Protoje Closes A Chapter Of Time With New Album, ‘In Search Of Zion’ Produced by Zion I Kings
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Protoje releases a new remix album In Search Of Zion via In.Digg.Nation Collective / RCA Records on all digital streaming platforms and special edition vinyl. The Jamaican artist and visionary tapped producer collective Zion I Kings to give a fresh, ambient and soulful twist to his critically acclaimed 2020 album In Search of Lost Time. It is traditional meets modern roots reggae recreation.
In addition, the LP features dub versions of each track. This reimagined LP is the final piece following his trilogy of time themed albums: A Matter Of Time (2018), In Search of Lost Time (2020) and Third Time’s The Charm (2022).
Protoje says “In Search Of Zion is my last gift before I go on to new music, so this is a closing chapter. This music is so different, some of them are steppaz, some one drops, some are boom bap, one-two…a throwback to a roots reggae time.”
Production Team
Zion I Kings is a team of three producers and labels – David “Jah David” Goldfine of Zion High Productions, Laurent “Tippy I” Alfred of I Grade Records and Andrew “Moon” Bain of Lustre Kings Productions – with a 50+ album catalog and 2x Best Reggae Album Grammy nominations for Snoop Lion in 2014 and Protoje in 2022.
Laced with pounding kick drums, slapping snares, deep basslines, lush synthesizers and dub influences, their seasoned sound of live roots reggae instrumentation brought new dimensions to Protoje’s lyrics and songwriting. Each of the three Zion I Kings producers oversaw production and mixing work on particular songs. As a result, the album presents the sonic signatures of the collective, but also the individual approaches for which each producer is known. The accompanying dub mixes allow each song’s unique production approach to shine, with the traditional dub brushes of delays and reverbs working alongside more modern filtering and digital mixing techniques that bridge Jamaican dub mixing tradition with the currency of now.
In Search of Zion was produced in a short period of time during the 2020 lockdown. However, Zion I Kings’ core member and collaborator, Andrew “Drew Keys” Stoch, passed away shortly after the project commenced. This tragic event pulled the team together in unexpected ways, pouring the passion and pain for their fallen comrade into each track. In Search of Zion is a testament to fortitude, creating a roots reggae healing journey that cycles through a complete range of sound, color and emotion.
On Tour
Protoje and his band The Indiggnation just wrapped a 10-city+ European tour spanning France, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Austria and Germany this fall.
He is gearing up for his next annual staging of The Lost In Time Festival, slated for Feb 24, 2024 in Kingston, Jamaica.
Book Release and Signing
In addition, Proteje will release his first children’s book Here Comes The Morning this month with The Bookboys and illustrations by Jonathan Nelson. The book, a dedication to Protoje’s daughter Yara and inspired by his song carrying the same name. It will be released on November 18th, 2023 with a book signing kicking off in Washington D.C. on the same day.
