London Underground – Motivation
From London Underground – Current Affairs Session
Released on On-U Sound, 1983, UK

Released in 1983, London Underground‘s final album, Current Affairs Session – like many Adrian Sherwood‘s productions for his label – was way ahead of its time, providing some of the most satisfyingly freshly sounding piece of the unique blend of Dub, Post-Punk & Industrial that On-U Sound offered in the early 1980’s.

For those who wouldn’t know very well this influential British label, On-U Sound was founded by Adrian Sherwood and Peter Holdsworth in 1980 and revolutionized Reggae in the 1980’s by associating it with burgeoning new musical genres in the British island, like Industrial or Post-Punk music. Adrian Sherwood, was behind the mixing deck on an enormous number  of On-U‘s productions which earned him the honorific rank of modern master of dub.

Anyway, after founding the label with Sherwood, Peter Holdsworth went on to form his own band, London Underground, with musicians that were already familiar with the label, like long time collaborator Dr. Pablo. Recording music with this band between 1980 and 1984, Holdsworth would provide the lead vocal, delivering it with a very punk attitude.

On the production side, the song Motivation is absolutely amazing, thanks to Adrian Sherwood‘s explosive use of the mixing deck, reverb, etc. Revealing the maestria of the British producer, the tune seems to chaotically go in many directions but its huge electronic sounds sound dope from beginning to end ! Motivation is without doubt a mixing jewel, prefiguring the sound of EBM‘s productions, that would only be recorded 3 or 4 years after London Underground‘s last album…

« Another 1993 production » as wisely indicates the trademark joke on the cover.