News & Rumours News Archive 9.February 2003 More interviews in different languages! 4.February 2003 I know it's a little late, but ARTE (german/french tv channel) are sending a 70 minutes programme with ADF and Zebda tonight, at 23:10. Loads of reviews of the new records. Also a new interview in norwegian. Also for people in the UK, you can win tickets to the Coventry-gig and a copy of the album here. All you have to do is answer 10 very simple questions! 31.January 2003 More interviews: CMU Online Designer Magazine 29.January 2003 Another interview, this time from the Guardian:HERE Thanks muchly to jurg for the link! 25.January 2003 An interview in dutch here:http://www.kindamuzik.net/q_and_a/article.shtml?id=2348 20.January 2003 More tourdates! Including two gigs in Norway, whoooohoooo!!!!! 18.January 2003 According to Aftenposten ADF Soundsystem (one dj, two MCs) are doing a set at Cafe Mono in Oslo on 21.January. Only 100 tickets are put out for sale so act fast if you want to catch a stripped down version of ADF + prelisten to the new album before and after the gig. 15.January 2003 You'll find all of the lyrics for Enemy of the Enemy both in English and French here: http://www.enemy-of-the-enemy.com/textes_fr.php The English version is also in the lyrics-section on this site. 12.January 2003 The interview from the January issue of The Wire is up here. Also a bunch of new tourdates in the Gigography-section. 15.December 2002: For you londoners, ADF are playing the shepherds bush empire on 21.february! Also a bunch of (yet unconfirmed) tourdates for France March 2003 in the Gigography-section. 12.December 2002: The tracklist for "Enemy of the Enemy" is as follows: 1 fortress europe 2 rise to the challenge 3 la haine 4 1000 mirrors (featuring sinead o connor) 5 19 rebellions 6 blowback 7 2 face 8 power to the small massive 9 dhol rinse 10 basta 11 cyberabad 12 enemy of the enemy thanks to jurg for this info! :) i'm thrilled that "power to the small massive" made it to the album!!! if anyone wonders, it's a tribute to a little community of fans on the adf-chat!!! 5.December 2002: Apparently a swiss tv-channel, SF2, are sending ADF's gig from the Montreux-festival this summer, on saturday 14.december! more info coming.... 18.November 2002: A promotional website for the new album is opening here anytime: www.enemy-of-the-enemy.com The album will be released on 3.February 2003, the EP around 20.January. The limited edition of "Fortress Europe EP" is in stores now! Recent pictures from Dublin:HERE MC Spex at the Doyle's:HERE MP3 from the same show:HERE! thanks jurg for mc spex info :) 11.October 2002: The new album will be entitled "Enemy of the Enemy" and will be, as earlier reported, released in January. Some new Irish tourdates here 2.October 2002: Apparently the EP entitled "Fortress Europe" will be released on 31.October. Tracklisting is as follows: Fortress Europe Enemy of the Enemy Fortress Europe (audio active remix) Fortress Europe (Adrian Sherwood Dub) And this is how the cover looks like:Fortress Europe EP 12.September 2002: The new ADF album will be released in January 2003, an EP is due out this autumn!!! 5.September 2002: Children with Aids benefit Concert at Cargo tuesday 17.september (83 Rivingdon Street, London, EC2A. nearest tube:old street) Featuring DJ set by State of Bengal, Deeder with a Rebel Uprising Sound System, 11 piece hiphop funk band The Pistachios and DJ Lingo featuring Verbal Kent and Nikesh (Rebel Uprising) For tickets, info and donations contact Nikesh on 020 7247 9115 or nikesh@cwac.org Please go and support children with aids! 25.June 2002: From NME.com: ASIAN DUB FOUNDATION's PANDIT G has been awarded the MBE - but refused to accept it because of his views on the honours system. Pandit G, real name John Pandit, is the chair of CM (Community Music Ltd), the organisation where Asian Dub Foundation formed, and also ADFED, the educational wing of ADF. Both aim to promote new music in socially deprived areas. He was awarded the MBE for 'services to the music industry' in the recent Queen's Birthday Honours list. However, he has decided not to accept it, because he thinks it highlights the wrong aspects of the work he does. He commented: "I personally don't think it's appropriate. I've never supported the honours system. If you want to acknowledge projects like CM, the work that these organisations do, then fund them. There's no point in giving an individual (an accolade). To bring people into the establishment won't actually help the organisations. "If you want to acknowledge the work of these organisations, prioritise funding so they can grow and expand and do the work that they do (in) creating new music, giving people the opportunities to make music, develop new musicians and create pathways where they can go out and establish themselves in the music industry." ADF are currently working on a new album with producer Adrian Sherwood. The album should be released in spring 2003. 