The far side of the moon: Project recreates Pink Floyd album in DUB version!

Someone once said that classics should not be touched. However, on the 30th anniversary of its release, Pink Floyd's most famous album, "Dark Side of the Moon," got a reinterpretation. "Dub Side of the Moon" is its reggae version -dub, to be more exact. The one responsible for the version is a collective of musicians from New York, Easy Star All-Stars, and the result of this idea, so simple it seems silly, is surprising.

It is not a remix of the original compositions. The songs were entirely re-recorded in studio to gain their versions in Jamaican rhythm. The album - produced over a two-year period by Michael Goldwasser and Victor "Ticklah" Axelrod, currently regarded as one of the great names in dub and reggae - features several special guests, with highlights including The Wailers vocalist Gary "Nesta" Pine and the trio The Meditations, on "Money" and "Eclipse" respectively. In an interview by email, Victor Rice, bassist of Easy Star All-Stars, says that the main difficulty of the rerecording was managing to keep the timing exactly equal to the original.

"Reggae is a very particular music. It was painful to find the right groove for each song without losing or changing the timing. But it was worth it. It is even possible to listen to "Dub Side of the Moon" while watching "The Wizard of Oz" ", he says, referring to the supposed synchronization with the film, of which "Dark Side of the Moon" would be an alternative soundtrack.
The original members of Pink Floyd, including Roger Waters, did not interfere in the recording. "Pink Floyd's only participation was also the most important one: giving the green light for the rerecording," says Rice.

However, although all members received copies of the album, it is still not known whether they liked the result. Over here, Nelson Meirelles, producer of bands such as Cidade Negra and O Rappa, believes the fusion of Pink Floyd with reggae makes perfect sense. "I have always thought Pink Floyd had reggae DNA for several reasons: economy of notes, prominence of bass lines, and studio effects," he says.

In fact, this is not the first time psychedelic rock and reggae paths have crossed. Grateful Dead has already had versions of its classics in "Fire on the Mountain - Reggae Celebrates The Grateful Dead," volumes 1 and 2, albums from 1996 and 1997, with appearances by Steel Pulse, Gregory Isaacs, and Michael Rose, among others. Victor Rice adds: "Choosing a song or album to receive a dub version is, in fact, an attitude of respect. There is no way to improve "Dark Side of the Moon"; it is only possible to celebrate it."

Abroad, the album came out on 18/2 and, for now, has no release forecast in Brazil. But the label made three songs available on the website www.easystar.com: "Money," "Great Gig in the Sky," and "Us and Them".