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On-U Sound

Profile:
UK based experimental reggae/dub label run by Adrian Sherwood.

Not to be confused with the US based DJ/club remix label, ON-USound (with no space between "ON-U" and "Sound").

Labelcode: LC 08619
Sublabel:
Sound Boy
Contact Info:
Related labels are Pressure Sounds & Green Tea
There is an On-U Sound mailing list which has been running since 1989.
EFA released some remastered titles with slightly altered cover artwork before going under in 2004.
On-U Sound is relaunched in 2002 and kicked off again with Little Axe's 'Hard Grind' album. Look for the new stuff at catalogue number ON-U CD 1001 and higher.
Sites:
onu-sound.com, obsolete.com/on-u, skysaw.org/onu, object-craft.com.au/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/On-U
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Discography

Releases:
EFA 07480-09 Jalal* Mankind (CD) 1993
EFA CD 18667 Bim Sherman Miracle (CD, Album) 1996
none Barmy Army Billy Bonds M.B.E. (Flexi, 7", S/Sided, Single) 1988
ON-U 0050 CD African Head Charge Songs Of Praise (CD, Album)  
ON-U CD 0001 New Age Steppers New Age Steppers (CD, Album, RM, Enh) 2000
ON-U CD 02 African Head Charge Great Vintage Volume 1 (CD) 1989
ON-U CD 03 African Head Charge Great Vintage Volume 2 (CD) 1989
ON-U CD 0003 New Age Steppers Action Battlefield (CD, Album, RM, Enh) 2000
ON-U CD 04 Singers & Players Golden Greats Vol. 1 (CD) 1989
ON-U CD 0004 Creation Rebel Psychotic Jonkanoo (CD, Album, RM, Enh) 1998
ON-U CD 05 Dub Syndicate Classic Selection Volume 1 (CD) 1989
ON-U CD 0005 Singers & Players War Of Words (CD, Album, RM, Enh) 1998
ON-U CD 06 Dub Syndicate Classic Selection Volume 2 (CD) 1991
ON-U CD 07 London Underground Compilation 80-84 (CD) 1989
ON-U CD 0008 Creation Rebel Starship Africa (CD, Album, RM, Enh) 1999
ON-U CD 08 Barmy Army The English Disease (CD) 1990
ON-U CD 09 Gary Clail & On-U Sound System End Of The Century Party (CD, Album) 1990
ON-U CD 10 New Age Steppers Massive Hits Volume 1 (CD) 1994
ON-U CD 11 Mark Stewart And The Maffia Learning To Cope With Cowardice (CD, Album, RE) 1991
ON-U CD 0011 Singers & Players Revenge Of The Underdog (CD, Album, RM) 1997
ON-U CD 0012 Various Disco Plate Collection Part 1 (CD, Album, RM, Enh) 1998
ON-U CD 12 African Head Charge Songs Of Praise (CD, Album) 1990
ON-U CD 13 Various Pay It All Back Volume Three (CD) 1991
ON-U CD 0013 African Head Charge My Life In A Hole In The Ground (CD, Album, RM, Enh) 1998
ON-U CD 0014 Headley Bennett* 35 Years From Alpha (CD, Album, RE, Enh) 1999
ON-U CD 14 African Head Charge Pride And Joy - Live (CD) 1991
ON-U CD15 Dub Syndicate Stoned Immaculate (CD, Album) 1991
ON-U CD 16 Little Annie Short & Sweet (CD, Album) 1992
ON-U CD 17 Andy Fairley System Vertigo (CD, Album) 1992
ON-U CD 0017 Bim Sherman Across The Red Sea (CD, Album, RM, Enh) 1998
ON-U CD 0018 Dub Syndicate The Pounding System (Ambience In Dub) (CD, Album, RM, Enh) 1998
ON-U CD 0019 African Head Charge Environmental Studies (CD, Album, RM, Enh) 1997
ON-U CD 19 Dub Syndicate Featuring Bim Sherman & Akabu (2) Live At The T+C (CD, Album) 1993
