African Head Charge sounds like a transmission from a parallel dimension where ancient ritual drumming and futuristic studio technology merged in a London basement. The music is anchored by the formidable percussion of Bonjo I, but it is the 'visionary' production of Adrian Sherwood that turns these rhythms into a liquid, hallucinatory experience. It is dense, murky, and deeply rhythmic, often feeling more like a physical environment than a standard song structure.
What sets them apart is the sheer audacity of their sonic manipulation. They don't just use dub effects; they use the studio as a primary instrument to dismantle and reassemble global sounds. You'll hear found-sound fragments, industrial clangs, and spiritual chants all submerged in layers of tape delay and cavernous reverb. It is 'environmental' music in the truest sense, creating a thick, humid atmosphere that demands the listener's full surrender to its hypnotic pulse.
Start with 'My Life in a Hole in the Ground' to hear the foundational blueprint of their psychedelic dub experiment. For something more refined and spiritually resonant, 'Songs of Praise' offers a masterful blend of traditional chanting and sophisticated electronic textures. It is the perfect entry point for anyone who wants to hear how dub can evolve into something entirely otherworldly.
African Head Charge is a psychedelic dub ensemble active since 1981, when they released their debut album, recorded at Berry Street Studio in London, which was, at the time, run by Dennis Bovell. The group was formed by percussionist Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah, and featured a revolving cast of members, including the original members of Creation Rebel, Undivided Roots, Carlton "Bubblers" Ogilvie and Crucial Tony Phillps of Ruff Cutt, Style Scott of The Roots Radics and The Dub Syndicate, George Oban, (bassist who had played with Aswad and Burning Spear), Headley Bennett, Prisoner, Crocodile, (both pseudonyms for Adrian Sherwood), Nick Plytas (originally from 1970s pub-rock proto punk band Roogalator), Junior Moses, Sunny Akpan of The Funkees, Steve Beresford of Brian Eno's Portsmouth Sinfonia, Bruce Smith of Public Image Ltd, Evar Wellington of British Roots Reggae band, The Makka Bees, Skip McDonald, Gaudi and Jah Wobble. Martin Frederix, sound engineer and live-mixer for This Heat also contributed to the band, playing bass and mixing some of the tracks on Songs of Praise. The group released most of its albums on Adrian Sherwood's label, On-U Sound, with much of the iconic sleeve-design artwork provided by noted photographer, Kishi Yamamoto, who also played keyboards, Guzheng Chinese Harp and Pipa Chinese lute on some of the compositions. Journalist David Stubbs, writing in The Wire, said, "The notion of African Head Charge was hatched when Adrian Sherwood read Brian Eno's comment about his vision for a 'psychedelic Africa'". All of their early work has been re-released as double albums on vinyl and CD.
Cassette uses generative AI to enrich its catalog. How we use AI →