I'm Going To Prove The Impossible Really Exists

Today's post title is a line from Björk's 1995 song, Cover Me. 

Björk shared that,

"When me and Nellee decided 

to work together again on Post, I wrote this to him. 

I guess I was trying to make fun of myself, 

how dangerous I manage sometimes to make album making. 

And trying to lure him into it. 

But it is also a admiration thing from me to him. 

I wouldn’t have trusted anyone else."

The song's second verse goes like this

This is really dangerous

Cover me

But worth all the effort

Cover me

Which could be interpreted a caution - and invitation - to the daunting prospect of covering a Björk song. 

Not for the faint hearted, most artists wouldn't even attempt it, and you've got to have some nerve to follow through with it. Many have tried, many have failed. 

And whilst I don't think any version can even hope to better the original, what they all helpfully demonstrate is that, despite a reputation for esoteric music with mind-bogglingly complex vocal and musical arrangements, at the heart of it all, Björk writes deceptively simple, brilliant pop songs.

Hyperballad seems to be the discerning musician's Everest, and I've included four brave ascents here.

Robyn is herself a superlative songwriter and performer, but surely even she must have felt a teensy bit nervous performing the song with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra to a live audience that included Björk herself a few rows from the front. No wonder Robyn keeps her eyes closed for most of the performance!

The other three versions of Hyperballad are all by artists that are new to me.

Jacob Collier's wardrobe choices may bemuse, but his piano playing doesn't. His version of Hyperballad, just vocal and piano, with even flourishes of the latter to showcase but not show off.

Chris Thile and Aoife O'Donovan are both known for work with Nickel Creek and Crooked Still respectively, bands I've heard of but know next to nothing about. This version of Hyperballad comes from Chris; Live From Here touring show, with strong vocals from Aoife and effecting mandolin playing from Chris. 

Last but not least, a nine-minute live version by Tom Barton, built up entirely from his own vocal loops and beatboxing. It's an engrossing listen.

I had to include the Murmuration Choir version of All Is Full Of Love because it was performed in my birthplace Bristol, though as you will see, the audience were all lying down for this one, as it also doubled as a sound bath experience.

The only version that was familiar to me coming into this post (pun intended) was El Guincho's singular take on Cover Me, which inspired not only the headline/title, but also the main image.

The image by musician and photographer Scott Hansen, adorns the cover of Enjoyed, a remake of Björk's second album Post issued as a free download by Stereogum in 2008. El Guincho aka Pablo Díaz-Reixa is among other hand-picked artists such as Liars, Xiu Xiu and Dirty Projectors, all offering up their own tribute. The latter's contribution even led to a collaborative EP with Björk.

You may like some of these, you may hate them, but any lead you to either more of the artist's own music, or listening to Björk again today, then that's good enough for me.

1) Hyperballad (Live @ Polar Music Prize): Robyn (2010)

2) Venus As A Boy (Like A Version, Triple JJJ, Australia): Kali Uchis (2019)

3) Come To Me (Live @ The Line of Best Fit, End Of The Road Festival): Moses Sumney (2017)

4) Undo: Jaden Raso (2021)

5) Hyperballad (LIve @ Mahogany Session, Heritage & Arts Centre, London): Jacob Collier (2023)

6) All is Full of Love (Live @ Steiner Academy, St. Matthias, Bristol): Murmuration Choir (2019)

7) Cocoon: Heidrik (2013)

8) Jóga: Georgi Kay (2018)

9) Hyperballad (Live @ Live from Here): Chris Thile ft. Aoife O'Donovan (2019)

10) Hunter (Live @ Liepajas Pludmale, Latvia): Sus Dungo (2012)

11) Army Of Me (Lockdown Version): Dead Christine (2020)

12) Cover Me: El Guincho (2008)

13) Hyperballad (Live): Tom Barton (2011)

Bjangin' Bjeats

It's been a long time - too long - since Björk featured here, let alone with a Dubhed selection.

I've stuck with remixes, spanning the first rush of albums from Debut (1993) to Medúlla (2004). Rather than my 'go to' picks by Andrew Weatherall/Sabres Of Paradise, Fluke, Justin Robertson, Howie B. and Underworld/Darren Emerson, I've gone for some deeper cuts, tucked oway on 12" B-sides, CD singles, promos and a stray bootleg.

Whether uptempo or esoteric, what they all have in common is Björk's incredible voice and infectious drive to push the boundaries of what popular music should sound like.

If my ICT wasn't so laggy today, I'd probably have a lot more to say on the subject, but instead I'll let the next three quarters of an hour's music tell you the story.

