24. Asian Dub Foundation "Rafi's Revenge" (1998)

What it is: Jamaican music meets electronica and hip hop?
Favorite track: "Naxalite"

Asian Dub Foundation is a band I found out about from a video game, and this video game was Need For Speed: Underground. But this was years ago. It wasn't until after seeing Urban mention them in one of his posts that I remembered them and decided to give them a shot. Jackhammer told me to get this album, and what a great recommendation that was.

I will skip the genre lecture, because I don't know what it is exactly myself. Rafi's Revenge is a hard album to pin down on one genre. They seem to be quite the band to gather influences and put them all together. A wide variety of instruments are used here to create an extremely interesting sound that defies any classification.

The first track, Naxalite focuses on a more energetic sound, opening with a riff that can only be described as electricity in musical form, and becoming a sort of techno-world-rap song, it gets me pumped up every time. Black White is a song that celebrates our multicultural society and slams racism. You'll find some songs that lean more towards an electronic sounds, and you'll find your more Jamaican-style stuff. In the end, it's very satisfying.

Asian Dub Foundation's focus seems to be one of peace and acceptance, and even the instrumental aspect seems to compliment their philosophy. It's definitely a rewarding listen, and I encourage anyone who hasn't listened to try it. The melodies are catchy, the instrumentation is diverse, and end product is a kickass album.