ON-U CD 20 Various Pay It All Back Volume 4 (CD, Comp) 1993
ON-U CD 0020 Noah House Of Dread Heart (CD, Album, RE, Enh) 1999
ON-U CD 21 Various On-U Sound Present Reggae Archive Volume 1 (CD, Comp) 1993
ON-U CD 22 Various On-U Sound Presents Reggae Archive Volume 2 (CD, Comp) 1993
ON-U CD 0023 Singers & Players & Prince Far I Staggering Heights (CD, Album, RM, Enh) 1999
ON-U CD 24 Dub Syndicate Echomania (CD) 1993
ON-U CD 25 African Head Charge In Pursuit Of Shashamane Land (CD, Album) 1993
ON-U CD 0025 Dub Syndicate One Way System (CD, Album, RM, Enh) 2000
ON-U CD 26 Singers & Players Golden Greats Volume 2 (CD) 1995
ON-U CD 0027 African Head Charge Drastic Season (CD, Album, RE, Enh) 1998
ON-U CD 0030 Doctor Pablo & Dub Syndicate North Of The River Thames (CD, Album, RM, Enh) 1998
ON-U CD 0034 Missing Brazilians Warzone (CD, Album, RE, Enh) 1997
ON-U CD 0037 Various Pay It All Back Volume One (CD, Comp, RE, Enh) 1999
ON-U CD 0038 Dub Syndicate Tunes From The Missing Channel (CD, Album, RM, Enh) 1997
ON-U CD 0040 African Head Charge Off The Beaten Track (CD, Album, RE, Enh) 1998
ON-U CD 0042 Various Pay It All Back Volume Two (CD, Smplr, RM, Enh) 2000
ON-U CD 43 Lee "Scratch" Perry* & Dub Syndicate Time Boom X De Devil Dead (CD) 1994
ON-U CD 0047 Dub Syndicate Strike The Balance (CD, Album, RM, Enh) 1998
ON-U CD 0048 Barmy Army The English Disease (CD, Album, RE) 1998
ON-U CD 0049 Gary Clail & On-U Sound System End Of The Century Party (CD, Album, Enh, RE) 1999
ON-U CD 0053 Various Pay It All Back Volume Three (CD, Album, RM, Enh) 1991
ON-U CD 0054 Various Discoplate Collection Part II (CD, Comp, RM, Enh) 1998
ON-U CD 57 Strange Parcels Disconnection (CD, Album) 1994
ON-U CD 0059 Dub Syndicate Live At The Town & Country Club April 1991 (CD, Album, RM, RE) 1999
ON-U CD 0063 Various Pay It All Back Volume Four (CD, Comp, RM, Enh) 2000
ON-U CD 0065 African Head Charge In Pursuit Of Shashamane Land (CD, Album, RE) 2002
ON-U CD 68 Revolutionary Dub Warriors Reaction Dub Part One : Deliverance (Album) ◄ (2 versions) 1994
ON-U CD 69 Dub Syndicate Classic Selection Volume 3 (CD) 1994
ON-U CD 71 Akabu (2) Warrior Queen (CD, Album) 1995
ON-U CD 72 Creation Rebel Historic Moments Volume 1 (CD, Comp) 1994
ON-U CD 73 Audio Active We Are Audio Active (Tokyo Space Cowboys) (CD, Album) 1994
ON-U CD 74 Creation Rebel Historic Moments Volume II (CD) 1994
ON-U CD 75 Various Pay It All Back Volume Five (CD, Comp) 1995
ON-U CD 77 Audio Active Happy Happer (CD, Album) 1995
ON-U CD 78 2 Badcard Hustling Ability (CD, Album) 1995
ON-U CD 83 Revolutionary Dub Warriors State Of Evolution (CD, Album) 1996
ON-U CD 84 Dub Syndicate Ital Breakfast (CD, Album) 1996
ON-U CD 85 Dub Syndicate Research And Development (CD) 1996
ON-U CD 87 Little Roy Longtime (CD, Album) 1996
ON-U CD 88 Tribal Drift Priority Shift ... A Bridge In Time (CD, Album) 1996
ON-U CD 0089 Charlie Eskimo Fox* Nattorius - Alter Riddim (CD) 2004
ON-U CD 0091 Doug Wimbish Trippy Notes For Bass (CD, Album) 1999
ON-U CD 92 Various Roots Of Innovation - 15 And X Years On-U Sound (CD, Comp) 1996
ON-U CD 0093 African Head Charge vs. Professor Stretch Drums Of Defiance (CD, Album) 1998
