HIGH TIMES
March, 2003

By GREG CASSEUS

Seemingly a product of a parallel universe where megaselling 70's British art-rock intertwines freely with with Jamaican "sufferah" culture, Dub Side of the Moon (Easy Star) pays homage to Pink Floyd's 1973 masterpiece, Dark Side of the Moon. New York's dedicated roots-reggae artists' collective Easy Star Records recasts Dark Side in its entirety as a 70's-era reggae album by its own Easy Star All-Stars, all of whom are also active in the underground funk, ska, Afrobeat, and electronica scenes. They've expertly translated favorites like "Money," "Breathe," and "Us and Them" into the sonic language familiar to fans of Sly & Robbie, Lee "Scratch" Perry, and Channel One Studios.

Dark Side's opening and closing heartbeat segments are replaced by Nyabinghi drumming, "On the Run" becomes a drum'n'bass track, and the whole album is rumored to sync up perfectly with The Wizard of Oz. To top it off, such reggae legends as Frankie Paul and the Meditations contribute lead vocals. Equally amazing is the way Floyd's lyrics are revealed to closely mirror themes explored throughout reggae's history. This exceptional experiment is destined to teach Pink Floyd fans about reggae and vice versa, and also to become the college-dorm late-night bong-hit session soundtrack of choice.