Various artists

Dread Operator from On-U Sound Archive (Hot Milk)

In the early Eighties, the Manchester based reggae label On-U became known for its wide ranging approach to dub. Not content with taking reggae back to its basics, they absorbed punk and industrial sounds into the studio and stripped it back to bass and treble essentials. Four CDs make up this collection, each showing a different aspect of the label. First up, Leaps & Bounds by the Players And Singers collective is a fairly straightforward affair, featuring contributions from notables Mikey Dread, Prince Far I and Bim Sherman over sounds supplied by established and famed reggae musicians.

Secondly is the Creation/New Age Steppers album Threat To Creation. If reggae had come from Manchester, then this is what you’d get. Dark, moody and menacing in places, it’s not the most joyous album in the reggae world. Creation Rebel reappears for the third album Lows and Highs. Straightforward reggae, this is a pleasant reprieve before the stunningly weird Wild Party Sounds. Everything goes in the mix here – reggae, punk, post punk, industrial and much more – and is given the Adrian Sherwood dub treatment. Although not an easy album to listen to immediately, it’s the one which gives the most reward over repeated listens.