How you say...ahead of its Time?

01  Audio Active – 	Happy Shopper

02  Doug Wimbish – 	Life In The Arena (Version 1)

07 Dub Syndicate –  Roots Commandment (Remix)

13 African Head Charge –  Animal Law (Remix)

Jello Biafra lasers bullseye precision on U.S. social justice over the sacred, tribal, drumming, excellence of African Head Charge.

African Head Charge & Jello Biafra(1998)

•	Lost post-punk classic from 1980. A unique mixture of noisy riffs, angular pop melodies and dubwise production aesthetic.  
•	Second ever album release on On-U Sound, never issued before on CD or Digital. 
•	Features former members of Durutti Column and future members of Simply Red! 
•	Can be filed alongside early work by Wire, Gang Of Four and Public Image Limited; and uncannily predates later work by contemporary bands such as Liars and Battles. 
•	Remastered from the original tapes and fully annotated with sleevenotes by the band, plus photos and memorabilia. 
•	All formats include 6 bonus tracks, 3 of which are previously unheard. 
The Mothmen emerged from the ashes of two legendary Manchester groups – comedy/satire band Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias, and the first line-up of Factory Records band The Durutti Column. They also contributed to the beginnings of longrunning dub collective Suns Of Arqa.

Band members Chris Joyce and Tony Bowers went onto become the rhythm section in the classic 80s line-up of Simply Red, whilst multi-instrumentalist Bob Harding ran lauded reggae reissue label Blood & Fire. Tragically, guitarist Dave Rowbotham was murdered in 1991, but was immortalised in the Happy Mondays song “Cowboy Dave”.  

A missing part of the early On-U Sound Records story restored to life and a great example of early-80s UK DIY post-punk music. At times exhibiting psych-tinged tunefulness on tracks such as “Not Moving” and “Change Direction” (or their unreleased cover of Syd Barrett’s “Vegetable Man”). Other tracks are heavier, such as the trance-inducing repetitive rhythms of “Mothman” which recalls 70s German groups such as Can or Amon Düül II.   

Order here: https://bleep.com/release/59582-the-mothmen-pay-attention

10 Does It Matter Irene (radio Sessi

09 Vegetable Man

Another Science Fiction Dancehall Classic! Originally released in 1984, this is one of the most envelope-pushing records on the On-U Sound label: a rhythmic collision of noise, dub and electronics. Adrian Sherwood pushed the possibilities of the studio to the limit, capturing dystopian mid-80s cold war menace with layers of spatially-disorientating percussion, alien keyboard sounds and teeth-rattling distortion. Features vocal contributions from Shara Nelson (Massive Attack) and Annie Anxiety (Crass Records).

Re-cut at dubplates & mastering in Berlin for maximum bass pressure. Includes a fold-out poster insert, and download card for full album plus a previously unreleased extended mix of “Ace Of Wands”, their contribution to the classic first volume of the longrunning Pay It All Back series.
Pre-order link: http://bit.ly/1hWUoEm


The Missing Brazilians - Ace Of Wands (unreleased extended mix)

This month On U Sound have released a new compilation looking back over their history. This being On U Sound, they haven’t cobbled together a greatest hits collection. Instead they’ve called in Trevor Jackson to pick through hours of B Sides, remixes and out takes, to put together a set that shows the startling bizarre dance music On U were making. The results still sound way ahead of most dance music being made today, hence the fitting title; Trevor Jackson presents Science Fiction Dancehall Classics. Here’s an exclusive megamix of tracks taken from the album.

Connect to i-D's world! 
facebook.com/iDmagazineofficial
twitter.com/i_D
http://i-d.co



i-DJ: Trevor Jackson Presents Science Fiction Dancehall Classics Megamix

Ahead of the release of the SCIENCE FICTION DANCEHALL CLASSICS compilation on 2 October, On-U Sound is proud to drop this ultra-limited 1-sided 12", with the On-U logo laser-etched onto the b-side, featuring edits of the demo recordings Adrian Sherwood produced for the classic "Akabu Theme", heard in finished form on the iconic PAY IT ALL BACK VOL 1 collection in 1984. As edited for maximum impact by DJ and audio-visual artist Trevor Jackson, these tracks are a startling discovery, and connect the dots between what On-U Sound was doing in the early-80s, and the modern day output of labels such as L.I.E.S, The Trilogy Tapes and Future Times.

