African Head Charge share previously unreleased ‘Peace And Happiness’ as part of epic reissue campaign
African Head Charge share previously unreleased ‘Peace And Happiness’ as part of epic reissue campaign 5 LPS / 5 CD Boxset released 6th March via On-U Sound Series includes ‘Songs of Praise’, ‘In Pursuit of Shashamane Land’, ‘Vision of A Psychedelic Africa’, ‘Voodoo Of The Godsent’ and ‘Churchical Chant Of The Iyabinghi’ + 5 CD Boxset ‘Drumming Is A Language 1990 – 2011’
Stream ‘Peace And Happiness’
Part one of the epic reissue campaign, On-U Sound started in 2016 with the crucial early years of African Head Charge, the long-running collaboration between master percussionist Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah and maverick UK dub producer Adrian Sherwood. This new series picks up the story in 1990 with the album that is widely regarded as their masterpiece, ‘Songs Of Praise’. It’s been expanded to a double album with a whole raft of bonus tracks, as has 1993’s ‘In Pursuit Of Shashamane Land’. 2005’s ‘Vision Of A Psychedelic Africa’ and 2011’s ‘Voodoo Of The Godsent’ are pressed to vinyl for the first time, both as double LP sets, and as a companion piece to the ‘Return Of The Crocodile’ LP of early rarities, ‘Churchical Chant Of The Iyabinghi’ compiles alternate mixes and dubs from 1990 -1993. Each vinyl LP comes with a double-sided 24” x 12” poster containing an exclusive new interview with Bonjo in 5 parts alongside rare photos. All of the contents from the vinyl reissues are also anthologised in the 5CD and 36 page book boxset, ‘Drumming Is A Language’, the companion set to the acclaimed ‘Environmental Holes & Drastic Tracks’
. About African Head Charge
African Head Charge started life as a studio recording project in 1981 when the percussion talents of Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah combined with the studio wizardry of Adrian Sherwood. Bonjo had come to England from a Rasta camp in the hills of Clarendon, Jamaica. From as early as he can remember he studied and played percussion, learning not only Rasta/Nyabinghi drums but also African and Afro Cuban rhythms. He also loved to experiment, which made working with Sherwood perfect. Working with tape loops, manipulated and vari-speeded 1/4 inch tape that was re-recorded back to the multi-track tape, reverbs and delays, this was then applied to the performances of the musicians. And so the first psychedelic African dub LP ‘My Life In A Hole In The Ground’ was created. It was not until the late 1980s that African Head Charge made its first appearance as a live band, taking place at the University of London (ULU) and instantly a sold out success.
What followed in the next few years gave them semi-legendary status, with performances at festivals such as Glastonbury and Womad, and visits to Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Three more largely experimental studio albums followed throughout the 80’s: ‘Environmental Studies’ (1982), ‘Drastic Season’ (1983) and ‘Off The Beaten Track’ (1986). The latter has been hailed as both a seminal recording in the progressive use of sound-bite technology and an excellent example of the integration of live instrumentation and programmed music.
1990 saw the release of the ‘Songs Of Praise’ LP widely acknowledged as their masterpiece. It featured religious chants from different parts of the world set to an African dub backdrop of multi-layered percussion and demonstrated another evolution in their sound. It was followed by the complimentary ‘In Pursuit Of Shashamane Land’ album in 1993.
In 1995 Bonjo left London to start a new life in Ghana and it was not until 2003 that he made a return visit to London and renewed his partnership with Adrian Sherwood on ‘Vision Of A Psychedelic Africa’, released in 2005.
Voodoo of the Godsent is their most recent studio album, described by the label as being “the culmination of thirty years of endeavour”. In 2016 On-U Sound put out vinyl reissues of the first four African Head Charge albums, which had become increasingly sought after by DJs and collectors.
These were followed up with an LP of unreleased tracks and excursions from that same early-80s period, ‘Return Of The Crocodile’, carefully transferred from the original decaying tapes and sequenced for release by On-U archivist Patrick Dokter.
African Head Charge have returned to the live stage in recent years with a line-up featuring original African Head Charge members and augmented by the electronics of Gaudi (recently heard on Lee “Scratch” Perry’s ‘Rainford’ and ‘Heavy Rain’).
