The Smoke and Mirrors Dub album, "Smokescreen." You may have heard these tracks before, but never like this. Available on translucent Mountain Dew electric yellow 12" vinyl with deluxe gatefold jacket.
A deadly disease sweeps the planet. The world changes. Many are lost as the systems struggle to bear the weight. Stages go dark and instruments fall silent. The strong foundational voices of Toots, Scratch, Uroy, Bunny take their last breaths, and are gone forever. Artistic communities react in creative ways, all expressing different perspectives on this universal shift. Smoke and Mirrors Sound System was created in this time, but also reflects the intricate network of people in the continuum of the Island sound. For us, this record became the soundtrack to witnessing the world struggle in a pandemic. As we were all trapped in our homes, these recordings were made with hope and worry. Echoes of the time at 18 Dromilly Ave. political violence, police brutality, the history repeats on the same screens we used to make these recordings. Feel the weight of this sound in your hands and heart. Dub is a reflection of the world around it and an artistic inspiration to change and deconstruct it. The engineer re-imagines the song, deconstructing and rebuilding it in a new vision.
Jamaican music is played out of Jamaica. There are a few reasons for that. It's a small island relative to the rest of the world. History has witnessed the impact of this small island's influence on the musical universe. Politics, culture and demand spirited it away from her shores long ago. Its ambassadors around the world curate audiences and experiences for it to thrive in. In our lifetimes we have been a conduit to these ideas traveling around the globe. From the mighty Skatalites to the edge of modern Dub, the artists and engineers on this record have championed the music moving forward. We gather in front of the speakers to feel the music, new and old. Its community, healing, culture, and dance. Powerful vibrations, ancient to the future.
