Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The Mixes: Industrial Funk / Dub Abstractions IV

Vinyl Encounters of the...Rewind!

The Mixes: Industrial Funk / Dub Abstractions IV (Adrian Sherwood / On-U Sound Excursion Into Version)

Mixed & Written by Selecta J-Cut
Industrial Funk / Dub Abstractions IV: Adrian Sherwood
Excursion Into Version
 


This is the fourth edition in the  reboot of Vinyl Encounters of the...Rewind! (see original video episodes Here). This time I'll be breaking down the all-vinyl, Industrial Funk / Dub Abstractions IV, recorded in 2012, the series is currently at Volume 10. To further conceptualize the mix, on this one, all of the selections are produced or remixed by Adrian Sherwood, including a host of diverse artists plus his innovative, influential and legendary works on his own label, On-U Sound Records.

The previous three mixes were rife with his material already but I felt it necessary to put this one together as a tribute to his tremendous talent and to the amazing body of work that he's been involved in making.
Again, I will make this disclaimer, the title of this series is my own description, some artists may take the label "Industrial" as a pejorative, or a purist would say that Industrial is exclusively Throbbing Gristle and music that was released on their Industrial Records. I'm not attempting to classify or categorize any of the artists included here, I'm using the term as a personal interpretation as more of a reaction to the music industry itself than any actual distinct "sound."


Many of the artists included in this mix are active now, links have been included (highlighted) where possible, as it is our goal at CULTCHA Clash Outer National to educate and entertain.




On-U Sound at Bandcamp



Prince Far I & The Arabs -
Crytuff Dub Encounter, Chapter 1

The first tune is "Long Life" from the Prince Far I & The Arabs 1978 LP, Crytuff Dub Encounter, Chapter 1. I first heard this album as a ROIR cassette and was hooked on dub, and On-U Sound, instantly. As a teen, Punk music certainly played a role in planting interest in Reggae, but as a suburban kid from the heartland of America, I wasn't very literate on real Reggae music outside of Bob Marley & The Wailers, Black Uhuru, Steele Pulse and a few others, mostly from soundtracks....This album opened me up to a whole universe of rhythms the likes of which I hadn't yet imagined and left me thirsting for more of these sounds! "Long Life" is the dub version of "The Dream" (not included in this mix) from the 1978 LP, Message From The King.






Singers & Players - Staggering Heights
Following, is "Bedward The Flying Preacher" from the 1983 third LP by On-U roots super-group Singers & Players, Staggering Heights. I first heard this shortly after hearing Crytuff Dub Encounter, on a CD edition of the Pay It All Back II compilation (featured on Pay It All Back I), and to this day it's my favorite tale told by the "Voice Of Thunder," King Cry-Cry aka Prince Far I. The rhythm track is versioned as "Pounding System" from the 1982 debut Dub Syndicate album, The Pounding System (Ambiance In Dub).



Dub Syndicate - The Pounding System




"Snipers In The Street" is also taken from Staggering Heights and features Congo Ashanti Roy of The Congos. The version is called "Drainpipe Rats" and is on the 1983 Dub Syndicate - One Way System LP, another one that i first listened to on a tape from ROIR (the album has since been reissued, heard here is a Danceteria pressing).



Dub Syndicate - One Way System


"School Days," an autobiographical narration by Dread At The Controls, Mikey Dread, is also from Staggering Heights with it's version, "Ascension Pt. 4" appearing, once more on One Way System. The Singers & Players tunes are also available on their Golden Greats compilations. The final selection from Staggering Heights is "African Blood," with Congo Ashanti Roy returning once again, I remember first in amazement of how captivating a melody can be while still being, lyrically, dread and serious as a heart attack. 




Adrian Sherwood & Ari Up


The Slits - Trapped Animal




The following tune is "Babylon" from the 2009 album by punky-reggae legends, The Slits, Trapped Animal. Singer Ari Up's voice can be heard frequently on New Age Steppers and Singers & Players, this was the last studio album by The Slits before her passing in 2010. She gives her take of the Michael Rose song, "Observe Life," next from the 1981 New Age Steppers album, Action Battlefield.

New Age Steppers - Action Battlefield

London Underground -
Current Affairs Session





The following tune is "Animosity" from London Underground's second album, 1983's Current Affairs Session. Pete Holdsworth, who handled vocals and melodica for this group, currently runs the Reggae reissue label, Pressure Sounds.




New Age Steppers -
New Age Steppers



Next up in the mix is "Private Armies," from the 1980 debut, eponymous, New Age Steppers LP. It's a dub from the ultra-rare 1981 single by journalist and musician, Vivien Goldman, Laundrette which has been reissued by German label, Staubgold as Resolutionary with additional material from her with Chantage and The Flying Lizards.



African Head Charge -
Off The Beaten Track




The exotic, otherworldly, "Off The Beaten Track" by African Head Charge from their 1986, incredible, fourth album, Off The Beaten Track comes in next. The Great Vintage CD's were my introduction to most of A.H.C.'s early work, their early releases have been reissued and are available from Bandcamp.


Bim Sherman - African Rubber Dub



"Party Dub" is from 1987's African Rubber Dub, from Century Records, the label of Bim Sherman. The late, great, Jamaican singer was brought to England by Sherwood in the early 80's and worked extensively with On-U Sound.