ON-U CD 0094 Audio Active Apollo Choco (CD, Album) 1997
ON-U CD 0095 Audio Active Apollo Choco Remixed (CD, Album) 1997
ON-U CD 96 Various Pay It All Back Vol. 6 (CD, Comp) 1996
ON-U CD 1000 Various Adrian Sherwood Presents The Master Recordings (CD, Comp) 1998
ON-U CD 1000 Various Adrian Sherwood Presents The Master Recordings (CD, Ltd) 1998
ONUCD 1001 Lee "Scratch" Perry* The Mighty Upsetter (Album) ◄ (2 versions) 2008
ON-U CD 1001 Little Axe Hard Grind (CD) 2002
ONUCD 1002 Harry Beckett The Modern Sound Of Harry Beckett (CD) 2008
ON-U CD 1002 Various Chainstore Massacre (CD, Comp) 2002
ON-U CD 1003 Ghetto Priest Vulture Culture (CD) 2003
ON-U CD 1005 Dub Syndicate Murder Tone (CD) 2002
ON-U CD 1007 African Head Charge Shrunken Head (CD) 2003
ON-U CD 2000 Various Adrian Sherwood Presents The Master Recordings Volume 2 (CD, Comp) 1999
ONUCD 9013 African Head Charge Songs Of Praise (CD, Album, RE) 2009
ON-U DP 01 Singers & Players Virgin (10") 1981
ON-U DP 02 Singers & Players Revolution (10") 1982
ON-U DP 03 Creation Rebel Independent Man (10") 1982
ON-U DP 04 London Underground Watching West Indians In The Cold (10") 1982
ON-U DP 05 Mark Stewart And The Maffia Jerusalem (12") 1982
ON-U DP 06 Noah House Of Dread Murder (10") 1982
ON-U DP 08 Singers & Players African Blood (10") 1983
ON-U DP 09 Singers & Players Breaking Down The Pressure (10") 1983
ON-U DP 10 Bim Sherman & Dub Syndicate Keep You Dancing (10") 1983
ON-U DP 12 Gary Clail Half Cut For Confidence (12") 1985
ON-U DP 13 Tackhead What's My Mission Now? (12") 1985
ON-U DP 14 Singers & Players Stop That Train (12") 1987
ON-U DP 15 Tackhead Mind At The End Of The Tether (12") 1985
ON-U DP 16 Gary Clail Hard Left (12") 1986
ON-U DP 18 Barmy Army Sharp As A Needle (12") 1988
ON-U DP 19 Tackhead / Gary Clail Reality (12") 1988
ON-U DP 20 Dub Syndicate Lack Of Education (12") 1991
ON-U DP 21 Little Annie I Think Of You (12") 1992
ON-U DP 22 Jalal* Mankind / Shade Of The Light (10", Ltd) 1993
ON-U DP 23 Bim Sherman & Strange Parcels More Is Insane (10", Ltd) 1993
ON-U DP 24 Jesse Rae & Strange Parcels Body Blastin' (10", Ltd) 1993
ON-U DP 25 Dub Syndicate What Happened? (10", Ltd) 1993
ON-U DP 26 Little Annie Bless Those + Going For Gold Re-Mixes (10", Ltd) 1993
ON-U DP 27 Dub Syndicate 93 Struggle (10", Ltd) 1993
ON-U DP 28 Audio Active Free The Marijuana (12") 1994
ON-U DP 29 Revolutionary Dub Warriors Dread (12") 1994
ON-U DP 30 Little Annie In Dread With Little Annie (Four Pieces Of Heart At 33RPM) (12") 1994
ON-U DP 31 African Head Charge Touch I (12") 1994
ON-U DP 31 CD African Head Charge Touch I (CD, Maxi) 1994
ON-U DP 32 Audio Active Happy Shopper (12") 1995
ON-U DP 33 2 Badcard Leaving Rome (12") 1995
ON-U DP 34 Revolutionary Dub Warriors Know Your Enemy EP (12", EP) 1995
ON-U DP 34 CD Revolutionary Dub Warriors Know Your Enemy EP (CD, EP) 1995
ON-U DP 35 Audio Active Electric Bombardment (12") 1995
ON-U DP 35 Audio Active Happy Shopper In Europe EP (12", EP) 1995
ON-U DP 35 CD Audio Active Happy Shopper In Europe EP (CD, EP) 1995
ON-U DP 36 Serious Bass (2) Can't Control It (12") 1996
ON-U DP 37 Audio Active Startrec EP (12") 1996
