Formed via a music workshop in East London, Asian Dub Foundation are celebrating 30 years in the music business this year.
To celebrate, on September 27, the thrillingly eclectic electro-rock collective, arguably best known for their 1998 Mercury Music Prize-nominated album, Rafi's Revenge, are releasing 94-Now: Collaborations, a new album collating their collaborations with Primal Scream, Iggy Pop, Sinéad O’Connor, Public Enemy's Chuck D, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and more.
The album brilliantly illustrates ADF's bold genre-straddling experimentalism and is a potent reminder that they'e long been one of Britain's most consistently adventurous and sonically challenging groups, in addition to a fearsome live act.
Guitarist Steve Chandrasonic talks us through an exclusive track-by-track guide to 94-Now: Collaborations.
No Fun, with Iggy Pop
An unbelievable moment. Iggy Pop came up to me after a show in Zagreb and said, “You’re a very difficult act to follow.” That’s when the idea for a collaboration developed. I suggested No Fun as I thought it would work with a Bhangra rhythm, and a Bhangra/Proto-punk combination sounded like it could be pretty unique with the man himself on vocals. One hilarious memory was Iggy ringing me at my flat saying he’d got a speeding ticket while pumping out the demo. No Fun? More Fun than ever!
Comin’ Over Here, with Stewart Lee
Some of the best tracks happen when you’re not trying that hard. I put Stewart Lee’s iconic satirical attack on anti-immigration politicians over an unused backing track for my own amusement, thinking that it could never come out. It later went to No.1 in a lot of UK charts on the day the UK left the EU. People told me it’s one of the few tracks that you can laugh along with while simultaneously shaking your fist in defiance. Some powerful drum fills from Brian Fairbairn on this one, and big up Nathan Flutebox for the basic beats.
Broken Britain, with Chowerman
Almost exactly 30 years ago ADF began in an education workshop with the aim of encouraging young Asian MC's to express their thought about living in the UK. So in the wake of an election (2024) riddled with racism and fascism we went back to the East London organisation that gave us birth, Community Music, and put this track together with a young Asian MC, Chowerman. The result is a full-on Indo-Jungle Punk assault 2024 style with an uncompromising attack on the state of the UK that shows ADF's philosophy and practice is as vital and relevant as ever.
1000 Mirrors, with Sinéad O’Connor & Ed O’Brien (Radiohead)
Sinead O’Connor was our generation’s Nina Simone. Like Nina, she wasn’t afraid to put her career on the line by speaking truth to power. Like Nina she was an excellent songwriter and innovative collaborator. Again, like Nina, she was one of the greatest ever interpretive singers. Any song she chose, from Irish folk standards like Cockles and Mussels to Prince’s Nothing Compares... would take on an entirely new meaning, as she exposed a song’s innermost beauty and power. So imagine how we felt when she said she wanted to sing one of our songs. The song started with the lead guitar riff that I jammed onstage over a loop provided by Pandit G.
The title came to me in a dream that I later found out was part of Indian folklore. The song really took shape after I heard about the case of Zoora Shah, a woman wrongly imprisoned for being forced to take action against a deeply abusive husband. I was moved to write the lyrics after hearing a speech by her daughter, Naz, now a Labour MP. I wrote the chords in a downtempo jazz style influence by The Specials’ third album, though of course Dr Das’ bass and Adrian Sherwood’s production took the song to incredible heights. Plus of course Sonia Mehta’s soaring alaap vocals. It was Adrian who played mine and Sonia’s demo to Sinead. I still can’t believe she’s gone.
Raj Antique Store, with Likkle Mai & Dry and Heavy
This is what you might call an “archeological love song”, based on a former partner of mine’s parents’ New York Apartment which was full of antiques from India. Along with the romantic element the lyrics refer to the rise and fall of civilisations and cultures erased from history. “Unknown India and Ancient Nubia so much treasure is it lost forever?”. That’s me on harmonium and lead guitar, the rest is by superb Japanese dubbers Dry and Heavy featuring the soaring vocals of Likkle Mai. Recorded in Tokyo, you can't get more Asian Dub than this.