London Underground -
At Home With The London Underground





"Fall Out" is another from London Underground, off of their 1983 debut LP, At Home With The London Underground. I was first familiarized with this group in the late 80's when their records were made available on CD on Compilation 80-84.




Keith Levine - 2011 - Back Too Black




That's followed by the funk-punk-dub "Back Too Black" by former The Clash / P.I.L. guitarist Keith Levine from the 1987 EP, 2011 - Back Too Black. The advert is from Mark Stewart & The Maffia's "Wrong Name, Wrong Number" taken off of the 1985 Myths 1 Instructions compilation on Sub Rosa (also found on Pay It All Back II CD and Trevor Jackson Presents Science Fiction Dancehall Classics compilations)



Myths 1 Instructions



New Age Steppers - My Nerves















"My Nerves (Punk)" is taken from the 7" single released in 2012 by New Age Steppers with Ari Up and was on the full-length that same year, Love Forever.


Einstürzende Neubauten - Yü-Gung
German industrial band Einstürzende Neubauten got On-U Sound treatment to their 1985 sonic-assault "Yü-Gung" taken from the Yü-Gung 12" single on Some Bizzare.



Mark Stewart -
As The Veneer Of Democracy Starts To Fade
"As The Veneer Of Democracy" creeps into the mix and fills the airwaves with dystopian paranoia and despair. This one is from Mark Stewart's "industrial hip-hop" manifestation, released in 1985 on Mute, As The Veneer Of Democracy Starts To Fade. Maffia members, Tackhead aka Fats Comet continue the big sound with another version of the riddim in the form of "Zoop-Zoop" which is from the 1984 single, Bop Bop.


Fats Comet & The Big Sound - Bop Bop












Gary Clail's Tackhead Sound System -
Tackhead Tape Time




"Move" is the next tune and is on Gary Clail's Tackhead Sound System - Tackhead Tape Time, which came out in 1987. More from the Tackhead crew in the form of "Technology Works" from Keith LeBlanc's 1986 masterpiece, Major Malfunction.


Keith LeBlanc - Major Malfuction








I brought in "Angel" next, from Al Jourgensen and Ministry who enlisted Sherwood to produce their 1986 LP, Twitch.


Ministry - Twitch




Following, is "Kick It (Adrian Sherwood Compulsion-Edit)" by British EBM group, Nitzer Ebb remixed on the Kick It 12" single, originally from the 1994 LP, Big Hit.

Nitzer Ebb - Kick It














Cabaret Voltaire - Code





Sheffield's Cabaret Voltaire worked with Sherwood on their Code album from 1987, I mixed up "Here To Go" and "Don't Argue," both from their respective 12" singles.




Mark Stewart - Mark Stewart



"Anger Is Holy" is off of the self titled Mark Stewart LP from 1987, released by Mute. Also mixed in is the remix, "Anger (Specially Commissioned)" taken from Concrete Productions Funky Alternatives 2 compilation.


Funky Alternatives 2













Che - Be My (Powerstation)




The next tune is "Be My (Powerstation)" by Ché
 is off of the 1986 single on Logarhythm. That leads into another tune from the mighty Tackhead, "Ticking Time Bomb" is from the 1989 World Records single.


Tack>>Head - Ticking Time Bomb













KMFDM - Don't Blow Your Top





One of the first Adrian Sherwood remixes that I ever had on wax, KMFDM's "Don't Blow Your Top" crashes in next, from the 1988 Wax Trax! Records 12" single, Don't Blow Your Top.





Pay It All Back Vol. 1

The next selection is from the 1984 Pay It All Back compilation and was later releases on Trevor Jackson Presents Science Fiction Dancehall Classics, "Loudspeaker" by The Circuit, an electro-cut-up collaborative effort with Steve Beresford.

Medium Medium - Hungry So Angry




Manically funky "Hungry So Angry" is from the 1981 single by Nottingham's Medium Medium, this tune was reissued on Sherwood At The Controls, Volume 1 in 2015.






Doug Wimbish / Fats Comet -
Don't Forget That Beat



Doug Wimbish and Fats Comet show up here with "Don't Forget That Beat (Dub)" from the 12" released in 1985. I remember this being one of the few On-U tunes that I actually heard on the radio, growing up. A different mix of this one appeared on the 2016 compilation, Sherwood At The Controls, Volume 2.





Ministry - Over The Shoulder




Ministry come back with their dire statement of humanity's condition, "Over The Shoulder" from 1985, this is from the Over The Shoulder 12" single.






Pankow - Touch 





Italian's, Pankow come in with "Touch (Thumping, Pumping, Dubbing Version)" from the 1988 Touch 12" single






Depeche Mode - Master And Servant





"Master And Servant (On-U Sound Science Fiction Dancehall Classic)" brings synth-pop icons, Depeche Mode to the mix with their 1984 hit, reconstructed by Mr. Sherwood.





KMFDM - More & Faster



I wanted to keep the mix under 80 minutes so that it would fit onto  a CD, so to close it out I just used a phrase from KMFDM off of the 1989 More & Faster 12", "Black Man, White Man, Yellow Man...Rip The System."







That concludes both the mix and this edition of Vinyl Encounters of the...Rewind! I hope that it was enjoyable, thanks for checking it out and look out for the next one at www.cultchaclash.com.





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