ON-U DP 37 CD Audio Active Startrec (CD, Maxi) 1996
ON-U DP 38 Dub Syndicate Jungle (10") 1996
ON-U DP 39 Dub Syndicate Ezy Take It Ezy (12") 1997
ONU DP50 Lee Perry vs. Moody Boyz, The* God Smiled (Single) ◄ (2 versions) 2008
ONU DP51 Lee Perry Ft Roots Manuva & LSK Vs. Moody Boyz, The* International Broadcaster (12", Promo) 2009
ONU DP52 Lee Perry W. Samia Farah Vs. Kode9 Yellow Tongue (12", Promo, Ltd) 2009
ONU DP53 Lee Perry Vs. Horsepower* Exersising (12", Promo, Ltd) 2009
ON-U LP 01 New Age Steppers The New Age Steppers (LP) 1981
ON-U LP 02 Mothmen, The Pay Attention (LP) 1981
ON-U LP 05 Singers & Players War Of Words (LP) 1982
ON-U LP 08 Creation Rebel Starship Africa (LP) 1981
ON-U LP 11 Singers & Players Revenge Of The Underdog (LP) 1982
ON-U LP 13 African Head Charge My Life In A Hole In The Ground (LP, Album) 1981
ON-U LP 14 Deadly Headley* 35 Years From Alpha (LP, Album) 1982
ON-U LP 16 Judy Nylon & Crucial Pal Judy (LP) 1982
ON-U LP 17 Bim Sherman Across The Red Sea (LP) 1982
ON-U LP18 Dub Syndicate, The* The Pounding System (Ambience In Dub) (LP, Album) 1982
ON-U LP 19 African Head Charge Environmental Studies (LP) 1982
ON-U LP 20 Noah House Of Dread Heart (LP) 1982
ON-U LP 21 New Age Steppers Foundation Steppers (LP) 1983
ON-U LP 22 London Underground At Home With The London Underground (LP, Album) 1983
ON-U LP 23 Singers & Players Staggering Heights (LP) 1983
ON-U LP 24 Mark Stewart And The Maffia Learning To Cope With Cowardice (LP) 1983
ON-U LP 27 African Head Charge Drastic Season (LP) 1983
ON-U LP 28M London Underground Current Affairs Session (LP, MiniAlbum) 1983
ON-U LP 30 Doctor Pablo & Dub Syndicate, The* North Of The River Thames (LP, Album) 1984
ON-U LP34 Missing Brazilians, The* Warzone (LP) 1984
ON-U LP 37 Various Pay It All Back Volume 1 ◄ (2 versions) 1985
ON-U LP 38 Dub Syndicate Tunes From The Missing Channel (Album) ◄ (3 versions) 1984
ON-U LP 39 Singers & Players Vacuum Pumping (LP) 1988
ON-U LP 39C Singers & Players Vacuum Pumping (Cass) 1988
ON-U LP 40 African Head Charge Off The Beaten Track ◄ (2 versions) 1985
ON-U LP 42 Various Pay It All Back Volume 2 (LP) 1988
ON-U LP 42CD Various Pay It All Back Volume 2 (CD, Smplr) 1988
ON-U LP 43 Lee "Scratch" Perry* & Dub Syndicate Time Boom X De Devil Dead (LP) 1987
ON-U LP 43C Lee "Scratch" Perry* & Dub Syndicate Time Boom X De Devil Dead (Cass, Album) 1987
ON-U LP47 Dub Syndicate Strike The Balance (LP, Album) 1989
ON-U LP 48 Barmy Army The English Disease (LP) 1989
ON-U LP49 Gary Clail / On-U Sound System* End Of The Century Party (LP, Album) 1989
ON-U LP 50 African Head Charge Songs Of Praise (LP) 1990
ON-U LP 53 Various Pay It All Back Volume Three (2xLP) 1991
ON-U LP56 Dub Syndicate Stoned Immaculate (LP, Album) 1991
ON-U LP 57 Strange Parcels Disconnection (LP) 1991
ON-U LP 58 African Head Charge Pride And Joy - Live (LP, Comp) 1991
ON-U LP 59 Dub Syndicate Featuring Bim Sherman + Akabu (2) Live At The T+C - 1991 (LP, Album) 1993
ON-U LP 60 Little Annie Short & Sweet (LP) 1992
ON-U LP 61 Andy Fairley System Vertigo (LP) 1992
ON-U LP 63 Various Pay It All Back Volume 4 (LP) 1993
ON-U LP 64 Dub Syndicate Echomania ◄ (2 versions) 1993
