AS THE Mad Professor celebrates the silver jubilee of his London-based Ariwa Sounds studio and label, this timely collection rounds up some of his best known in-house productions.

From the early days there's the dark and glorious Kunte Kinte Dub from Aquizim (Horace Andy's version is also included) and Pleasures of the Dance by vastly under-rated London post-punk outfit Ruts DC. Although born of very different stock, both tracks capture the Professor's special spacial awareness as he explores his dub frame without losing sight of the melody. Slightly later cuts like Sandra Cross' oh-so sweet Country Living find him equally at home in lover's rock; while John McLean's If I Gave My Heart is an unsung pop gem.

But much of the mainstream interest in this fascinating set comes from tracks by the likes of Jane's Addiction front man Perry Farrell (the enigmatic King Z), Jamiroquai (Drifting Dub), Massive Attack (their boombastic Sly) and The Orb (whose Towers of Dub firmly linked rave and reggae culture). There's also a riveting meeting of tutor and pupil as the Professor turns to his former mentor Lee Perry on Mad Man Dubwise.

Nick Churchill