Haunted Dancehall (remastered) – Warp LP 26 R

Some 21 years after it first landed in stores, Sabres of Paradise’s triumphant sophomore album, Haunted Dancehall, finally returns to wax – this time in crisply remastered form. The trio of Jagz Kooner, Gary Burns and the much-missed Andrew Weatherall were arguably at the peak of their powers during the period it was recorded. Lstening back all these years on you can tell. Effects-laden and frequently off kilter, the set does a terrific job in fusing the trio’s love for all things dub-wise with leftfield electronics, picturesque melodies, funky samples and the murky industrial gunk of 80s post-punk culture. Highlights are plentiful, from the skanking excitement of ‘Wilmot’ and the Blaxploitation heaviness of ‘Theme’, to the tactile bliss of ‘Bubble & Slide II’, the Cabaret Voltaire-esque weirdness of ‘Flight Path Estate’ and the wide-eyed ambient pleasure of ‘Chapel Market 9am’.