When they first emerged in the mid-’90s, Asian Dub Foundation’s collision of Bhangra music, hip-hop and drum ‘n’ bass was a really electrifying experience. Their gigs were a high-energy mix of political rally, warehouse rave and punk rock show, and pretty quickly they were nominated for the Mercury Music Prize and declared “the most exciting live band in the country” by Bobby Gillespie. Twenty-odd years and a few line-up changes later, their rebel cry still rings loud and defiant on new album, More Signal More Noise.

Originally an East London community project that grew into a soundsystem and then a band, guitarist Steve ‘Chandrasonic’ Savale remains the constant driving force but it’s the return of Adrian Sherwood as producer and addition of reggae vocalist Ghetto Priest that has given ADF a new lease of life. Lead single and opener ‘Zig Zag Nation’ sets the tone by rejoicing at the diversity and fragmentation of modern culture. Featuring grime rapper MC Naga, the track’s dubby atmospherics are injected with ferocious break beats and thrashing, metallic guitar riffs and it ends up sounding like a gabba, speed-freak remix of a great lost Massive Attack tune.

Flute player Nathan Lee adds another dynamic to the mix with his slightly trippy, soul-jazz melodies – most notably on the hypnotic, instrumental lullaby ‘Semira’ which remembers a Nigerian asylum-seeker who was suffocated to death by Belgian police. It’s only a brief moment of melancholy and serenity however, before ‘Flyover 2015’ rages away in a storm of frantic, junglist bombast and ‘Stand Up’ gives a rally call for protest and political change.

The other big stand-out moment is ‘Get Lost Bashar’ – a poignant collage of sound that includes the chants of Syrian poet Ibrahim Qashoush who led campaigns against president Bashar al-Assad during the Arab Spring, before being found dead with his throat slit and vocal chords ripped out. It epitomises ADF’s core stance as both educationalists and unashamed global justice warriors born out of a similar mould to The Specials, Public Enemy and The Clash.

At their peak ADF were able to crossover and attract indie audiences, make Radio One playlists and get their picture on the front of the NME – it’s depressing that their voice now seems to be regarded as too radical for such a stage. Nevertheless, More Signal More Noise could be there finest work since 2000’s Community Music, and it’s great to hear them sounding so vital and potent again.

More Signal More Noise is out now via ADF Communications / Believe Recordings.

Kevin Irwin
@TrotterFist