Search for new Tenement Yard

Chronixx (foreground) and members of the Inner Circle Band.

BY HOWARD CAMPBELL Observer senior writer

INNER Circle and Warner Music have launched a competition to find songs for their Tenement Yard Remixes EP, scheduled for release in May.

Kalle Sveder, chief operating officer of SKIO Music, said the concept was inspired by the success of Tenement Yard (Newscarrying Dread), the hit song by Inner Circle and roots singer Chronixx.

“Mattias Wachtmeister, former director of A&R at Warner Music Sweden, reached out to SKIO Music to get remixes for the Inner Circle release. He thought it would be fun to run a remix contest to hear young producers’ take on a classic tune,” said Sveder.

He added that since it was launched two weeks ago, 50 producers from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Sweden, France, Spain and Poland have entered the contest.

Three reggae remixes of the song, first recorded in 1976 by singer Jacob Miller and Inner Circle, have already been submitted.

Sveder said dancehall, dub and dubstep remixes are also in the works.

The winner will be decided by Circle House Studios and Warner Music.

The original Tenement Yard was among the songs that launched the Miller/Inner Circle tandem 39 years ago. Miller died in an auto accident at age 27 in 1980.

The Miami-based band revived the song with Chronixx in 2014. Officially launched in Kingston in January, the song has been a hit in Jamaica.

The ‘riddim’ also includes songs by Assassin, Jesse Royal and Tanya Stephens.