‘Super Ape’, 1976, and Bill Ryder-Jones’ perfect pot album: “It looks like the album sounds”

Bill Ryder-Jones has named Lee “Scratch” Perry and the Upsetters’ 1976 album *Super Ape* as his ideal record for a relaxed cannabis listening session. Its dub reggae production, which turns familiar rhythms into strange, immersive soundscapes, made a lasting impression on him and later influenced his own music-making.

Recorded at Perry’s Black Ark studio in Kingston using limited equipment, the album relies on overdubbing and effects such as echo to reshape reggae arrangements. Ryder-Jones recalled hearing it as a teenager after a friend lent him a copy; it was played while the Coral made their first album and may have influenced “Calendars and Clocks”. Inspired by Perry’s methods, he later bought a four-track cassette recorder to experiment with dub himself.