Temples Of Day-Glo

If you're looking for thrilling psychedelic pop, Kettering in Northamptonshire would not necessarily be your obvious starting point, which would be your loss, as here was born Temples.

They're back with their fifth album, Bliss, and as a taster a bright looking (and sounding) single called Jet Stream Heart.

I first came across them via a remix of their debut single Shelter Song by Beyond The Wizards Sleeve aka Richard Norris and Erol Alkan who, as it turned out, had remixed their entire debut album Sun Structures as Sun Restructured. Both are wonderful.

If you're new to Temples, I've compiled a little visual tour through their back catalogue, which does beggar the question why their music isn't being played loud in every household. I'd be asking my neighbours to turn it up, not down!

You can pre-order Bliss from your friendly local record shop or the usual outlets. I'd also recommended placing a bookmark on their Bandcamp page to snap up Sun Restructured and other back catalogue goodies on Friday 1st May.

1) Jet Stream Heart (2026)

2) Day Of Conquest (2024)

3) Afterlife (2023)

4) You're Either On Something (2019)

5) Roman Godlike Man (Toe Rag Session) (2017)

6) Strange Or Be Forgotten (2017)

7) Shelter Song (Single Version) (2012)

8) Shelter Song (Beyond The Wizards Sleeve Reanimation) (2014)

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Conversation With That Little Devil On Your Shoulder

Iraina Mancini returned with a single and video, Running For Your Life, at the beginning of February and it's another gorgeous slice of dramatic pop, with lush cinematic production and sumptuous vocals.

I was introduced to Iraina's music pretty much this time last year via a couple of remixes of songs from her debut album, Undo The Blue. The title track was reanimated by Beyond The Wizards Sleeve aka Erol Alkan and Richard Norris, whilst Sugar High had been remixed in 2023 by Saint Etienne. 

With artists like that involved, you expect top quality but even so, both remixes are superb.

  

Which inevitably lead back to Undo The Blue the album, issued on Pete Paphides' rather wonderful Needle Mythology label. Ten songs brimming with confidence, poise and hooks, to the extent that you'd be forgiven for thinking that this is Iraina's second or third album. No first release nerves here, this is an accomplished and satisfying debut.

Here are a couple of examples: 

 

And, after that satisfying feast, for dessert, Undo The Blue in French.

And, to finish, Iraina performing Undercover, Wild Runaways and Deep End at Buffalo Studios in London, in 2021. 

  

 

Happening

Strange Things Are Happening, Richard Norris' memoir of a frankly incredible life, dropped through my letterbox last weekend. I ordered it back in October 2023 so to say that I have been eagerly awaiting it's arrival is an understatement. 

I ordered the book via Heavenly so not only is it signed by Richard, there's a bonus CD featuring "Mixes and Collaborations 1988-2023". Of the 14 tracks, half are completely new to me, but when the ones I already own include remixes of Floatation by The Grid, Roscoe by Midlake, Disco/Very by Warpaint and Willow's Song by Katy J Pearson, then it's wonderful to have them all together on one shiny disc.

I've not started reading Strange Things Are Happening yet, as I'm (now hurriedly) trying to finish another book that I'd not long started but I'd still have no hesitation in recommending it. Given the sheer breadth and depth of Richard's contribution to music, which has been ever present for more than two thirds of my life, I am looking forward to experiencing those moments through his eyes, memories and words. 

I've tried a few times before to present Richard's music via a Dubhed selection, whether Beyond The Wizards Sleeve, The Grid or an attempt to encapsulate his wider work. An impossible task really but nature loves a trier so I've had another go.

This time, it's a mammoth 22 tracks, clocking in at exactly one hour and forty five minutes. In respect of sequencing and segueways, it's an absolute mess: if you've come here for amateurish crossfades, jarring edits and incongruous tracklist partners, then you've come to the right place. If I tried this in person in a public place, I'd be out on the pavement, my hard drive bouncing off my skull as the proprietor lobbed it after me.

However, focus past my ham-fisted attempts at mixing and marvel at the ambition and creativity of the artist at the heart of it all. Whether his own compositions, partnerships with Dave Ball, Erol Alkan, Finnur Bjarnason or more recently with Rachel Thomas and Stuart Carter as The Order Of The 12, Richard has the uncanny knack of tapping into something special. This transcends genres, hitting the sweet spot whether aimed at  club, dub or ambient heads, to name but a few.

