Article - Walk softly and carry a Major Lazer

Dethklok and Gorillaz aside, fictional cartoon characters rarely find themselves releasing albums and gracing real-life stages. But when club-hopping DJs Diplo and Switch teamed up with renegade Jamaican soldier Major Lazer to release last year’s Guns Don’t Kill People... Lazers Do, they created more than just a dancehall hit.

Having lost his arm during a little known 1984 zombie war, Lazer continued fighting vampires and other creatures of the night with his prosthetic laser limb. But battling evil has never kept him from a good party, which is where Diplo and Switch come in.

Taking some time off from burying the undead, Major Lazer revives the ’80s Jamaican dancehall style with Diplo and Switch adding modern electro and futuristic club effects.

“The idea was born out of our shared interest in Jamaican music,” says Switch. “I guess the whole thing was really just an excuse for Diplo and I to go to Jamaica and make music together.”

With guest performers such as Santigold, Amanda Blank and such Jamaican artists as Vybz Kartel and Mr. Vegas, the album drew critical and club praise.

As the group brings its show to Atlanta for the first time, there will be even more colorful characters helping out. “We have a superhero cartoon character named Skerrit Boy who is the frontman for Major Lazer,” says Switch. “We have a lot of visuals prepared for the show, but it’s really more about the interaction with the crowd. That’s one of the things we really like about Jamaica is its relationship with the music and that’s what we’re trying to get across in the shows.”

They are also working on bringing the Major’s adventures to the small screen with the help of Atlanta’s Cartoon Network. Eric Wareheim of Adult Swim’s “Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!” already directed the surreal video for “Pon De Floor.”

“At the moment, we’re actually drawing up a Major Lazer show for Adult Swim that should be pretty funny,” says Switch. “Hopefully, that will come out early next year.”