Ruts DC & The Mad Professor.
It is nearly impossible to underestimate the influence that punk-reggae-dub held over music in the early '80s. Whether you consider the revolutionary rhetoric of Bob Marley, the political assault of the Clash, or even the first germination of hip-hop. The early '80s experienced one of history's most unprecedented exchanges of musical ideas, spanning the beaches of Jamaica, the cold streets of England, and the urban blight/scenester mecca of uptown/downtown New York City. By 1982, things looked grim. Punk was dead, as was Bob Marley. The closest fusion of the two that could be found was in the downbeat of the Police. Also dead was Ruts singer Robert Owen. It was under these conditions that the remainingRuts members -- John Segs, Paul Fox and David Ruffy -- joined with up-and-coming U.K. dub producer Neil "Mad Professor" Fraser, who had just finished work on his soon to be legendary Ariwa studio. Disc one of this collection captures the results of said meeting.