Choo Choo Choons

Eight long songs, all emptied from my Bandcamp Friday shopping bag, half and half new releases from 2026 and 'older' songs and remixes.

And by long, I mean long. Strap yourself in for track two, as Ricardo Villalobos and Max Loderbauer take you on an Electric Jazz exploration of Nightmares On Wax's 1990 classic Aftermath for nearly sixteen and a half minutes. And this is the 'short' version; the remix on the A-side is two minutes longer!

I must be especially fond of the Pye Corner Audio remix of Unificado by Lorelle Meets The Obsolete as, when I uploaded the song to my music collection, I belatedly realised that I'd already bought it a couple of years ago....! It's bloody good, though.

As is Fluke's combeck with The Second Bite, which revisited and reworked their back catalogue. Not content with this, they've also released The Second Bite Remixes where a bunch of artists get their hands dirty, including Daniel Avery and Steve Cobby. Justin Robertson returns to Slid, which he first remixed in 1993, and there are others who are completely new to me. Of the latter, Feon aka Fionn Macdiarmid delivers a stunningly good remix of Bullet, which I've included here.

Mermaid Chunky are here for the third consecutive day, with céilí, the opening song of slif slaf slof, a whistle-driven chugger (or should that be chunker?) Did I say that I love this album?

Another welcome returnee to this blog is Dan Wainwright, with a new project called Peace & Dub Soundsystem. Imagine Lee 'Scratch' Perry reading Alan Sillitoe's 1958 novel Saturday Night And Sunday Morning and being inspired to make an album, and you're somewhere close to what Dan's achieved. On paper, Northern grit and Jamaican sunshine shouldn't work, but somehow it does.

Abstrakt Lake and Snapped Ankles were chance purchases, as I don't know much about either, nor The Pyramids Of Phobos aka Simon Bowler, for that matter. Crooked Man aka Richard Barratt is another matter, so I was pretty steady ground. Luckily it turned out that both were sound purchases, and a taster for further listening.

Finishing today's selection is 100 Poems aka Mike Wilson, with End Of The Trail, the final album in his 'Americana' trilogy, following Let The Horse Run Free and Rodeo Disco. I loved the previous entries and this one is just as good. I'm fascinated to hear where Mike goes next but for now I've plenty to keep me going.

And yes, topping the page is a dead-eyed statue of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, standing outside Temple Meads rail station in Bristol, inset in a photo of the Bristol Hippodrome that I ran through a kaleidoscope filter. Nothing goes to waste on this blog, and I will find even the most tenuous link between my mixtape titles and cover images.

Enjoy!

1) Kálvin Tér (The Pyramids Of Phobos Remix By Simon Bowler): Abstrakt Lake (2026)

2) Aftermath (Ricardo Villalobos & Max Loderbauer Electric Jazz Version): Nightmares On Wax (2014)

3) Work To The Bone (Album Version By Dan Wainwright): Peace & Dub Soundsystem (2026)

4) Bullet (Feon Remix By Fionn Macdiarmid): Fluke (2026)

5) céilí (Album Version By Mermaid Chunky & Joe Jones): Mermaid Chunky (2024)

6) Come Play The Trees (Crooked Play) (Remix By Crooked Man aka Richard Barratt): Snapped Ankles (2017)

7) Unificado (Pye Corner Audio Remix By Martin Jenkins): Lorelle Meets The Obsolete (2019)

8) Do You Want To Get To Heaven?: 100 Poems (2026)

2014: Aftermath EP: 2

2017: Come Play The Trees EP: 6

2019: Unificado EP: 7

2024: slif slaf slof: 5

2026: A Drop In The Ocean: 3

2026: End Of The Trail: 8

2026: Hemisy Pantos (The Pyramids Of Phobos Remixes): 1

2026: The Second Bite Remixes: 4

Choo Choo Choons (1:14:22) (GD) (M)

Choons Help You Breathe More Easily

Saturday morning started with a headache in bith the literal and technological sense, so I’m bashing away with my oversized fingers and thumbs on a comparatively small mobile phone screen, which means a relatively short post today. 