1) All Is Full Of Love (Plaid Mix By Andy Turner & Ed Handley) (1999)

2) Big Time Sensualty (Big Time Club Mix By Dom T. & Marius De Vries) (1993)

3) Human Behaviour (Deep Behaviour) (Remix By Dimitri From Paris) (1994)

4) All Neon Like (MaDSoul Remix) (2007)

5) Hunter (Skothùs Mix By Alfred More & Biggi Veira) (1998)

6) Who Is It (Vitalic Mix By Pascal Arbez-Nicolas) (2005)

7) Isobel (Siggtriplet Blunt Mix By Siggi Baldursson & Die Warzau) (1995)

8) Mouth's Cradle (Cortejo Affro Ilé Aiyé Mix) (2004)

Bjangin' Bjeats (45:27) (GD) (M)

Decadance II: 1993

Side 2 of my 'maginary 90s mixtape, focusing on 1993.

 

The carefree college days were drawing to a close, and final exams loomed. 

 

I got to look at the work of Joan Miró, Antoni Gaudí, Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso and many more up close and personal for the first time in Barcelona. 

 

I went with my girlfriend, her best fried and boyfriend to the inaugural Phoenix Festival in Stratford-upon-Avon, where I saw, amongst others, Manic Street Preachers, Sonic Youth, Faith No More, Julian Cope (who I saw twice in '93), The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy, Utah Saints, Back To The Planet, House Of Pain, Sandals, Senser, The Young Gods, Credit To The Nation, Ian McNabb, Sheep On Drugs, The Black Crowes and Pop Will Eat Itself. Only one of them makes an appearance in today's selection.

 

Poor old Pop Will Eat Itself. This is the second time that PWEI made it to the last 14 and failed to survive the final edit. They'll be even more gutted that on this occasion, the nearly ran was Get The Girl! Kill The Baddies! which was surprisingly a #9 hit in January 1993 and, perhaps less surprisingly, their only Top 10 hit. The window of opportunity is closing for the lads as 1994 would prove to be the last time they cracked the Top 40. 

So which of the Phoenix Festival luminaries made it? Credit To The Nation of course, with their Nirvana riffing anthem that is Call It What You Want. Front person Matty Hanson was a compelling performer on stage, and they deserved bigger and better things.

 

Not the only rap to show up here, with Cypress Hill, whose song landed in my grubby mitts in 1994, courtesy of Reading Present, a cover-mounted cassette freebie with Melody Maker. Having no tolerance for potty language, of course, the UK single was re-titled When The Ship Goes Down (or Sh--, depending where you saw it promoted).

 

When it came to choosing today's Mandatory Andrew Weatherall...well, I couldn't. In fact, at one point, I nearly went for the triple with the squalling, spiky Sabres Of Paradise remix of Leftfield/Lydon's mighty Open Up. Instead, there's One Dove with White Love. There was a sanitised, radio friendly single verson, but the one to go for is the Guitar Paradise mix by Andrew and the band with Sabres compadres Jagz Kooner and Gary Burns. Much as I would love to include the full length album version, it's well over ten minutes, so here's the US promo edit, which was also used for the official video. Dot Allison is of course uber cool throughout.

 

The second MAW for 1993 is New Order's comeback single, Regret. I'll be honest, I didn't warm to the single when I first heard it, but Andrew, Jagz and Gary opened my eyes and ears to it's potential with a couple of next-level remixes. The Slow 'n' Lo remix is just shy of thirteen minutes, split into vocal and dub halves; this is the former, a sublime skank that suits Bernard's voice perfectly.

 

Also getting two bites of the cherry are Fluke, firstly with their remix of Björk's Big Time Sensuality, which she loved so much that it became the official single and video version. You can see why, it's four minutes of pure joy. I loved Fluke's previous music, but this tipped into something of an obsession in 1993, with the release of The Techno Rose Of Blighty, a slew of superb singles (including Slid, today's featured song) and tons of top notch remixes. As with Andrew Weatherall, I tried my darnedest to track down everything that had Fluke on it. Still love 'em as much now as I did then.

 

The same can be said for Justin Robertson, who expanded from DJing and remixing to releasing original music as Lionrock, accompanied by wordsmith MC Buzz B. Packet Of Peace was the second single and the first of four Top 40 hits.

 

Not that the rest of today's selection is anything less than excellent. No #1's this time perhaps but nine Top 40 hits is not to be sniffed at. And the ones that didn't make the Top 40 really should have.

 

1994 was a bit of a divergent path in my life, but what remained unwavering was my love for music. Some good tunes coming up? Probably!

