Percussionist Larry McDonald to Receive National Honour as Super Ape Turns 50

Subatomic Sound System and Brooklyn-based Dancehall and Reggae artiste Screechy Dan will celebrate the legendary dub album at Dubwise Café in Kingston on October 17

Veteran percussionist Lawrence “Larry” McDonald with Subatomic Sound System members (Photo: Hassan Hajjaj)

Fifty years after the release of Lee “Scratch” Perry’s landmark Super Ape album, New York-based dub collective Subatomic Sound System is bringing its anniversary celebration to Jamaica for a special performance alongside Jamaican-born vocalist Screechy Dan at Dubwise Café in Kingston on Saturday, October 17.

Recorded at Perry’s legendary Black Ark studio, Super Ape became a defining work of Jamaican dub, celebrated for its groundbreaking use of mixing, effects and instrumentation. Saturday’s performance is part of a series of select international shows marking the album’s 50th anniversary, featuring live dub mixing, musicians and previously unheard audio and video recordings of Perry.

Led by producer, DJ and multi-instrumentalist Emch, Subatomic Sound System built a longstanding musical relationship with Perry, serving as his touring band and recording collaborators for more than a decade before his passing in 2021.

Reflecting on Perry's influence, Emch said, “Lee Perry’s great gift of genius was to inspire others to new heights simply with their own creativity.”

He further added, “We hope to keep that inspiration alive by sharing it and reconnecting it to its origins and originators here in Jamaica.”

Born in Trench Town before relocating to Brooklyn, Screechy Dan emerged as part of New York’s Jamaican dancehall movement during the 1990s. His collaborations with Perry and Subatomic Sound System include Super Ape Returns to Conquer, on which he contributed vocals to several tracks, including “Chase the Devil.”

Subatomic Sound System and vet artiste Screechy Dan in New York (Photo: Hassan Hajjaj)

The group’s visit also coincides with a major milestone for longtime percussionist Lawrence “Larry” McDonald, who will receive Jamaica’s Badge of Honour for Meritorious Service in recognition of his outstanding contribution to entertainment during the National Honours and Awards ceremony at King’s House on Monday, October 19.

With a career spanning over six decades, McDonald has worked alongside legends including Perry, Peter Tosh and the Skatalites, making the October 17 performance a celebration of Jamaican dub’s enduring legacy.