Quality over quantity - Cham slams mass production of music

Dancehall artiste Cham is known to pace his releases, sometimes releasing as little as two songs for an entire year.

However, despite his unusual production pattern, his relevance is seldom questioned by dancehall fans.

The artiste, who spoke to THE STAR on Thursday, said the tendency for Jamaican artistes to saturate the market with music is counterproductive.

He believes only a small number of songs will eventually be classified as classics and will be able stand on their own in a catalogue.

Cham, who has a new album called Lawless, is planning to release another in 2018. He says it's a better gamble to release one album annually, than to release 100 singles per year.

"I am going to release a next album next year because I am making up for lost time. I have never been the youth to release too many songs per year. Instead of that, I would prefer to release an album every year with 10 songs and work them," he said.

Cham, who is still working with legendary producer Dave Kelly, believes the quality of Jamaican music is compromised due to mass production.

The deejay, who rarely misses with his few releases, climbed local charts with songs like Wine and Backway in recent times.

TO EACH HIS OWN

"To me, it's quality over quantity. There is no way you can release 100 songs and they become classics. To each his own, but you will release 100 songs and maybe only three will make it to your catalogue. I have developed a strong catalogue over the years through my formula, but it might not work for another person," he said.

Cham and Dave Kelly are already plotting to tap into the streaming market, citing that Madhouse Records has always been ahead of the competition as it relates to its grasp of new technology.

"We were one of the first local labels to use CDs in our studio, we were the first to use Pro Tools in productions, and we are going to put this album all over the place using all platforms, including streaming. You have some people who still want vinyls as collectors' items, and we will have vinyls available for those places like Europe," he said.

Lawless recently peaked a number five on the Billboard Reggae Chart. The album was independently produced by Dave Kelly, since Cham is now free from his Atlantic Records contract, which had been hampering his ability to release albums over the last few years.