Playback with Black Market Dub
In this Reggae Summer episode we dive into The Congos’ Heart of the Congos, widely considered one of the greatest roots reggae albums ever recorded – and we treat it primarily as a Lee “Scratch” Perry story.
We talk about the Black Ark era, Perry’s production style, and how he used tape, echo and atmosphere to create a spiritual, otherworldly sound around Cedric Myton and Roy “Ashanti” Johnson’s voices. We also get into the history and mythology around Black Ark, stories from the book People Funny Boy, and how this record fits into Perry’s wider body of work.
In this episode:
– Track and moment highlights from Heart of the Congos
– Lee “Scratch” Perry’s studio experiments at Black Ark
– The Congos’ harmonies, Rasta themes and biblical imagery
– How this album shaped our own approach to reggae and dub as Black Market Dub
🔊 Support & follow:
• Patreon – bonus episodes & ad-free audio
• Black Market Dub on Bandcamp – our original music
• Escape Hatch Records – label family & collaborations
• Instagram – clips and episode updates
Chapters:
00:00 (Intro)
00:17:46 (Who is Lee "Scratch" Perry?)
00:50:38 (The Black Ark, and effects demonstration)
01:42:03 (How did The Black Ark burn down?)
02:03:20 (The Music of Heart of the Congos)
02:32:48 (Standout Songs)
03:02:24 (Final Thoughts)