Decayed V: 2009

Side 2 of an imaginary time travel tape, taking in the 2000s and terminating today.

Wow, how did I get here so quickly? The past five weekends have been a bit of a blur which ironically is how the whole of the Noughties feels in retrospect. 

2009 saw me at the end of my thirties, married, a home owner, a dad and ending the year leaving the job I'd been doing for the past eleven years. I was the same person, but so much had changed. 

My passion for music was undimmed but i realise with some regret that I went to zero, zilch, no gigs whatsoever in 2009. At least half of the artists featured in today's selection performed in Bristol during 2009 and I missed every single one of them. There was definitely a work/life imbalance that year...!

Lots of great music to listen to, though, whether it was beats, guitars, retro or refreshing sounds I was after. This is reflected in my dozen picks for 2009, spanning comeback kings The Prodigy to new artists like La Roux and Little Boots. 

Again, UK chart placings have been unexpected; Bulletproof by La Roux and Walking On A Dream by Empire Of The Sun both seemed to me to be everywhere that screened or played music. Yet, whilst the former scored a #1, the latter peaked at #64. 

It was no surprise that Bonkers by Dizzee Rascal and Armand Van Helden got to #1, but where's the justice in Method Of Modern Love by Saint Etienne and produced by Richard X, only getting to #56? Sacre bleu!

And whilst it's great that Noisettes reached #2 with Don't Upset The `Rhythm, how come that Zero by Yeah Yeah Yeahs scraped into the Top 50 at #49? It's a mad world, as Curt Smith once sang.

This Rhythm by Filthy Dukes was a grower and I really enjoyed their album Nonsense In The Dark. Au Revoir Simone came to my notice when they guested on the song Paris by Friendly Fires a couple of years before, leading me to their album Still Night, Still Light. 

Dominos by The Big Pink delivered a heavy percussion that evoked the spirit of the 1980s, although I've always assumed that their name was inspired by The Band's 1968 album. And for me, Editors were like Simple Minds fronted by Ian Curtis, another mash-up of 1980s influences that worked brilliantly.

So, as end of decades often seem to, 2009 wasn't unusual in that there was a fairly even mix of looking forward and reaching back. The 2010s were waiting for us, whether we were ready or not...

Thanks for sticking with me these past few weeks, I've had a lot of fun creating this series. I hope the selections have either reminded you that there were some really good songs or introduced you to music and artists that you may have missed first time around.

I've provided links for each year and each series below, covering the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, so there are 31 selections and 370 songs to enjoy for the rest of December.

Today is also a landmark in that, incredibly, the Dubhed blog celebrates it's 5th birthday. 

I never thought I'd be writing those words! 

When I uploaded my first blog post on Monday 7th December 2020, I remarked that "[as] I rapidly approach five decades of clinging to this crazy, spinning planet, it seemed like a good time to start a blog."

Five years, 1,703 posts and over 800 Dubhed 'mixtape' selections later, I'm enjoying it even more than I did when I started. 

Doing this "just for fun" has achieved that, but so much more. I've connected with so many wonderful people as a result, including artists and fellow bloggers, who continue to be a constant inspiration. 

I've also managed to see unforgettable gigs, my vinyl record collection has started growing again, and I still get a thrill when I hear new music. 

There'll be some reflective posts over the coming weeks, as it's also that time to remember what has made 2025 so good - musically, at least, it's been a shitshow in many other respects. And I've a backlog of gig reviews to post.

Thanks to you all for stopping by here, whether it's your first time or a regular stop. Your comments mean a lot and whilst I try and often fail to respond to each one individually, I do read and value every single one. Thank you!

Now, let's see how far I can take this thing...!

