DUB SIDE OF THE MOON SEQUEL SET FOR FALL 2006 RELEASE

Radiohead’s OK Computer to get complete reggae treatment

Thursday, December 15, 2005 –After several years of intense speculation from fans as to whether the Easy Star All-Stars--the musical collective behind 2003’s underground hit, DUB SIDE OF THE MOON--would ever take on another reggae interpretation of a classic album, Easy Star Records announced the upcoming release of RADIODREAD, A Complete Reggae Version of Radiohead’s OK COMPUTER.

“ It was always the number one question we’d get asked in interviews, on tour, at parties, wherever,” says Easy Star CEO Eric Smith. “But while everyone had suggestions on what album we should do, from The Wall to London Calling to Thriller, it was not at all easy to find a release that had the right combination of music, concept, fan loyalty, and translatability to make it a worthy follow up. “

During this two year long process, producer Michael G and his Easy Star partners Smith and Lem Oppenheimer, kept coming back to one record, which eventually became the album they chose: OK Computer. Says Michael G: “Conceptually and thematically we knew the album was a solid candidate; but we just weren’t sure whether the arrangements could work. On one hand, OK Computer has elements that are perfect—strong melodies, intense dynamics and trippy soundscapes; on the other, it has complex time signatures, chord changes and things that typically aren’t found in reggae. The more we looked at it, the more we realized that this was an album we had to do.”

Michael G spent several months working on arrangements, at the end of which all three Easy Star founders felt they had not only a great sequel on their hands, but a record that could be even stronger and more nuanced than Dub Side of the Moon. Basic tracks were recorded in September and October, followed by overdubs and vocals with guest artists. Already completed are performances by Horace Andy, Morgan Heritage, Frankie Paul, and Kirsty Rock, with more big names to hit the studio in the coming month.

Since its debut in February 2003, Dub Side of the Moon has sparked a cultural zeitgeist, spending over two years on Billboard’s Reggae Charts, selling over 85,000 copies worldwide (and counting), and spawning a live show that has been steadily playing to festivals, theatres and clubs for over two years.

Radiodread is scheduled for a September 2006 worldwide release, following a live DVD of the Dub Side of the Moon show that is in the final stages of production. That DVD was filmed at the State Theatre in Falls Church, Virginia, in September 2005. It will include animation, backstage footage, and bonus songs from the band’s original set.

The release of the DVD, along with extensive touring for The Easy Star-All Stars, including tours of Europe and South America, are a perfect set up for the much anticipated new album. “We’re just as excited as everyone else to see what this ends up sounding like after we finish mixing it,” says Oppenheimer. “So far, we have been amazed at how well it’s been working. After listening to what Michael G and the band has done with the songs, it almost sounds like they were meant to be written for reggae.”

For more information or to set up an interview with the Easy Star All-Stars, contact Eric Smith at 212-736-2160 or erics@easystar.com