Desa Sound: Listening Session with Mad Professor

A leading figure in dub, Mad Professor — born Neil Fraser — began building electronic equipment in the 1970s before evolving into crafting mixing desks and sound effect units. In 1979, he opened his self-built Ariwa Studios, quickly attracting a wide range of artists and producing major reggae hits throughout the 1980s, including Country Living, True Born African, and Black Pride. His impact on the genre earned him the Best Reggae Producer award for seven consecutive years.

Beyond reggae, he collaborated with mainstream acts such as Massive Attack, The Orb, Sade, Jamiroquai, and Rancid, pioneering the Live Electronic Dub Show and becoming the first engineer to mix live from the stage. Under his leadership, Ariwa Studios grew into a state-of-the-art, multi-room facility, and Ariwa Records became one of the UK’s most successful Black-owned labels, with a catalogue of over 300 releases spanning vinyl, CD, and digital formats.