STEEL PULSE’S FIRST ALBUM IN 15 YEARS, MASS MANIPULATION, DEBUTS AT #1 ON BILLBOARD REGGAE CHART
OUT NOW VIA ROOTFIRE COOPERATIVE/ WISEMAN DOCTRINE
“CRY CRY BLOOD” VIDEO STREAMING NOW
U.S. FESTIVAL AND HEADLINE TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED, WITH MORE DATES TO COME
“Acclaimed as the greatest British reggae band when it emerged in 1978, Steel Pulse is perhaps the last great old-school reggae band left.”—NPR, All Things Considered
“Steel Pulse, an English band, has been known since the late 1970’s for wrapping political messages in velvety harmonies above a steadfast beat.”—The New York Times
“stalwart English-Caribbean reggae legends”—Billboard
Grammy-winning U.K. reggae legends Steel Pulse’s first new studio album in 15 years, Mass Manipulation, has debuted at #1 on the Billboard Reggae Chart. Out now via Rootfire Cooperative in partnership with Steel Pulse’s own imprint, Wiseman Doctrine, the album continues to receive a wealth of critical praise:
“Mass Manipulation establishes a 21st century benchmark for politically charged reggae…Its motivating messages are beautifully sung, lushly arranged and effectively propelled by the band's dazzling musicianship.” –Billboard
“Singer David Hinds’ lyrics touch on injustice and violence, but end with a revolutionary call.”–Rolling Stone
“[David Hinds’] songwriting and Bob Marleyesque vocals have lost none of their plaintively galvanizing qualities as he addresses social justice…The 17 songs are delivered with sincerity, passion and infectious positivity.” –The Guardian
“Steel Pulse continues to carry on the noble reggae tradition of combining feel good grooves with boldly subversive lyrics singing out for social justice in this world gone mad.” –popmatters
“The band has tackled many socio-political issues within their music in the past, and this new record sees them taking on the wilder political landscape of today.” –Brooklyn Vegan
“The melodies are pure reggae, while the lyrics are the same thought-provoking words for which Steel Pulse has always been known.”– Glide
Mass Manipulation may now be streamed and purchased HERE with deluxe bundles available HERE.
The band also recently debuted the video for lead single “Cry Cry Blood,” which may be streamed/shared HERE with audio available HERE. Of the video, PopMatters proclaims that “the power of Hinds’ conviction is clear in the strength of his voice. That Steel Pulse sets most of the video at the site once known as Pinnacle only enhances the sense of history that informs Hinds’ identity as expressed in ‘Cry Cry Blood.’ With bold, solid rhythms and an unwavering affinity for melody and humanity, Steel Pulse looks to a peaceful future…” Rolling Stone calls the track “a meditative rocker with deftly placed horns, guitars and strings bubbling up above the song’s thumping groove,” noting that “David Hinds’ lyrics touch on injustice and violence, but end with a revolutionary call as he sings, ‘The whole world’s taking advantage/While we stand aside and look/It was prophesied we’d rise again/Just take a second look.’”
Recorded over the course of several years on three continents, Mass Manipulation is comprised of 15 new, original songs and two mystic interludes written and arranged by lead vocalist David Hinds and co-produced by bandmates Sidney Mills and David Elecciri. It marks Steel Pulse’s twelfth studio album—and a timely return to the band’s signature message of social justice and bridging the racial divide through the power of music. While many of the actors and details of the world’s socio-political landscape have changed in the four decades that Steel Pulse has been committed to bettering mankind through music, the band continues to engage controversial topics of human rights on a global scale. “We cannot abandon the future that our ancestors have struggled for,” asserts Hinds.
After a long legacy of major label releases with Universal, Elektra and Island Records, for Mass Manipulation Steel Pulse made a calculated decision to partner with the unique nonprofit label Rootfire Cooperative. Formed in 2016 as a partnership with Ineffable Music Group, Billboard reports, “Rootfire Cooperative is a label services program designed to provide interest-free loans for the production and marketing of recorded music. The artists maintain 100% ownership of their music throughout the entire process.”
The band is set to tour widely in support of Mass Manipulation. See below for current tour dates, with many more to be announced.
For more information, please contact Chris Schimpf, Zoë Sonnenberg or Krista Williams at Sacks & Co., 212.741.1000.
MASS MANIPULATION TRACK LIST
1. Rize
2. Zem Dem
3. Stop You Coming and Come
4. Thank The Rebels
5. Justice In Jena
6. Human Trafficking
7. Cry Cry Blood
8. Don’t Shoot
9. Trinkets and Beads?
10. No Satan Side
11. Natty
12. Mass Manipulation
13. World Gone Mad
14. Black and White Oppressors
15. The Final Call
16. Higher Love (Rasta Love)
17. Nations Of The World
STEEL PULSE TOUR DATES
*with UB40, Shaggy
May 23 /// Fox Theater /// Bakersfield, CA
May 24 /// California Roots Music & Arts Festival /// Monterey, CA
May 26 /// Bearded Theory Festival /// Derbyshire, United Kingdom
June 14 /// Ponte Vedra Concert Hall /// Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
June 15 /// Cocoa Riverfront Park /// Cocoa, FL
June 16 /// Jannus Live /// St. Petersburg, FL
June 19 /// The Ranch /// Fort Myers, FL
June 20 /// Bandshell Park Miami Beach /// Miami Beach, FL
June 21 /// Abacoa Amphitheatre /// Jupiter, FL
June 22 /// Vivo Beach Club /// Caroline, PR
June 28 /// Metropolis /// Montreal, Canada
July 5 /// Marin County Fair /// San Rafael, CA
July 7 /// High Sierra Music Festival /// Quincy, CA
July 10 /// The Freeman Stage /// Selbyville, DE
July 14 /// Levitate Music and Arts Festival /// Marshfield, MA
July 27 /// Reggae On The Way /// Tacoma, WA
August 17 /// Reggae On The Mountain /// Calabasas, CA
August 25 /// LOCKN’ Festival /// Arrington, VA
August 28 /// Chautauqua Auditorium /// Boulder, CO
August 30 /// Del Mar Racetrack /// San Diego, CA
September 1 /// Dry Diggings Festival /// Placerville, CA
September 4 /// MECU Pavilion /// Baltimore, MD
September 6 /// Coney Island Amp /// Brooklyn, NY*
September 13 /// White Oak Amphitheater /// Greensboro, NC*
September 18 /// Hollywood Casino /// Chicago, IL*
September 20 /// Osage Casino /// Tulsa, OK*
September 22 /// See Here Now Fest /// Asbury Park, NJ*
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