EASY STAR ALL-STARS CONNECT THE DOTS BETWEEN MODERN MASTERPIECE AND BEDROCK REGGAE SPIRIT
RADIODREAD FEATURED IN WNYC "SOUNDCHECK" SEGMENT (SEE BELOW FOR LINK TO AUDIO)
The hugely successful 'Dub Side of The Moon' (a reggae adaptation of Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side of the Moon'), which has been on Billboard's Reggae Chart for three years and counting, presented Easy Star Records with a singular challenge: how to follow it up? "We wanted something that no one would anticipate, something that would take us to a new place all together," says Easy Star's Eric Smith. An ambitious project two years in the making, 'Radiodread,' a complete reggae version of Radiohead's 'OK Computer,' will be released August 22.
'Radiodread' draws out the universal messages in Radiohead's masterpiece, which speaks to the need to create spiritual human interactions in the face of cold technology and soul-crushing routine. Easy Star's Lem Oppenheimer attests, "Reggae music, born in opposition to colonial oppression, conveys hope in the bleakest moments. Likewise, there is humor and hope in the voices of 'OK Computer's' lyrics and that's where we found the deepest connections with the reggae spirit."
Meanwhile, Easy Star's in-house producer Michael G faced a major undertaking arranging the material to suit the Easy Star All Stars reggae strengths. With so many different time signatures, inscrutable lyrics and countless chord changes, 'OK Computer' was far more complicated to translate to reggae than Dark Side of the Moon had been. Michael G explains, "To make 'Radiodread' work, we had to go in new directions entirely. In some places, we moved away from Radiohead's blueprint; in other cases, it meant holding on to many of the original rock elements."
To his credit, the result carries the sonic weight of the original, while providing a fresh viewpoint, further illuminating the power and themes of these songs. For example, "Airbag," the opener, sees a guitar/cello hook that gives way to discordant guitar solos and a dubbed out disco mix.
'Radiodread' features an impressive array of reggae stars supplying vocals to the Easy Star All- Stars' backing tracks. Reggae pioneers Toots and the Maytals make their Easy Star debut, singing a driving version of "Let Down" while Citizen Cope's distinctive voice fuels the haunting "Karma Police." Horace Andy ("Airbag"), Morgan Heritage ("Electioneering"), The Meditations ("No Surprises"), Israel Vibration ("The Tourist"), Sugar Minott ("Exit (Music For A Film)"), Frankie Paul ("Lucky") also join The Easy Star All-Stars for 'Radiodread.'
On June 26, WNYC's "Soundcheck" ran an interview segment on 'Radiodread' with Easy Star Records musical director Michael G, who served as producer, arranger, and guitarist. Click here to download a full mp3 of the segment.
'Radiodread' Track Listing 1. Airbag (featuring Horace Andy) 2. Paranoid Android (featuring Kirsty Rock) 3. Subterranean Homesick Alien (featuring Junior Jazz) 4. Exit Music (For A Film) (featuring Sugar Minott) 5. Let Down (featuring Toots & The Maytals) 6. Karma Police (featuring Citizen Cope) 7. Fitter Happier (featuring Menny More) 8. Electioneering (featuring Morgan Heritage) 9. Climbing Up The Walls (featuring Tamar-kali) 10. No Surprises (featuring The Meditations) 11. Lucky (featuring Frankie Paul) 12. The Tourist (featuring Israel Vibration) Bonus Tracks: 13. Exit Music (For A Dub) 14. An Airbag Saved My Dub
For more information contact Matt Hanks [mhanks@shorefire.com] or Alexis Tedford [atedford@shorefire.com] at Shore Fire Media: 718-522-7171.
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