Asian Dub Foundation

Brighton Dome Concert Hall, Church Street, Tuesday, October 27

WITH their live soundtrack to The Battle For Algiers, which premiered at Brighton Dome in 2004, Asian Dub Foundation looked to a past war which resonated with the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It was the follow-up to their 2001 live soundtrack of La Haine which captured the gritty realism of life in the French suburbs and the violence which would be repeated across London in 2011.

Now the band is scoring a dystopian future, courtesy of George Lucas’s THX 1138 – the story of a world policed by android cops where the populace is controlled by emotion-suppressing drugs.

“There have always been references to Orwellian dark futures in our tracks,” says guitarist Steve Savale, who as well as being a lover of the dystopian novels of George Orwell and Philip K Dick has long been a fan of Lucas’s cinematic debut.

“When you’re choosing films to soundtrack you have to be very careful if you’re putting a big loud band in the middle of them. Only certain films will wear that.

“I remembered it was a film with a bit of space in it, without too much dialogue. The soundtrack it does have is very dissonant and rarely melodic – it’s quite experimental.”

In creating their version Savale says the band sampled some of the original score by soundtrack legend Lalo Schifrin and sound design by editor Walter Murch.

“Schifrin has been one of my heroes since I was a kid,” says Savale. “I couldn’t believe it when we got his blessing.”

This is the first time Asian Dub Foundation has soundtracked something in English – with both French language films La Haine and The Battle Of Algiers allowing the audience to read subtitles at the same time as listening to the music.

“The main problem is trying to make space to ensure people can follow the story,” says Savale.

“There’s not much of a script – it’s sometimes difficult to hear dialogue without the music. It’s a very immersive experience.

“We do deliberately step in and overwhelm the film on a couple of occasions – when it works it’s justified.

“This is probably the most experimental thing we have ever done – it still sounds like ADF, but a very futuristic cyber ADF.”

Working in tandem with a film is almost like having a musical director or conductor controlling the band.

“When something doesn’t work it’s really obvious,” he says. “When it does work it’s a great feeling – it knocks you sideways.”

A major component of Asian Dub Foundation’s new score is the contribution of flute-player Nathan ‘Flutebox’ Lee who joined the band two-and-a-half years ago.

“It’s a very human and very expressive instrument,” says Savale. “It offsets some of the more aggressive and brutal side of ADF.

“There is this beautiful, melodic thing going on – although it can be just as aggressive as any other instrument – and its frequency means it never gets in the way.

“On the original THX 1138 soundtrack the sole melodic instrument is a flute in three or four of the scenes. It has this representational power on the soundtrack, so it made perfect sense to use it.”

When Asian Dub Foundation revived their 2001 soundtrack to La Haine for a site specific performance at London’s notorious Broadwater Estate it led to a reunion with past members bassist Dr Das and vocalist Ghetto Priest.

It has led to what the band describes as their strongest line-up yet, which initially came together in the studio to record the Japanese-released album The Signal And The Noise.

Having toured the album, the band revisited it earlier this year with Adrian Sherwood behind the controls and re-recorded a live version in just three days called More Signal More Noise.

“Some of the fans find the Japanese album more dubby and chilled out,” says Savale. “The live band is tougher. I would like to record THX 1138 in the same way.”

As for the future the band currently is touring in four different set-ups – as a straight band, doing live soundtracks for La Haine and THX 1138, and also as a sound system.

“I’m looking for new ways of doing live performance,” says Savale pointing to the fact the band has previously scored an opera, Gaddafi: A Living Myth at London Coliseum in 2006, with director Peter Sellars.

“It was an interesting experience. I’ve got a couple of ideas for a powerful tough live performance in different mediums.

“We built our reputation on our live playing – the vibe I get off playing live is so strong and powerful I’m trying to turn it into other things. I’m always struggling to get that same feeling.”

Starts 8pm, tickets from £17.50. Call 01273 709709.