Adrian Sherwood - C/D, S & D?

i'm chuffed to bits that the newly released (but recorded several years ago) AHC album, vision of a psychedelic africa, is very much in line with the classic songs of praise album.

great news!

I've been listening a lot to Jah Wobble's Molam Dub, and I really like it...one track I can't get enough of is the fourth track, "Lam Bane Xoc"...it's really good...

I wz thinking about getting the first New Age Steppers album, along with Annie Anxiety's Jackamo and African Head Charge's Off the Beaten Track? Are those good ones?

hell yes to all three imo

There are no bad African Head Charge albums.

Found the Missing Brazilians record this weekend and its great, but I think I like the Dub Syndicate album I got Strike The Balance just about as much.

according to new Mojo, AMS is working with Kevin 'the Bug' Martin on a dub version of London Zoo.

could go either way i guess, but i'm hoping for all out sonic immenseness.

of course i wont get my hopes up until the disc is actually in my hands, as the list of on-u related albums i have got excited about only for them to never appear continues to grow (audio active slash-n-mix , mutant hi-fi to name but 2)

Classic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTgp8UtwmSc

^^^ my all time fave on-u track !!

The most hilarious thread ever.

New African Head Charge album streaming http://www.onu-sound.com/african-head-charge/index.html

will be getting that asap.
hopefully this new release is the beginning of a proper 30th anniversary celebration.
a boxset has been promised, but as always for on-u follwers, i suspect that patience will be tested.

They seem to be taking it quite seriously:
To mark the label’s 30th anniversary in 2011, we will be reissuing a number of classic On-U Sound albums, a selection of new releases, renewed live activity and the release of an extensive box-set.

The year of celebration begins in early March with the release of a new African Head Charge album and 3 classic reissues – New Age Steppers debut, Creation Rebel’s highly influential Starship Africa and African Head Charge’s hard-to-find Off The Beaten Track.

The plan will then be to release further new albums and classic reissues throughout 2011.

The new releases planned include a collection of contemporary remixes of Lee Perry’s On-U Sound output, the long-awaited On-U produced Little Axe album and a New Age Steppers long-player – their first since Foundation Steppers in 1983 – featuring vocal contributions from the late Ari Up and Mark Stewart amongst others. Details of further new releases will be announced shortly.

Amongst the classic reissues are albums from some of the label’s most acclaimed artists including Lee Perry, Dub Syndicate, Bim Sherman, Tackhead, Little Annie and Singers & Players.

There are also plans for a deluxe box-set which will include extensive sleeve-notes from Adrian Sherwood, rare and un-released tracks from the archive, a collection of classic tracks and a selection of some of Adrian’s finest remixes.

They seem to be taking it quite seriously

That's been up for quite a while - we're now in the second half of March, and there's no listings of any forthcoming reissues of the three titles mentioned for release in early March. We've been through this before. What's sad is the huge amount of crucial early material in the archives still unheard - post-Slits Ari Up, various Mark Stewart goodies, a Prince Hammer record, etc. Will these ever see the light of day?

Ah I see. I'll keep checking back then...

We've been through this before

i think its safe to say AMS struggles with the industry.

he has been burnt several times over the years (EFA going bust being the big one, the deal with EMI not going too well etc), so, i guess these things have gone back to being a cottage industry set up (literally ! on-u studio is now in the living room/kitchen of his house, according to various online videos), so, big projects like this will indeed take some sorting out.

AMS has said before how in the 80s his albums sold tens of thousands of copies, whereas now, a high profile release isn't going to sell anywhere near as much, meaning that a high cost project like a boxset is going to need funds, and i suspect he has become somewhat risk adverse, and so tests the waters for responses to such promises, in order to figure out demand.

i mean the last dub syndicate compilation was virtually a bootleg. no barcode, no label detail etc.

like i said, patience will be tested.

tis the on-u way.

more into the re-issues than the boxset tbh

http://www.djhistory.com/interviews/adrian-sherwood

Nice mix of old Adrian Sherwood/On-U Sound tunes:

http://testpressing.org/2010/02/02/producers-series-1-adrian-sherwood/

And here's a Part 2:

http://testpressing.org/2011/02/21/producers-series-11-adrian-sherwood-part-2/

was just thinking on the way into work it could be time to delve back into on-u (i go for months without listening to on-u, and then once i start, its very hard to move away from it .. ), so these mixes could be just the job.
also, seen the new reissues yesterday (african headcharge, and creation rebel).
very nicely packaging - a bit like the old mo'wax cd albums in carboard covers.
still, no word on the boxset though ..

30th anniversary on-u sound tour, anyone checking it out?

i'll be at the sherwood gig on wednesday in boston (five bucks!)

The year of celebration begins in early March with the release of a new African Head Charge album and 3 classic reissues – New Age Steppers debut, Creation Rebel’s highly influential Starship Africa and African Head Charge’s hard-to-find Off The Beaten Track

has anyone picked up these new editions ?

are they straightforward reissues (albeit but in nice packaging), or is the music remastered ?

still no sign of the boxset ..

