The versatility of On-U Sound shines in this generous mix from the label crew, “90 minutes of deep cuts, lost classics and non-label Sherwood productions, recorded using two turntables and a stack of original vinyl.” There’s the classic fluttering horns, hot sticky bass and guitars, from the likes of Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and Dub Syndicate, and then there’s the leftfield grooves of African Head Charge with whirring, rattling, thunking drums and percussion, the drilling industrial soundscape of Mark Stewart & The Maffia. Sitting in between are the psychedelic jazz dub fusions of Playgroup with slick dextrous bassline and ricocheting drums, the reggae inflected synth funk of Shara Nelson, and Little Annie’s sensual spoken word drowning in idiosyncratic desire.
