Playgroup - Epic Sound Battles Chapter 1 (1982, On-U Sound)

Of all the acts with whom Adrian Sherwood worked during the late '70s/early '80s, few have been so cruelly overlooked as Playgroup, a studio collective built along similar lines to the New Age Steppers, who were responsible for two of the most eclectic albums in the catalog. The musicians themselves were familiar members of the On-U collective: Bruce Smith, Sean Oliver, Charlie Eskimo Fox, Nick Plytas, Style Scott, Steve Beresford, "Deadly Headley" Bennett, John Waddington, Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah, and George Oban all feature across the two Playgroup albums.

The music, for the most part, is the heavy, scratchy dub for which Sherwood is best known, haunting effects-riven instrumentals with the power to shake the solidest walls. But enough variables are shot through the brew to ensure that period critics had a hell of a time trying to categorize the music. "Deep and Mintyful," with its spectral spy theme bassline, is straightforward enough. But the worldbeat rhythms and chants of "Crunch" could have been formulated during the sessions for the Slits' second album, and "Epic One" was a mystery, unfolding around a stupendously crunchy drum pattern. And so on.

Tracklist:
Bomb's Scare
Epic Sound Battles
Crunch
The Slither
Burn Up
Deep And Mintyful
Silent Mover
Epic One Drop
Shock Absorbers
No Speed Limit
Hoggs Might Fly

Playgroup - Epic Sound Battles Chapter 1 (1982, On-U Sound)
(320 kbps, cover art included)