 

1) Big Time Sensuality (The Fluke Minimix): Björk

2) Who Do You Think You Are (Single Version) (Cover of Candlewick Green): Saint Etienne ft. Debsey Wykes

3) When The Shit Goes Down (Diamond D Remix By Joseph Kirkland): Cypress Hill

4) White Love (Guitar Paradise Edit By One Dove & Sabres Of Paradise): One Dove

5) Walking In My Shoes (Random Carpet Single Edit By William Orbit): Depeche Mode

6) Regret (Sabres Slow 'n' Lo (Vocal) Remix By Sabres Of Paradise): New Order

7) Cannonball: The Breeders

8) Packet Of Peace (7" Edit By Justin Robertson & Mark Stagg): Lionrock ft. MC Buzz B

9) Slid (Glid Edit): Fluke

10) Call It What You Want (Single Version): Credit To The Nation

11) Animal Nitrate: Suede

12) Feed The Tree: Belly

 

17th January 1993: Feed The Tree EP (#32): 12

28th February 1993: Animal Nitrate EP (#2): 11

14th March 1993: Slid EP (#59): 9

18th April 1993: Regret EP (#4): 6

2nd May 1993: Packet Of Peace EP (#32): 8

9th May 1993: Walking In My Shoes EP (#14): 5

16th May 1993: Call It What You Want EP (#57): 10

23rd May 1993: Hobart Paving/Who Do You Think You Are EP (#23): 2 

1st August 1993: White Love EP (#43): 4 

15th August 1993: Last Splash (#40): 7

26th September 1993: When The Shit Goes Down EP (#19): 3

28th November 1993: Big Time Sensuality EP (#17): 1

 

Side Two (46:32) (KF) (Mega)

When You Don't Have Anything Left, She's Got The Music

Almost a month through 2025 already and although there's a lot of incoming new music to be excited about, I'm still immersing myself in the albums and singles that I bought last year.

Today's selection therefore is wall-to-wall 2024 and back-to-back female voices. So many to choose from, I did an entire selection as part of my end of year round up and here are 11 more.

I got the albums by Jane Weaver and Beth Gibbons relatively late in the day, so I'm continuing to discover more about them on each listen. Others, like Ibibio Sound Machine, Xan Tyler and Jo Bartlett, I've had for some while and played and played and played them.

Isobel Campbell delivered two for the price of one, with Bow To Love available on shiny disc with a French language counterpart, Place à l'Amour. I can't choose between them, I love them both.

Of the tons of great singles and EPs out last year, the Blueprints Revisited EP by Ammonite aka Amy Spencer was a welcome discovery via a remix she did for David Holmes. David reciprocates on the EP, though I've opted here for a lovely remix by South Korean duo Salamanda aka Uman (Jimin Sung) and Yetsuby (Yejin Jang).

Anzu by C.A.R. was already a favourite in both its original version and GLOK remix by Andy Bell. Then Sean Johnston came along and delivered a couple of Hardway Bros remixes that blew the bloody doors off.

There were also a couple of international musical pairings for one-off singles that grabbed my attention. Björk (Iceland) teamed up with Rosalía (Spain) for Oral, remixed by Olof Dreijer (Sweden). Meanwhile, Tanya Donelly (USA) collaborated with Gabi Lima (Brazil) on the rousing Golden Cut. 

I've been listening to a lot of Tanya's music since I posted about her last August, revisiting her back catalogue and catching up with her 21st century music. She really is an incredible songwriter and performer.

If any of these take your fancy, click on the album/single title and buy, buy, buy!

1) Motif: Jane Weaver (Love In Constant Spectacle)

2) When You Don't (Salamanda Remix): Ammonite (Blueprints Revisited EP)

3) Reste Calme, Suis Ta Voie: Isobel Campbell (Bow To Love/Place à l'Amour (ltd 2x CD))

4) Golden Cut: Tanya Donelly & Gabi Lima (Golden Cut EP)

5) She's Got The Music: Jo Bartlett (Ghost Tapes 1 To 9)

6) Ziggy: Xan Tyler (Holding Up Half The Sky)

7) Anzu (Hardway Bros Remix): C.A.R. (Anzu EP)

8) Dejalo: Charlotte & Reinhard (Guardian Of Sleep EP)

9) Oral (Olof Dreijer Remix): Björk ft. Rosalía (Oral EP)

10) Touch The Ceiling: Ibibio Sound Machine (Pull The Rope)

11) Lost Changes: Beth Gibbons (Lives Outgrown)

When You Don't Have Anything Left, She's Got The Music (45:30) (KF) (Mega)

Roots 'n' Culture, Thirty Years Later

Side 2 of a mixtape recorded sometime around September 1995. 

