The mutant and memorable encounter between the late king of Jamaican dub and the German electro-kraut duo.
No, contrary to appearances, Lee “Scratch” Perry did not die in 2021 at the age of 85 on his native island, Jamaica. First, his ghost still floats in the air: like Gutenberg with the printing press, the experimental producer has invented too many things in the studio—with Bob Marley, The Clash and many others—for his subliminal influence to have faded.
And then, good news, his playful and inimitable spirit has been kept intact by unexpected heirs. Indeed it is the two German musicians Andi Toma and Jan St. Werner, better known under the cryptic pseudonym Mouse on Mars, who have gathered Perry’s latest brilliant ramblings.
The reason for the Jamaican’s arrival in their Berlin studio at the end of 2019 remains murky, but the result of this collaboration proves luminous from the Krautrock-Can vibe on Rockcurry. The eight tracks crafted with a troupe of instrumentalists (including Zach Condon of Beirut and the drummer-singer Dodo Nkishi) see the Jamaican and the Berliners weaving together mutant and delicious sounds.
The unclassifiable Hallo Shiva, the Ethio-funk of Economic Train or Fire Dali, the electronic blues of Yayaya or the strange march of State of Emergency, with its phantom brass band, show how intense the Dadaist emulation has been between these artists who did not know each other before this collaboration. Why did we have to wait so long to discover this crazy album? A mystery that will be pointless to clear up: only the wild beauty of this music matters.
Spatial, No Problem. (Domino/Sony Music). Release on June 5.
