Solar Activity 1979-2001

Memories of the Suns of Arqa are fond indeed, mostly stemming from long summer days and nights spent in a field somewhere listening to their mighty global dub sounds. Such a good feeling, however, fails to transport itself to a draughty Dublin office on an early spring morning.

The long list of collaborators on this compilation is certainly impressive, including names such as Youth, Zion Train, John Leckie, The Orb and Prince Far-I, but the music spread across the two CDs amounts to nothing more than washed -out hippie tosh.

The ideas are fine but something has been lost in the transition to the studio and while Suns of Arqa may lay justifiable claim to a sound that many, Afro Celt Sound System included, have adopted to great success, they seem doomed never to emerge from the shade.