1) Bonkers (Radio Edit): Dizzee Rascal & Armand Van Helden

2) Omen (Album Version): The Prodigy

3) This Rhythm (Radio Edit): Filthy Dukes ft. Samuel Dust

4) Don't Upset The Rhythm (Album Version): Noisettes

5) Remedy (Buffetlibre vs. Sidechains Remix By Alex Ferrer): Little Boots

6) Method Of Modern Love (Single Version): Saint Etienne

7) Bulletproof (Album Version): La Roux

8) Walking On A Dream (Album Version): Empire Of The Sun

9) Shadows (Album Version): Au Revoir Simone

10) Dominos (Album Version): The Big Pink

11) Papillon (Album Version): Editors

12) Zero (Album Version): Yeah Yeah Yeahs

15th February 2009: Method Of Modern Love EP (#56): 6

22nd February 2009: Invaders Must Die (#4): 2

1st March 2009: Walking On A Dream (#64): 8

15th March 2009: Nonsense In The Dark (#39): 3

29th March 2009: Wild Young Hearts (#2): 4 

19th April 2009: It's Blitz! (#49): 12 

24th May 2009: Still Night, Still Light (#71): 9 

28th June 2009: La Roux (#1): 7 

23rd August 2009: Hands (#6): 5

24th September 2009: Tongue N'Cheek (#1): 1

18th October 2009: In This Light And On This Evening (#23): 11

25th October 2009: A Brief History Of Love (#27): 10 

Side Two (46:39) (GD) (M)

If you've missed any of the previous posts in the Decayed series, you can jump straight to them here

Prelude   2000   2001   2002   2003   2004   2005   2006   2007   2008

And here are all ten Decadance posts

1990   1991   1992   1993   1994   1995   1996   1997   1998  1999

Finally, Decade, the mistapes that I recorded in 1990 that started this whole thing off

1980   1981   1982   1983   1984   1985   1986   1987   1988  1989

The Perception Of The Movement Of One's Own Body

Side 2 of a mixtape entitled Kinesthesia, originally compiled in 1998 for my brother and sister-in-law and re-recorded for my own collection on 13th and 14th May 1999.

Whereas Side 1 was a straight reproduction of the track listing, for some long-forgotten reason I decided to tweak Side 2, swapping a remix of the opening track by Radiohead for the album version and replacing Saint Etienne for Mulu. 

 

Guitars at the forefront of this selection, even with the remixes, Massive Attack roughing up Manic Street Preachers, Rosetta Stone adding a touch of Goth to Mulu and Sub Sub on the cusp of throwing off their club clothes and dressing up as Doves, with assistance from Tricky. 

 

A few beat-heavy classic tracks from Armand Van Helden, Djum Djum and Leftfield and Fatboy Slim's tribute to former Beats International colleague Lindy Layton to add some spice to the mix. Pulp go full on sonic assault with Party Hard whilst Bran Van 3000 up the ante with an escalating, squalling closer, proving they could have been more than one-hit wonders.

1) Planet Telex (Album Version): Radiohead (1995)

2) If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next (Massive Attack Remix): Manic Street Preachers (1996)

3) Daaboodaa Munks: Armand Van Helden (1997)

4) Difference (Steng Mix By Djum Djum, Leftfield & Mat Clark) (Edit): Djum Djum (1990)

5) Pussycat (Rosetta Stone Mix By Porl King & Karl North): Mulu (1997)

6) Song For Lindy: Fatboy Slim (1996)

7) Smoking Beagles: Sub Sub ft. Tricky (1996)

8) Reflection: Massive Attack (1998)

9) Party Hard (Album Version): Pulp (1998)

10) Forest (Album Remix): Bran Van 3000 (1998)

1995: The Bends: 1

1996: Better Living Through Chemistry: 6

1996: If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next EP: 2

1996: [Progressive House Classics]: 4

1996: Smoking Beagles EP by Sub Sub / Tricky Kid EP by Tricky: 7

1997: Pussycat EP: 5

1997: Sampleslaya: Enter The Meatmarket: 3

1998: Glee (UK Edition): 10

1998: Inertia Creeps EP: 8

1998: This Is Hardcore: 9

Side Two (46:52) (Box) (Mega)

Side One here

Far Too Much Trouble And Not Enough Time!

Side 1 of a mixtape, originally compiled 8th February 1997 and liberated during lockdown in 2021.

 

As mentioned when I posted Side 2 in July last year, this is possibly the closest I got to a "Now That's What I Call Dance Music" hits compilation, with all of the songs (bar two songs) enjoying success in the UK singles chart.

 

Insomnia by Faithless has troubled the charts multiple times: #27 in December 1995, it's highest placing of #3 in October 1996 and a return at #17 in September 2005. Further remixes and reissues, including a trademark rework by Avicii in 2015, have been less successful commercially speaking, but nothing detracts from the sheer majesty of the song. The album version is essentially a re-edit of the Moody Mix. To get around the cross-fade from the previous track and to align the running time with Side 2's duration, I've spliced the introduction from the single version of the Moody Mix, so you get a slightly extended take on the original mixtape opener.

