With fifteen different songs from fifteen different musicians, thiscollection simultaneously demonstrates the creative variety found onthe On-U roster. Included are a few exclusive tracks, songs fromupcoming releases, and a smattering of recordings already available onvarious albums. Though a lot of what On-U releases has a reggae or dubfeel to it, Chainstore Massacrehouses some blues-inspired meanderings from Little Axe, a rathererratic sample fest from Adrian Sherwood, a dance-floor rendition ofAsian Dub Foundation's "Cyberabad," and a metal influenced electronicwork-out from Mark Stewart. There's plenty of depth to be found andthat's part of what makes this compilation so great: none of the songssound the same. Ri Ra drops a concrete slab of Irish rap backed by someslick keyboard melodies and a smooth layer of bass and on the nexttrack Junior Delgado unleashes a basic reggae track dedicated toexplaining the benefits of using marijuana. So while there is a goodamount of both upbeat and chilled out tunes, the most awesomelysurprising and beautiful music comes from a musician named Skip "LittleAxe" McDonald. He is the only one on the album that gets two tracks tohimself and he deserves it. "One Drop Blues" is full of layeredguitars, harmonica, a slow and sassy rhythm, and a guitar that paints apicture of a hot day in the park. "My Love I Bring" has Sinead O'Connoron lead vocals and a misty atmosphere provided by an eloquent meshingof electric and acoustic guitar. These two songs warrant buying thecompilation alone, but the compilation as a whole is cohesive anddiverse and is a great appetizer for material that will hopefully bereleased soon.- 2 Bad Card - Noise Polluters
- Little Axe - One Drop Blues
- Shadon - Places I Won't Go
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