And yes, the only A.I. contributing to my blog today is of the Authentically Incompetent variety, i.e. me.

By way of compensation, here’s Mermaid Chunky.

I found artist pals Freya Tate and Moina Moin via a guest spot with Orbury Common, and I’ve been a fan of them ever since.

Mermaid Chunky is also the name of a variety of wool that Freya discovered in Shaws the drapers, in her hometown of Stroud Gloucestershire (yep, nearly neighbours with Clan K, give or take 20 miles)

Their debut album slif slaf slof was released in September 2024, I finally got around to buying it yesterday (Bandcamp Friday) and I’m hoping to catch them performing somewhere in Bristol during the Simple Things festival in November.

Nature Girl is (self) described as a “mucky, trippy dirge filled with stalactites of synth and squelch”. What’s not to like?

Bag o' Choons

As usual, another Bandcamp Friday lands and I'm faced with an overwhelming number of singles, EPs and albums vying for my hard-earned moolah.

In no particular order, the following dozen will be dead certs for the checkout and dominating my playlists over the weekend*

1) Once Around The Block (Cover of Badly Drawn Boy): Ellen Beth Abdi (single)

2) North Sixteen: Jo Bartlett & Neil Haydock (album)

3) Easy EP: Smerz (EP)

4) End Of The Trail: 100 Poems (album)

5) A Drop In The Ocean: Peace & Dub Soundsystem (aka Dan Wainwright) (album)

6) Butt Sex: Mykki Blanco (single)

7) Spellbound (Yves Schopin Remixes): Rae & Christian ft. Veba (single)

8) AngieAngieAngie: spill tab (album)

9) Little to Lovers: HANN (single)

10) Unsteady: Jezebell (single)

11) Ghost Rider Remixes (Cover of Suicide): Blavatsky & Tolley (EP)

12) My Heart Is A Room With No Cameras In It: Victoryland (album)

* I may have said this about the some of these artists and releases in previous posts, but this time I really mean it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shakin' That Ass

The third and final compilation of my nominations for the #90sRumpShaker BlueSky challenge, hosted by @stevenh1974.bsky.social throughout August. If you liked the first two, then you will not be disappointed. If you didn't then, er, you will.

Today's selection opens and closes with my first and last picks, namely Back To Front by Adamski featuring Ricky Lyte (RIP) and remixed by Leftfield, and Tinseltown To The Boogiedown by Scritti Politti featuring Mos Def and Lee Majors (no, not that one), remixed by Psycho Les aka Lester Fernandez from The Beatnuts.

None of the other eight songs fall below the high bar set by these two, whether it's the dancehall grooves of Dawn Penn and Apache Indian to the trance-formative techno of David Holmes and Ashley Beedle's epic remix of Sugar Daddy by Secret Knowledge.

I've even managed to squeeze in Eurovision 1995 hopefuls Love City Groove, whose self-titled song managed a respectable 10th place in the final. The bigger draw for me is that, inexplicably, the commercial single release included an 11-minute remix by none other than Jah Wobble that is worth the sticker price alone.

I'm taking a break from BlueSky challenges in September, but will no doubt dive back in the near future. A few of the artists featured in the past three days should also be due their own moment in the Dubhed selection spotlight, hopefully before the end of 2026.

1) Back To Front (The Rub It Radio Edit By Leftfield): Adamski ft. Ricky Lyte (1992)

2) You Don't Love Me (No, No, No) (Extended Mix By Steely & Clevie): Dawn Penn (1994)

3) Magic (Sasha's Black Magic Mix): Sasha ft. Sam Mollison (1994)

4) Love City Groove (Seek Understanding Beyond Immediate Perception Mix Long Version By Jah Wobble): Love City Groove (1995)

5) Fever Called Love (Hardfloor Radio Edit): Rising High Collective (1994)

6) Toxygene (Album Version): The Orb (1997)

7) Starlovers (Album Version): GusGus (1999)