The current show fuses together djembes, guitars, drums, keys and vocals with heavy electronic sampling and visuals. The collective use this blend of live and electronica to generate an intoxicating soundscape of reggae-inflected drumming, visceral vocals and bottomless, thrumming bass-lines that truly reach to the heart of your being.
About On-U Sound
On-U Sound is an iconic independent label with a treasure trove of remarkable music, and sits in a unique position historically as a junction point between the heavy influence of Jamaican music on UK culture and the development of disparate sounds such as post-punk, hip-hop, industrial, jungle, dubstep and beyond. The label emerged from a fertile UK DIY scene that birthed contemporary imprints such as Rough Trade, 4AD and Factory.
Since 1981, with label boss and producer Adrian Sherwood at the helm, On-U Sound has released over 100 albums and singles and launched the careers of countless artists.
As a producer, Adrian has worked with The Slits, Cabaret Voltaire, Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, The Fall, Sinead O’Connor and more. His remix credits include Depeche Mode, Afrika Bambaataa, Blur, Primal Scream, Air and Peaking Lights. Key On-U Sound artists include Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Tackhead, Dub Syndicate, African Head Charge, New Age Steppers, Singers & Players and Bim Sherman. In 2015, Adrian continues to be in-demand for his unique sonic vision as a producer and he tours globally with his unique live mixing/DJ hybrid sets.
There is also a major project underway to reissue and reappraise the amazing back catalogue of classic records that have been released on the imprint, with represses of classics sides, retrospective compilations such as the ‘Sherwood At The Controls’ volumes and ‘Science Fiction Dancehall Classics’, rare cuts from the vaults, all complimented by critically acclaimed new productions with Pinch, Nissennenmondai, Roots Manuva and Lee “Scratch” Perry.
The label recently scored their first Billboard number 1 with Heavy Rain, a dub album co-produced by Perry and Sherwood and featuring guest musicians including Brian Eno, which hit the top of the US reggae charts on release.
Product Details Title: ‘Songs Of Praise’
Cat.No.: ONULP50UPC: 5060263722335 Spec: Reverse board wide-spined double album sleeve with 24″ x 12″ fold out poster insert on high quality stock and download card Tracklist: A1. ‘Free Chant (Churchical Chant Of The Iyabinghi)’A2. ‘Orderliness, Godliness, Discipline And Dignity’A3. ‘Hymn’A4. ‘Dervish Chant’ B1. ‘Hold Some More’B2. ‘Healing Father’B3. ‘Healing Ceremony’B4. ‘Cattle Herders Chant’ C1. ‘Ethiopian Praises’C2. ‘My God’C3. ‘Gospel Train’C4. ‘Chant For The Spirits’C5. ‘God Is Great’ D1. ‘Deer Spirit Song’D2. ‘Full Charge’D3. ‘Fullness’D4. ‘Special Mix’
Title: ‘In Pursuit of Shashamane Land’
Cat.No.: ONULP65UPC: 5060263722342 Spec: Gold pantone gloss laminate wide-spined double album sleeve with 24″ x 12″ fold out poster insert on high quality stock and download card Tracklist: A1. ‘Heading To Glory’A2. ‘Pursuit’A3. ‘One Destination’A4. ‘No, Don’t Follow Fashion’ B1. ‘Animal Law’B2. ‘Learning’B3. ‘Fever Pitch’B4. ‘Somebody Touch I’ C1. ‘Fever Pitch’ (Raw Cut)C2. ‘Pursuit’ (Underpulse Motion DJ Edit)C3. ‘No Don’t Follow Fashion’C4. ‘On The Off Beat’ D1. ‘Rastaman’D2. ‘Run Come See Me’D3. ‘Kumasee’D4. ‘Mama Shante Garden’
Title: ‘Vision Of A Psychedelic Africa’
