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Publishing ~ Artists & Writers

Mad Professor

Photograph of Mad Professor, Dub Musician

 

Since 1979, Mad Professor has overseen groundbreaking recordings in dub, roots and lovers rock, both as a dub musician and as the proprietor of the Ariwa Sounds label and recording studio. To date, Ariwa has released over 220 albums, many of which are the Professor’s own creations, an eccentric blend of digital and retro sounds which have won acclaim in the UK, Jamaica and abroad.

Born Neil Fraser in the fifties, Mad Professor's interest in electronics began in early childhood. In primary school, he built a radio from scratch, earning the 'Mad Professor' moniker from his childhood friends. At age 13, his family moved to London, where he bought a semi-professional reel to reel tape recorder. By 1975, he had begun experimenting with dub.

Dub music evolved from reggae in the 1960s as a re-imagined version of a popular track. Typically, the vocals were removed and sound effects added, including echo, reverberation, amplified percussion and extra bass. Sometimes the vocals were reworked and added in a new arrangement. Dub tracks were initially released as b-sides to popular hits, functioning as a creative outlet for DJs and producers. In the early 80s, Mad Professor was a major force in popularizing the dub genre.

In 1979, the Professor built a mixing board and opened a four-track studio in his Thornton Heath living room. The studio and subsequent record label, named 'Ariwa' for the Yoruba word for communication, provided the means to launch a serious recording business. Early recording artists included Tony Benjamin, Sergeant Pepper and Ranking Ann. His first dub album, 1982's 'Dub Me Crazy, Pt. 1' inspired a 12-album series including 'Beyond the Realms of Dub' and 'Escape to the Asylum of Dub,' considered to be amongst the Professor's best work. In the mid-eighties, the studio relocated to South Norwood and upgraded to a 24-track, 2-inch state of the art recording system—the largest black-owned studio in the UK.

Through the 80s and 90s, Ariwa fostered the careers of Aquizim, Jah Shaka, John McLean, the Robotics, Peter Culture and Johnny Clark. The Mad Professor produced major singles for Pato Banton and Sandra Cross, and Macka B's 1986 album 'Sign of the Times' was a breakthrough success. The Professor also released collaborations with Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and a five-album series, 'Black Liberation Dub.' As his reputation grew, he was solicited to remix albums for popular rock and alternative acts, including 1995's critically acclaimed 'No Protection,'—a remixed version of UK trip-hop group Massive Attack's 'Protection.' He has since collaborated with The Orb, Sade, Jamiroquai, Rancid, Depeche Mode, Perry Farrell, and the Beastie Boys, amongst others.

Mad Professor and the Ariwa artists have built an extensive following through tours all over the world. Tours often feature a selection of Ariwa recording artists appearing on the same bill. To celebrate label's 25th anniversary, Mad Professor released the two-CD retrospective 'Method to the Madness' and toured the UK with Lee Perry.

Mad Professor continues to record and perform throughout the world, and the Ariwa label is constantly releasing a variety of eclectic music praised for its unique sound and originality.

Check out Mad Professor on MY SPACE!

Website: www.ariwa.com