Many of these are significantly edited - the original version of Ultramarine is twenty minutes long - but all are worth tracking down in digital or physical formats. A good starting point is Richard's Bandcamp page. I've been a subscriber for over a year and it's worth every penny.

 

1) Couldn't Do (The Time & Space Machine Remix By Richard Norris): Cheval Sombre (2014) 

2) Promises (Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve Reanimation By Richard Norris & Erol Alkan): Badly Drawn Boy (2007) 

3) Winter In June: Beyond The Wizards Sleeve ft. Percy Thrower (2007)

4) 10 Killer Hurtz More (Remix By Little Annie, Richard Norris & Skip McDonald): Little Annie (1994)

5) Texas Cowboys (Low Plains Prankster Mix By Justin Robertson): The Grid (1993)

6) Ultramarine (Edit): Richard Norris (2023)

7) April (Edit): Richard Norris (2021)

8) Ghost Dance: Richard Norris (2021)

9) This Too Shall Pass Away (Album Version By The Grid): World Of Twist (1991)

10) Morning Velvet Sky (Richard Norris Dub): Gulp (2018)

11) Meet Every Situation Head On (DJ Jackmaster Tab Fitness Mix By Richard Norris): M.E.S.H. (1988)

12) I Love I Hate (Lakeside Mix By The Grid): Neil Arthur (1994)

13) Pagan Dub (Edit): Richard Norris (2024)

14) Inner Communication Dub (Edit): Richard Norris (2024)

15) Find Yourself (Richard Norris Remix): Jacco Gardner (2015)

16) Lundi Bleu (The Grid 'Praise The Lord' Mix By Dave Ball & Richard Norris) (Cover of 'Blue Monday' by New Order): The Times (1992)

17) House Of Love (Single Version By The Grid): Billie Ray Martin (1993)

18) Abide With Me (Holy Dub - Remix By The Grid) (Cover of traditional song): Vic Reeves (1991)

19) Finally (The Time & Space Machine Re-Edit By Richard Norris) (Cover of Ce Ce Peniston): Cherry Ghost (2010) 

20) Somewhere Nearly Gone: The Order Of The 12 (2022)

21) Before Tomorrow (Richard Norris' Avalon Remix): Hollow Hand ft. Tim Smith (2023)

22) Hotel Du Lac 66º N2 (Edit): The Long Now (2018)

 

1988: Meet Every Situation Head On EP: 11 

1991: Abide With Me EP: 18

1991: Quality Street: 9 

1992: Lundi Bleu EP: 16

1993: 4 Ambient Tales EP: 17

1993: Texas Cowboys EP: 5 

1994: I Love I Hate EP: 12

1994: In Dread With Little Annie EP: 4

2007: Promises EP: 2

2007: West EP: 3 

2010: We Sleep On Stones EP: 19

2014: Couldn't Do EP: 1

2015: Find Yourself EP: 15

2018: Morning Velvet Sky EP: 10 

2018: Restoration EP: 22

2021: Music For Healing: January-December: 7

2021: Music For Soundtracks, Vol. 1: 8 

2022: Lore Of The Land: 20

2023: Before Tomorrow EP: 21

2023: Music For Healing: Colours: 6 

2024: Oracle Sound Volume Two: 13

2024: Oracle Sound Volume 3: Dub In Progress: 14

 

Happening (1:45:00) (KF) (Mega)

For your further listening pleasure:

Beyond The Wizards Sleeve: How Do We Start? (23rd July 2021)

The Grid: Think For Yourself And Question Authority (3rd December 2022)

Richard Norris: Clarity (6th August 2023)

Clarity

Just over a month since wishing Richard Norris a happy birthday and hinting at a follow-up selection, here it is, all fifty seven and a half minutes of loveliness for a Sunday.

 

The forecast was for nothing but rain but instead the sun is streaming through the windows, with clear blue skies as far as I can see, a reminder that summer is still here.

 

Today's selection spans an incredible 35 years, from Richard's early sonic experiments with Genesis P-Orridge/Psychic TV resulting in the seminal Jack The Tab album, founding The Grid with Dave Ball and Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve with Erol Alkan, further experiments with The Time & Space Machine and currently, a prolific output in his own name, not least the Music For Healing longform series and Oracle Sound dub excursions. 

 

I am in awe.

 

It's been a year of tough choices and occasionally poor decisions, but one of my best was to take up a subscription to the Inner Mind members' club via Bandcamp. I enthused about it last time and I'd recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed this selection, particularly the opening and closing brace of tracks. It really is money well spent. Thanks, Richard!

