Underground Roots (feat. Ari Up of The Slits)
Underground Roots (feat. Ari Up of The Slits) by Lee "Scratch" Perry & Subatomic Sound System is 75 BPM — Adagio (slow).
Half-time 38 BPM · Double-time 150 BPM · released 2017
Song DNA
Misophonia Triggers
A dub reggae remake of Lee 'Scratch' Perry's classic 'Underground Root' featuring raw, energetic vocals from Ari Up of The Slits over heavy bass and psychedelic effects.
Hear it the way it was made
The right gear changes everything.
Moods: energetic, introspective, rebellious
Traditions: dub, reggae
"Underground Roots (feat. Ari Up of The Slits)" by Lee "Scratch" Perry & Subatomic Sound System
75 BPM, dynamic range 6/10, layered texture, dynamic vocals. Sits in the middle band — neither built for stillness nor pitched at workout intensity. Whether it works for a given moment depends more on mood and lyrical content than on the acoustic profile. The full sensory breakdown follows.
How this song sits on each sensory axis
A dynamic range of 6/10 means this song moves. Expect a real volume climb between quiet sections and the loudest part of the arrangement — enough that you may want to set the initial volume below where you'd normally land.
Sudden changes: mild. There are one or two transitions worth knowing about, though they're musically resolved rather than surprise-driven.
Texture is layered — a full arrangement with clear separation between parts.
Predictability is medium — conventional structure overall, with one or two moments that deviate from what you'd expect.
Vocal style: dynamic vocals.
2017 context
Released in 2017. We have 461 songs from that year in our library, averaging a dynamic range of 6.0/10. This track is about average than the year average. Explore more from the 2010s.
Explore by mood and tradition
Guides that may help
How fast is "Underground Roots (feat. Ari Up of The Slits)"?
75 BPM — Slow (downtempo / ballad)
Too slow for most running; good for warm-up walks or cool-down.
Warm-up, cool-down, yoga, stretching.
Sleep, meditation, reading, focus work.
Browse more songs at 75 BPM.
When "Underground Roots (feat. Ari Up of The Slits)" works, and when it doesn't
Use-case verdicts computed from the song's tempo, dynamics, and sensory profile.
Maybe — fine for routine work, but the mid-song changes may pull attention during deep focus.
No — 75 BPM is too slow for sustained cardio.
No — contains elements that will keep an awake nervous system engaged.
Yes — predictable enough for safe driving attention, interesting enough to stay engaged.
Yes — sits in the background without demanding attention.
Not really — it's pleasant but doesn't hit hard enough for cathartic listening.
Related reading
Editorial guides that cover this song's use cases, moods, or artist.
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Why this rating
We rate this song Moderate because it falls between our Safe and Intense thresholds on at least one dimension. Moderate is the default for most well-produced music that has real arc but no surprise elements. Full rubric: methodology.
See how “Underground Roots (feat. Ari Up of The Slits)” sits against your own sensitivities, or use it as a waypoint in a calmer set.
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Rating last reviewed: 2026-04-15. Reviewed by the Music I Want editorial team against the documented methodology.
Think this rating is wrong? Contact the editor — every message is read and ratings get revised.
By the numbers: how this song compares
Computed from this song’s place among the 19,209 songs we’ve measured.
Where it sits in 19,000 songs
On our 19k-song scale this lands in the middle band — more energetic than 42% of songs, calmer than the other 58%. Its intensity reading of 45/100 comes from a dynamic range of 6/10, layered texture, mild shifts, and dynamic vocals. It shares this stretch of the spectrum with thousands of other tracks, so the finer fingerprint below is what really separates it.
What makes it unusual
What stands out most about this song is a slow, unhurried pace: more extreme on that axis than 88% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on full chaos — sudden changes, huge quiet-to-loud swings, and relentless energy — the kind of track this one is the counterpoint to.
Feels almost identical to
Closest matches by feel across all 19,209 measured songs — not by genre or artist, by how they actually move.
What it’s good for
Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.
2017 in context
The 461 songs we’ve measured from 2017 average a dynamic range of 6.0/10. At 6/10, this track is right in line with its year.
Mixes smoothly with
Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.
The fingerprint
The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.
Frequently asked about "Underground Roots (feat. Ari Up of The Slits)"
Quick answers pulled from the song's sensory analysis.
What is the BPM of "Underground Roots (feat. Ari Up of The Slits)" by Lee "Scratch" Perry & Subatomic Sound System?
"Underground Roots (feat. Ari Up of The Slits)" by Lee "Scratch" Perry & Subatomic Sound System has a tempo of 75 BPM (Adagio (slow)). At half-time that is 38 BPM, and at double-time 150 BPM.
What is the sensory intensity of "Underground Roots (feat. Ari Up of The Slits)" by Lee "Scratch" Perry & Subatomic Sound System?
"Underground Roots (feat. Ari Up of The Slits)" by Lee "Scratch" Perry & Subatomic Sound System rates as Moderate intensity. Dynamic range 6/10, mild sudden changes, layered texture. Moderate is the default for well-produced music with real arc but no surprise elements.
How loud is "Underground Roots (feat. Ari Up of The Slits)" — what is its dynamic range?
"Underground Roots (feat. Ari Up of The Slits)" has a dynamic range of 6/10. Noticeable climb from quiet sections to loudest point. Set opening volume slightly lower than your preferred peak.
Does "Underground Roots (feat. Ari Up of The Slits)" have sudden or surprising changes?
"Underground Roots (feat. Ari Up of The Slits)" has mild sudden changes — one or two transitions worth knowing about, but they are musically resolved rather than surprise-driven.
What is "Underground Roots (feat. Ari Up of The Slits)" best for?
In our library "Underground Roots (feat. Ari Up of The Slits)" is recommended for: deep listening, emotional release, movement. These tags are assigned only where the song's sensory profile genuinely supports the use case.
When was "Underground Roots (feat. Ari Up of The Slits)" released?
"Underground Roots (feat. Ari Up of The Slits)" is from 2017, on the album "Super Ape Returns to Conquer". It appears in our 2010s catalog.
What is the emotional mood of "Underground Roots (feat. Ari Up of The Slits)"?
We tag "Underground Roots (feat. Ari Up of The Slits)" as energetic, introspective, rebellious. Moods are tonal descriptors based on how the song reads emotionally — separate from the sensory intensity axes.
What is the vocal style of "Underground Roots (feat. Ari Up of The Slits)"?
The vocal style is dynamic vocals.
Is "Underground Roots (feat. Ari Up of The Slits)" good for running?
Not really — at 75 BPM it's below most running cadences. Better for warm-up, cool-down, or walking. Recreational runners typically step at 140-175 BPM.
Is "Underground Roots (feat. Ari Up of The Slits)" good for studying?
Only partially. The song's dynamic range (6/10) means there will be loud moments that break focus during deep work.
Can I use "Underground Roots (feat. Ari Up of The Slits)" for sleep?
Not recommended for sleep. Contains transitions that will wake you up.
Should I listen to "Underground Roots (feat. Ari Up of The Slits)"?
"Underground Roots (feat. Ari Up of The Slits)" is Moderate intensity — fine for most listeners, but with enough dynamic activity that it works best as active listening rather than background.
Songs with the same DNA
layered texture, similar intensity — across any genre or era.
Safer alternatives with a similar feel
These songs share similar moods but with a gentler sensory profile.
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