Mykal Rose/Subatomic/Hollie Cook | Rockin’ Like A Champion

Mykal Rose and Subatomic Sound System and Hollie Cook release Rockin’ Like A Champion album

FULL LENGTH ALBUM OUT NOW

MYKAL ROSE AND SUBATOMIC SOUND SYSTEM LIVE DATES WITH STEPHEN MARLEY AND DAMIAN “JR. GONG” MARLEY

NEW YORK, NY – July 26, 2024 – Reggae superstar Mykal Rose, original voice of the Grammy Award-winning Jamaican group Black Uhuru, steps into the future with Lee “Scratch” Perry’s former band, NYC dub specialists Subatomic Sound System and London lovers rock queen Hollie Cook on the release of the trio’s collaborative full-length album, Rockin’ Like A Champion, out today on all digital platforms via joint venture between Dubshot Records and Controlled Substance Sound Labs. Rose, Subatomic, and Cook also serve up a visualizer for the title track “Rockin’ Like A Champion,” that premiered today on Subatomic Sound System’s YouTube channel.

“We always need to keep moving forward” says Rose, as he prepares for upcoming live dates with Subatomic Sound System, supporting Stephen Marley and Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley on key tour stops like the Hollywood Bowl on August 4th. The 15-track Rockin’ Like A Champion, which includes the previously released singles “Get High,” “Put Down The Gun,” and “Happy Is The Man Who Finds Wisdom,” is a musical triumph for one of the most iconic voices to emerge from Jamaica’s golden era of reggae. Mykal Rose’s voice is in top form, singing timeless melodies and poignant lyrics throughout, beautifully produced and interwoven with music crafted by Subatomic Sound System that respects the roots of reggae while also making bold steps forward into more diverse influences and bass heavy, dubwise vibes for the next generation of sound system culture. Hollie Cook’s angelic harmonies enhance the spiritual energy of the album, putting it all in a divine balance. Subatomic’s percussionist Larry McDonald (recently inducted into the Jamaican Music Hall of Fame for his work with The Skatalites) lays down congas, shakers, flexatone, triangles and all matter of percussion. Troy Shaka Simms weaves a spell with soprano and alto saxophones, often delving into a variety of ancient melodies from Ethiopia and beyond. Emch anchors the production work as well as playing melodica, guitars, organs, bass, drums, 808s, and effects, dub mixing it all up into an ital stew.

Subatomic’s production style flourishes throughout the album, highlighting their approach to classic analog sounds in the higher frequencies while drawing on more futuristic techniques inspired by their immersion in NYC hip hop, electronic music, and sound system culture to extend bass frequencies to the lower octaves for deeper resonance and a wider spectrum. In this case, the upper frequencies are reminiscent of horns from classic 1960s Ethio jazz recordings; drums, guitars, percussion, organs, tape echoes, phasers and spring reverbs from 1970s Jamaican dub productions; lo-fi snare drums from 90s golden era NYC hip hop production. Meanwhile the bass and kick drum live deep in sine wave, sub-bass frequencies, steady pulsing like the sound of a mother’s heartbeat to a baby in the womb or an 808 thumping in a car trunk three blocks away, heard through your open apartment window on a hot summer night in Brooklyn.

“This album takes people on a journey,” said Emch. “Reggae is loved around the world, but so many people have lost touch with the Jamaican artists who invented the genre. Being able to have giants like Mykal Rose and Larry McDonald together representing a sound they were integral in creating and bringing to the world, is crucial work. Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry always told us that to make great music, it had to be spiritual, not just the lyrics but the vibe. He used to talk about creating sounds he heard on the island, translating the vibe to instruments. Our goal is to translate that spirit for a next generation without losing the original vibes.”

About the collaboration:

“I always want to do my ting different,” says the prolific Rose. “With Black Uhuru and with Sly & Robbie we try to reach beyond reggae, draw everything in to create a 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.”

Born of time-tested relationships that date back decades, Rockin’ Like a Champion, is the result of a slowly evolving history where three distinct artists, each with their own unique background, converge in a meaningful intersection of generations, styles, and cultures: artists from Kingston, NYC, and London, each with a story that has led them to create an album and also perform together as a band. Summer tour plans are in the works, with more dates to be announced soon.

Hollie Cook was first introduced to Emch in 2010 through mutual friend Ari Up from the pioneering 70s all female punk band The Slits, with whom Cook had joined in their final incarnation before Ari Up’s death in 2010. Subatomic and The Slits had been collaborating on several tunes with Lee “Scratch” Perry and dub mixing for The Slits at the time. Emch and Cook kept the connection through the years until the multi-talented producer eventually recruited the singer to add her lilting vocals as a counterweight to Mykal’s powerful delivery — which has earned him the nickname “Ruff” Rose — on the current project.

“I feel honored to be in any collaboration with Mykal Rose,” gushed Cook. “I really appreciate Emch’s vision of how I fit into this new project. Doing background and harmony is my favorite! I’m so thankful to be doing it in this context with these people. I always vibed on vocal harmonies,” of which, she cites Motown, especially The Temptations, The Supremes, but also The Beach Boys, The Shirelles, Shangrilas, and The Marvellettes as the most influential. “I was into punk, but I never saw myself as a singer in that style. If it wasn’t for me joining The Slits to sing harmony and the connection they made between punk and reggae back in the 70s, I may not have ended up singing reggae at all.”

MYKAL ROSE & SUBATOMIC SOUND SYSTEM TOUR DATES:

August 4 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl – Mykal Rose + Subatomic Sound System at Jamrock Night w/ Damian “Jr Gong” Marley & Stephen Marley

Spoonfed Entertainment