I had to double check, as I couldn't believe that I haven't posted about The Go! Team previously. It's true, this is their first appearance on this blog. I was also surprised to find, on checking my digital collection, that I either haven't uploaded or along the way have lost debut album Thunder, Lightning, Strike. The same fate seems to have befallen follow up, Proof Of Youth, although I do have the bonus disc that came with initial copies of the CD. Apart from that, my playlist is currently limited to contemporary B-sides and remixes purchased from their Bandcamp page earlier this year. Oh, and the only CD single by The Go! Team that I own. But what a corker it is. Here's what I had to say about it in Jukebox Juicebox #11 on my old blog, way back on Saturday 25tb March 2006:
The latest in a long line of
collectives combining a dizzying number of samples with enthusiastic
live vocals and instruments, The Go! Team may be this year's Avalanches
(whatever happened to them?), but they bring a fun and frenetic activity
that's a welcome counter to the static barstool crooning of mainstream
pop acts these days. Culling elements from The Supremes' "Come See
About Me", "I Can't Rest" by Fontella Bass and Davy DMX's "The DMX Will
Rock You", "Ladyflash" is a gloriously upbeat mash up. Originally
released in late 2004, but seems to have made more impact this time
around. Accompanying track "The Wrath Of Mikey" is fun, but the remixes
will fill out this EP are perhaps of greater interest. Kevin Shield's
"Huddle Flash", which combines the lead track with another Go! Team song
"Huddle Formation" is a surprise. I'd been expecting something along
the lines of his previous cacaphonic wall-of-noise reworks. Instead,
this barely tampers with the Go! Team formula and is all the better for
that. Likewise, the "Simian Mobile Disco Mix" removes most of the rapping
and incorporates further electro sounds, but works equally well.
It's difficult to say whether the Go! Team will still be making an
impact, even in two years' time. However, if this their own one-hit
wonder, they could have done a lot worse.
I smile a little when reading those last couple of sentences as, 15 years on, The Go! Team are still very a going concern. Sixth album Get Up Sequences Part One came out in July 2021 on Memphis Industries, the band's record label since 2003. It's perhaps a less frenetic, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink wall of sound these days, replaced with a more organic, band feel and the vocals much more to the fore, but that's really not meant as a criticism. The current album's title is spot on: the urge to get up, bounce around to the music and generally just enjoy the moment is strong. Doing it at 6.00am in the lounge, with a startled cat and family sleeping elsewhere is perhaps not the ideal setting. Especially if you have wired headphones plugged into your PC. The cord is not as long as I thought it is was...
Whilst I assess the physical and emotional damage, here are videos for the 4 tracks on my Ladyflash CD single.
The
Wrath Of Mikey here is a different, live version from Coachella in 2006; the
original single version was reworked and renamed The Wrath Of Marcie for
second album Proof Of Youth.
The 2006 re-release of Ladyflash/Huddle
Formation included further remixes from Hot Chip and RJD2 but neither beat the Kevin Shields or Simian Mobile Disco versions here.
Get Up Sequences Part One was preceded by the single Cookie Scene in July 2020.
Several more singles and videos from the album appeared in 2021, including Pow and A Bee Without Its Sting.
But honestly, just buy the whole album.
It's described on The Go! Team website as "soda fountain soul, a
handclap happening, a drumstick bulletin, a meteor shower in mixed
media". What more do you need?!
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