Lee “Scratch” Perry, one of the most legendary, influential and beyond doubt eccentric record producers ever, continues to reshape and refine an adventurous style all his own with his latest release, Rise Again. The album and the long-awaited collaboration with producer Bill Laswell, marks a milestone in the careers of both artists, arriving as it does on the heels of Perry’s 75th birthday, and as a flagship release on Laswell’s own M.O.D. Technologies imprint. Rise Again features a diverse line-up of collaborators and talented musicians including vocalists Tunde Adebimpe (TV On The Radio), Ethiopian star Gigi Shibabaw, P-Funk legend Bernie Worrell and Sly Dunbar. They could’ve competed with the original Upsetters band any time!

Opener “Higher Level” offers organic and heavy bass lines with atmospheric, analog production and a wonderful breezy chorus from Tunde. “Orthodox” is a more up-tempo number featuring Gigi, and the whole vibe is like an updated Rocksteady tune. “Wake the Dead” plays like slow funk with beautiful horns and killer dub bass lines. Gigi returns on the steady Dancehall number “African Revolution,” and the whole track smells like an anthem. Another strong track is “Butterfly,” a slow dub-heavy burner with Sly & Robbie-style drums and high pitched chanting.

Rise Again is a highly listenable experience and except for a few bizarre lyrics (E.T. and Inakaya), it’s 11 accessible tracks, soaked in sunny vibes. But then again, you probably didn’t buy his records for their lyrical content. The production is untouchable; the 2 crazy brothers in dub-science have cooked up a great record, and it only makes you wonder why they never did it before.

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