Album Review // Lee "Scratch" Perry and Mouse on Mars // Spatial, No Problem
4/5 stars
Lee "Scratch" Perry left us in 2021 only to be resurrected with the previously unreleased Spatial, No Problem, recorded in 2019 under a very hush-hush mysticism. His experimentation reached beyond reggae to dub with releases like "Blackboard Jungle Dub" and "Super Ape," which influenced everything from punk to hip-hop to electronica. His hypnotic multi-channel productions utilized the mixing board as an instrument. The Black Arc studio vibe followed Perry onto every collaboration like a shadow. German duo Mouse on Mars creates electronic trance-like sound collages utilizing samples, usually without the typical crate-digging, with each rising up and falling back like musicians on an Albert Ayler recording. "Rock Curry" immediately drenches us in an intoxicating Krautrock rhythm nodding to the band Neu! with "Hallo Shiva" keeping similar beats stretching into a meditative koan. "Economic Train" layers simple samples into a complex lattice with soulful horns. "Spatialee" hits like a piece to be played back in an empty gallery room with a single bench in its center. "To the Rescue" is the epitome of what one loves about Perry's unique vocal freestyle structure. "State of Emergency" is a call for peace with a New Orleans horn procession, climaxing in mournful wailing. This album is a lot to absorb, but eventually it will sink in.
