Country: Guyana
Mad Professor (born Neil Joseph Stephen Fraser on 27 March 1955 in Georgetown, Guyana) is a British dub music producer, engineer, and remixer renowned for his innovative work in reggae and dub. He moved to London at age 13, earning his nickname “Mad Professor” due to his fascination with electronics. Beginning as a service technician, Fraser gradually acquired recording and mixing equipment, eventually founding Ariwa Sounds in 1979—a four-track home studio that later expanded to become one of the largest black-owned studio complexes in the UK. Mad Professor’s early work focused on recording lovers rock bands and vocalists for his label, including the debut of Deborahe Glasgow. His Dub Me Crazy series, beginning in the early 1980s, gained the support of BBC DJ John Peel and brought Fraser recognition beyond reggae circles. By the mid-1980s, his studio attracted top Jamaican artists like Bob Andy, Macka B, and Sandra Cross. He also collaborated with Lee “Scratch” Perry in 1983 on projects including the album Mystic Warrior (1989), cementing his reputation as a pioneer in modern dub music. Throughout his career, Mad Professor has worked with a wide range of artists, both within and outside reggae, including Sly and Robbie, Pato Banton, Jah Shaka, Horace Andy, Sade, Massive Attack, Grace Jones, and Perry Farrell. His discography includes 12 installments of Dub Me Crazy and five Black Liberation Dub albums, along with numerous collaborations and remixes, showcasing his innovative approach to mixing, effects, and cross-genre experimentation.
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