20.June 2002: SATPAL RAM IS FREE !!!! Tuesday 18.June 2002 From: Miscarriages of JusticeUK (MOJUK) Tele: 0121-554-6947 Fax: 0121-554-7891 mojuk@mojuk.org.uk http://www.mojuk.org.uk This is a Victory but not Vindication At 7.00pm today Tuesday 18th June 2002, Satpal Ram walked through the prison gate of HMP Blantyre House, for the last time. Satpal's conviction has not been quashed and though he is now out on licence, Satpal will continue to fight the conviction, that has kept him in prison since 1987. It was a fight to the bitter end. Threatened with legal action, that continued imprisonment of Satpal, was unlawful the Treasury Solicitor for the Home Office, threw in the towel last Thursday and said they would release Satpal. All it needed to free Satpal, was two signatures, the Lord Woolf the Lord Chief Justice, put his signature to the paper on Friday. All it needed was the counter signature of a Home Office Minister, usually the prison minister would counter sign. At this stage the Home Secretary David Blunkett, made a personal intervention and was more than reluctant to sign Satpal's release. He should have counter signed the release on Friday but didn't, which meant Satpal had to spend another weekend in prison. Monday and today, numerous phone calls to Blunkett's office brought no joy, it was becoming clear that despite the advice of his own legal experts, Blunkett was stonewalling it. Satpal's legal team, contacted the Treasury Solicitor again this afternoon, who said they stood by their original decision, it was Blunkett, who was holding up the release, against their advice. Now Satpal's solicitors, felt there was no option but to go back to court. At 6.00pm this evening, Satpal's legal team were on their way to the High Court to apply for an order to release Satpal, when David Blunkett, conceded defeat and counter signed Satpal's, release papers. The release papers were faxed to HMP Blantyre House and Satpal was released at 7.00pm. Back ground to the last weeks events: On the 27th October 2000 the Parole Board gave an unprecedented recommendation supporting the immediate release of Satpal Ram. However the then Home Secretary Jack Straw, refused to accept the recommendation and ordered that Satpal, should remain in prison. Dennis Stafford's recent victory at the European Court of Human Rights has forced the present Home Secretary David Blunkett to reverse that decision. The ruling clearly stated that the continued detention by the Home Secretary, after the parole boards recommendation to release someone was illegal. Satpal Ram's lawyer, Daniel Guedalla, said: "It does not mean they accept he is innocent and he is still challenging his wrongful conviction. This is a victory but not complete vindication. He is still on a life licence until his conviction is quashed. He lost 18 months or more of his liberty because of Jack Straw interfering." Satpal's campaign to clear his name will continue after his release. http://www.appleonline.net/satpal/ 30.May 2002: New Tourdates!!!:Gigography 29.May 2002: Heard from my friend Marie in France that ADF has signed a new deal with Virgin France, meaning that Virgin France will distribute ADF's records throughout the whole world and not in France only as before. Hoping that this will mean that the new album will be released in the near future! Also here's a link to some really nice photos of ADF Soundsystem playing in the Central Park last year:Central Park photos Thanks loads Marie for the info! :) 14.May 2002: Sorry for the lack of updates, but there really isn't much happening these days. Here's a link to some ADF videos though, ADF live at Nuits de Fourvière 19.July 2001. Videos of Taa Deem and Real Great Britain, + 2 new songs "2 Face" and "Cyberabad". There's also some nice photos from the gig there. http://lyon.voila.fr/dossier/asiandub/video.html 14.April 2002: There was a review of ADF's recent gig in London in NME. You can read a transcript of it here Thanks again to my mate Saffi for sending me the link!:) Also some new tourdates has been announced. Have a look at the Gigography-site to find out more! 24.March 2002: Finally after a year of silence and rumours circling round, ADF has announced that Deeder Zaman is nolonger a part of the band. The "news" has also reached UK-media, and here's what Dotmusic had to say about the issue. Thanks loads to my mate Saff for sending me the link! ASIAN DUB'S FOUNDATIONS GO The future of groundbreaking UK collective Asian Dub Foundation is secure, despite the news that frontman Deeder Zaman has quit the group, dotmusic can exclusively reveal. The unclassifiable London five-piece are about to return with their first new material for some two years, since the 'Community Music' album, and play a London show on Thursday (21.march). However, we have learnt that inspirational vocalist Deeder is no longer a member of the band, having quit to work "with grassroots civil rights and anti-racist organisations". A spokesman for the band today confirmed that split had taken place "months and months ago" and said the group were also no longer signed to London Records, who released 'Community Music'. However, he said that two replacements had been brought in to replace Deeder, and suggested that the Asian Dub Foundation story was far from over. The band's statement reads: "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." 