No Smoke

𝙉𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙉𝙤 𝙎𝙢𝙤𝙠𝙚’𝙨 𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙠𝙖𝙡 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙫𝙞𝙗𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝟭𝟵𝟵𝟬 - 𝙇𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙉𝙔𝘾 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚, 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝘽𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙡 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙎𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙝 & 𝙈𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙤𝙔𝙤 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙚𝙧𝙖.

No Smoke was an early alias for UK legend Tony Thorpe (Moody Boyz) and his production partner Fred McPablo. They realised ‘International Smoke Signals’ in 1990 as a deep answer to the frivolities of the Acid House phenomena, offering a style that was much more connected to Black Atlantic culture - dub, soul and Afro-Latin rhythm - than the vast majority of cod-spiritual squashiness and rote party music that exploded into circulation from ’87 onwards.

The album is perhaps best known for its opener, ‘Koro Koro’ a classic blueprint for breaks-driven tribal house that would be licensed by Profile in the US and later appear on Warp compilations. But the rest of the album is also ace and worthy of closer attention, ranging from the UK-styled deep tribal house of ‘East of Eden’ featuring vocals by Jah Tekla, thru to the mesmerising chants and NYC suss of ‘O.A.U. In Music’, onto the deep acid electro rub of the LP’s title cut, featuring sax by Manu Dibango and additional production from Soul II Soul’s Jazzy B, and the AGCG/808 State nod in ‘Oh Yes (Freedom)’.

Vibes for eons.