Asian Dub Foundation , Rafi's Revenge (London)
The Asian Dub Foundation are loosely associated with a European scene called the "Asian Underground." They released the import-only Facts And Fictions in 1995, and contributed a track to Star Rise, a remix project of songs by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. They are essentially unknown in America, despite having released the most most audacious monster of a political punk album since Public Enemy's It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back. The band formed in 1993 when bassist/tabla player Aniruddha [Dr.] Das and DJ John Pandit [G] met 15-year-old Bengali rapper Deedar [Master D] Zaman while working at a summer workshop designed to teach Asian children about music technology. They were subjects of the documentary Identical Beat, and began blowing minds at live shows when Steve Chandra Savale joined and added his distorted sitar-like guitar style, and dancer Sun-J contributed his "radical movements." Out of a provocative mixture of early Gang Of Four, Public Image Ltd., dancehall 'n' dub reggae, rap, metal, techno, drum 'n' bass, classical Indian and Bengali folk, they form a distinct sound. Bands like Fun-Da-Mental shoot for a similar effect, but their crackpot conspiracy-theory lyrics are too often cartoonish and embarrassing. ADF meld their influences with more finesse, and their spiritualism adds dignity to their anger. There are certainly no shortage of beefs. "Free Satpal Ram" is about a person unjustly imprisoned by the British. "Assassin" is about the story of Mohammed Singh Azad who avenged the 1919 Amritsar Massacre. Not to mention the alarming amount of anti-Asian violence in Britain. The clash of global cultures will continue to create friction. But with the negative also comes benefits, like the Asian Dub Foundation, who have already provided the soundtrack for the next millenium.