5.March 2002: SATPAL RAM : INTERNATIONAL MONTH OF PROTEST (from the Free Satpal Ram Campaign) Dear friends, Further to our last update, Satpal remains at HMP Blantyre House, and is still waiting for the CCRC to make their decision on whether to refer his case back to the Court of Appeal.The Criminal Cases Review Commission was set up following such miscarriage of justice cases as the Birmingham 6 and Guildford 4. These people's experiences, when finally exposed following public scrutiny, raised serious issues of concern to all, and greatly undermined public confidence in both the judicial and prison systems when the arrangements for criminal justice so completely failed, destroying lives in the process. The Royal Commission's report was presented to Parliament in July 1993 and recommended the establishment of an independent body, which would consider suspected miscarriages of justice, arrange for their investigation and refer unsafe cases to the Court of Appeal. The Criminal Appeal Act 1995 was subsequently passed, enabling the establishment of the Criminal Cases Review Commission as an executive Non-Departmental Public Body on 1 January 1997. The Commission started handling casework from 31 March 1997. Satpal applied to the Commission shortly after, yet to this day the commission has failed to properly investigate his case and five years on, has the audacity to continue to mess him around. What exactly have they been doing for the past five years? Please join us over an international month of protest by writing/faxing/e-mailing/phoning to the CCRC using the model letter below (but in your own words please), and telling as many friends and family as possible to spread the message as far as you can. Please also copy letters to us at freesatpalcampaign@hotmail.com Thank you very much for your continued support. Anyone who would like background information to the case, please email us on freesatpalcampaign@hotmail.com MODEL LETTER March 2002 Criminal Cases Review Commission Alpha Tower Suffolk Street Queensway Birmingham B1 1TT UK Tel: 0121 633 1800 Fax: 0121 633 1804/1823 from outside the UK: +44 121 633 1800 Fax: +44 121 633 1804/1823 Email: The Chairman (Frederick Crawford): chairman@ccrc.gov.uk Dear Mr. Crawford, Further to my last letter I am writing again to express deep concern at the continued apathy shown at the case of Satpal Ram by the commission. In the space of four years over which the CCRC has been reviewing this case, I understand that Mr. Ram was assured by Andrew Stranex, his then case worker, that a number of witnesses would be interviewed in line with your investigative procedures. Why then, to date, has not a single witness been contacted, let alone interviewed? You describe yourselves as an independent, thorough, investigative, impartial, open and accountable organisation, yet neither have you taken into account through your investigation the context of the racial tension in 1980s Birmingham, nor the poor legal representation that Mr. Ram received at the time of his trial. You recently wrote a covering memo, following the release of the fourth Annual Report addressed to the Rt. Hon. David Blunkett, and stated that early stakeholder concerns regarding the Commission's likely independence, and ability to investigate suspected miscarriages of justice thoroughly, have been allayed by experience of its case reviews. Again, I feel I must add my voice to the growing number of people who feel that the CCRC are ill equipped to lead any kind of worthwhile investigation into Mr. Ram's case and have instead prolonged his ordeal unnecessarily. We urge you to reconsider your provisional decision not to refer his case to the Court of Appeal. To continue to deny Mr. Ram justice clearly calls into question your ability to investigate cases. I look forward to your reply. Name: Country: 24.February 2002: A new year and a new look on my ADF-site!! :) First, a happy new year to all ADFers out there!! I'm sorry that this site hasn't been updated very frequently the last year, but I'll try better this year. Anyways, there's some new tourdates on the Gigography site. It's just confirmed that ADF will come to Bergen in June to do the La Haine soundtrack. Also they're gonna have a 3 days workshop for youth whilst in Bergen. More details at: Festspillene.no ADF are no longer on London Records and therefore the release of the new album is set back until they sign a deal with a new label.