Available 18th Sep

Akabu Edits - Raw Dub + Bonus Beats (short preview)

Cerulean

Mercury

The Ocean Blue

Drifting, Falling

Ballerina Out of Control

Between Something and Nothing

An unreleased track recorded in 1983 discovered in a dusty corner of the On-U tape archives. Taken from SCIENCE FICTION DANCEHALL CLASSICS, a curated selection of classics, rarities and unreleased tracks from the On-U Sound vaults by DJ & Audio Visual artist Trevor Jackson.

In some ways predicting the electro-fied sound of Neneh’s worldwide pop success with the Raw Like Sushi album, “Dead Come Alive” stems from a mid-80s period when Adrian took a production hiatus from his beloved reggae, deeply upset by the murder of his friend Prince Far I (he would later rekindle the dub flame when the opportunity arose in 1986 to work with hero Lee “Scratch” Perry). Instead he explored the possibilities of new studio technology. Early samplers and drum machines were put through their paces on work for the Tommy Boy label and remixes for the likes of Depeche Mode. 

More info here: http://www.smarturl.it/sfdhc-onu



Neneh Cherry & The Circuit – Dead Come Alive

A metal dance deconstruction of a Prince classic, recorded in 1987.

Adrian’s mid-80s productions with the Tackhead axis were some of the most innovative of the period in their sheer sonic extremity - creating huge walls of sound with skull-crushing beats, a Dadaist collage of vocal samples, and instruments pushed way into the red. Distortion became another colour in his sonic palette, just as echo, reverb and parametric EQ had been to his dub productions. These records caught the ears of musicians from the emerging second wave industrial scene - an international affair taking inspiration from earlier groups like Throbbing Gristle and Cabaret Voltaire but applying it to tracks intended for a dancefloor or rock club. The hybrid would be dubbed ‘electronic body music’, and Sherwood very much had a hand in shaping the sound, being invited to work with the likes of Einstürzende Neubauten, Ministry, KMFDM, Nitzer Ebb and Nine Inch Nails.

Pankow were from Florence, Italy and Adrian made their acquaintance after producing fellow hometown act Rinf (also featured on this comp). Pankow's early synth and drum machine excursions such as “Das Vodkalied” have become a seminal touchstone for modern techno producers such as Helena Hauff in recent years, with their heavier late-80s productions with Adrian Sherwood being championed as metal dance classics by On-U compiler Trevor Jackson. They also ended up having their records released in the states by Wax Trax!, and worked on two albums with Adrian, Freiheit Für Die Sklaven(Freedom For The Slaves) and Gisela. This irreverent deconstruction of a Prince song is a highlight of their time working together and appeared in extended form on the humorously titled EP, Pankow Play The Hits Of The Nineties.

More: www.smarturl.it/satcvol2


Pankow - Girls & Boys

An unreleased gem from the On-U archives that features on the forthcoming 'Sherwood At The Controls Volume 2: 1985 - 1990' compilation.

Brought together through the efforts of BBC Radio DJ Steve 'On The Wire' Barker, the sessions that birthed this track saw Adrian work with one of his heroes and big influences for the first time. Working alongside Style Scott and Dub Syndicate, they cooked up a fresh batch of rhythms for the Upsetter to voice, resulting in the critically acclaimed Time Boom X De Devil Dead LP which came out on On-U Sound in 1987. This alternate mix of the track "Music & Science Lovers" is heard here for the first time.

More about the compilation here: www.smarturl.it/satcvol2

Lee 'Scratch' Perry - Music & Science Madness

As featured on Sherwood At The Controls Vol 2: 1985 - 1990, a slice of future funk laid down by Doug Wimbish, Skip McDonald and Keith LeBlanc (aka The Sugarhill Gang) in collaboration with UK dub producer Adrian Sherwood. Exclusive edit by On-U archivist and DJ Patrick Dokter.

Order Sherwood At The Controls Vol 2: http://amzn.to/28MJS3p

How you say...ahead of its Time?

muddy mike