8) Sugar Daddy (Out Of Our Brains On The 5.15 Mix By Disco Evangelists aka David Holmes & Ashley Beedle) (Single Edit): Secret Knowledge (1993)

9) Real People (Gaudi Remix By Daniele Gaudi): Apache Indian (1997)

10) Tinseltown To The Boogiedown (Psycho Les Variation): Scritti Politti ft. Mos Def & Lee Majors (1999)

#90sRumpShakersVolumeThree (59:37) (GD) (M)

Booty-full

You may be relieved to read that the post title is the one and only reference to Bernard Matthews, as I present my second selection collated from the #90sRumpShaker BlueSky challenge, hosted by @stevenh1974.bsky.social last month.

Ten tracks and (hopefully) not a single turkey amongst them. 

Utah Saints sample Phil Oakey to great effect on Believe In Me, Fortran 5 go one step further and get Neil Arthur in the studio for Persian Blues, whilst The Source resurrect a forgotten Candi Staton vocal for a second time, with similarly epic results. And Soho's appropriation of Johnny Marr's unforgettable guitar effect from How Soon Is Now? is the stuff of legend.

Bentley Rhythm Ace, Global Communication and Roni Size Reprazent brought fresh perspectives to dance music in the late 1990s, whilst respecting the past, and Temple Head by Transglobal Underground was, for me at least, one of the songs that defined the optimism of the (then new) decade, the hope of a better world. 

To close, arguably the most unlikely pairing of the decade, Traci Lords teaming up with Juno Reactor aka Ben Watkins and Johann Bley for music that is a little bit techno, a little bit trance, and never dull.

The third and final volume will be landing tomorrow. Hope to see you there!

1) Believe In Me (12-Inch Mix): Utah Saints (1993)

2) You Got The Love (Now Voyager Mix): The Source ft. Candi Staton (1996)

3) Release The Pressure (Album Version): Leftfield ft. Earl Sixteen & Papa Dee (1995)

4) Bentley's Gonna Sort You Out! (Full Version): Bentley Rhythm Ace (1997)

5) Hippychick (Extended): Soho (1990)

6) Persian Blues (3YE1270 Mix): Fortran 5 ft. Neil Arthur (1993)

7) The Way (Original Mix): Global Communication (1996)

8) Temple Head (Zenana Mix): Transglobal Underground (1991)

9) Share The Fall (Version): Roni Size Reprazent ft. Onallee (1997)

10) Control (Olympic 7" Edit): Traci Lords (1994)

#90sRumpShakersVolumeTwo (1:00:02) (GD) (M)

Excuse Me, Is That A Rump Shaker?

Fresh off the finish line of the #90sRumpShaker BlueSky challenge, hosted by  @stevenh1974.bsky.social, with 31 songs, sorted and (re)sequenced as 3 hour-long selections over the next 3 days.

I'll address the elephant in the room straight away, in case you've been peeking ahead at the tracklisting.

Yes I know that Eye Know by De La Soul was released in 1989....well, at least, I remembered after I'd already posted it on 25th August. However, I will point out that Eye Know was still in the Top 100 UK singles by January 1990, the same month that parent album 3 Feet High And Rising finally went Top 20. 

So, Eye Know gets in on a technicality. Besides, the 12" remix by CJ Mackintosh and Dave Dorrell was too good to leave out.

By 1990, Bananarama lost Siobahn Fahey and gained Jacqui O'Sullivan, and swapped PWL for Boy's Own with a scene-referencing remix of Only Your Love by Terry Farley.

Fluke were on a roll in 1993, their remixes here, there and everywhere, including the one featured here, a magical Magimix of Spooky by New Order.

Everybody was getting in on the remix act, including Annie Lennox, whose chart-friendly hit Little Bird was taken out, consumed copious amounts of booze and drugs, and found itself raving in a field at 3:00am to the sounds of N-Joi.

Even The Fall were not immune. My 10" single of 1998 single Masquerade contains not only a PWL remix but a makeover by Mr. Natural aka Aaron Gilbert that's a fair approximation of The Chemical Brothers.

