Sunday 6 March 2022

When There's Nothing Left To Hold

The Aloof line-up now reads like a electronica/dance music super group: Jagz Kooner & Gary Burns (The Sabres Of Paradise), Richard Thair (Red Snapper) and Dean Thatcher (DJ & co-founder of legendary club night Flying) teamed up with singer Ricky Barrow to produce some wonderful and unique music across four albums and numerous singles during the 1990s.

None of their albums troubled the UK charts, but The Aloof did (just) make the Top 30 with their single One Night Stand at the tail end of 1996. I've not included the song here as it was so good, the album and remixes by the likes of Primal Scream, Baby Fox and Ashley Beedle (a 13-minute samba epic) inevitably appeared on numerous mixtapes and will a showcase in the future. The Aloof obviously agreed as the song appeared twice on their second album Sinking, an instrumental reprise, re-titled The Last Stand, closing the record. BBC Radio 1 chose the latter as a backdrop to the death of Princess Diana on 31st August 1997, playing  the song every thirty minutes for several hours. I assume the programmer was either ignorant or acutely aware of the song's original title...
 
During the 1990s, as noted at the top, all of the members were actively involved in other musical projects, DJing and production duties. By the 21st century, The Aloof were no more. 

Final album, 1999's This Constant Chase For Thrills, didn't get the recognition or commercial success that it deserved, though opening track So Good was featured on the US remake of the Queer As Folk TV series. 
 
The good news is that the album has been picked by Acid Jazz and is being reissued on vinyl and digital formats on 29th April 2022. You can pre-order on Bandcamp or via the usual outlets. An online search for their previous albums is also recommended.
 
Today's selection features tracks from each of the four albums; Favelas wasn't originally on 1994 debut album Cover The Crime, but this version was included as the opener/bonus track on a resequenced reissue in 1995. All of the single remixes included here are by The Aloof. 
 
1) Alone (1998)
2) Purity (Full Vocal Mix) (1992)
3) Favelas (Sambòdromo Mix) (1995)
4) Infatuated (Album Version) (ft. Jo Sims) (1999)
5) Hot Knives At Lunchtime (1996)
6) On A Mission (Livingstone Mix) (1992)
7) What I Miss The Most (Album Version) (1998)

1992: On A Mission EP: 6
1992: Purity EP: 2 
1995: Favelas EP / Cover The Crime: 3
1996: Sinking: 5
1998: Seeking Pleasure: 1, 7
1999: This Constant Chase For Thrills: 4
 

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