From Easy Star Records comes the following information about a new version of Dark Side Of The Moon, to be released on February 18th 2003. Sounds very interesting...

NYC’s Easy Star All-Stars gather stalwarts from reggae and soul music communities to reinvent Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon for Feb 18, 2003 release on Easy Star Records. The Project - 3 years in the making - features Corey Harris, Frankie Paul, The Meditations, Sluggy Ranks, Dr. Israel, Gary "Nesta" Pine, Ranking Joe and others. The release coincides with the 30th anniversary of the original album.

On February 18, Easy Star Records will release DUB SIDE OF THE MOON, an ambitious reinvention of Pink Floyd’s classic Dark Side Of The Moon album as envisioned by the label’s in-house production team of Michael G and Ticklah, a.k.a. the Easy Star All-Stars. The album, four years in the making, features vocal contributions from roots/blues stalwart Corey Harris, as well as a virtual who’s who of modern reggae artists: top dancehall veteran Frankie Paul, Wailers singer Gary "Nesta" Pine, beloved harmony trio The Meditations, Brooklyn pacesetter Dr. Israel, legendary toaster Ranking Joe, frequent Easy Star contributor Sluggy Ranks, and talented newcomers Kirsty Rock and Dollarman. On the instrumental side, DUB SIDE features a gathering of musicians at the vanguard of NYC’s reggae, soul, afro-beat and electronic dance communities. DUB SIDE’s personnel have contributed to recordings by the likes of Gil-Scott Heron, Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, The Soul Providers, The Daktaris, Roots Combination, King Chango, and Tru Mystic Sound System, among others.

The idea for DUB SIDE OF THE MOON was first hatched in 1999 by Easy Star Records vice president Lem Oppenheimer. Pink Floyd’s challenging masterpiece had been one of his favorite albums as a teenager, but after years as a reggae obsessive, he imagined a re-working of the original that would echo Dark Side’s album artwork: refracting Pink Floyd’s music vision through a prism of reggae’s rich rhythmic and instrumental possibilities. Soon, the other Easy Star principals, Eric Smith, Michael Goldwasser, and Remy Gerstein, along with ESAS keyboardist/producer Ticklah, joined Oppenheimer in exploring these possibilities. They found Pink Floyd’s original compositions to be a natural conduit for their reggae/dub sensibilities. Four years later, as the original Dark Side approaches its 30th anniversary, the ESAS have emerged with a fascinating reggae version of the album that captures all of the resonant nuances of the original (right down to the "Wizard of Oz" synchronicity).

DUB SIDE is an ambitious experiment in reggae rhythms and trip-hop sounds and a remarkably elemental complement to the original. As producers and instrumentalists, Michael G. and Ticklah were careful to match the spoken interludes, sound effects, and timing of Pink Floyd's original, while still twisting the music into a completely fresh new vision.

From its inception in 1996, Easy Star Records has been at the forefront of a growing revolution in reggae music. Through the label’s 11 previous full-length releases, and its weekly "Easy Star Reggae Tuesday" parties at the Black Star Bar - NYC’s longest running weekly reggae party - Easy Star has helped to foster this renewed interest in Jamaican music, and build a thriving reggae community in New York City and around the world.