Major Lazer show at Mas Camp tonight
ELECTRONIC dancehall production team Major Lazer is ready to rock the Mas Camp in east Kingston tonight.
The trio are DJ/producer Thomas Wesley Pentz (aka Diplo) from Los Angeles; Trinidad-born Jillionaire; and Miami-based Walshy Fire of the Black Chiney sound system.
Founding member, British DJ/producer Dave ‘Switch’ Taylor, left the group in 2011.
It will be Major Lazer’s second performance in Jamaica this year. They appeared at the University of the West Indies (UWI) in January.
Walshy Fire says he and his colleagues are trying to reach out to a growing Jamaican fan base.
“You can expect mad vibes, incredible light and sound show, and special guest performers,” he told Splash.
“It will be bigger, brighter and louder. When we performed at the UWI, we were limited with what we could do, what we could bring in. Mas Camp is limitless.”
Formed in 2008, the Major Lazer project came to prominence with its debut album Guns Don’t Kill People….Lazers Do, which was released in 2009.
The album, recorded in Jamaica at the famed Tuff Gong studios, featured collaborations with Santigold, Ricky Blaze, Nina Sky, Leftside, TOK, Busy Signal, Mr Vegas, Ward 21, Turbulence and Vybz Kartel.
Songs like Pon Di Floor (featuring Vybz Kartel); Keep it Going Louder (with Nina Sky and Ricky Blaze); and Hold the Line (featuring Mr Lexx and Santigold) were sizable club hits and registered on the Billboard Dance charts.
Major Lazer also worked on remixes for a number of acts including Gyptian, the Beastie Boys, No Doubt, Bunji Garlin, Bruno Mars, Konshens, Popcaan and hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.
Their growing reputation has made them a force in electronic dance music. Walshy Fire says there is a market for the genre in Jamaica.
“I believe there is a big market for EDM in Jamaica. Jamaica is one of the music capitals of the world. Once something gets big in Jamaica everyone is on it…promoters, radio, everyone,” he said.
Their latest projects include a mix CD with Dubwise group Suns of Dub. An EP, led by a collaboration with Sean Paul, is expected out early next year.
According to Walshy Fire, Bumaye (Watch out Fi Dis), which was done with deejay Busy Signal as a standout, has made several European charts.
“Busy worked hard as an artiste to promote the song, which almost no artiste does anymore. The video for the song, as well, was a complete time machine into the ’90s. An incredible experience,” he said.
Major Lazer’s last album, Free The Universe, was released in April. It contains Bumaye, Bubble Butt (which they did with Bruno Mars, rapper Tyga and Jamaican dancer Mystic); and Jah No Partial (with singer Johnny Osbourne) which made the Billboard Dance chart this year.