ON-U LP 65 African Head Charge In Pursuit Of Shashamane Land (LP) 1993
ON-U LP 68 Revolutionary Dub Warriors Reaction Dub Part One : Deliverance (LP) 1994
ON-U LP 71 Akabu (2) Warrior Queen (2xLP) 1995
ON-U LP 73 Audio Active We Are Audio Active (Tokyo Space Cowboys) (LP) 1994
ON-U LP 75 Various Pay It All Back Vol. 5 (2xLP) 1995
ON-U LP 77 Audio Active Happy Happer (LP) 1995
ON-U LP 78 2 Badcard Hustling Ability (2xLP, Album) 1995
ON-U LP 83 Revolutionary Dub Warriors State Of Evolution (LP) 1996
ON-U LP 84 Dub Syndicate Ital Breakfast (Album) ◄ (2 versions) 1996
ON-U LP 85 Dub Syndicate Research And Development (LP) 1996
ON-U LP 87 Little Roy Longtime (LP) 1996
ON-U LP 88 Tribal Drift Priority Shift ... A Bridge In Time (LP, Album) 1996
ON-U LP 91 Doug Wimbish Trippy Notes For Bass (2xLP) 1999
ON-U LP 92 Various Roots Of Innovation - 15 And X Years On-U Sound (LP) 1996
ON-U LP 92 PIC Various Roots Of Innovation - 15 And X Years On-U Sound (LP, Pic) 1994
ON-U LP 93 African Head Charge vs. Professor Stretch Drums Of Defiance (2xLP) 1998
ON-U LP 95 Audio Active Apollo Choco Remixed (2xLP) 1997
ON-U LP 96 Various Pay It All Back Volume 6 (LP) 1996
ON-U LP 1002 Various Chainstore Massacre (2xLP, Comp) 2002
ON-U LP 1003 Ghetto Priest Vulture Culture (2xLP) 2003
ON-U LP 1005 Dub Syndicate Murder Tone (2xLP) 2002
ON-U LP 1007 African Head Charge Shrunken Head (2xLP) 2003
ON-U MIX 2 Shara Nelson & Circuit, The Aiming At Your Heart (12") 1983
ON-U S 01 New Age Steppers / London Underground Fade Away / Learn A Language (7") 1980
ON-U S 03 London Underground Between The Lines (7") 1983
ON-U S 10 Dub Syndicate Lift Off (7", Ltd) 1993
ON-U S 11 African Head Charge Mama Shante Garden (7") 1993

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Reviews & Discussion

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Review by jonathan_armstrong Apr 16, 2004
I'm not quite sure why this label never got its proper recognition, but this should be re-discovered by everyone with a serious interest in dub or electronic music.

My theory is that it was in its prime a little too early for the electronica craze. It wasn't house music or jungle, but was probably too dubby and funky for the industrial. Everyone thinks that "ragga techno" probably started in 1992, but the On-U Sound artists were making crazy tripped out dubby records with heavy industrial/electronics sorts of influences for years before that.

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Review by genet Apr 06, 2004
I don't think one can adequately describe the profound influence of Adrian Sherwood and the On-U Sound cast of thousands on contemporary electronic music (dub, techno, drum-n-bass, post-punk, electro, and ambient). And through all of this, Sherwood and his London-Kingston crew remain down-to-earth & unpretentious, spurning offers from major labels for nearly twenty years. Sadly defunct German independent label distribution 'giant' EFA did a marvelous thing in reissuing nearly the entire On-U full-length catalogue on CD between 1996-1998. On-U records never age.
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