KING JAMMY PRESENTS NEW SOUNDS OF FREEDOM

King Jammy is one of reggae’s most prolific talents, whose career spans a half-century.Almost 40 years since the original sessions, King Jammy revisits the seminal album that launched his career as a producer.

A Modern Day Recreation of Black Uhuru’s 1977 Love Crisis

Featuring Alborosie, Chronixx, Dre Island, Gentleman, Kabaka Pyramid, Bounty Killer, Shaggy, Beenie Man, U Roy Plus More

STREAM KING JAMMY PRESENTS “NEW SOUNDS OF FREEDOM”

New Sounds of Freedom is a re-working of the 1977 Black Uhuru classic Love Crisis featuring an array of contemporary vocal talents. The 10-track set blends the original audio with new lyrics that add a contemporary relevance and underscore the timeless quality of the originals.

Each song is revamped with new lyrics from artists including Alborosie, Chronixx, Dre Island, Gentleman, Kabaka Pyramid and U Roy.

New Sounds of Freedom updates Love Crisis in a similar way that Black Sounds of Freedom (released in 1981) updated the original sonic quality and introduced the songs to a new and wider audience.

“I wanted to enhance these songs but give them the vintage feel,” says King Jammy of the set. “

I have great adoration and respect for this album and want it to live on with reggae music fans.”

New Sounds of Freedom is available starting August 12, 2016 on VP Records and follows a string of recent King Jammy releases with VP Records including King Jammy’s Roots, Reality & Sleng Teng Anthology (2015) and Alborosie Meets King Jammy: Dub of Thrones (2015).

KING JAMMY BIO

Born Lloyd James in Montego Bay, Jamaica – King Jammy aka Prince Jammy began has always had a deep understanding of electronics, allowing him to furbish his own sound system with tailor-made equipment.

The reggae pioneer, producer and dub mixer has played a seminal role in many of Jamaica’s musical eras – including dub, roots reggae and dancehall. He began his career under the late great King Tubby in the 1970‘s at Tubby’s Waterhouse studio, mixing for the likes of Vivian “Yabby You” Jackson and Bunny “Striker” Lee.

In 1977, Jammy was enlisted to mix the dub counterpart to “In the Light,” Everton DaSilva’s classic production for Horace Andy. That same year, he made his first notable venture into production work, recording the debut of Black Uhuru, a young vocal trio from Kingston. The resulting Love Crisis (and its remixed incarnation Black Sounds of Freedom) represented a breakthrough for both parties.

Love Crisis’ tracks were voiced and mixed at King Tubby’s studio with the original rhythms laid at Harry J’s Recording studio with reggae legends Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare, Earl “Chinna” Smith, Winston Wright and Gladstone Anderson.

Further productions followed, including hit albums (and singles) for Uhuru as well as emerging dancehall artists like Half Pint (Money Man Skank and One in a Million) and Junior Reid (Boom Shack a Lack).

In 1985, Jammy changed the music game forever. He provided one of the first digitized rhythms for the single “Under Me Sleng Teng” sung by Wayne Smith.

This track undeniably sparked a digital revolution in the reggae world and helped shaped the sound of dancehall. Jammy‘s productions and sound system dominated reggae music for the remainder of the 1980s and into the 1990s.

He continues to work as a producer, working with some of the top Jamaican artists today. In Major Lazer Take Kingston – a documentary released by Rolling Stone (March 2015) – the electronic DJ group heads to Jamaica to meet with King Jammy to discuss his major influence and role in dancehall.

New Sounds of Freedom Track Listing: