Dub Stars

Asian Dub Foundation have a reputation for being difficult interviewees. They mistrust the industry, and the industry mistrusts them. Journalist after journalist has championed their radical social outlook without paying much attention to the tunes, lazily lumping them into the Neo-Asian movement with Cornershop and Talvin Singh. But as the Asian Dub Foundation roadshow touches down in the lush green pastures of Medena in Northern Italy, ADF sound system convenor Pandit G seems perfectly happy to sip an expresso and shoot the breeze with the world's media.

"How's the weather where you are mate?" enquires a chipper Pandit.
Lovely actually, but I'm still bitter that you're chilling in Medena and I'm just listening to you tell me how beautiful it is.
"Ha, ha, ha! We've just done Germany, Italy and France and we're heading back to Germany again! Feeling jealous?"
Bastard.
But it s not all endless road trips for the ADF boys, and at least they richly deserve it. They started off in 1993 at London-based organisation Community Music where bassist Dr Das taught music technology. He teamed up with one of his students, rapper Deeder Zaman and civil rights worker DJ Pandit G to form a sound system to play at anti-racist gigs. The following year they recruited guitarist Chandrasonic and started moving further afield. With Sun-J joining in 1995 on live technology and 'radical movements,' the line-up was complete. Their third full length album is entitled Community Music in recognition of the organisation from which they came, and it is a kaleidscopic fusion of dub, reggae, breakbeats and punk. "Basically this album was a project we put together more like a sound system rather than a conventional band album. It was a big development for us to work with guest musicians, but you still have your more orthodox ADF punky rants. In some senses, it makes perfect sense for all musicians to collaborate and all work together, because the whole record industry is tying together. We are proposing to start merging bands now with all these record companies, agencies and PR firms merging. Here's an exclusive for you: our labelmates Goldie and Orbital have just merged they're called Gorbital now!"
You have to be joking.
"Ha, ha, ha! Sorry mate, it s this expresso! But seriously, it would be really good to see a lot of these idiot celebrities merging. Imagine Celine Dion and Marlyn Manson merging!"
However plausible Pandit's plans of re-inventing the concept of a musician's union, the summer festival circuit affords ADF the opportunity to meet many like minds.
"We're lucky that we get so many European offers so we're not stuck on the British conveyor belt of festivals all the time with all the same bands at every festival", adds Pandit. "In Belgium you have all these horrible rock bands with the most ridiculous names of all time like Pissing Granny Blues. In Italy, they all dance like mad and France is great because they've always been so good to us, plus we get to meet people like Zebola from Toulouse. They're second generation Algerian who are just beginning to get recognition. Seeing that means so much to us coming from where we are. It is important for us to nurture great music, like Invasion. Invasion has been involved in the ADF community workshop for two years the very first band to get involved. Just two weeks ago, they played the Easter Uprising (Primal Scream's legendary all nighter in Brixton Academy) and you had 4,000 people going mental! That to us is success, because record companies and A+R departments for the most part don't give a shit. Rock n' roll mythology doesn't tend to focus on hard work and perseverence, so when we see Invasion blowing the heads off a Primal Scream crowd that s success."
Do you ever think that the press can damn you with faint praise because of your "right on" and PC stance?
"Yeah definitely," says Pandit. "But at least it hasn't been entirely unanimous. The Big Issue and Time Out didn't like the record. We welcome critics, but we can answer anybody back! These aren't half-thought-out ideas. It's about time that people stirred things up again in all types of music indie, dance or whatever. It s all got far too conservative. It s the same with Primal Scream go ahead, have a go at them, but they'll be well able to answer anyone back."
Before Pandit goes to refill his expresso and wind up the next hapless journalist he has a very important message for all Hot Press readers.
"I really, really, really would love your readers to help us out with the Free Saptal Ram campaign by just visting www.asiandubfoundation.com, sending an e-mail or writing a postcard. Saptal really is touched by the support coming from overseas and it really makes a difference. The more protest and support that comes from overseas the more embarassed the Home Office gets. John McDonald MP was talking to me the other day about how the Guildford Four and Birmingham Six campaigns started with under twenty people and ten years later it was thousands! It's imperative that Saptal gets released this year. It'll take a miracle but it is a miracle that s going to happen "
Asian Dub Foundation play Witnness on Sunday 6th August. Community Music is out now on London Records. For further information on Saptal Ram contact the Free Saptal Ram Campaign, BM Box 4661, London WC1N 3XX or www.asiandubfoundation.com