Deadline was one of many shifting ensembles organized and loosely led by bassist/producer Bill Laswell. This group produced two albums, of which Down by Law is the first, and which features contributions from bassists Jonas Hellborg and Jaco Pastorius, keyboardist Bernie Worrell, saxophonist Manu Dibango, synthesist/percussionist Phillip Wilson, and others. The sound is a crazy quilt of hip hop, Afrobeat, dub, and industrial music, with all kinds of other unidentifiable elements thrown in. What sounds on the surface like sonic chaos eventually reveals itself to be carefully constructed and thoroughly fascinating.