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In the late 1970s, Neil Fraser, AKA Mad Professor, and his wife moved into a house in Croydon. “The normal thing would be to put in some chairs, a table,” he said in a podcast last year. Instead, the legendary dub producer fitted his living room with a four-track mixing desk and his collection of homemade gear, thus marking the beginning of the studio and label Ariwa Sounds.
The early years of Ariwa were captured in a 1984 album, which was reissued by Melodies International in 2023. Now, the two labels reunite to document the sounds that followed. This double compilation isn’t an attempt at a greatest hits collection, nor a chronological history, but an insight into the label’s expansive output between 1984 and 2026, featuring big names like Sister Nancy, Horace Andy and Sandra Cross, plus a handful of deeper cuts.
Here are sun-soaked roots tracks and dub versions, alongside a handful of dreamy lovers rock moments, from cult classics like Didn’t I by Kofi to Davina Stone’s winsome cover of Silly Wasn’t I. There are also some skulking, heavyweight cuts with Mad Professor on the controls, like Six Million Dub, a clear grime precursor, where his trademark warped vocals and front-and-centre snares coalesce in a heady flurry. Meanwhile, the funk sensibilities on Aisha’s 1990 track Can You Feel It, plus the ragga-style vocals on Queen Omega’s Rocking and Popping, demonstrate just how far the label’s influences stretched.
At no point does the genre- and timeline-hopping feel jarring. In fact, it’s what makes the compilation special. Threaded together in this way, with song credits scattered with familiar names, including multiple members of the Cross family and dubwise legends like Jah Shaka and Sly and Robbie, you can almost imagine the artists crossing paths in and out of the studio. It brilliantly evokes the collaborative spirit of Ariwa.
Also out this month
London-based collective Life Is Beautiful revel in pushing boundaries, whether it’s through their semi-improvised, participatory performances or their unconventional releases, like their new 40-track compilation Veneration for the Sacred Action. Calling on collaborators from their wider network (including standout names such as Voice Actor and Coby Sey), the record drifts between electronic experiments and bedroom pop ditties, with spoken word and soundcheck scraps throughout. Roy Montgomery and Martha Skye Murphy join forces once again on their gorgeous and ghostly debut album Nebular (AD93). These droning, atmospheric instrumentals, paired with jangly, reverbed guitar and Murphy’s Elizabeth Fraser-style wails, make for totally immersive listening. Bivabippabualukka, the new album from ambient musician Sofie Birch, is rooted in joy and play (Stroom). Accordingly, it sounds worlds apart from her usual meditative and droning production style, instead embracing bossa nova instrumentation and swing. Speckled with nature field recordings and cooing vocals, these sauntering tracks are warm and spritely.
English (US) ·