Ariwa Posse - "Rise & Shine" (with Askala Selassie) (3:26)
Joe Ariwa - "Rise & Shine" (dub) (3:27)
Review: Mad Professor's Aiwa Studios has never struggled with turning out sublime low end excursions in a range of dubby sub-genres. This 7" offers the latest chance to check in with what's going on there courtesy of the in-house Ariwa Posse with Joe Ariwa. This is reportedly one of two releases coming imminently which is great news because it bangs. First up is A-side wobbler 'Rise & Shine' (with Askala Selassie) which has clean digi-dub synths snaking between hissing hi hats and endless amounts of rerun while the silky bass rolls unhindered and the vocals bring aching soul. Joe Ariwa gets to work on a flip side dub that hits different.
Review: The latest missive on Mad Professor's long-running Ariwa Sounds imprint comes courtesy of Dubheart, a seven-piece roots reggae band who have already self-released a number of rock solid albums. It's something of a collaborative affair, with the South West-based outfit recording - and re-recording - a swathe of their own riddims and those from classic Ariwa cuts with the help of producer Mad Professor and his sons Joe and Kamal. The result is a fresh dub album with a classic Ariwa feel - think bold, sub-heavy basslines, echoing keyboard parts, delay-laden percussion hits and guitar parts that drift back and forth across the soundspace. If you're a fan of Mad Professor's work - and let's face it, who isn't - you'll love it.
Review: Back in 1995, Lee "Scratch" Perry swung by Mad Professor's Ariwa Sounds studio in South East London to add his vocals to a fresh batch of raw, sub-heavy jungle riddims by Dougie Digital and Juggler. The results were released, alongside a quartet of more traditional dub versions built by Mad Professor using the same vocals, on an album called "Super Ape Inna Jungle". As this reissue proves, it was a potent set. Mad Professor's dubs are of course as weighty, echo-laden and inspired as ever, but it's the quality of the crunchy, razor-sharp jungle cuts that most impresses. These may not be considered jungle classics, but in our eyes, they should be considered as such.
Review: Ariwa - one of the most enduring black-owned record labels in the world - is back with a brand new reissue by the music of one Ranking Ann, 'Something Fishy Going On'. Ann is a pioneering female vocalist who was one of the first to bring a feminist perspective to reggae. Mirroring Ariwa's highbrow and socially conscious approach to releasing, this record is an ultra-experimental early dub bit, channelling an ultra-phased pitched-up drum backing into Ann's suspicious, infectious toastings. The B, 'Fifty Ways', is equally driving, its machinic drums and slippery subs coming across so heavy that they're potentially usable as a sonar depth-charge.
Review: Nadine Sutherland is a Jamaican reggae singer who rose to fame in the 1980s, but despite the classic sound of Inna Me Blood, this is album is as fresh as a daisy. Mad Professor's Ariwa Sounds houses the LP, flaunting Sutherlands' distinctive melodic toasting of eighth notes, and her deft exploration of genetic inexorability - if it weren't obvious to you from the off of 'Waggonist', Sutherland asserts her divine right to reggae on the basis that it runs in her blood. A monarchic display of vocal melisma and talent blended with experimental and joyous moods, with easy-on-the-ears, modern and clean production to boot.
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