Ariwa Sounds: new double compilation charts Mad Professor's expansive dub legacy
A new double compilation from Melodies International spans Mad Professor's Ariwa Sounds label from 1984 to 2026, mixing well-known names with deeper cuts from the dub and roots canon.
When dub producer Mad Professor, born Neil Fraser, and his wife moved into a house in Croydon in the late 1970s, they didn't furnish the living room in the usual way. Instead, Fraser installed a four-track mixing desk and an assortment of homemade gear, effectively turning the space into a studio. That was the beginning of the Ariwa Sounds label and recording operation.
The early years of Ariwa were documented on a 1984 album, which Melodies International reissued in 2023. Now the two labels have joined forces again to shine a light on what came next. The new double compilation is not a greatest-hits package or a chronological history; rather, it is an exploration of the label's wide-ranging output between 1984 and 2026.
The set features familiar names such as Sister Nancy, Horace Andy and Sandra Cross, alongside deeper catalogue cuts. Listeners will find sun-soaked roots tracks, dub versions and dreamy lovers rock, from Kofi's cult classic "Didn't I" to Davina Stone's winsome cover of "Silly Wasn't I". Several heavier, brooding tracks are steered by Mad Professor himself, including "Six Million Dub", which stands as a clear precursor to grime with its warped vocals and hard-hitting snares.
Aisha's 1990 track "Can You Feel It" brings funk sensibilities, while Queen Omega's "Rocking and Popping" demonstrates ragga-style vocals. The album's jumps between genres and decades never feel jarring – in fact, that is exactly what makes it special. With credits scattered across the Cross family and dubwise legends such as Jah Shaka and Sly and Robbie, one can almost picture the artists crossing paths around the studio. It is a vivid tribute to the collaborative spirit of Ariwa.
Several other noteworthy releases have arrived this month. London collective Life Is Beautiful has put out a 40-track compilation, "Veneration for the Sacred Action", featuring collaborators including Voice Actor and Coby Sey; the record moves between electronic experiments and bedroom pop. Roy Montgomery and Martha Skye Murphy have teamed up again on their debut album "Nebular" (AD93), a collection of droning, atmospheric instrumentals with jangly, reverbed guitar and Murphy's Elizabeth Fraser-style wails. Ambient musician Sofie Birch, meanwhile, has issued "Bivabippabualukka" (Stroom), a joyful, playful album that trades her usual meditative style for bossa nova instrumentation, nature field recordings and cooing vocals.
