After 40 years, Creation Rebel is back. The On-U Sound pioneers have been missed. Their dense, yet soulful sound made the label of Adrian Sherwood one worth following intently. Their 2023 release is called Hostile Environment but the grooves inside are anything but hostile to listeners.
Opener "Swiftly" skanks in using a sample of the late Prince Far I, while "That's More Like It" creaks and throbs with promise. Crucial Tony, Eskimo Fox, and Magoo conjure up old-time grooves here, but the sound is modern, of course. The rush of "Jubilee Clock" is bright and fierce, while "Salutation Gardens" veers into the direction of the heaviness of previous Creation Rebel releases from the early Eighties. The straightforward "Whatever It Takes" uses vocals from Denise Sherwood to add heart to the winning number.
The sound of Hostile Environment is somehow brighter and clearer than old Creation Rebel records. That said, the layers of beats and rhythms are still here, and the dubby goodness still the same. If this vibe is less claustrophobic than those old albums, it's also just as spiritually aware, just as cosmically oriented. Clearly exemplary of the On-U Sound sound, Hostile Environment is the best new thing this label's released in ages, and certainly a wonderful return to form for the legendary Creation Rebel.
[Photo: Creation Rebel Bandcamp]