The Upsetter's new album, "Repentance" is being touted as one of his best. (Photo courtesy, Lee "Scratch" Perry)
In the early 1970s, renowned producer Lee "Scratch" Perry and rising reggae stars the Wailers collaborated on a series of recordings for Perry's Black Ark Studio. Enlisting Carlton and Aston "Family Man" Barrett from his house band the Upsetters, Perry oversaw the recording of Bob Marley songs like "Soul Rebel," "Small Axe" and "Duppy Conqueror" shortly before Marley and the Wailers rocketed into international stardom.
Decades later, Perry is as prolific, eccentric and innovative as ever. Now 72, the diminutive, brightly-garbed producer is one of the most recognized and respected figures in reggae history, having recorded with Junior Murvin, the Heptones and many others in addition to his solo career, which is considered pivotal to the foundation of dub music.
In the past few years, Perry has toured extensively, won the "Best Reggae Album" Grammy for 2002's Jamaican E.T. and been honored on Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" list. In spite of these accolades, the tireless music legend refuses to rest on his laurels, and his current projects are among his most exciting ventures to date.
The dub pioneer's newest studio album, Repentance, was released August 19 on Narnack Records, and has already unleashed a summer hit in the form of sexy club jam "Pum Pum." The rest of the album, including the spacey opening track "Shine," shows him exercising his versatility and creativity in a new batch of songs that continue the long, bizarre odyssey of Lee "Scratch" Perry.
Featuring guest appearances from Moby, Blondie's Chris Stein and Lightning Bolt's Brian Chippendale, Repentance is a particularly high-profile album for Perry. Perhaps the album's most unlikely contribution comes from Andrew W.K., the hard rock hero more famous for party-metal anthems than dub reggae. "I interviewed (Perry) for direct TV in Austin and I was blown away by him," Andrew recalled. "I told the record label that I'd really like to work with him...They called me back and said 'Would you like to produce the album?'"
It sounds crazy, but the improbable is often realized in Lee "Scratch" Perry's music. Thus the New York-based rocker leapt at the chance to co-produce Repentance, despite being previously unfamiliar with much of Perry's music. "I felt a little intimidated because I didn't have a lot of background info on him," Andrew said. "You didn't need to know anything about this guy to feel his creative force. There's no one else like him in any way shape or form."
Co-helming an album with one of the most storied producers in history is a daunting task, but Perry's unconventional yet efficient work methods helped the sessions run successfully. "Lee is so advanced as a musician, an artist and a human being that I think he manipulates in a way that magically creates what he's looking for," continued Andrew. "If he's looking for someone to make an album, he will be created."
In his journey to demolish the space between the artist and the art itself, it's clear that Lee "Scratch" Perry takes his associates along for the ride. Repentance captures Perry as the creative achievement himself, perhaps best described by Andrew W.K. "His life is a creative statement," says Andrew of Perry. "His day to day existence is an artistic effort."
