Asian Dub Foundation are celebrating their 30th anniversary, and to mark this they have released a compilation of some of their finest collaborations from across their 3 decade storyline. They’re a genre to themselves. Their rhythms and bass lines, rooted in their south Asian heritage means that there has been very little to compare their sound to.
This record shows the breadth of their work, but also celebrates the fundamental uniqueness of their sound.
Opening with a cover of The Stooges No Fun, reworked with the legendary Iggy Pop, ADF’s guitarist Steve Chandrasonic saw the opportunity for a Bhangra / Proto-punk fusion that really delivers. It still carries the raw energy of the 1969 original, but is fresh and new with the stamp of the ADF band shining through.
In a very different twist, Stewart Lee’s eviscerating attack on the UK’s anti-immigration politicians – Comin’ Over Here – was given a new lease of life by the fierce beats that Chandrasonic dropped over the track, just for his own amusement. After we voted ourselves out of the European Union, this mix found itself at the top of a few charts – giving people the chance to find some humour in a situation that they were incredibly angry about.
One of the highlights of the record is the beautiful collaboration with the late Sinead O’Connor on 1000 Mirrors, originally on ADF’s 2003 record Enemy of the Enemy. A hard-hitting tale of domestic abuse, O’Connor brought her exquisite story-telling gift to this piece with a haunting, resonant quality, and it will make you stop what you’re doing all over again when you listen to it.
Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos, the collaboration with Public Enemy’s Chuck D, shows the power of their live performance. Recorded at Somerset House in London, Chuck D’s attack over the top of the ADF signature south Asian sound is phenomenal, blending the styles of these two unique and ground-breaking artists.
Musically there’s the natural ebb and flow of an original album, despite it being a compilation. That speaks to the craft of Asian Dub Foundation, carefully organising 30 years of work into an 11-track collection that will have you simultaneously dancing to their eclectic beats and drawn into the political power of their lyrics.
Asian Dub Foundation: 94 – Now: Collaborations is out today on X-Ray Productions
