This article is based on this Dutch article of Martijn Benders
# Berry Lee Berry in Rolling Stone
There aren’t many people in this world who can write two hundred quality poems in three months. Sure, half of them are translations, but still. Since I’ve decided to leave the Letterenfonds behind, I now have a bit more time to dedicate to it. Ruud has allowed me to release the collection this spring.
Another piece of good news: Veronique and I are featured in the Argentine edition of Rolling Stone with our band, Berry Lee Berry & the Benders:
Translated: Berry Lee Berry & the Benders (Netherlands).
The couple behind this remarkable project doesn’t just aim to recreate the Jamaican reggae sound but also the eccentric idiosyncrasies of legendary producer Lee Perry. Their single Wail O Wail O Rocka Man is a psychedelic, transcendental dub, performed by the duo (Veronique, singer; Martinus, poet) who describe themselves as “gnostafari.”
Wail O Wail O Rocka Man is available on Spotify:
AI? Nope. I play the Planet T myself, and I also recorded the drums. The bass, however, is AI, as is the guitar (which isn’t great, really—it’s got that typical Suno guitar sound). The vocals, on the other hand, are not AI. It’s a track created during the high point of my mastering skills—although now I hear a lot of things that could be improved.
It’s not included on the Berry Lee Berry album that came out in October.
In a world saturated with AI, I’ve chosen to focus on producing solid albums instead of endlessly churning out singles like what the majority seem to be obsessed with these days.
Veronique sent me an excellent reggae track she made. I plan to play it at my mother’s funeral. There will also be live music from Ton again, so it’s destined to be as memorable as my father’s funeral was.
First, though, mastering it—today.
Yours,
Martinus Benders