Environmental Studies cover

Environmental Studies

Released

The catalogue of African Head Charge — a constantly rotating collective around visionary vocalist/percussionist Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah and dubmaster Adrian Sherwood — may be the greatest part of Sherwood’s On-U Sound movement, and this album the pinnacle of that. In fact, it is the ultimate collision of Jamaican dub culture and European industrial electronics, full stop. Constantly cascading Niyabinghi hand percussion, vast bass, the searing and jagged edges of distorted drum machines and simple sampling technology come together to make something that sounds impossibly advanced. Listening back, to think this was made in 1982 is just boggling: people possessed of infinitely more powerful technology struggle to achieve a fraction of its invention and drama.

Joe Muggs

Suggestions
Mèlaaz cover

Mèlaaz

Mèlaaz
Music For Healing cover

Music For Healing

Richard Norris
Khadim cover

Khadim

Mark Ernestus' Ndagga Rhythm Force, Mbene Diatta Seck
Odyshape cover

Odyshape

The Raincoats
Tewari cover

Tewari

Scotch Rolex
Rising Above Bedlam cover

Rising Above Bedlam

Jah Wobble's Invaders of the Heart