Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do

by Major Lazer

Overview

Pan-American dance diplomats Diplo and Switch moved from Brazilian baile funk and Baltimore club music to Jamaican dancehall for Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do, the debut album for their Major Lazer project. (There was also a one-off Top Ten hit and Grammy-nominated Record of the Year in there too, for M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes.") The results are excellent standard-bearers for dancehall, displaying the duo's ample facility for floating the type of productions that have made dancehall the most experimental and extreme type of commercial dance music since it dawned in the mid-'80s. Inveterate DJs and music fans, both Diplo and Switch are well versed in the style, and they apparently had no difficulty recruiting dancehall's best and brightest for features, including vocalists Mr. Lex, Ms. Thing, and Mr. Vegas as well as production powerhouse Vybz Kartel (they also lured in a pair of non-dancehall types, Santigold and Amanda Blank). As other producers have known, including the Bug and DJ /rupture, dancehall music is perfect for experimentalist dance producers. It's a careening and unpredictable style, where hooks can be fashioned from any noises: sirens, horns, vocal tags, horses neighing, cellphones buzzing, babies crying, and of course, lasers. The beats are pummeling, equally reliant on digital pulses and martial snares, but they drop out often (the better to lay down some more offbeat effects). The productions here conform to dancehall more than they play against type, even spreading to the affectionately silly weed anthem "Mary Jane" and a pair of slack (aka sex-heavy) tracks, "Bruk Out" and "What U Like." (Unfortunately, on the latter, an epic battle of the sexes between Einstein and indie rap sensation Amanda Blank never materializes.) The highlights come early on, when Santigold and Mr. Lex combine fiercely on the opening "I'll Make Ya" (aka "Hold the Line"), and also on "Anything Goes," where Turbulence earns his sobriquet with a screaming extroverted performance over Major Lazer's hailstorm of beats and sweeping strings. Side two encompasses everything from Auto-Tuned dance-pop to a production tour de force on "Pon de Floor," with Major Lazer joined by Vybz Kartel. It's as much as could be expected from the high expectations brought by all the participants, and considering the rumors of more productions and guests that didn't see the light, it's likely there'll be more to come. ~ John Bush

Product Details

Release Date:	11/15/2024
Label:	MAD DECENT
UPC:	0810072049339

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Major Lazer   Primary Artist
Jovi Rockwell   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Leftside & Supahype   Primary Artist
Santogold   Primary Artist
Azealia Banks   Primary Artist
Einstein   Primary Artist,Primary Artist,Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Featured Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Amanda Blank   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Supahype   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Nina Sky   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Ms. Thing   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Mr. Vegas   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Lindi Ortega   Primary Artist
Mapel   Primary Artist
Mr. Lex   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Leftside   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Mapei   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Santigold   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Mr. Lexx   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Ricky Blaze   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Prince Zimboo   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Miss Bliss   Primary Artist
Andy Milonakis   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Jah Dan   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
T.O.K.   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Busy Signal   Primary Artist
Future Troubles   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Turbulence   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Vybz Kartel   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
M.I.A.   Primary Artist
Collie Buddz   Primary Artist
Mr. Evil   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Vocals
Tok   Primary Artist
Jahdan Blakkamoore   Vocals,Featured Artist
Dollar Bill   Strings
Crookers   Co-Producer

Technical Credits

Mr. Evil   Performer
Francesco Barbaglia   Composer
Andrea Fratangelo   Composer
DJA   Engineer,Producer,Additional Production
Jermaine Shaw   Composer
Ricardo Johnson   Composer
Thomas Wesley Pentz   Composer,Producer
David Taylor   Composer
Switch   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Audio Production,Composer
Xavier Davidson   Composer
Craigy T   Composer
Jacqueline Cummings   Composer
Crookers   Audio Production,Producer
Amanda Blank   Performer
Supahype   Performer
Nina Sky   Performer
Ms. Thing   Composer,Performer
Christopher Palmer   Composer
Mr. Vegas   Composer,Performer
Dave Taylor   Composer,Producer
Mr. Lex   Performer
Leftside   Performer
Roshaun Clarke   Composer
Craig Parks   Composer
Mapei   Performer
Santigold   Performer
Afrojack   Mixing,Composer,Producer,Audio Production,Additional Production
Ricky Blaze   Performer,Additional Production
Jahdan Blakkamoore   Performer
Amanda McGrath   Composer
Dollar Bill   String Arrangements
Natalie Albino   Composer
Diplo   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Audio Production
Prince Zimboo   Composer,Performer
Raul A. Rodriguez   Composer
Troydon Ray Murison   Engineer
Alistaire McCalla   Composer
Jah Dan   Composer
Major Lazer   Performer
T.O.K.   Performer
Nicole Albino   Composer
Curtis Mayfield   Composer
Future Troubles   Performer
Einstein   Performer
Turbulence   Composer,Performer
John Carter   Composer
Wayne Henry   Composer
Vybz Kartel   Performer
Santi White   Composer
Digital Ancient   Composer
Man Parrish   Composer
Jovi Rockwell   Composer,Performer