Saw Dub Syndicate live once and was bored to tears. It didn't help that the group was preceded by two hours of dub over the PA. So it was like dub dub dub dub dub dub dub dub dub .... 15 minute break ... dub dub dub dub dub dub.

i wouldn't be bored by two hours of dub, if it was a good PA!

went to see Sherwood last night. amazing to see that guy work a mixing board, and all those live effects he was using

"It didn't help that the group was preceded by two hours of dub over the PA. So it was like dub dub dub dub dub dub dub dub dub .... 15 minute break ... dub dub dub dub dub dub."

What the heck did you think it was going to be?

"are they straightforward reissues (albeit but in nice packaging), or is the music remastered ?"

I think it's just nice packaging. The albums were reissued/remastered in the late 90s. Has remastering really improved that much since then?

alex otm

no idea.
just the latest dub syndicate compilation was specifically promoted as remastered, and sounds amazing.
so was hoping AMS had gone back and spruced up these latest reissues, but i guess you're right.
to be honest, i care not, if the reissues happen to still be there tomorrow, i'm grabbing them.
and yes, 2 hours of dub = heaven
would love to have seen dub syndicate live ..

xpost I expected a little more diversity over the PA before the headliner went on, to break things up a bit. Just as you wouldn't play, I dunno, Bob Seger for two hours before Bob Seger goes on - or for that matter "Music for Airports" before Bang on a Can does "Music for Airports" - so I expected some contrast for effect. I also felt it lessened the presence of the live band.

Wasn't terrible music, mind, but I had a raging headache by the end.

"Just as you wouldn't play, I dunno, Bob Seger for two hours before Bob Seger goes on"

Uh sure, but I'd probably expect two hours of rock before Bob Seger. Or similarly minimal music pre-BOAC does "Music For Airports". Were they playing only Dub Syndicate tracks for two hours prior? Or is this one of those all dub sounds alike things?

"I was shocked that when I went to this rave and all they played was techno and it all sounded the same."

"I was pleased when I saw Diplo that he didn't confine himself to playing a bunch of dancehall. He also played a Celine Dion dubstep remix!"

Just as you wouldn't play, I dunno, Bob Seger for two hours before Bob Seger goes on - or for that matter "Music for Airports" before Bang on a Can does "Music for Airports"

dub is not one person: it's a genre, a culture, a feeling, etc. it's not one sound but a panorama of sounds--it encompasses so much

would write more but typing is hard for me, mostly confined to one-liners

This set of dub did not comprise a panorama of sounds, encompassing much. I blame the DJ and/or soundsystem.

At the same time, it was something like a decade ago, so maybe it was awesome and I was not.

i succumbed and picked up the new little axe and new african headcharge albums today.

love the artwork - much better than the last round of "new" releases, basically the mighty stepper/dubstepper releases - both of which had truly dreadful artwork.
the new style fits in well, and goes with the redesigned website.
as for the music : well, neither album stretches the boundaries of on-u sound, but are very solid albums.
especially the new little axe, which as a project has become more and more real world/radio 2 friendly over the years, so good to have the sound go back to on-u both in record label, and sound.

not bothering with the new remix album of the mighty stepper as its by various dubstep producers and i doubt i'd enjoy it.

so all that remains now, is the much promised boxset ..

oh, and new age steppers album i believe thats on its way ..

I'm a HUGE Adrian fan, and I stumbled on the New Age Steppers shortly after it came out (thank you Ray Farrell). The new album is dreadful IMHO.

not heard anything off new New Age Steppers album.

in what way is it dreadful, as i cant see it going too far off on-u course given that AMS has his thing pretty locked down these days.

not bothering with the new remix album of the mighty stepper as its by various dubstep producers and i doubt i'd enjoy it.

well today i did a u-turn on my own statement and got the dubstep styled remix album.

some good, some mad (the cover of 'iron man' with dennis bovell is a bit hard work .. )

still no sign of the boxset.

(aint going to happen .. )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SbnsgRaiZ0

*spam*

http://soundcloud.com/twitch/optimo-podcast-12-adrian

http://soundcloud.com/alexchase/ohm-dedication-series-2-jd

new solo album by adrian sherwood is a lot more mellow than previous releases.

none of the usual on-u style edginess, which i have to admit takes a bit of getting used to.

I've been finding it pleasant enough, in the background while reading or whatever. But yeah, it sure doesn't seem much like an Adrian Sherwood album.

exactly.

its pleasant.

i dont normally listen to on-u for pleasant.

its a definite late night/reading soundtrack kind of album, which of course sounds amazing.

i thoroughly, thoroughly recommend stirmonster's MONSTER mixes linked just four posts above this one, btw.

I'm a HUGE Adrian fan, and I stumbled on the New Age Steppers shortly after it came out (thank you Ray Farrell). The new album is dreadful IMHO.

well, i ignored this statement and picked up the new new age steppers album today.

its certainly not dreadful, i suspect AMS wanted to make a 'final' album worthy of one his best friends so made sure the album covers all sorts of bases, its good, but i concur it's not a classic.

it is a solid on-u album, and even in 2012 that's always going to hit the spot for me.

oh, and the new solo album by AMS has clicked.

once i readjusted my expectations i have really come around to loving it.

boxset is never going to happen is it ..

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/19299-creation-rebel-new-age-steppers-threat-to-creation/

reissue

originally released in 1981

classic. going to play "chemical specialist" at max volume right now.