And there's plenty more where that came from! See you tomorrow.

1) Eye Know (The Know It All Mix): De La Soul (1989)

2) Bodyrock (Single Remix): Moby ft. Nikki D (1999)

3) Everybody Dance (Chic Inspirational Mix) (Cover of Chic): Evolution ft. Yvonne Shelton (1993)

4) Only Your Love (A Tribute To Barry Mooncult Mix): Bananarama (1990)

5) Little Bird (N-Joi Version): Annie Lennox (1993)

6) Fall From Grace (Free Me) (Remix By Eskimos & Egypt & Pro-Gress): Eskimos & Egypt ft. Diane Charlemagne (1992)

7) Spooky (Magimix By Fluke): New Order (1993)

8) Moves Like You (Album Version): Cath Carroll (1991)

9) Flavor (Part 2) (Reorganized, Repeated, Destroyed & Simonized By Beck, Mario Caldato Jr. & Mike D.): The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (1995)

10) Masquerade (Mr. Natural Mix): The Fall (1998)

11) Rude Boy Rock (Album Version): Lionrock (1998)

#90sRumpShakersVolumeOne (1:02:40) (GD) (M)

#HappyMusicVolumeTwo

This second #HappyMusic selection, gathering 15 songs I picked for Griff's music challenge on BlueSky, ending today. If you missed yesterday's post, songs were eligible if they:

-- make you happy

-- include the word "happy"

-- contain any variation of "happy" in the title, lyrics or band name

-- feature a synonym of "happy"

-- remind you of happiness

As with yesterday's selection, today's featured songs - with the exception of the closer - are not in the order that I posted them, as I was making it up as I went along. I'm pretty happy with how the two mixtapes worked out.

Today's selection gets off to a cracking start with The Icicle Works (my pick on 10th August),  and embracing The Doors, Scritti Politti, The Raveonettes, The Undertones, Madness, Confidence Man, U-Roy, Donovan and a fab cover version by The Siddeleys.

Pussycat by Mulu provided the inspiration for the album artwork for the two volumes, whilst the super final song by Al MacKenzie - one half of D:Ream - has the perfect lyrical sentiment:

"You only get one chance at life, try not to fuck it up"

I can certainly get with that.

September beckons tomorrow. What challenge will the month bring?

1) All The Daughters (Of Her Father's House) (Long Version): The Icicle Works (1985)

2) That Great Love Sound (Album Version): The Raveonettes (2003)

3) Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) (Cover of Edison Lighthouse): The Siddeleys (1990)

4) It's Going To Happen! (Album Version): The Undertones (1981)

5) Jump For Joy: U-Roy (1976)

6) Mellow Yellow: Donovan (1967)

7) Francisca (Album Version): Espiritu (1992)

8) Up, Up And Away (Happy Sexy Mix By Danny Rampling): The Beloved (1990)

9) Pussycat (François Kevorkian Mix Edit): Mulu (1997)

10) Touch Me (Album Version): The Doors (1969)

11) Wings Of A Dove (Single Version): Madness (1983)

12) Holiday (Album Version): Confidence Man (2021)

13) Boom! There She Was (Album Version): Scritti Politti ft. Roger Troutman (1988)

14) The Crunch (Part 1) (Album Version): RAH Band (1977)

15) Life Is Short, Live It Well (Vocal Mix): Al MacKenzie (2026)

1967: Mellow Yellow: 6

1969: The Soft Parade: 10

1978: The Crunch & Beyond: 14

1981: Positive Touch: 4

1983: Wings Of A Dove EP: 11

1985: All The Daughters (Of Her Father's House) EP: 1

1988: Provision: 13

1990: Alvin Lives (In Leeds): Anti Poll Tax Trax: 3

1990: Blissed Out: 8

1995: Always...: 7

1997: Pussycat EP: 9

2003: Chain Gang Of Love: 2

2005: U-Roy Meets King Tubbys: 5

2021: Tilt: 12

2026: Evil Acid Barons: 15

#HappyMusicVolumeOne (1:03:23) (GD) (M)

#HappyMusicVolumeOne

#HappyMusic is one of two BlueSky music challenges I've been taking part in August, this one set by Griff, with a inclusive brief to post any music that:

-- makes you happy

-- includes the word "happy"

-- contains any variation of "happy" in the title, lyrics or band name

-- features a synonym of "happy"

-- reminds you of happiness

I started with a song by bdrmm and have been pretty much making it up as I go along ever since. I have tomorrow's final contribution picked and ready to go, so it seems as good as time as any to post my selections here over the next two days.

