SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: LEE “SCRATCH” PERRY & MOUSE ON MARS – SPATIAL, NO PROBLEM

LEE “SCRATCH” PERRY & MOUSE ON MARS
SPATIAL, NO PROBLEM
DOMINO RECORDS

Lee “Scratch” Perry passed away on August 29, 2021. The music world lost a true original and an artist who had worked with just about everyone. But that didn’t mean he would work with just anyone. In December 2019, he showed up at Mouse on Mars studio in Berlin. He wanted to work with the electronic duo (Jan St. Werner and Andi Toma) and they certainly wanted to do something with the legend. The end result, Spatial, No Problem, was the end product and it turned out to be the last record Lee “Scratch” Perry recorded. This is his last official release and Spatial, No Problem is a fascinating and exciting album, full of sounds, chat, and brilliant music.

The music, while electronic based, brings in Perry’s wonderful use of dub and his distinctive vocals. He may be older, but his voice is still powerful and is perfect for the high energy electronica. Mouse on Mars provides the perfect backing. Songs like “Hallo Shiva” are a good example of both Perry and Mouse on Mars’ ability to layer sounds and music to create an incredible atmosphere. Then the duo moves into more African/Jamaican rhythms with “Economic Train,” which provides Perry with the perfect landscape for a prayer. The saxophone mixed with flutes seemingly comes out of nowhere, but the song would be bare without them.

It is the closing track, “State of Emergency”, that is the highlight of the album. A bluesy, jazz song with Perry starting off with “Emergency, emergency Jamaica.” The song becomes a dark journey into a musical world of ills, while Perry chants “peace, peace”. It is chilling and is classic Perry.

This is what makes Spatial, No Problem such a brilliant album. It is not a dub or reggae album. While there are aspects of both, this album incorporates so much more. Jazz, Krautrock, and ambient all make appearances throughout. You will be forgiven if you think, at times, they are recording in New Orleans rather than Berlin. Spatial, No Problem is a wonderful epitaph and may be the final work we get to hear from Perry. I hope not, because we need his joy, love, and plea for peace now more than ever.

Lee “Scratch” Perry Links

Mouse On Mars Links