Lee “Scratch” Perry will release an album of drone jazz with Canadian experimentalists New Age Doom.

The central theme of Lee “Scratch” Perry’s Guide to the Universe is dreaming, and across six tracks the dub legend takes listeners on a sonic trip through drone, jazz, rock, noise, and of course dub. Perry, real name Rainford Hugh Perry, provides the vocals.

“It felt natural to team up with an artist well known for boldness and experimentation,” says New Age Doom drummer Eric J. Breitenbach. “We never expected him to say yes, but at the same time, never doubted that he would. Once he was aboard, everything else just fell into place.”

The album features Tim Lefebvre on acoustic bass, electric bass, and synthesizers, as well as Cola Wars on synthesizers and keyboards. Donny McCaslin plays saxophone, plus there’s jazz trumpeter Daniel Rosenboom and Dahm Majuri Cipolla on drums and gong. Ryan Dahle is on multiple instruments and backing vocals. Dahle is also responsible for the album’s analog mix and master.

The album was recorded between August 2020 and January 2021, and it saw each collaborator remotely and independently laying down their parts, which were assembled by New Age Doom and Dahle.

Alongside the announcement, the group has shared “Life Is An Experiment,” on which Perry intimately guides us that we must recognize that life itself is an experiment. These lyrics float on a bed of bass, textural synth drones, and ethereal saxes and trumpets.

You can read more about Lee “Scratch” Perry in his XLR8R podcast here.

Tracklisting

01. Life Is An Experiment
02. Holy Love
03. Fly In The World!
04. Holy Dub
05. Step In Space
06. Conquer The Sin

Lee “Scratch” Perry’s Guide to the Universe is scheduled for November 5 release on We Are Busy Bodies. Meanwhile, you can stream “Life Is An Experiment” below and pre-order the album here.