If Jerry Dammers was a time-traveller who had decided to launch the 2-Tone movement in 2015 instead of back in the late 1970s, it would be easy to imagine that the predominant sound might be something similar to the glorious noise of Asian Dub Foundation. This is a place where lively indie rock collides with drum‘n’bass beats, reggae toasting and bhangra sounds and textures – all with strident and political lyrics.
More Signal More Noise sees a reformation of sorts of Asian Dub Foundation and marks the return of original members Dr Dass and Ricky Singh, as well as long time on-off vocalist Ghetto Priest and producer and dub-meister Adrian Sherwood. It also sees the debut of flautist Nathan Lee who brings a substantial injection of soul-jazz sounds to the band’s already powerful cross-cultural mix. In fact, there is no fluff whatsoever in the band’s new vision and while many in the music industry are happy to pretend that everything is fine and dandy in Austerity Britain, Asian Dub Foundation takes the bull by the horns and gives it a good kicking.
Lead single “The Signal and the Noise” has plenty to say about those who try to lead us up the garden path and then rob us blind, while “Radio Bubblegum” brings to mind a 21st-century take on the Clash’s “Capital Radio One” and shines a light on a place “where the truth will never be spun and no-one exists over twenty one”. “Blade Ragga” wouldn’t sound out of place on Primal Scream’s mighty XTRMNTR album with its mash-up of Detroit proto-punk rock, motorik groove and jazzy sounds, while “Fall of the House of Cards” is a Bolly-dub, bhangra drum’n’bass monster.
Those who have been disappointed by UK musicians’ lack of engagement with the present state of the country are directed to More Signal More Noise – an album with positive energy, militancy and more than a few catchy tunes stamped through it like Blackpool Rock.
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