An album by Asian Dub Foundation, released in early 2003.
Tracklisting:
- Fortress Europe
- Rise to the Challenge
- La Haine
- 1000 Mirrors (featuring Sinéad O'Connor)
- 19 Rebellions
- Blowback
- 2 Face
- Power to the Small Massive
- Dhol Rinse
- Basta
- Cyberabad
- Enemy of the Enemy
ADF's line-up changed significantly between this release and their previous album, Community Music. Their main MC, Deedar, left to pursue community political work (predominantly civil rights and anti-racism causes) after finding the touring and recording aspect of ADF taking up too much of his time. To replace him, two new MCs, Spex and Aktarvata, were drafted from the band's ADFED Community Music project. New percussionists were also added.
The changing band roster obviously affects the music and the group dynamic, but the underlying vibes - bright, politically engaged lyrics over funked-out dub basslines and traditional ragas and beats - remain. The lyrical content deals with different topics as seen from the band's established left-wing, British-Asian perspective. All tracks have something to say, but most notable in terms of global current affairs are Blowback, using a CIA term to discuss unforeseen consequences in the light of 11th September, and Enemy of the Enemy, written in the build-up to the second Gulf War, which talks about hypocrisy inherent in marriages of convenience.
These opinions on world events are balanced by the inclusion of tracks preaching a positive message of enthusiasm and optimism. The liner notes to Rise to the Challenge dub it, "A tribute to the simple but eternal positivity of music."
This statement could easily be applied to the entire album.