Reggae legend Mykal Rose, Subatomic Sound System and Hollie Cook team-up for ‘Get High’
The former lead singer of the Grammy-award winning group Black Uhuru, Mykal Rose, has collaborated with Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry’s former band, NYC dub specialists Subatomic Sound System and London lover’s rock singer Hollie Cook on the brand new single ‘Get High’.
The single serves as the debut offering from the trio’s upcoming collaborative full-length album.
The album, a joint venture between Dubshot Records and Controlled Substance Sound Labs, is scheduled for release this summer.
‘Get High’ is due for release on Friday, April 19, just in time for 4/20, a day celebrated by marijuana enthusiasts.
While the production is heavy on bass, drums, and effects for the new millennium sound system culture, Subatomic preserves the roots and foundation of classic Jamaican reggae with percussion from conga legend Larry McDonald and horn lines from Troy Simms and dub wise melodica from Emch.
“I always want to do my ting different,” said Rose.
“With Black Uhuru and with Sly & Robbie we try to reach beyond reggae, draw everything in to create universal music. The first song me ever record was with Scratch (Lee Perry) at Black Ark when I was just a teenager. Scratch different for sure! And I see the work Scratch do with Subatomic different too, same way for this generation, reaching beyond,” he added.
Born of time-tested relationships that date back decades, ‘Get High’ and the forthcoming, still untitled, full-length project, are the results of a slowly evolving history where three distinct artistes, each with their own unique background, converge in a meaningful intersection of generations, styles, and cultures: artistes from Kingston, NYC, and London, each with a story that has led them to create an album and also perform together as a band.
Subatomic’s Emch said, “musically, this is a journey through the past and the future at the same time, with ancient melodies and drums floating on electronic bass waves and a subatomic heartbeat.”
He added, “industrialised cannabis has lost its spiritual connection. This song is a return to a tradition of elevation and natural cultivation as well as celebration”.
Said Cook, “I feel honoured to be in any collaboration with Mykal Rose. I really appreciate Emch’s vision of how I fit into this new project. Doing background and harmony is my favourite! I’m so thankful to be doing it in this context with these people.”