Producer drops ‘cool and deadly’ project

Gary Sutherland has years of experience in the music field, wearing several hats, including those of engineer and producer.

He honed his musical chops working at the famed Tuff Gong for close to 10 years and has toured as a sound engineer with several acts through the years, including with Marley matriarch, Rita Marley. He made his production debut in the mid-2000s with the 'Buss Weh' rhythm, and since then, he has released nine other rhythm projects. His latest one is the 'Detrimental Cool & Deadly' rhythm featuring Jamaican and international acts.

"Like in Jamaica dem seh 'That's wicked!' or 'That's bad!' which means good! So 'detrimental' in the literal form is something harmful, but I twist it around to mean it's great, which is the opposite. Chyna Nicole was the first to record on the riddim and I liked the content and also the name. So I named it that with the idea of dancing 'cool and deadly'. It's hot! And it is different from the rest of the projects I have worked on," said Sutherland.

Sutherland, who drafted Venezuelan musician Frank Sanchez to assist with the project, said that the process of getting the artistes involved was easy.

"As soon as the artistes received the riddim, they were very interested to record. It took about six months to get all the artistes involved," said Sutherland.

Releasing the project on Bob Marley's birthday was strategic for Sutherland as he said that he feels very connected to the Marleys.

"I toured with Rita Marley as her live-sound engineer, and it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I also worked in her studio in Ghana for a few months when it was in the making. All the songs on the project are positive about life, love, and guidance from Jah. I think Bob Marley would be happy that reggae music has spread internationally and the spaces that reggae has developed into including dancehall and fusion of other genres globally," Sutherland said.

He said that his interest in music developed at an early age as his dad, Father Stone, took him to Tuff Gong studio and asked Rita Marley if he could work there as a teenager.

"From there I was immersed in learning from greats like Errol Brown (Bob Marley's engineer). For me it was my university because many engineers did not get the training that I did, including using actual two-inch tape. I've recorded with Burning Spear, Dennis Brown, Marcia Griffiths, Alpha Blondy, Freddie McGreggor, Buju Banton, and many other acts. Working with these foundational artistes has shaped my keen ear for music, and touring has helped me understand how audiences feel and what they love, which propels me more to remain consistent," Sutherland said.