Subatomic Sound System: Difference between revisions

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'''Subatomic Sound System''', founded in 1999 by Emch and [[Noah Shachtman]], is an American record label and collective hosting musicians, producers, DJs, and visual artists from a variety of backgrounds and traditions. In late 2008, Subatomic Sound System garnered international attention for a limited edition vinyl 12" featuring their collaboration with Vienna's Dubblestandart and dub inventor [[Lee "Scratch" Perry]],. releasingThese thewere Perry's first songs from Perry in the [[dubstep]] genre, one of the first recorded examples of a tangible connection between the popular UK-based [[Electronic music|electronic]] genre that emerged in the early 2000s and the Jamaican dub from the 1970s, where dubstep's origins were rooted and which had been primarily originated by Perry himself.

Beginning in 2008, Subatomic Sound System started hosting weekly radio shows on 91.5FM, Radio New York, and webcasts on Brooklyn Radio. In 2011 Subatomic Sound System began performing as Lee "Scratch" Perry's backing band with a hybrid of electronics and live instruments. In 2013, they performed together at [[Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival]] and afterward became Perry's exclusive touring band in North America. In 2017, Subatomic Sound System released their first full-length album with Perry entitled ''Super Ape Returns To Conquer'' which debuted No. 5 on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' reggae chart and No. 2 on [[iTunes]] US reggae album chart and reached No. 1 on the [[North American College and Community Radio Chart]] (NACC) World music chart.

==Performance historyHistory==

In the fall of 2001, Subatomic Sound System won the [[Red Bull]] Vinyl Lab competition in [[New York City]] using an early incarnation of [[Native Instruments]] [[Traktor]] DJ software on a laptop at a time when laptops were not commonly used in musical performances. When judges discovered software had been used to create the mix [[CD-ROM|CD]], it sparked controversy amongst the judges. In the end, judges conceded that there were no valid grounds for disqualifying Subatomic Sound System for using DJ software rather than traditional vinyl and [[turntables]], so they upheld their victory in the competition.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.native-instruments.com/index.php?id=subatomic_us|title=Native Instruments article on Red Bull Vinyl Lab competition|website=Native-instruments.com|accessdate=29 January 2021}}</ref>

Beginning inIn 2007, Subatomic Sound System increased touring throughout North America and Europe. The group performed in a variety of configurations from live band of ten, to electronic trio, to DJs as styles like [[dubstep]] increased in popularity and the interest in new [[dub music|dub]] oriented music emanating from New York City increased (largely the result of successful releases from NYC artists such as Dr. Israel, [[Victor Axelrod|Ticklah]], [[Easy Star All-Stars]], Dub Gabriel, [[Bill Laswell]], [[Matisyahu]], and others).

On July 19, 2009., Subatomic Sound System performed to a beyond capacity crowd at [[Summerstage]] in [[Central Park]], [[New York City]], along with Lee "Scratch" Perry & Dubblestandart (with a cameo from [[Ari Up]]) as well asand [[Alpha Blondy]]. The lineup for this event drew the largest Summerstage crowd of the season, confirming organizers' expectations. Given the multicultural and cross generational audiences who turn out in Central Park, organizers had hoped this billing would draw on the connection between modern incarnations of [[dub music|dub]] based music such as dubstep and the [[Dub music|dub]] and [[roots reggae]] styles from over 30 years prior, originated by Perry in Jamaica that influenced artists like Blondy to extend that sound in [[Africa]]. Those styles then influenced groups like Dubblestandart and Subatomic Sound System in Europe and the US to meld that sound with other contemporary electronic based genres.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cityparksfoundation.org/summerstage/|title=City Parks Foundation - SummerStage|website=Cityparksfoundation.org|accessdate=29 January 2021}}</ref>

In 2012, [[Lee Scratch Perry|Perry]], with Subatomic Sound System as his band and opening act, went on tour across the US from May 16 through May 26. In September, they performed together again at Dub Champions Festival in New York City, Music Hall of Williamsburg.

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In 2013, [[Lee Scratch Perry|Perry]] and Subatomic Sound System tour the west coast and southwest USA including two shows at the Coachella Arts & Music Festival, April 12 & 19, performing music ranging from the roots reggae off Perry's [[Super Ape]] album to dubstep and bass music riddims by Subatomic Sound System.

==Radio showsShows==

Beginning in 2008, Subatomic Sound System started Subatomic Sound Radio, hosting weekly radio shows on 91.5FM, Radio New York and Brooklyn Radio webcasts. The Radio New York show is part of a nightly program called ''Mo'Glo'' sponsored by Seattle-based public radio station [[KEXP]].

==Release historyHistory==

=== "Black Ark Vampires" Lee "Scratch" Perry & Subatomic Sound System ===

The song "Black Ark Vampires" premiered on October 31, 2014, via the Brooklyn-based Jamaican culture website Large Up,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.largeup.com/2014/10/30/lee-scratch-perry-subatomic-black-ark-vampires/|title=LargeUp Premiere: Lee "Scratch" Perry's "Black Ark Vampires"|date=30 October 2014|website=Largeup.com|accessdate=29 January 2021}}</ref> with an explanation of Perry's lyrics about killing [[vampires]] and why Perry burned down his [[Black Ark Studios]] in Jamaica decades before. In the song, Perry describes killing vampires with fire, electric wire, roast corn, and his own hair in locations around the globe including America, England, and Kingston, Jamaica. Live concerts by Perry and Subatomic Sound System from 2001 to 2014 combined digital electronics and live instrumentalists and singers and this recorded song can also be heard to use a similar blend of elements specifically instrumentation like electric guitar, bass, percussion, and harmonized background vocal produced with space echo and spring reverb effects in a fashion typical of [[reggae]] recordings from Perry's Black Ark Studios during the 1970s, as well as using electronic synthesized [[sub-bass]] and digital drums common to 21st century electronic music genres like [[dubstep]] and [[Trap music (EDM)|trap music]]. The song was released on vinyl 45rpm exclusively on November 4, 2014 and appeared at No. 1 on [[Juno Records]] charts in both dub and reggae. [[Dancehall|Reggae dancehall]] vocalist Jahdan Blakkamoore appeared as a supporting vocalist on the track, a collaborator on several other Perry & Subatomic Sound releases as well as vocalist and primary writer on [[Snoop Lion]] and [[Major Lazer]] albums. Blakkamoore is mostly known for his numerous releases both solo and with his band [[Noble Society]] whose release "Living the Life" came out on the Subatomic Sound label.

=== Iron Devil: Lee "Scratch" Perry's first dubstep track===