Goodness knows we could all do with a bit of happy right now!

Rather than create selections in the order I posted them, I've compiled two hour-long mixtapes, pulling my picks from here, there and everywhere to create what I think is a better "in one go" listening experience.

Volume One starts with the wonderful Groovy Feeling by Fluke (posted on 4th August) and ends with The Statue Got Me High by They Might Be Giants (posted on 15th August). Along the way, you get Olivia Newton-John & Electric Light Orchestra, Teenage Fanclub, Chic, Wreckless Eric, bdrmm, The Peanut Butter Conspiracy, Dream Warriors, Nelly Furtado, Julian Cope and many more.

Be here tomorrow for some Bank Holiday happiness!

1) Groovy Feeling (Make Mine A 99): Fluke (1993)

2) Xanadu (Single Version): Olivia Newton-John & Electric Light Orchestra (1980)

3) Do You Love Me Like You Say? (Album Version): Terence Trent D'Arby (1993)

4) Miss Modular (Single Version): Stereolab (1997)

5) Bon Bon Bon (Album Version): Vanessa Contenay-Quiñones (2008)

6) Belt: Teenage Fanclub (1993)

7) The Greatness And Perfection Of Love (Remixed Version): Julian Cope (1984)

8) Happy (International Teachers Of Pop De-Mix): bdrmm (2020)

9) Good Times (Edit By Khayem): Chic (1979)

10) Wash Your Face In My Sink (Original Mix): Dream Warriors (1990)

11) Whole Wide World (Album Version): Wreckless Eric (1977)

12) Steve: Billy Reeves (2024)

13) Vitamin D: Psychederek (2023)

14) It's A Happening Thing: The Peanut Butter Conspiracy (1967)

15) I'm Like A Bird (Album Version): Nelly Furtado (2000)

16) The Statue Got Me High (Album Version): They Might Be Giants (1992)

1967: The Peanut Butter Conspiracy Is Spreading: 14

1977: Wreckless Eric: 11

1979: Good Times EP: 9

1980: Xanadu EP: 2

1984: The Greatness And Perfection Of Love EP: 7

1990: Wash Your Face In My Sink EP: 10

1992: Apollo 18: 16

1993: Six Wheels On My Wagon: 1

1993: Terence Trent D'Arby's Symphony Or Damn: 3

1993: Volume Seven: 6

1997: Miss Modular EP: 4

2000: Whoa, Nelly!: 15

2010: Allez Pop!: 5

2020: Happy EP: 8

2023: Vitamin D / Oven Ready EP: 13

2024: Steve (A Weekend In Egham, 1996): 12

#HappyMusicVolumeOne (59:11) (GD) (M)

Four Hundred And Seventy Times Six

A six song selection for Saturday, some strange bedfellows, but all committed to the groove.

Fortran 5 were formed from the ashes of I Start Counting, record label Mute perhaps hoping for a smidge of commercial success, given the proliferation of sample-heavy dance music in the popular charts. 

It didn't happen, and Fortran 5 remain an under appreciated gemstone compared to the diamond brightness of Orbital or The Prodigy. Crazy Earth was Fortran 5's debut single, one of many songs inspired by Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, specifically The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn. The sample here is from The Gnome. Isn't it good?

The Men was an experiment by The Human League Mk. I, aka Philip Oakey, Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh, to see if they could have a hit single. The disco-inspired 7" single I Don't Depend On You featured Phil backed by Katie Kissoon and Lisa Strike, wasn't heavily promoted and failed to dent the charts, but remains an ear-pleasing curio. 

