One problem with Lee Perry is his decades-long lack of interest in songs; he prefers to ramble until the hard disc is full. The producer here, Bill Laswell (Iggy, PiL, Herbie Hancock’s Rockit), sidesteps the difficulty by letting Perry drone on and editing it diligently. The result is a traditionally-shaped set of songs in a minor key, resulting in a self-conscious dub-futurism.
The ingredients of 70s reggae are here, especially the horns and echoes. Perry’s fascination with cleansing through fire features heavily, as do kung fu, food and God, while he quotes old song titles that rattle in his head like duppies. Most choruses feature other singers (thankfully not the I-Threes-style cooing often favoured) and guests do a turn, among them Bernie Worrell, Aiyb Dieng, Josh Werner, etc, some of whom are on Laswell’s speed dial.
It’s business as usual for the producer – anyone familiar with his work would spot it right away – but for Scratch there are innovations in the jazzier horn lines and industrialised sound. You can hear his influence in the phasing and deep space echo, but this is a long way from the warmth of the Black Ark, even if it is an undemanding listen.
