ADF in the Area - Asian Dub Foundation

They named themselves Asian Dub Foundation , Asian because they all have Asian origins, Foundation because it's education and they're building this foundation. Dub because dub is a platform to express what they believe in. And when they talk about politics, they don't talk about 'boring' politics at a 'high' level but day to day things, life and issues that affect them. Dub is also music of experimentation, not just about reproducing a sound from a previous era. They use that as their platform to express what they are dealing with ,incompasing the whole educational aspect as well.
Asian Dub Foundation were formed through the Community Music project in Farringdon, London in September 1993. The aim of Community music is to bring up new youth and talent. And that's just what they have done through Asian Dub Foundation. Music education is still an important part of their agenda, and they are trying to put as much back into Community Music as they have got out of it. They have also set up the Asian Dub Foundation Education with the aim of helping to give people opportunities in music.
Community music were formed in the late 80's by John Stevens, who was a jazz-drummer at the forefront of improvisational and experimental music. ADF also have a song on their last album, Rafi's Revenge, called " Tribute to John Stevens". So some years later ADF got formed. At that time Dr. Das and Chandrasonic was at teaching-courses where they learnt how to run workshops etc. Then at one of this workshops Deeder approached Dr.Das in a workshop and said " Lets do something "
Before joining ADF, Pandit G worked as a DJ and he started the soundsystem Transonic. Dr. Das had been in all kinds of bands from Bhangra to Hindi, to experimental jazz and dub. Chandrasonic had worked with many different bands and before he joined ADF he was in an Ambient techno group. Sun-J worked as a radio DJ on Freedom FM. Deeder was in the original soundsystem, Jah-bhangra, from which the State of Bengal, Fun-Da-Mental and ADF came from. Deeder was only 14 years old when he started working with the other guys, now he is 19 and it's them who is learning of him.
In 1993 they started as a soundsystem which is more anonymous. Soundsystem is originally a term from reggae and it goes way back to the late 60's Jamaica. A soundsystem is a home-made DJ set-up consisting of turntables, mixer, amplifier and enormous speakers. Most soundsystems also used MC's [Master of Ceremonies] who would sing over the tunes. This developed to the USA. There there was a DJ called Kool DJ Herc, he was originally from Jamaica, he was one of the first hip-hop DJ's. He built a soundsystem to play at outdoor parties. He became very popular and was the inspiration for many other people like Grandmaster Flash. Without him there probably wouldn't have been anything like hip-hop, and from hip-hop and reggae comes drum'n'bass which have been the inspiration for bands like ADF. It's this and the culture of outdoor soundsystems that have inspired them to start similar things using the music of their background, mixing it with lots of different other styles that they are into.
Then Chandrasonic enabled them to become more like a band. 'Sun-J completed the cycle by being able to run all systems live as you can do with a soundsystem, so ADF are a cross between a soundsystem and a band. That's why it works, it's got all the elements of both but it's neither a soundsystem or a band'.
Nation Records got to hear about them, and they were signed to them in '93. Then in August 1994 they released " Conscious EP ". Their first gig was at a benefit for Quddus Ali at a the Hackney Empire in 1994. At the album " Facts and Fictions" they have a song called "TH9" were they say this about his case: " Quddus Ali saw no justice or peace, too many people still waiting for release ". Since then they have released many EP's and singles +4 albums. The first album " Facts and Fictions" was released in 1995. In 1996, I think, they signed a deal with Polygram records and FFRR. In 1997 they released the album" R. A. F. I ", but it was only released in France because there was nobody else who wanted them at that moment. That because the record-companies stereotyped them because of their name. So in May 1998 " Rafi's Revenge" was released, and people started getting their eyes up for this brilliant band, at last since people in France had always loved them. This album got good reviews everywhere, and they have got to play at almost all the festivals this year.
They have been known as a wicked live band, who makes the crowd go nuts everywhere they play. That is probably why they also released another album this year, "Conscious Party", containing 9 live-songs from a gig at the Astoria in London + remixes of 'old ' songs.
In autumn 1998, they supported Beastie Boys on their first tour in USA/Canada, and they got a wicked response, so in spring 1999 they did their first headlining tour over there.
Else they've spent the most of 1999, finishing their new album called "Commumity Music", which is due to release early 2000. So they haven't been touring so heavily as last year. A UK/Ireland tour was set up in autumn, + some gigs in Europe [France + Norway].
The new millenium brought some good news to ADF fans; the release date for the album was finally set to 20.March and the single Real Great Britain would be released 6.March. Also ADF supported Rage Against the Machine on their Europe Tour, which according to the band was a hard tour, since most people had never heard them before and were there to see RATM. But this was a way of bringing their music to new audiences, and many people also liked what they heard and in this way they've gained loads of new fans.
Community Music got great reviews everywhere, and it was the first album in 7 years to get 10/10 in NME. In Norway the album entered the top 40 album list, as number 8 the first week. Then down to 10, 24, 36 before it fell out of the list but jumped up to number 15 again after their two Norway-gigs.
With the new album they've spent most of the spring on the road in Europe and are also scheduled for loads of festivals all over the world in summer 00. ADF didn't boycott Austria (because of Haider and his Freedom-party) either as many other bands and artists did. Because they believed (and I agree) that it would be more effective to go and play there for the people, as we should keep in mind 70% did not vote for Haider. The people of Vienna was really appreciative for that, and ADF also got the Anti-Nazi League to have a stall there and address the people before the gig. And as Dr Das would say it: "We're the kind of band that the government would be happy not to turn up". So massive respect to ADF for playing Austria.
