Lee Scratch Perry - "Jungle Roots Dub"

One of the originators of Afrofuturism, inventing his own techniques, Lee Scratch Perry was the first one to use the studio as an instrument, he was a songwriter, singer, disc jokey as well as a person who helped to develop Dub or the subgenre of reggae music. His methods of producing the music also included the use of mythological and cosmological images.

What I find interesting is that most Afrofuturist used technology as one of the main means for producing the music, they try to use it in a way others don’t, attempting to be different and present the future in a brighter way, colorful, magnificent. Although Perry was a Jamaican, he contributed a lot to Afrofuturism and that’s what allowed him to imagine a future like he comes from the other planet, similarly to Sun Ra. Each one of them had their own vision and style, making Afrofuturism diverse and contributing to both science and mysticism, they had their mission and I think they achieved in accomplishing it.

However, one of Perry’s works I find the most interesting is “Jungle Roots Dub”, the rhythm and the sounds make you move with a beat. What I also like is that not many vocals are used here. In the beginning, Perry’s voice could be heard without the music, it seems like an introduction to something big, as it is, then his experiment could be heard reminding me of a jungle. Upon listening to it, I have an impression like I am roaming through the jungle, exploring it while meeting different people and following the rhythm. This track is the most serene of them all, for it includes a number of elements and the more you listen to it, the richer the experience it becomes. 

Lee Scratch Perry is an outstanding music figure whose influence was high not only on African Americans but also on the whole world. His creativity and art are still living despite the fact his dub was produced almost a half-century ago. He succeeded in producing his own music in his own way and at the same time fought racism.