Description
Early 80s, WFMU DJ Vanilla Bean, sometime mgr of the On-U Sound System turned me onto the radical On-U sound, carrying this magic with me ever since. Engaged trax with a wicked beat & subversive noise pushing the limits of pop. & a key key was Keith Leblanc, the only white guy @ Sugar Hill as he noted. In 1980, Leblanc’s beats were on more turntables than any other in the world. & yet he & On-U have remained an unjustified best-kept secret, never really catching on in the US, which is probably some kind of backhanded compliment as their heavy beats & grooves are less entertainment & more conscientious uplifing. Alas, the original On-U ranks continue to vacate the premises: Keith Leblanc, Mark Stewart, Keith Levene, Lee Perry, Andy Fairley, Bim Sherman, Ari Up, Prince Far I & more. & old dj-friend, Vanilla Bean. Saw one of the greatest concerts of On-U + Sugar Hill @ NYC Cat Club 1986 [?].