 

Tori Amos had dabbled with remixes before - I've previously enthused about the epic remix of 1994 single God by The Joy - but it was another radical remix that finally got her to the UK #1 spot in January 1997, this time courtesy of Armand Van Helden. The garage overhaul of Professional Widow actually appeared first as a double A-side with the more characteristic Hey Jupiter, managing a first week peak of #20 in August 1996, before drifting down the charts. However, the growing popularity of the Van Helden remix was enough to convince label EastWest to re-release it in its own right, with additional (good, but not as good) remixes by Mr. Roy. History was made.

Likewise, Common People was the song that broke Pulp, perhaps in more ways than one. Smashing into the singles chart in June 1995, it spent the first 2 weeks at #2 and 10 weeks in the Top 40. Follow up double A-single, Mis-shapes/Sorted For E's & Wizz, achieved a similar first 2 weeks at #2 in October 1995, no doubt bolstered by the controversy surrounding the latter track and "drug wrap instructions" sleeve. By "controversy", I mean the Daily Mirror getting into a ill-informed media frenzy, but that's for another post. This follow up single also included a couple of remixes of Common People for good measure, including the Motiv8 Club Mix featured here. An odd one, in that it didn't seem particularly loved by my indie- or club-centred friends, who preferred the original version if at all. It sounds dated now, but I still like it.

 

Like Going South by The Wolfgang Press on Side 2, Lazarus by The Boo Radleys really should have been their breakthrough hit. Creation obviously believed so too, as they tried twice, first in 1992 and again in June 1994 with a slew of remixes from the likes of Saint Etienne, Secret Knowledge and Augustus Pablo. The record-buying public disagreed: it entered the UK chart at #54 and 3 weeks later dropped out of the Top 100 altogether, never to return. Lazarus is frequently my favourite Boo Radleys song and a key part of the stunning Giant Steps album. I saw them live in Derby around this time and they just couldn't do the song justice. I like all of the remixes, even the Augustus Pablo take. Martin Carr allegedly thought Pablo was taking the piss (& the money) by simply laying some reverb and echo over the original 12" version, but nevertheless it works. Even better is the remix by Ultramarine. I was big fan of theirs and this version did not disappoint. 

Ultramarine also provided an excellent remix of Missing by Everything But The Girl, albeit on the initial "flop" single release in August 1994, which scraped in at #69. Just over a year later, it was a completely different story, as Todd Terry's remix took off and the re-released single got to #3, spending a phenomenal 14 weeks in the Top 10. Great though it is, I prefer the original remixes, especially this one by Ben Watt.

Adored And Explored was the lead single from Marc Almond's 1996 album Fantastic Star. Not one of his better albums, though I've come to appreciate it more in recent years. I tended to buy the singles less for the lead track and more for the generous helpings of B-sides, session versions and remixes. Adored And Explored (#25 in May 1995) remains a Marc Almond highlight, however, and I enjoyed the remixes by Messiah, Beatmasters and X-Press 2. Andy Meecham, fresh from Bizarre Inc and a bright future with Chicken Lips and as The Emperor Machine ahead of him, delivers a brace of excellent remixes. This is my favourite of the two, with a beautiful clash of guitars and beats and an irreverent approach to Marc Almond's vocals, chopping them up and slowing them down. This song also supplies the mixtape's title.

 

Today's photo is another snapshot of my nostalgic wander around Bristol on Tuesday. I used to go to Lakota a lot back in the day, though I pretty sure that I would never have heard any of the songs on this mixtape played there. The club itself had been under threat many times over the years and there was national coverage in April 2020 of plans to close the club and convert it and the surrounding space into offices and flats. As at March 2022, the threatened demolition and further gentrification doesn't appear to have happened, but Lakota itself looks very much dead and gone. As ever, revisiting the past elicits mixed emotions.

1) Insomnia (Moody Mix By Rollo & Sister Bliss) (Album Version w/ Extended Intro): Faithless (1995)

2) Professional Widow (Armand's Star Trunk Funkin' Mix By Armand Van Helden): Tori Amos (1996)

3) Common People (Motiv8 Club Mix By Steve Rodway): Pulp (1995)

4) Lazarus (Ultramarine Mix): The Boo Radleys (1994)

5) Missing (Little Joey Remix By Ben Watt): Everything But The Girl (1994)

6) Adored And Explored (Andy Meecham's Slow Fat Dub): Marc Almond (1995)

Side One (46:32)

Side Two here