 

Whereas yesterday's selection was a tape from my brother's former girlfriend, today's is a cassette that I made for a girlfriend that I lived with in the second half of the 1990s. 

 

1995 was the height of Britpop and the dance/indie crossover, both of which was reflected in the mightily impressive line-up for Bristol Sound City '95 running from 17th to 23rd April that year. 

 

Pulp! Radiohead! The Prodigy! Suede! Supergrass! Orbital! Sleeper! Gene! The Chemical Brothers! Teenage Fanclub! Skunk Anansie! The Orb! Elastica! The Bluetones! Utah Saints! Ash! dEUS! Dreadzone! Reef! Marion! and er, Menswe@r!

 

Not that I went to any of these gigs, or was paying that much attention, judging by my track listing over the two sides of C90. The only Sound City '95 act to make the cut was The Jesus & Mary Chain, and nearly half of Side 2 stuck in 1992, with only Björk and Gavin Friday representing releases in 1995.

For all that, I really like this compilation. Both sides kick off with an instrumental, Barry Adamson on Side 1 and the timeless (and beatless) Smokebelch II by The Sabres Of Paradise aka Andrew Weatherall, Jagz Kooner and Gary Burns. 

A fair few cover versions on this side too, from The Fall, Björk and Vegas, the short-lived partnership of David A. Stewart and Terry Hall.

The LFO track first appeared on the book/CD series Volume Three in 1992, although I didn't get to hear it until I bought the two 2CD 'Best Of Volume' compilations that emerged in 1995. Slow Down Speedy appeared on the first, entitled Wasted, but both are worth tracking down.

And Julian Cope makes a brief cameo, right at the end of the selection, as only he can.

 

This particular love story didn't have a happy ending, but the music never let us down. 

 

1) Smokebelch II (Beatless Mix): The Sabres Of Paradise (1993)

2) Lost In Music (Single Version) (Cover of Sister Sledge): The Fall (1993)

3) Bonita Mañana (Gang Starr Vocal Mix): Espiritu (1994)

4) Deee-Lite Theme (Global Village Mix): Deee-Lite (1991)

5) Phorever People (D's Mellow Dub): The Shamen ft. Jhelisa Anderson (1992)

6) Honey Power (Single Version + Instrumental Coda): My Bloody Valentine (1991)

7) It's Oh So Quiet (Album Version) (Cover of Betty Hutton): Björk (1995)

8) Slow Down Speedy: LFO (1992)

9) Showgirl (Single Version): The Auteurs (1992)

10) Trance Of Hatred: Barry Adamson ft. Maria Zastrow (1992)

11) She (Disco Mix) (Cover of Charles Aznavour): Vegas (1992)

12) Angel (7" Edit): Gavin Friday (1995)

13) Cool Hand Flute (Original Mix): Fluke (1989)

14) Peggy Suicide is Missing...: Julian Cope (1992)

 

1989: Thumper / Cool Hand Flute EP: 13

1991: Power Of Love EP: 4

1991: Tremolo EP: 6 

1992: Jehovahkill: 14

1992: Phorever People EP: 5 

1992: She EP: 11

1992: Showgirl EP: 9

1992: Soul Murder: 10

1992: Volume Three: 8

1993: Sabresonic: 1

1993: Why Are People Grudgeful? EP: 2

1994: Bonita Mañana EP: 3 

1995: Angel EP: 12

1995: Post: 7

Side Two (46:39) (KF) (Mega)

 

And for those of you who weren't here 993 days ago when I posted Side 1, you can find it here.

A Björk For All Senses

Björk released a new video for Victimhood, taken from her current album Fossora which to my surprise was released at the end of September last year. Surprise in that I'd posted about previous single Ovule in January and commented that I really needed to catch up with the album. Eight months on and here we are.

 

The video has been created by Gabríela Friðriksdóttir (artwork) and Pierre-Alain Giraud (animation). A combination of animation and AI brings Gabríela's vividly painted characters to life, each creating a mythology and narrative progression. Includes raving tree trunks, as you might come to expect from a Björk video. It's a sensory treat.

Sonically speaking, Victimhood is a beautiful song. Lyrically, it typically straddles the personal - a reflection on self-sacrifice and self-pity - and the universal, using phrases and soundscapes that enable the listener to connect. I am reminded in a tenuous way of older songs like The Anchor Song and Bachelorette. 

I especially love the move from fog horns in the first half to clarinets in the second half, aurally describing the self-reflective journey from wallowing in pity to working through to determination to get through it.

