SHERWOOD, ADRIAN - SHERWOOD AT THE CONTROLS VOLUME 2: 1985-1990

Long one of the most influential and innovative figures on the U.K. reggae scene, producer Adrian Sherwood and his famed On-U Sound label pioneered a distinctive fusion of dub, rock, and dance that made waves not only in roots circles but also in the pop mainstream. His work throughout the late '70s and '80s helped bridge the post-punk and reggae scenes, with acts like , , and other more rock-bred bands all releasing music marked by Sherwood's dubby production style. Sherwood continued merging stylistic worlds throughout the '90s, 2000s, and beyond, working with reggae legends like one moment and the next. Sherwood offered up his first solo effort in 2003 with the frenetic digital dub of Never Trust a Hippy, and released several other solo albums from that point on, dotted among his work with other artists. Sherwood remained regularly active as the years went on, producing albums like 's 2022 set Midnight Rocker and curating the female-focused various-artists presentation Dub No Frontiers that same year. Born in 1958, Sherwood first surfaced during the late '70s at the helm of a series of disastrously short-lived labels; he formed On-U Sound in 1979, and counted , , , and (later to form ) among the roster's earliest additions. While the On-U Sound crew's original focus was on live sound system performances, the emphasis soon switched to making records; when none emerged as a breakout success, Sherwood began mixing and matching lineups, resulting in new acts including , , , and Doctor Pablo & the Dub Syndicate. Sherwood's distinctive production style soon began attracting interest from acts outside of the dub community, and in 1980 he helmed ' "Man Next Door," followed a year later by 's Slates EP. On-U Sound releases from and also earned the label considerable attention, but reggae remained its focus; Sherwood soon recruited guitarist , bassist , and drummer -- together the onetime house band at the famed rap label -- and under a variety of names (most commonly ), the trio brought new power and definition to the company's densely textured recordings. The group also issued several LPs under its own name, as well as teaming with the self-described "white toaster" as Gary Clail's Tackhead Sound System. By the mid-'80s, Sherwood was among the most visible producers and remixers in all of contemporary music, working on tracks for artists as varied as , , , , and . He became increasingly involved in industrial music as the decade wore on, producing tracks for , , , and , and although On-U Sound continued to reflect its leader's eclectic tastes, the label remained a top reggae outlet. In 1994, Sherwood mounted , a new label dedicated to reissuing seminal reggae and dub releases from the likes of , , , , and . The first in a new series of reissues known collectively as On-U Sound Master Recordings, complete with CD-R tracks, arrived in 1997. In 2003, he launched his solo artist career with Never Trust a Hippy, which was followed in 2006 by Becoming a Cliché. Both were released by On-U in conjunction with the label. Sherwood collaborated with twice in 2010, first for the Mighty Upsetter album, followed by a remix collection taken from it entitled Dub Setter. In the summer of 2012, Sherwood resumed his own recording career with the release of a solo album, Survival & Resistance. A few years later, he began collaborating with dubstep originator (Robert Ellis). 's Late Night Endless appeared in 2015, followed by Man vs. Sofa in 2017. Both albums were co-released by On-U and 's . Also in 2017, Sherwood (billed as On-U Sound) teamed up with for the full-length Outside the Echo Chamber. Released by 's rebooted label, the album included guest appearances from , , , and others. Sherwood's work with also resulted in the 2019 album Heavy Rain. New production work as well as archival collections of Sherwood-produced '80s material continued as the 2010s ended and the 2020s began. Along with the release of newly unearthed and recordings, Sherwood worked on new albums from , 's 2022 album Midnight Rocker, and its dub counterpart Midnight Scorchers. Before 2022 was over, Sherwood released Dub No Frontiers, a collection of tracks inspired by and featuring performances from female vocalists from the U.K. reggae scene and beyond. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi Version 2; Adrian Sherwood has been around for a long time. He's the man behind the On-U Sound label, and eponymous sound system. The one that usually does the rounds at least once a year, and has done so for as long as you can remember. If you've ever been to an On-U gig you'll know it's loud, uncompromising, live dub sound, and you'd remember there's lots and lots of noise, as you recall the ringing that's left in your ears for hours after. On-U Sound have released over 100 albums and singles, and the list is endless as to whose careers have been launched, and is even longer if you add the number of people influenced by the label. Adrian Sherwood has been at it for over 15 years. He's like the great grandfather of the organisation, wise, sincere, and he actually cares about his family. When you talk to him, although it's on the stairway of a cold college corridor, you can sense his pride, and feel the warmth of his sincerity, as he talks about the posse, and as he ponders over the things he has achieved and the things he has still yet to achieve. Not just for money, but for a genuine, honest bash at producing music that he believes in, whether or not it's popular or mainstream, he wants to put his energies into talent and do it for those who can't particulary articulate themselves as well as other unfairly privileged groups in society. Adrian's life with On-U Sound started in 1979 when he collaborated with Mark Stewart, and members of the Slits to form the New Age Steppers debut album, a sleek debut with strong elements of Sherwood's passion for reggae shining through. Since then he's worked with a diverse selection of the industry from the mad industrial noise of Mark Stewart and the Maffia's '... Democracy ...' to Keith Le Blanc's technologically funked up grooves of 'Major Malfunction'. From the cool Dub Syndicate and the wild tribal sounds of African Headcharge, to Prince Far I, Lee Perry, Keith Le Blanc, Bim Sherman and Gary Clail. He's also remixed and produced bands such as Depeche Mode, Simply Red, Cabaret Voltaire, The Woodentops and lots, lots more... It's strange that in a scene where DJs are becoming remixers and producers, and some only having been at it for 5 minutes, that you can still find them in all the appropriate music mags. But with old Adrian, the person and producer that has no doubt had a massive influence on the use of technology in the house scene today, you're hard pressed to find much written about him, let alone what it is he really does. "I organise the bands" explains Adrian, "and make them up, because a lot of them are studio bands before they become real bands, I produce the records, record the records and mix the records, and then I try and make sure our records are presented in a way that is suitable to me, that feels right with my own sensibilties." In short he does an awful lot, and quite often doesn't get much credit for it. But maybe that's why he's still there after all this time. Adrian's not interested in competing in the current house scene although some of the On-U Sound stuff, old and new, has had the potential of slotting quite aptly into some of the more leftfield clubs. "I don't really want to compete on that level. I'd rather try and create a niche amongst like minded people, and create our own little market place be that 5, 50 or 500,000 sales" Adrian muses "and also be true to our principles of making things, and to your own spirit that you put into the work. I watch all the dance stuff, what's going on in it, and I think there's some fantastic grooves, but if you start competing in that for the sake of trying to make a few pounds, I think I'd rather be broke Adrian was born on the 20th of January. Official site http://www.adriansherwood.com Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.