Seasplash Festival has announced it will utilise a new site for its 2019 event. The reggae, dub and bass music extravaganza's 17th edition will take place in Šibenik between 18 and 21 July. The festival simultaneously revealed three of its headlining attractions, reggae legends Lee 'Scratch' Perry, Mad Professor and Scientist.
Seasplash is one of Croatia's oldest, continuously-running music festivals. It is the country's first festival dedicated to reggae music and its sub-genres. In previous years, the festival has used three different locations, all in the Istrian seaside town of Pula. In more recent years it was strongly associated with the festival site at Fort Punta Christo, which it shared with international festivals Outlook and Dimensions.
The move to Šibenik could be good news for the Seasplash audience, as attending the event at the new location could be considerably cheaper than attending a festival in Pula. Seasplash prides itself on being an accessible event, within the price range of young people in Croatia and succeeds in drawing many domestic attendees. As a result, it boasts one of the best atmospheres of any festival in Croatia and has a more authentic Croatian feel compared to many imported events. Unfortunately, in Pula, its domestic audience has frequently been treated in exactly the same way as visiting international audiences, with everything from accommodation rates to taxi prices and food being at such a high price that homegrown fans have sometimes had to think twice about making the trip to Pula. The new 2019 site should make the festival again affordable to all.
One aspect of the festival which will definitely not change with the move in location is the music. Seasplash is famed for its professional production, fantastic sound and top-flight guests. Its 2019 arena is a purpose built, tried and tested entertainment area with a wooden dancefloor, overlooking the sea and far from any neighbours who might be disturbed by the booming bass. Its headliners are arguably its greatest ever.
Lee 'Scratch' Perry
There are few people as fundamental to the progression of reggae as Lee 'Scratch' Perry. Lee Perry started his career working under some of the greatest reggae producers of the day, firstly with Clement Coxsone Dodd at Studio One in the late 50s, then with Joe Gibbs in the early 60s, before setting up his own Upsetter Records in the late 60s with its house band The Upsetters. Perry then achieved success after success, working with artists like Bob Marley & the Wailers, Junior Murvin, the Heptones, the Congos and Max Romeo. Despite suffering setbacks such as losing members of The Upsetters to Bob Marley and The Wailers and the destruction of his Black Ark studio in a fire, Perry's tireless studio work ensured that the 70s would establish his legend forevermore. His innovative studio techniques were fundamental to the progression of reggae and the founding of dub as a sub-genre within the music. Following time spent in the UK and USA in the 80s, Perry then established himself as a live performer. He has remained a popular and often bizarre stage presence ever since.
Mad Professor
UK-based producer and engineer Mad Professor is one of the leading producers of dub music's second generation and is frequently associated with a digital dub sound. He has worked with reggae artists such as Lee Perry, Sly and Robbie, Jah Shaka and Horace Andy and famously remixed the whole of Massive Attack's second album 'Protection'. He has recorded considerably for the Ariwa label and his Dub Me Crazy series is highly rated by contemporary reggae fans. He is rumoured to be working on a second remix album for Massive Attack.
Scientist
Jamaican producer Scientist started his career in the '70s working at Channel One studios, as a protégé of King Tubby. At the end of the decade, he moved to the more technically advanced Studio One set up and began making a name for himself as an innovative and refined producer of dub music. He released several albums on Greensleeves Records, with his credit as producer being the releases key selling points (above that of the musicians featured on the recordings). He continued to produce often science fiction inspired dub sounds after moving to Tuff Gong studios in 1982.