Cat.No.: ONULP139UPC: 5060263722359 Spec: Reverse board wide-spined double album sleeve with 24″ x 12″ fold out poster insert on high quality stock and download card Tracklist: A1. ‘The Big Country’A2. ‘Surfari’A3. ‘Positive Thoughts & Mind’A4. ‘Unplanned’ B1. ‘Treatment For A Septic Horn’B2. ‘Drumming Is A Language’B3. ‘Mr. Whippy Does Djibouti’B4. ‘Run Come See’B5. ‘Ran Came Saw’ C1. ‘Blessed Works’C2. ‘Work Blessed’C3. ‘More Fluid’C4. ‘Who Are You?’ D1. ‘Ready You Ready’D2. ‘Ready You Ready Part 2’D3. ‘What Is The Plan?’ W/ MutabarukaD4. ‘What Is The Plan?’ (Version) W/ Mutabaruka
Title: ‘Voodoo Of The Godsent’
Cat.No.: ONULP140UPC: 5060263722366 Spec: Reverse board wide-spined double album sleeve with 24″ x 12″ fold out poster insert on high quality stock and download card Tracklist: A1. ‘In “I” Head’A2. ‘The Best Way’A3. ‘Take Heed… And Smoke Up Your Collyweed’ B1. ‘Stoned Age Man’B2. ‘African Bredda’B3. ‘Mysterious Happenings’ C1. ‘This And That And The Other’C2. ‘Undulating’C3. ‘Timpanya’ D1. ‘Badman Plan’D2. ‘Dobbyn Joins The Head Charge’D3. ‘God Willing’D4. ‘Fear Of A Man God’ (Bonus Track) Title: ‘Churchical Chant Of The Iyabinghi’ Cat.No.: ONULP141UPC: 5060263722373 Spec: Silver pantone album sleeve with 24″ x 12″ fold out poster insert on high quality stock and download card Tracklist: SHASHAMANE VERSIONSA1. ‘Peace and Happiness’A2. ‘Jungle Law’A3. ‘Learned’A4. ‘One Love, One Heart’ (Version)A5. ‘Pitched Fever’ DUBS OF PRAISE6. ‘Dervish Dub’7. ‘Dub Some More’8. ‘Disciplined and Dignified’9. ‘Healing Father’s Dub’10. ‘Dub for the Spirits’
Title: ‘Drumming Is A Language 1990 – 2011’
Cat.No.: ONUCD142UPC: 5060263722380 Spec: 5CDs in individual card wallets with 36-page booklet, housed in a reverse board rigid outer slipcase
Tracklist:
DISC1: SONGS OF PRAISE (1990)01. Free Chant (Churchical Chant Of The Iyabinghi)02. Orderliness, Godliness, Discipline And Dignity03. Hymn04. Dervish Chant05. Hold Some More06. Healing Father07. Healing Ceremony08. Cattle Herders Chant09. Ethiopian Praises10. My God11. Gospel Train12. Chant For The Spirits13. God Is Great14. Deer Spirit Song15. Full Charge16. Fullness17. Special Mix
DISC2: IN PURSUIT OF SHASHAMANE LAND (1993)01. Heading to Glory02. Pursuit03. One Destination04. No, Don’t Follow Fashion05. Animal Law06. Learning07. Fever Pitch08. Somebody Touch I09. Fever Pitch (Raw Cut)10. Pursuit (underpulse motion DJ edit)11. No Don’t Follow Fashion12. On The Off Beat13. Rastaman14. Run Come See Me15. Kumasee16. Mama Shante Garden
DISC3: VISION OF A PSYCHEDELIC AFRICA (2005)01. The Big Country02. Surfari03. Positive Thoughts & Mind04. Unplanned05. Treatment For A Septic Horn06. Drumming Is A Language07. Mr. Whippy Does Djibouti 08. Run Come See09. Ran Came Saw10. Blessed Works11. Work Blessed12. More Fluid13. Who Are You?14. Ready You Ready15. Ready You Ready Part 216. What Is The Plan? w/ Mutabaruka17. What Is The Plan? (Version) w/ Mutabaruka
DISC4: VOODOO OF THE GODSENT (2011)01. In “I” Head02. The Best Way03. Take Heed… And Smoke Up Your Collyweed04. Stoned Age Man05. African Bredda06. Mysterious Happenings07. This And That And The Other08. Undulating09. Timpanya10. Badman Plan11. Dobbyn Joins The Head Charge12. God Willing13. Fear Of A Man God
DISC5: CHURCHICAL CHANT OF THE IYABINGHI Unreleased version mixes from Songs Of Praise and In Pursuit Of Shashamane Land SHASHAMANE VERSIONS01. Peace and Happiness02. Jungle Law03. Learned04. One Love, One Heart (Version)05. Pitched Fever DUBS OF PRAISE06. Dervish Dub07. Dub Some More08. Disciplined and Dignified09. Healing Father’s Dub10. Dub for the Spirits
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