Dreadzone are contemporaries of UK acid-house era acts Leftfield, The Orb, & Massive Attack, but Dreadzone's roots reach back to Mick Jones's urban groove-oriented post-Clash act, Big Audio Dynamite.
Writer, producer, DJ, drummer, programmer, sample addict, & Head Dread Greg Roberts started as B.A.D's first drummer in 1984. When B.A.D. morphed into Big Audio Dynamite II in 1990, Greg, along with the rest of the original group: keyboardist Dan Donovan; bassist Leo Williams; & sounds-effects operator Don Letts left & went on together to form Dreadzone.
Here's a compilation I put together from singles & EPs.
Dreadzone - Tunes from Singles & EPs, NØ Comp., 2022.
Fight the Power (original mix)
Captain Dread (single edit)
Little Britain
Zion Youth (Dreadzone mix)
Life, Love, & Unity (Ninety Six mix)
Earth Angel (album version)
King Dub Rock (in the Party)
Gangster
Fight the Power (Dreadzone Dub)
Little Britain (More Rocker mix)
Zion Youth (Digidub mix)
Life, Love, & Unit (Drumhead mix)
Earth Angel (William Orbit mix)
Gangster (She is Danger remix)
Enjoy,
NØ
Cool! Dreadzone's origins go back a little farther: Leo Williams was the bassist in Basement 5, who were one of Mick Jones' inspirations for B.A.D. Between B.A.D. and Dreadzone, there was a short-lived band called Screaming Target (with Williams, Roberts, and Letts). I have their album, but it's not nearly as good as Dreadzone.
ReplyDeleteDig all the bands you mentioned, esp. Basement 5. ST are all right, just a run-up to Dreadzone. Connections abound from Letts & Basement 5 & Mick/Carbon-Silicone. Take care, brother.
ReplyDeleteThanks again Nathin'!!! I was in at the beginning with B.A.D. and saw them at First Ave club. Kind of fell off the history until Orb
ReplyDeleteThanks NØ! Came here to ask if you had any Screaming Target, but the comment-section-consensus (!?!) sounds like it is sub-Dreadzone. So, nevermind.
ReplyDelete