 SAN DIEGO CA | @ Music Box
10/13 LOS ANGELES CA | Dub Club @ Echoplex
10/15 MINNEAPOLIS MN | @ Granada Theater
(Click venue names links for tickets)

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.

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

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

Pages: 1 2

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

Subatomic Sound System & Screechy Dan

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.

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

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.

[Read more…]