Adrian Sherwood - Boogaloo
Description
Adrian Sherwood has been around for a long time. He’s the man behind
the On-U Sound label, and eponymous sound system. The one that usually
does the rounds at least once a year, and has done so for as long as
you can remember. If you’ve ever been to an On-U gig you’ll know it’s
loud, uncompromising, live dub sound, and you’d remember there’s lots
and lots of noise, as you recall the ringing that’s left in your ears
for hours after.
On-U Sound have released over 100 albums and singles, and the list is
endless as to whose careers have been launched, and is even longer if
you add the number of people influenced by the label.
Adrian Sherwood has been at it for over 15 years. He’s like the great
grandfather of the organisation, wise, sincere, and he actually cares
about his family. When you talk to him, although it’s on the stairway
of a cold college corridor, you can sense his pride, and feel the
warmth of his sincerity, as he talks about the posse, and as he ponders
over the things he has achieved and the things he has still yet to
achieve. Not just for money, but for a genuine, honest bash at
producing music that he believes in, whether or not it’s popular or
mainstream, he wants to put his energies into talent and do it for
those who can’t particulary articulate themselves as well as other
unfairly privileged groups in society.
Adrian’s life with On-U Sound started in 1979 when he collaborated with
Mark Stewart, and members of the Slits to form the New Age Steppers
debut album, a sleek debut with strong elements of Sherwood’s passion
for reggae shining through.
