EASY STAR RECORDS TO RELEASE RE-AMPLIFY BY JOHN BROWN’S BODY
RE-AMPLIFY will debut exclusively on iTunes March 3rd and then a full release on March 17th.
We have a diverse group of producers and
artists on the record from all over the world. The story of this
ep is every bit as interesting and inspiring as the music
itself. We will start putting together some of our experience
working with these wonderful people and let you know more about
how this project took off in the coming weeks. We will be
posting many of the songs soon.
The producers involved on RE-AMPLIFY include:
Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo:
guitarist from the Gold Record Certified
Gym Class Heroes.
Tommie Sunshine: American rave legend and remixer of
songs by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Killers, Panic! At The Disco,
Good Charlotte and others.
GoldieLocks: up-and-coming artist/producer from the
“RE-AMPLIFY takes the Future Roots sound we achieved on AMPLIFY
even further into directions we might never have gone on our
own,” says drummer Tommy Benedetti. “It’s been exciting hearing
our songs in other producers’ hands. We enjoyed Dubmatix’s
version of ‘The Gold’ so much, we are going to start playing it
that way live. Then we bring it full circle to the early JBB
sound by ending the record with a new roots track we’ve been
having fun playing on the road.”
THIS IS ALL ABOUT SOJA BAND
Over the years, the Washington, D.C. music scene has become best known for its hardcore (Minor Threat) and go-go (Trouble Funk) alumni, but as evidenced by the great Bad Brains, reggae has been represented as well.
SOJA has risen to the forefront, picking up right where the Brains left off – creating their own blend of conscious roots music entwined with the traditional rhythms of reggae, which "comes across with passion and depth." (Washington Post '06) That said, SOJA is not that easy to define.
Although they are rooted in reggae, they are not limited to it; their fan-base reflects this with a very diverse population. The music includes and embraces all walks of life - it has no prejudice – it is for everyone. The band grew up listening to reggae, hip-hop, and rock.
In SOJA's sound, reggae became the predominate influence because it is dedicated to a real message and promotes revolution. The group, which includes a pair of lead singers who also pull double duty - Jacob Hemphill (guitar) and Bobby Lee (bass) – as well as Patrick O'Shea ..boards, percussionist Kenn Brownell, and drummer Ryan Berty, originally came together in 1997.
Since 2000, SOJA has issued three full length albums and two EP 's– their latest, "Stars and Stripes" (2008), is their fourth for the group's own label, DMV. In the early half of 2009, the band will release their second DVD "SOJA Live In Hawai'i ~ A Marc Carlini Film", followed by the highly anticipated album "Born In Babylon", which is scheduled for release in the summer of '09. Ever the road warriors (SOJA averages 150 gigs per year), the group is now on tour and will be hitting select cities in the U.S., Canada, Caribbean, Pacific Islands, South America, & Europe. With such a list of accumulated live dates, a specific high point is hard to pin down, but Brownell remembers a particular performance. "One of the shows that remains in the front of my mind was playing in Guam for the first time back in '05 for nearly 6,000 fans.
That was an amazing experience." With SOJA calling their own shots, "Stars and Stripes" proves that the band's message and music will only continue to grow stronger with each successive release. In support of their latest EP, "Stars and Stripes", SOJA is embarking on a journey around the world.