Taa Deem, with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
A lot of members of ADF grew up with Qawwali, a Sufi devotional music largely originating in Pakistan. It is possibly the most exciting, passionate and animated music on this planet. And its prime exponent was Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and his incredible ensemble of singers and players. It was this excitement and passion that we sought to build upon when we were approached to contribute to an album of Nusrat remixes.
We have often been very critical of some manifestations of what is referred to as "World Music". Too often Western producers of this persuasion have seen their role as "cleaning up" artists to create over-polished, lifeless mixes that may actually have limited the appeal of many great performers. As you can hear, we didn’t go down that route...
Culture Move, with MC Navigator
Jungle was the music that flowed through the collective vein of the band, and we were privileged to work a lot with one of the true greats of the genre. The track was originally part of a larger project with Sound of the Underground Records, who had released the Junglist classic Original Nuttah by UK Apachi.
The track came together after quite a few sessions. Deeder programmed the opening tabla section using Dr Das' sample, I put together the rest of the beats. I wrote the snare drums at the end picturing the victory of a youth guerilla army, and I came up with the b-line by deliberately reshuffling some menacing old rock riffs which some other Junglist b-lines had made me think of. But of course it's the fantastic vibe between Deeder and Navigator which makes this track one of our finest, and the closest we ever got to pure Jungle.
Free Satpal Ram, with Primal Scream (Brendan Lynch Mix)
A great example of what can be achieved by collective action with musicians playing a significant role. Satpal Ram was a victim of a racist attack who defended himself and his attacker died. He was imprisoned for murder and spent 17 terrifying years in prison until being released after a powerful campaign for which we contributed this song. Primal Scream were almost singularly responsible for raising our profile in the UK at a time when the reactionary "Britpop" scene dominated. Naturally they got behind the Free Satpal Ram campaign too and this production was created by the band and their producer Brendan Lynch.
Toulouse, with Zebda & Chandrasonic
When we first started touring France a lot, in the mid-90’s we really felt we had a lot in common with groups like Fabulous Troubadours, Massilia Sound System, the dear departed Rachid Taha and of course Zebda. This is another example of coming up with something when you’re not really trying too hard. It began when a new S950 was delivered to Community Music in Dr Das’s studio, and I remember not going to a gig on a Saturday night because I just started fiddling with it using samples from this Zebda classic. We hooked up with Zebda a lot, one memorable occasion being our ensemble version of The Equals’ Police On My Back.
Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos, with Chuck D (Live At Somerset House)
For a special show at Somerset House we were asked if we would like to have a special guest; Chuck D came to mind, one of the most powerful voices to ever grace this planet. He said Yes, flew in an hour before the show, and we rehearsed in the dressing room 20 minutes before the show. It was a wild show, all the cues we'd programmed worked and it was a unique, one-off blending of styles.
I'll never forget what Chuck said as he walked offstage: "You play some funky shit". This from the man who with Public Enemy created a new style of militant funked-up hip hop that pointed the way to a revolutionary future. And it's a future that even after 30 years we still believe is possible.
Collective Mode, with Audio Active
For a couple of years ADF and Japanese Future Dubsters Audio Active were joined at the hip. We toured Europe, the USA and Japan as a double bill, joining in on each other's songs and having an awesome time. When they did Robot War we came onstage dressed as robots carrying toy guns. When we did Buzzin' they came on, naturally, dressed as bees. One night in Japan, we all drank a toast to Adrian Sherwood and On-U Sound, as we considered ourselves joint beneficiaries of an incredible tradition. With Audio Active, we always got into the Collective Mode.
Asian Dub Foundation's 94-Now: Collaborations is scheduled for release on September 27, and is available to pre-order here.
The band - Steve Chandra Savale (guitars), Aktar Ahmed (vocals), Ghetto Priest (vocals), Nathan Flutebox Lee (Flute), Jamil Ahmed (bass) and Brian Fairbairn (drums) - have also lined up a huge European tour to celebrate the album release and their 30th anniversary: full details here.
