You may not have heard of Major Lazer, but surely you have heard of its members. Formed last fall, Major Lazer is in fact a side-project of DJs Diplo and Switch. Sounds like your basic DJ collaboration, right?
Not so fast. That’s if you take much stock in the duo’s description on the project:
Major Lazer is a Jamaican commando who lost his arm in the secret Zombie War of 1984. The US military rescued him and repurposed experimental lazers as prosthetic limbs. Since then Major Lazer has been a hired renegade soldier for a rogue government operating in secrecy underneath the watch of M5 and the CIA. His cover is that of a dancehall night club owner from Trinidad and he enlisted the help of long-time allies and uber-producers, Diplo and Switch, to produce his first LP. His true mission is to protect the world from the dark forces of evil that live just under the surface of a civilized society. He fights vampires and various monsters, parties hard, and has a rocket powered skateboard.
As part of a plan to subdue the forces of evil with a batch of futuristic dancehall bangers, the three encamped at Tuff Gong Studios in Jamaica to record the Major Lazer record. The product of this collaboration is Guns Don’t Kill People… Lazers Do.
Told you so. Rather than even try to begin to comprehend what is written above, let me just present you with the detals.
Due out June 16th, Guns Don’t Kill People… Lazers Do will consist of 13 guest heavy tracks, featuring a sound that “draws from the rich dancehall tradition of Jamaica, the futuristic dance-floor-killing aesthetic of Diplo and Switch, and contributions from some of the biggest names in dancehall today” – I guess this is where the Jamaican commando thing comes into play?
In support of the release, the duo will take part in this year’s Bacardi B-Live summer tour, which kicks off next month and also features the likes of MSTRKRFT, DJ A-Trak, Major Lazer, Tiga, Steve Porter, DJ Z-Trip, Matt & Kim, Q-Tip, and album contributor Santgold. No word on whether the vampires and rocket powered skateboard will be tagging along.
Guns Don’t Kill People… Lazers Do Tracklist:
01. Hold The Line (feat. Mr. Lex & Santogold)
02. When You Hear The Bassline (feat. Ms. Thing)
03. Can’t Stop Now (feat. Mr. Vegas & Jovi Rockwell)
04. Lazer Theme (feat. Future Trouble)
05. Anything Goes (feat. Turbulence)
06. Cash Flow (feat. Jah Dan)
07. Mary Jane (feat. Mr. Evil & Mapei)
08. Bruk Out (feat. T.O.K. & Ms. Thing)
09. What U Like (feat. Amanda Blank & Einstein)
10. Keep It Goin’ Louder (feat. Nina Sky & Ricky Blaze)
11. Pon De Floor (feat. VYBZ Kartel)
12. Baby (feat. Prince Zimboo)
13. Jump Up (feat. Leftside & Supahype)
