“The Collapse Of Everything” takes its title from a Mark Stewart lyric. Adrian Sherwood chose the line for his new album since it seemed to fit both his own personal situation – mourning the passing of two friends, Stewart and Keith LeBlanc – and the state of the world at large – environmental crises, war, genocide, fake news and corrupt, pathological liars in charge. 

On a lighter note the phrase could also describe the music that the record contains. Perhaps not “collapse”, but rather the “fusing”, “condensation” of all the studio experience, techniques and trickery that Sherwood has amassed over his nearly fifty year career. This was demonstrated deftly by the album’s lead single, “The Grand Designer”, which in the space of three minutes was a seismic synergy of North African / Middle Eastern melodies, metal shredding, classical violin, Erik Satie piano and Jah Shaka sirens. 

The title track’s slow groove takes a similar melting pot tack, mixing plaintive keys and feedback, but flute-led its mood is far mellower. While most definitely electric, its mediative, spiritual vibe recalling Bim Sherman’s magical acoustic set, “Miracle”. 

Woodwinds, along with reeds also lead the smooth and relaxed “Body Roll”. Its cool combination of beautiful bass-line and fluttering flights of soprano sax like Jah Wobble jamming with Pharoah Sanders. Splashing sound effects, and a little accordion, in the background. 

“The Well Is Poisoned”  – a Brian Eno collaboration – is head-nodding and heavy. It’s echoed, clanking, crashing, skunk-funked, beats, a flashback to trip hop, with each snare hit sending out psychedelic, spring reverb-like sonic spirals. Saxophone skronk and foghorn honk punctuating its thick, smoke-saturated air. Summoning Sherwood’s work with Harry Becket and The Near Jazz Experience. 

A lot of the album is actually kind of “jazzy”. Maybe that’s simply a reflection of the improvisational nature of music created primarily at the mixing board. The leaps and lulls of intuition and feel. Sherwood’s undeniable desk dexterity. The ON U Sound founder though is nothing if not unpredictable, and so there are, of course, several “non-jazzy” outliers, that buck / fuck any attempt to stick the storied producer in a pigeon-hole. There’s the strange, synth-y “Battle Without Honour”, the snarling, wickedly wah-wah-ed “Hiroshima Dub Match”, and the super abstract “The Great Rewilding”, which is all delay drops, spin backs, and stoned to say the least.  

Sherwood has described the album as a soundtrack, and there are plenty of cinematic references and allusions. The sleek, snake-charming, skank of “Dub Inspector“, for example, stirs Bollywood strings in with its massed brass blasts and funky organ flashes, while trodding toward Augustus Pablo’s Far East. The rattle and rock ’n’ roll riffing of “Spirits (Further Education)” could be a score for the same, sleazy, around midnight, Dickensian streets as The Sabres Of Paradise’s “Haunted Dancehall”. The beatless, “Spaghetti Best Western”, with its tremolo twang licks and lonely “Once Upon A Time In The West” harmonica is an explicit homage to Ennio Morricone and the movies of Sergio Leone. 

Adrian Sherwood’s “The Collapse Of Everything” can be ordered directly from On U Sound.

“The Collapse Of Everything” was created with a live show in mind. This will debut in Japan later this year, with 2026 gigs planned for the UK, North America, Europe and Australia. 

‘Dub Sessions 20th Anniversary’ Tour:

19^th November @ EX Theater – Tokyo

20^th November  @ Club Quattro – Nagoya

21^st November @ Gorilla Hall – Osaka