 

1) Golden Waves (2020)

2) Coral 2 (Edit) (2022)

3) Without Your Clarity I Would Still Be Bound By Gravity (Boundless Mix By Richard Norris & Dave Ball): The Grid (1993)

4) Move With The Season (Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve Reanimation) (Remix By Richard Norris & Erol Alkan): Temples (2014)

5) Frontera Del Ensueño (Radio Edit By The Grid aka Richard Norris & Dave Ball): Rey De Copas (1989)

6) Oxygen: Griselda (Genesis P-Orridge & Richard Norris) (1988)

7) The Throw - Levitational (Remix By The Time & Space Machine aka Richard Norris): Jagwar Ma (2014)

8) After The Gold Rush (Cover of Neil Young): The Time & Space Machine ft. Raissa Khan-Panni (2010)

9) Water (Dohnavùr's Werra Foxma Remix By Alasdair O'May & Frazer Brown): Richard Norris ft. Bishi Bhattacharya (2021)

10) Free Ride: Richard Norris (2021)

11) Shark Tooth Dub Extended 2 (Edit): Richard Norris (2023)

1988: Jack The Tab: Acid Tablets Volume One: 6

1989: Frontera Del Ensueño EP: 5

1993: Crystal Clear EP: 3

2010: Set Phazer To Stun: 8

2014: Sun Restructured: 4

2014: The Time And Space Machine Dub Sessions: 7

2020: Golden Waves EP: 1

2021: Hypnotic Response: 10

2021: Water EP: 9

2022: Coral EP: 2

2023: Oracle Sound Volume One: Bonus Dubs EP: 11

Clarity (57:31) (KF) (Mega)

 

Further Dubhed selections from the archives:

The Grid (3rd December 2022)

Beyond The Wizards Sleeve (23rd July 2021)

Here Comes June

How did we get here already?!

 

1) Winter In June: Beyond The Wizards Sleeve ft. Percy Thrower (2007)

2) Seven Days In Sunny June (Album Version): Jamiroquai (2005)

3) June Bug (Album Version By Don Was): The B-52's (1989)

4) Night In June: Autumn (1981)

5) Uncle June And Aunt Kiyoti: Kristin Hersh (1994)

6) June Last Year: Kate Walsh (2009)

7) Wait Until June (Acoustic Demo): The Go-Betweens (1988)

8) Junebug (Cover of Sparklehorse): Cherry Ghost (2007)

9) June 55: SAULT (2022)

10) Flaming June (B&J's Reconstruction) (Cover of BT): Blank & Jones ft. Elles De Graaf (2004)

 

1989: Cosmic Thing: 3 

1994: Your Ghost EP: 5

1996: 16 Lovers Lane Acoustic Demos (Les Inrockuptibles magazine promo CD): 7

2004: A Forest: The EP: 10

2005: Dynamite: 2 

2007: Mathematics EP: 8

2007: West EP: 1 

2009: Light & Dark: 6

2011: Synthesize: 4

2022: Air: 9

 

Here Comes June (40:46)

How Do We Start?

I had a couple of lovely comments on yesterday's post from Stevie (Charity Chic) and Brian (Linear Tracking Lives). At some point in the future, there will be a post that does Joe Strummer more justice than a 10-second snippet in reverse, but today's is inspired by Brian's comment that he was looking forward to seeing and hearing what else I had up my sleeve. Well, there was only one to go with that and it is of course Beyond The Wizards Sleeve, a collaboration between Erol Alkan and Richard Norris, both much loved here at Studio K. This is a cassette-friendly side of remixes and shorter selections from their Birth, Spring, West and George EPs. This selection spans 2005-2015, but both have continued to release consistently excellent music since. 

 

1) Before We Start, If?: Beyond The Wizards Sleeve (2007)

2) Ulysses (Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve Re-Animation): Franz Ferdinand (2009)

3) Get Ready To Fly: Beyond The Wizards Sleeve (2007)

4) Young Folks (Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve Re-Animation): Peter, Björn & John ft. Victoria Bergsman (2006)

5) You Will Always Find Alice In The Kitchen At Parties: Beyond The Wizards Sleeve (2005)

6) Raise The Roof (Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve Re-Animation): Tracey Thorn (2007)

7) Space: Beyond The Wizards Sleeve (2007)

8) Sand Dance (Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve Reanimation): Temples (2015)

9) The Fifth Note: Beyond The Wizards Sleeve (2006)

10) Roscoe (Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve Remix): Midlake (2007)

How Do We Start? (43:07) (KF) (Mega)