In 2011, gkugno from Italy addressed the three-decade lack of a 12" version of I Don't Depend On You by creating an edit from the A-side and instrumental B-side aka Cruel, then posting it on YouTube. I think he did a pretty good job.

The mysterious mind behind MATDMixes has a similar M.O. What is less of a mystery is who their favourite artist is, as the YouTube page is dedicated to re-edits and remixes of music by Marina Diamandis aka Marina & The Diamonds aka Marina. 

I've featured their 2020 extended mix of Living Dead in a Marina-themed Dubhed selection, but it stands just as well in this mixed crowd. I'd recommend checking out the many, many MATDMixes available online.

Circuit, Lap 2 is the sole EP in my collection by Paris-based David Rubato, though he only seems to have released a handful of singles in the late Noughties and these days practices as a music teacher.

Circuit, Lap 2 is a companion piece to 2008 single Circuit, this one containing remixes by DJ Mehdi, Steve Moore, Siriusimo and - featured here - Aeroplane.

Personal Jesus has become one of Depeche Mode's best known songs. Even back in 1989, it marked a change of direction for the Basildon boys, and a precursor to their global smash album Violator.

François Kevorkian was their go-to for remixes at this point in time and as Depeche Mode singles came in two 12" vinyl varieties by default, there were multiple FK versions of this song, including the Holier Than Thou Approach and Telephone Stomp Mix. I've gone for the Pump Mix on the limited edition remix 12", the longest of the three and stretching out that pulsing electronic groove and dropping in a TV evangelist sample here and there. Great stuff.

Betty Boo may be an unexpected choice to close this selection. However - and with apologies to the fabulous Alison Clarkson - this remix by David Morales doesn't feature her voice at all....

Catch Me was a single from second album Grrr! It's Betty Boo in 1992, which couldn't match the chart success of her debut, but was a decent attempt to expand her songwriting and performance. Happily, albums #3 and #4 arrived thirty years later and the world is a brighter place for having Betty Boo back in it.

I will endeavour to keep the happiness going tomorrow....

1) Crazy Earth (Full Greenhouse Effect Mix By Edson Arantes Di Nascimento): Fortran 5 (1990)

2) I Don't Depend On You (Extended Re-Edited Version By gkugno): The Men (2011)

3) Living Dead (Extended Mix By MATDMixes): Marina & The Diamonds (2020)

4) Circuit (Aeroplane Remix By Stephen Fasano & Vito De Luca): David Rubato (2008)

5) Personal Jesus (Pump Mix By François Kevorkian): Depeche Mode (1989)

6) Catch Me (Def Version By David Morales): Betty Boo (1992)

1989: Personal Jesus EP: 5

1990: Crazy Earth EP: 1

1992: Catch Me EP: 6

2008: Circuit, Lap Two EP: 4

2011: I Don't Depend On You EP: 2

2020: Living Dead EP: 3

Four Hundred And Seventy Times Six (46:39) (GD) (M)

Loosen Up And Jump Right In

I loved Friendly Fires' debut album in 2008, kind of missed their follow up Pala in 2011 and was completely oblivious to their third album Inflorescent in 2019. To be honest, in 2026 I thought that Friendly Fires were no longer a going concern.

So, the arrival on Wednesday of new single Lose All Your Friends was as unexpected as it was welcome. 

Co-founder Jack Savidge has departed, leaving Ed Macfarlane and Edd Gibson to continue, but this is a promising return. Rather than recreating their original sound from 2008, they've arguably gone back another twenty years, with a sound that's reminiscent of the sunset / Balearic / comedown sounds of 1988.

If you like the 3:48 video version, you buy the full 5 minute single version from Bandcamp for the bargain price of 80p, or go for the usual streaming/download suspects.

I'm also going to track down Pala and Inflorescent, and reacquaint myself with their self-titled debut. The latter got off to a rousing start with this single, which I misheard as "Jump In The Poo" and have been stuck with ever since...