They spent the autumn touring too, with their first tours in Australia/New Zealand and Japan. Also an extensive France tour, with their new line up featuring Rocky on drums and Pritpal on dhol. Two of the Invasian guys were also present on stage, with additional rapping and making songs like Riddim I Like, Free Satpal Ram and Charge even more powerful. Year 2000 ended for ADF at the big new years eve party at Alexandra Palace in London, where they played 3 am in the morning...
Here's what Dr Das had to say about the new members:
"We found Rocky Singh Aulakh in Toronto when we played there in April 1999. He and his nephew and a mate then followed us for our remaining dates in NY, Montreal and Boston. Rocky then came over to the UK to do the MATT (Music and Technology Training) course at Community Music in London Bridge. We knew he was a drummer and talented all round musician but we never got an opportunity to jam with him. He did some stuff with Chandra's brother, Martin who said he was shit hot- not only could he play in time with sequences but he was very expressive as well. Me and Sonic then did a couple of sound systems with him at the Scala and then in Paris and we said as soon as we can incorporate him into the line up, we would. That chance came with the recent French tour. He settled in very well even though it was potentially hard with such busy and complicated sequences. In the new music being written, the programming is a lot less complex, taking Rocky's presence into account. Even though we'd never been after a drummer and had been asked loads of times, it was time to try something new. Rocky is a great musician and was already an ADF fan and has experienced a lot of the same things as other ADF member so he was just right to come in. Pritpal was a friend of the band and a fan. We were getting more and more into the dhol from seeing it at various sound systems and are also well into bhangra. Pritpal's done a lot with DJ Ritu. He's an awesome musician and a great tabla player as well. On the French tour, he became the first dhol player, as far as we know, to use a radio mic (me and 'Sonic were using them for the first time as well)and be completely free. Rocky and Pritpal are now a permanent fixture and will feature heavily on the next album."
No relaxing in 2001 either. January was spent rehearsing, before recording the new album in February at the Levellers' studio in Brighton. The new album, working title "Sound System",will feature their new drummer, Rocky Singh, and Dhol Player, Pritpal Rajput, as well as vocalists from Invasian and Maad Ethics and many other musicians. Then some well-deserved months off, until April, when they'll be on the road again hopefully. In April the British Counsil organized a tour to Brazil. The best tour ever according to Chandra. "The recent tour of Brazil was amazing and we were all completely blown away by the people, fans and brilliant musicians we met. They made the tour an inspirational and highly educational experience for us." Back in UK work on the new album continued, but still doing some gigs here and there. Most of the summer packed with gigs at various places and festivals in Europe as well as in Japan and the US.
After a year of silence and rumours circling round, it was announced in March 2002 that Deeder Zaman is nolonger a part of the band. "To clear up any confusion, we hereby announce that Deeder Zaman is officially no longer a member of ADF. He in fact played his last gig for us on New Year's eve 2000, thus fulfilling his live and touring commitments for that year. "He left to dedicate his time to working with grassroots civil rights and anti-racist organisations as he had already told us was his intention. "He also generally wished to have a break from music, in particular the heavy touring aspect and explore other avenues of life, having been in the band since the age of fourteen. "We thank him for the contribution he made to the development of ADF from a sound system to a respected international band. We wish him success, fulfilment and happiness in all his current and future endeavours." The statement also confirms how the band will shape-up in future: "ADF has always been a collective in that everyone in the band writes the lyrics and the music. "With Deeder's departure, we resolved to continue in the same vein. The line-up has been expanded. Spex and Aktarvata have been taking care of MCing duties. Rocky Singh has come in on drums and Prithpal Rajput aka 'Cyber' on dhol and tables."
Musically( historically) they have been compared to great bands like Rage Against The Machine, Beastie Boys, the Clash and Public Enemy. It's been said that they are the most political band since Rage Against The Machine and that Deeder has the rage of Zack de la Rocha and the rolled tongue of Shinehead. Their sound is unique and can't be put into any category, but it has been descriped by themselves as ' Asian Jungle Punk '. They mix styles like jungle, dub, hip-hop, drum'n'bass, punk, funk and reggae ++++ with the sounds and ideas of Asian music. Their music is a natural outcome of the music they listen to and like best and the people they interact with. It's also an Indian tradition of assimilating ideas and taking the best. As Chandrasonic said in an interview: " The music itself, the fact that we're mixing up so many styles is a statement itself. We just see music in a very traditional way -it's about communication. That's what music was there for in the first place - it was a way to communicate ideas and what was happening and commentary, there's nothing new or strange about that. What's really strange is that 99% of groups or music is saying nothing at all. People underrate the power of music, it can be moving and it can be important." They feel themselves that their music is 'the sound of Britain today'.
Their influences: " We have been influenced by lots. We just flow with whatever we've grown up with and liked. There is blues, punk and jungle. It's not just the influence, it's the inspiration. All of this music mentioned has inspired us, made us happy and got us involved in music, and it's inevitable that these sounds are going to creep into what we do. Some of it is blatant, some of it is less so. You will hear punk guitar, the dubby bass sounds, the jungle beats and the sound that we heard via our parents come in via sampling and technology. It also comes in via some of the actual playing. We don't feel the need to have this souvenir approach to music like bung in a sitar and this makes it Asian. You don't have to be that obvious." Their words and lyrics are concerned with the things going on around them at a local, as well as a national level. Their aim is to use music to raise awareness of the problems facing ethnic minorities in Great Britain. They are into smashing stereotypes. "What we are trying to convey are people's attitudes towards Asian people in general, Asian musicians and the stereotypes involved in that". Music is their vehicle to express their thoughts and believes. They all write the lyrics together as a group. They argue and have constant debates, that's how their lyrics get about. They discuss issues through their music and it's a way of getting rid their anger and to reflect reality. They have been kept down because they were 5 Asian guys, and what they have to say have been hard to many, so part of what they are about is breaking these barriers down.