I’ve
been to my fair share of stellar gigs in my time but the first and
perhaps only occasion I’ve been totally blown away by a live band,
it was watching Asian Dub Foundation tear Birmingham’s Irish Centre a new arsehole
nearly two decades ago with their uniquely politicised brand of
bhangra, fused with the white heat of punk, dub, electronica and
hip-hop.
At the turn of the millennia, Master D, Chandrasonic, Sun-J,
Pandit-G and Dr Das flirted with the big time on the back of a
considerable underground following, a bunch of high profile live
support slots, not to mention a trio of rather fine albums, two of
which grazed the top 20, with Rafi’s Revenge garnering a Mercury
nomination. Unfortunately, once frontman Deeder Zaman (Master D)
decided to swap the band for full-time activism in 2001, the upward
trajectory of ADF was halted. Nevertheless, the remaining members
regrouped and recruited, including current members, vocalists Ghetto
Priest and Aktarv8a plus Nathan Lee on flute/beatbox, whilst
continuing to put out records every two or three years, bringing us
to ‘More Signal More Noise’, album number nine.
Lead
single ‘Zig Zag Nation’ proves once and for all that ADF have
lost none of their raw belligerent edge during the intervening years
as a looped flute sample from the new band member introduces a
topical snapshot of 21st
Century Britain. ‘The Signal and The Noise’ skilfully mixes
Bollywood with Ragga, interspersed with Chandrasonic’s trademark
guitar pyrotechnics with a thrillingly speeded up middle eight.
‘Radio Bubblegum’ is a holiday anthem tirade against the modern
music media, as you’re told ‘Don’t touch your dial, we’ve got
bullshit by the pile’…unerringly accurate.
‘Blade
Ragga’ provides the album’s first of a quartet of instrumentals
but don’t let that put you off as your feet will certainly tap away
to the silky drum and bass and frenetic flute, the woodwind really
giving the giving the ADF sound another dimension, soothing in
places, sinister in others. ‘Semira’, up next is an extended dub
jam but no less listenable. ‘Stand
Up’ comes groove-laden and we’re also treated to the first proper
dose of flutebox
as we then have to fasten our seatbelts for ‘Flyover 2015’ a
reprise of the track first appearing on 2005 album ‘Tank’. ‘Get
Lost Bashar’ provides a lament to a Syrian political dissident
whereas penultimate track ‘Fall of the House of Cards’ transports
us to a dystopian world run by of warring playing cards, also
enlisting the musical services of Calcutta’s Gandu
Circus, and
set to
lightning
fast drum and bass. ‘Dubblegum Flute Flavour’ reprises
‘Bubblegum’ leaving the listener thinking there may be a little
more recycling going on than perhaps is necessary on this otherwise
decent effort. Other than that, it’s like welcoming back an old
friend.
Words - MikePrice
Released on ADF Communications/ Believe Recordings, July 10th 2015
Asian Dub Foundation official