Not merely a best of, 94-Now collates Asian Dub Foundation collaborating with a maelstrom of top tier artists.
Released: 27th September 2024
Label: ADF Communications / X-Ray Productions
Format: Vinyl / CD / Digital
94-24
Not a bad way to celebrate your 30th…a collection of collaborations that Asian Dub Foundation have been a part of over the last 30 years. Add into that the roster, which is stacked, and you have an eleven song selection that showcases one of the UK’s most underrated bands.
Asian Dub Foundation are a genre unto themselves. Their unique combination of jungliest rhythms, dub bass lines and wild guitar overlaid by references to their South Asian roots via militant high-speed rap has established them as one of the best live bands in the world. The story began in the early 90’s when ADF formed from a music workshop in East London at the institution which is their spiritual home, Community Music. Their unique beginnings shaped both their sound and their educational aspirations, setting up their own organisation ADF Education (ADFED), plus instigating campaigns on behalf of those suffering miscarriages of justice.
LEGENDS
No Fun is a dub heavy version of The Stooges song, featuring their legendary frontman, Iggy Pop. As the story goes, Iggy Pop had spoken to the band after a show in Zagrab remarking that ADF were a hard band to follow. The beat has a bhangra feel to it; I guess you’d slot it in the rather unique bhangra-punk section of your record store.
Another legendary collaboration is that of 1000 Mirrors. It features the late, great Sinéad O’Connor and Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien. If anyone befitted the Asian Dub Foundation outlook of speaking truth to power, O’Connor is just that person. For years she blazed a trail without compromise. The title apparently came from a dream but also has a place in Indian mythology. Musically, there is a real trip-hop essence and it features Adrian Sherwood on production duties.
The legendary collaborations don’t end there. Public Enemy’s Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos features PE main man Chuck D on a live cut. According to the band, Chuck D heaped praise on the band; “You play some funky shit!” he remarked. Not a bad badge of honour coming from one of rap’s greatest.
COMIN’ OVER HERE
Stewart Lee is one of the UK’s finest satirists. It is his words that accompany the brilliantly biting Comin’ Over Here. Reflections on the massive impact of immigrants on the British Isles is scathing and thought provoking. The song hit many #1 spots as the United Kingdom left the European Union.
Race is also front and centre on the Primal Scream featuring Free Saptal Ram. The story of Saptal Ram is one that shows the power of music and campaigning. When Asian Dub Foundation got together with Primal Scream, they brought attention to Saptal Ram; a victim of a racist attack. Ram spent 17 years in prison but was released after the campaign that the two bands led. At a time when Britpop was ruling the roost, Primal Scream and Brendan Lynch (Scream’s producer), helped ADF cut through. This is a time when Primal Scream were really innovating their sound too; Vanishing Point (1997) and XTRMNTR (2000) were massive. ADF’s Rafi’s Revenge (1998), which featured the original track, came out around this time. It was a real standout record of the year.
BROKEN BRITAIN
Chowerman offers vocals on the Indo/punk/jungle track, Broken Britain. Like Comin’ Over Here, it is thematically biting. The riffs are chunky and the beat is relentless. Some of the harsh vocals would have suited the brilliant Keith Flint.
Culture Move features MC Navigator. This is straight up Jungle. No messing around. Tabla’s echo around as the earthy bass vibrates. Another jungly piece comes in the form of Toulouse featuring Zebda & Chandrasonic.
Many of the cuts on 94 – Now are in your face. Asian Dub Foundation show their idiosyncratic side with more globe trotting tracks like Raj Antique Store featuring Likkle Mai & Dry and Heavy. Recorded in Tokyo, the song is, by the bands admission, an archaeological love song, about a store in New York. Sitars and Tablas merge over a hypnotic beat. Taa Deem has a brilliant bass line; it is a song with a truly World Music feel. Unpolished and unashamed in its delivery, there is so much going on in this song. The vocals get intense as the guitar provides a sonic bedrock.
Collective Mode, featuring Audio Active, closes out the set here. 94 – Now is a brilliant collection of songs that showcase one of the worlds most underrated bands, and the work that they have done. The liner notes to the album are informative and provide a wonderful backdrop to the music with comments from band members about how things came together.
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