“When will all this stupidness end? And live in togetherness?” pleads the mighty Big Youth… “Stop killing the innocent ones.” We are proud to present this incredibly timely tune from the legend Twilight Circus, just the musical medicine the world needs in these days of division and strife.

“Why Can’t We Be Friends?” is a rockstone riddim with a driving heartbeat pulse and deep atmosphere reminiscent of Rhythm & Sound’s classic Burial Mix releases. Fully organic in its sonics and construction, it nevertheless manages to recall the golden age of dub techno and late-night warehouse sessions. Big Youth’s voice emerges from deep in the swirling mix, appealing to our better selves in these times of trouble. The dub version dives even deeper, bringing the hi-hats into crystal focus, letting the toms and rimshots rock, the skanks dub and invert, with occasional test-tones bubbling up as the riddim drives forward, ever forward…

Twilight Circus is the dub & reggae project of multi-instrumentalist Ryan Moore, former bassist and drummer of the Legendary Pink Dots. Originally focused completely on instrumental dub albums and singles, Twilight Circus moved increasingly into working with voices – in addition to Big Youth, Moore has worked with a roll call of seminal roots vocalists including Michael Rose, Ranking Joe, Cornell Campbell, Fred Locks and Luciano. The Twilight Circus discography is truly massive, spanning dozens of LPs and singles, and remixes galore. This new single is a crucial addition to an already stellar career in sound system music.

Moore recalls the extraordinary events around the session with Big Youth:
“…the vocals with Big Youth we did at Steven Stanley Studio in Kingston JA, during sessions which later got derailed due to the arrival of hurricane Dennis in 2005! I will never forget talking with Bongo Herman in the studio parking lot & the wind went still, then started from the opposite direction – that was the point the storm announced itself.

The eye miraculously veered off at the last moment so JA was spared destruction, but it was a crazy time as people realized what was on the way & started boarding up, panic-buying supplies… I too got provisions, water, candles etc to survive on my own in the hotel… as it turned out torrential rains & floods hit, but no devastating winds…”