African Head Charge is more an idea than a cohesive group. For the first time in 12 years (and after the recent re-release of many AHC sets) Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah and Adrian Sherwood convene a wide array of musicians and proceed to deconstruct African musical ideas and rebuild them on a dub platform. Noah provides the polyrhythmic percussion, Sherwood applies the dub and the musicians simply go off.

African Head Charge A Trip to Bolgatanga (On-U Sound)

The breadth of sound on this album eclipses old AHC albums. Bolgatanga, Ghana, is where Noah currently resides, and the songs and sounds are intended to illustrate that locale. But, of course, neither he nor Sherwood were content with such a relatively narrow focus. There are winds, horns, bounding bass lines, Afrobeat jams and much more.

Sherwood is far less interested in authenticity than he is with finding new forms of musical expression. AHC has always pushed the limits, but I think this is perhaps its most subtle and revolutionary album yet. The throbbing, pulsating excess is enthralling, but the quieter moments are truly revelatory. Sherwood is a master of layering and mixing, and he's still got the touch. The sound of this album is amazing.

Yeah, this is conceptual. African Head Charge has never been about pleasing the crowds. But age and experience can sometimes trump youthful enthusiasm. The excesses here are well-earned, and the final effect is one of wonder. Forty years on, African Head Charge still has the juice.

Jon Worley