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| Easy Star Records | |
|---|---|
| Name | Easy Star Records |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Founder | Michael Goldwasser; Eric Smith; Remy Gerstein |
| Status | Active |
| Country | United States |
| Location | New York City, New York |
| Genre | Reggae; dub; ska; rocksteady; ska punk; reggae fusion |
Easy Star Records Easy Star Records is an independent record label founded in 1996 in New York City by Michael Goldwasser, Eric Smith, and Remy Gerstein. The label specializes in Jamaican-rooted genres including Reggae, dub, ska, and Rocksteady, and gained international recognition for reggae reinterpretations of landmark rock and pop albums. Over its decades of activity Easy Star has built a roster of artists, produced charting releases, and organized tours and festivals that connected Caribbean musical traditions with audiences across United States, United Kingdom, Japan, and Europe.
Easy Star Records was established amid the 1990s New York music scene alongside venues such as CBGB and The Mercury Lounge, and during the resurgence of interest in roots reggae sparked by artists like Sublime and labels such as VP Records. Founders Michael Goldwasser, Eric Smith, and Remy Gerstein built the label’s identity around high-fidelity reggae production and creative reinterpretation, drawing inspiration from producers such as Lee "Scratch" Perry, King Tubby, and Scientist. Early releases and compilations positioned the label within networks that included Brooklyn, Queens, and the wider New York City independent community. By the early 2000s Easy Star released projects that bridged generations and genres, attracting attention from publications and broadcasters such as Rolling Stone, BBC Radio, and NPR.
The label’s roster has included recording artists, producers, and session musicians with deep ties to reggae, ska, and related scenes. Founding producer Michael Goldwasser has collaborated with vocalists and bands including members who worked with Toots and the Maytals, UB40, Steel Pulse, and The Wailers. Acts affiliated with the label have ranged from roots bands to ska-punk ensembles and dub producers, drawing connections to scenes represented by Madness, The Specials, Reel Big Fish, and Streetlight Manifesto. Easy Star projects have also featured guest performances from artists associated with Sly and Robbie, Horace Andy, Dennis Brown, and other icons who link to the broader Jamaican musical diaspora centered in Kingston, Jamaica.
Easy Star achieved mainstream visibility with a series of reggae reinterpretation albums that reimagined canonical rock records. The label’s breakout project paid tribute to Pink Floyd by recasting The Dark Side of the Moon as a reggae/dub record, followed by reinterpretations of Radiohead’s OK Computer and The Beatles’s catalog in reggae form. These reinterpretations connected Easy Star to projects by artists who have sampled or covered works by The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, and The Police. Beyond cover projects, the label released original albums by artists that charted on Billboard reggae charts and received airplay on BBC Radio 1 and KEXP. Collaborations and remixes have linked Easy Star releases to producers and engineers associated with Tuff Gong Studios, Abbey Road Studios, and veteran mixing engineers who worked on records by Bob Marley and the Wailers.
Easy Star operates as an independent label with vertical integration across recording, production, distribution, and tour support. The label leveraged relationships with independent distributors and digital aggregators to place releases on platforms such as iTunes, Spotify, and regional retailers in United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. Easy Star’s business model emphasizes artist development, in-house production led by Michael Goldwasser, licensing deals for reinterpretation projects, and synchronization placements in film and television projects connected to companies like HBO, Netflix, and BBC Films. The label has also engaged in limited-edition vinyl pressings, partnering with pressing plants that serve collectors who follow releases by labels such as Motown and Island Records.
Easy Star has produced and promoted tours and festival appearances that showcase its roster alongside international reggae and ska acts. The label’s artists have performed at festivals and venues linked to Glastonbury Festival, Rototom Sunsplash, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, and regional events in New York City such as concerts at Brooklyn Bowl and Mercury Lounge. Easy Star bands have toured North America, Europe, and Japan, sharing stages with groups associated with the Warped Tour circuit and festival bills featuring Ziggy Marley, Sean Paul, and Shaggy. The label has organized themed tour packages tied to its reinterpretation albums, presenting concept shows that pair studio releases with live horn sections, dub mixes, and guest vocalists.
Easy Star Records influenced a wave of genre-blending and cover-oriented projects within reggae, dub, and alternative scenes by demonstrating how canonical rock and pop catalogs could be authentically reimagined through Jamaican musical idioms. The label’s approach fostered cross-genre collaborations and elevated producers and session musicians connected to historic studios in Kingston, Jamaica and independent scenes in Brooklyn. Easy Star’s catalog is cited in discussions alongside influential independent labels such as Rough Trade Records and Island Records for its role in expanding reggae’s audience in the 21st century, and its reinterpretation projects continue to be studied in contexts tied to popular music pedagogy and musicology programs at institutions like New York University and Berklee College of Music.
Category:American record labels Category:Reggae record labels