On-U Sound Records
Encyclopedia
On-U Sound Records is an English record label
best known for releasing its own unique flavour of dub music
since the 1980s. The label is owned by producer
Adrian Sherwood
and home to acts such as Tackhead
, Dub Syndicate
, African Head Charge
, The London Underground, Little Annie, Creation Rebel, Mark Stewart
, Gary Clail
, New Age Steppers
, Audio Active
, Asian Dub Foundation
, and the dub collective Singers & Players
plus others.
The On-U Sound dub style differs from the traditional dub sounds of King Tubby
, or Lee "Scratch" Perry in that many of the extended family of musicians who are part of the On-U crew have backgrounds in Punk
, New Wave
, or Funk
, producing a sound which is not considered pure reggae
though traditional reggae performers such as Prince Far I
, Bim Sherman
, the Roots Radics
and even Lee Perry himself are also associated with the label. Producer Adrian Sherwood
generates the On-U signature sound however.
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
best known for releasing its own unique flavour of dub music
Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
since the 1980s. The label is owned by producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Adrian Sherwood
Adrian Sherwood
Adrian Sherwood is an English record producer best known for his work with dub music as well as for remixing a number of popular acts such as Coldcut, Depeche Mode, The Woodentops, Primal Scream, Pop Will Eat Itself, Sinéad O'Connor, and Skinny Puppy...
and home to acts such as Tackhead
Tackhead
Tackhead are an industrial hip-hop group that were most active during the 1980s and early 1990s, and briefly reformed in 2004 for a tour. Their music occupies the territory where funk, dub, industrial music and electronica intersect...
, Dub Syndicate
Dub Syndicate
Dub Syndicate is a dub band, formed by Adrian Sherwood, and it became a showcase for Adrian Sherwood's collaboration with Style Scott, former ace drummer with the Roots Radics and Creation Rebel....
, African Head Charge
African Head Charge
African Head Charge is a dub reggae, psychedelic dub ensemble active since the early 1980s. The group was formed by percussionist Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah, and featured a revolving cast of members, including, at times, Prisoner, Crocodile, Junior Moses, Sunny Akpan, Skip McDonald, and Jah Wobble. The...
, The London Underground, Little Annie, Creation Rebel, Mark Stewart
Mark Stewart (musician)
Mark Stewart is a British musician and founding member of The Pop Group. A pioneer of industrial hip-hop, he has recorded for On-U Sound Records and Mute Records.-Career:...
, Gary Clail
Gary Clail
Gary Clail is an English singer and record producer. He was part of On-U Sound Records and led Gary Clail's Tackhead Sound System.-Biography:...
, New Age Steppers
New Age Steppers
New Age Steppers, one of the On-U Sound stable, under the creative direction of Adrian Sherwood, was a collective of musicians which varied over time...
, Audio Active
Audio Active
Audio Active were a Japanese reggae band who released several albums between the mid-1990s and the early first decade of the 21st century.-History:...
, Asian Dub Foundation
Asian Dub Foundation
Asian Dub Foundation are a British electronica band that plays a mix of rapcore, dub, dancehall and ragga, also using rock instruments, acknowledging a punk influence...
, and the dub collective Singers & Players
Singers & Players
Singers & Players were a reggae collective made up of vocalists and musicians associated with Adrian Sherwood's On-U Sound Records. They recorded five albums between 1981 and 1988....
plus others.
The On-U Sound dub style differs from the traditional dub sounds of King Tubby
King Tubby
King Tubby was a Jamaican electronics and sound engineer, known primarily for his influence on the development of dub in the 1960s and 1970s...
, or Lee "Scratch" Perry in that many of the extended family of musicians who are part of the On-U crew have backgrounds in Punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
, or Funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, producing a sound which is not considered pure reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
though traditional reggae performers such as Prince Far I
Prince Far I
Prince Far I was a Jamaican reggae deejay, producer and a Rastafarian. He was known for his gruff voice and critical assessment of the Jamaican government. His track "Heavy Manners" used lyrics against measures initiated towards violent crime.-Biography:He was born Michael James Williams in...
, Bim Sherman
Bim Sherman
Jarret Lloyd Vincent better known by one of his stage aliases Bim Sherman, was a Jamaican musician and singer-songwriter.-Biography:...
, the Roots Radics
Roots Radics
The Roots Radics Band was formed in 1978 by bass player Errol "Flabba" Holt and guitarist Eric "Bingy Bunny" Lamont. They were joined by many great musicians. As a combined force the Roots Radics became a well-respected studio and stage band, which dominated the sound in the first half of the 1980s...
and even Lee Perry himself are also associated with the label. Producer Adrian Sherwood
Adrian Sherwood
Adrian Sherwood is an English record producer best known for his work with dub music as well as for remixing a number of popular acts such as Coldcut, Depeche Mode, The Woodentops, Primal Scream, Pop Will Eat Itself, Sinéad O'Connor, and Skinny Puppy...
generates the On-U signature sound however.
Discography
A complete discography of On-U Sound releases would be very difficult to compile due to poor record keeping and limited and alternate or foreign pressings of various releases. See the unofficial site in the links section below for the best known listing of complete releases. The label's sampler albums are a good place to start for those not familiar with the label.- Pay It All Back Volume 1 (1984)
- Pay It All Back Volume 2 (1988)
- Pay It All Back Volume 3 (1991)
- Pay It All Back Volume 4 (1993)
- Pay It All Back Volume 5 (1995)
- Pay It All Back Volume 6 (1996)
- Chain Store Massacre (2002)
- On-U Sound Crash Slash And Mix (2005)
- 10 inch 'discoplates' including 'Virgin' by Prince Far-i (1982-83)
External links
- Official site
- Unofficial site with extensive artist information and discography.