This was one of the most intriguing and singular reggae records ever. It has inspired some very strange and extreme reactions and it certainly got some curious reviews. It was compared by various reviewers to Steve Reich, Daniel Miller's Silicon Teens, early Lee Perry and Lloyd Barnes' productions, Prince Jazzbo's early digital rhythms, and to Berlin outfit Rhythm and Sound.

Ray was kind enough to speak to Pete Murder Tone recently about the early days of The Small Axe People.

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Part One: Origins + Making the first LP.

I wanted to make a version album back in the late seventies early eighties, but when I checked out the cost of studio time and musicians - I dropped the idea - but then I bought a bass and Dr Rhythm drum machine - and started to build record bass and drum tracks on my cassette deck, and did about 12 tracks but then the deck stopped working it couldn't deal with the bass! But the tape was given to Rae Wackies (footnote), who really liked them. I was hoping to be able to transfer them onto a multi track, but the tape got lost and that was that.

To get the sound I wanted, I knew would take some a lot of studio time which costs money. And by the mid eighties - Tero Kaski at Black Star in Finland thought it would be a great idea to put out a book. Which was to be More Axe - and that meant setting up a business (Muzik Tree) and that took every penny I had. So the thing was put on hold.

Did you have a guiding musical concept or philosophy when you started?

The sound I had in mind was that raw sound of the early seventies - Version. It was minimal - and was driven more by keyboards and guitars, then bass and drum.

By the 1994, the cost of computers that could handle music had come Down to a good price - I wanted an Atari, but couldn't get one. So ended up buying a Brother Disk Composer, and a Yamaha keyboard with midi - It took a while to adapt from playing bass guitar to keyboard bass - but within a while I had a number of rhythms built. It was then that I asked Dave Katz to come and play some melodies over them - he did . I thought what he did was great - he got the sound I was after very quickly. I then tried to mix the tunes and it couldn't be done! The only way to mix midi then, was to transfer it to tape, track by track. And then mix it. The cost of this was way too much.

So I just left it again, and kept an eye on the cost of 4 track tape Machines to my total surprise Yamaha put out a 4-track Minidisc machine! Being a big fan of Minidisc. I had to get this machine, it was like a dream come true. Ira at Jammyland in New York was looking to buy old 12" and so that was that. By the late summer of 2000 I had the Yamaha MD4S.

I understand that the next step was producing the first album "Original Version" (2001). Tell us about how you made this record and how you went about releasing/distributing it..

The first album by The Small Axe People was ready to go by the end of That year. Rae Wackies came and mixed some tracks in the middle of 2001 and Roger Dalke came up with the title of the album - 'Original Version'. When it came to its release I just wanted to put it out on a small run, no more than 200 CDs. But John Mason at Reggae Retro claimed he could get a lot more done at a very good price, and set up distribution through SRD. This is where things went seriously wrong, SRD did OK with the CD, but John Mason seems to think that's it OK not to pay people. To this day the matter is not resolved.

Regarding the music on the album there is a drum machine, but that's it, there are no samples on 'Original Version'. It's a version album, not a dub album. Dub concentrates on bass and drum, and studio FX. My interest is elsewhere. The interplay between the piano and organ for example. Reggae people don't really know what version is. Even albums that are really Version sets, are sold as Dub or instrumental - but they are not either. 'Musical Bones' and 'Return Of Wax' are version albums.

Rae Wackies told me early on that I wouldn't be able to get the kind of sound I wanted with a four track and he was right. Reggae sounds simple but its not, you need a band or a minimum of a eight tracks to get it right.

But theres a dub version of the album too..

Dub kinda lost its appeal to me I wasn't interested in making Dub, there is a dub to 'Original Version' 'Jazzbo T At The Controls. Which is Roger Dalke using the Cool Edit program to dub up the tracks. Once again its very minimal, but I like it a lot.

While many of the sounds on "Original Version" are quite electronic it doesn't sound nearly as rigid or programmed to the extent of other digital reggae...

'Original Version' was recorded live, it's not a midi album. Only a drum machine program. So the drums were put on one track, then the bass, and then the organ and piano/clavinet.

It's very difficult to get the kind of drum sound I wanted, but it had the right feel.

You have spoken about the importance of Version to your work: more specifically who were some of your musical influences at this point?

Firstly Andy Capp: 'Pop A Top' and 'The Law' are the blueprints for all of what I have done. I would love to talk to Andy Capp about version Herman Chin Loy is another person who understands the concept of Version, and so of course does Lee Perry.

Cheers Ray!

FOOTNOTE: Rae Wackies is the Mystic Red Corporation, he produced the first 'UK Roots' tune 'Seven Seals' with Manasseh before they were Manasseh. His own album 'Between Zero and One' is a roots classic. Check out Idlers Rest for more info.[back]

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