Singers and Players Vol 1 – On-u Sound

Here’s a dusty, late-’80s On-U Sound piece that leans hard into deep dub pressure and rootsy chant, with Bim Sherman and Congo Ashanti Roy carrying the heaviest weight over a stern, spacious backing. Sherman’s “Devious Woman” and “Revolution” sit nicely beside Congo Ashanti Roy’s “African Blood” and “Moses, ” while the whole set has that dubbed-out, nocturnal On-U feel Adrian Sherwood was honing around this period. The compilation’s 1989 dating puts it in the middle of that fertile stretch when Singers and Players were orbiting between militant deejay cuts and moody singers’ work, and the presence of Jah Shaka, Jah Woosh, Mickey Dread and Prince Far I keeps the frame wide without losing the mood. A proper deep-catalog listen, and “Snipers In The Street” lands especially sharp.