Of course, Björk would explain all of this much better than I and, luckily for you and I, she does. Posted simultaneously with the video is "Introducing Victimhood", 32 minutes of Björk in conversation with long-time friend, relation and video (co)director Gabríela Friðriksdóttir. Personally, I could listen to half an hour of Björk reading from World Cement magazine and it would be a joy, but this is a wonderful, uplifting experience and well worth the time spent.

If like me, you've been inexcusably tardy in buying the album, Fossara has been (re)released in an updated 2023 edition, with four songs featuring additional vocals, effects or production.

A Little Music For A Groovy Attitude

It's Fluke Friday, with both sides of a mixtape that I recorded on 7th May 1997, featuring remixes of their own tracks and songs by other artists. 

I've previously shared my love for everything that came out of Jon Fugler, Mike Bryant and Mike Tournier's musical brains. They just tapped into something that, for me, absolutely captured the sheer euphoria of the early 1990s, the excitement of entering the last decade of the 20th century and being young, free and (intermittently) single in my twenties.

The quartet of Fluke singles spanning 1993 to 1994 - Slid, Electric Guitar, Groovy Feeling and Bubble - were stunning and should have been massive hits, blasting out of radios everywhere. Their remixes were also a guaranteed 'must buy', even if I didn't know or particularly like the artist. The ones featured here - Björk, New Order, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Pop Will Eat Itself, Yello and Talk Talk - are top notch, but were pretty much the (high) standard for all of their remixes. They even found time to moonlight as Lucky Monkeys, with another stonking Fluke remix to boot. 

A few sleevenotes: 

G.Feel.8.The Popsicle appeared on the Virgin Records compilation Signed Sealed Delivered 2 in 1994. It's actually a(nother) remix of Groovy Feeling, but different enough that it justifies the song featuring twice on one side (well, I think so anyway!). 

 

A remix of Jig appears on the expanded edition of The Techno Rose Of Blighty that was packaged with second album Six Wheels On My Wagon in 1993. I've gone for the John Peel session version here, originally transmitted 25 November 1990.

Squirt was radically remixed and released as a single to promote the Risotto album in 1997. The version here is from the previous album Oto (1995), a more downtempo, darker version which I think is my favourite of the bunch.

I've plenty more Fluke gems in the vault and I've re-posted a previous mixtape below. However, I think this is about as good an overview of Fluke's imperial phase as I could hope. It's definitely going to have me bouncing and jumping to and from work today. Yep, I'll be that guy.

 

Side One

1) Big Time Sensuality (The Fluke Moulimix): Björk (1993)

2) Groovy Feeling (Lolly Gobble Choc Bomb): Fluke (1993)

3) Bubble (Speechbubble): Fluke (1993)

4) Bjango (Fluke Remix 'Six To The Floor'): Lucky Monkeys (1996)

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

6) G.Feel.8.The Popsicle: Fluke (1994)

7) Two Tribes (Fluke's Moulimix): Frankie Goes To Hollywood (1994)

Side Two

1) Electric Guitar (Vibrochamp): Fluke (1993)

2) RSVP (Supper Mix By Fluke): Pop Will Eat Itself (1994)

3) Philly (Jamateur Mix: Fluke (1990)

4) Jig (John Peel Session): Fluke (1990)

5) Tosh (Mosh) (Single Version): Fluke (1995)

6) How How (Dee Doo Dee Mix By Fluke): Yello (1994)

7) Squirt (Oto Album Version): Fluke (1995)

8) Life's What You Make It (The Fluke Remix): Talk Talk (1990)

Side One (45:21) (KF) (Mega)

Side Two (45:24) (KF) (Mega)

 

Fluke (Singles) Side One and Side Two

It's All Happening Here

Rounding off a spectacular week, I belatedly realised that I'd scheduled today's post for 7.30pm rather than 7.30am. Good grief.

Anyway, much later than intended but not too late to soundtrack the end of the weekend, here's a 45-minute selection of tunes that I've enjoyed so far this year. Not quite chilled out, the tempo is still relatively low, with a few dub inflections here and there and vocals dropping in and out.

Fitzroy Avenue by Warriors Of The Dystotheque comes with a slew of excellent remixes, which I've cruelly ignored here. Instead, I've laid Joe Duggan's isolated performance (a bonus track on the digital EP) over the opening minutes of Richard Norris' Spring - Alban Eilir 2 which, in it's original form, runs for a satisfying twenty minutes.

 

Andy Bell aka GLOK recently released a trio of remixes from his superb Pattern Recognition album. All three are very, very good as demonstrated by Sean Johnston and Duncan Gray's dubby rework of That Time Of Night. 

 

Next up is DjClick (born in France, based in Spain) and Masha Natanson (Poland), remixed by Transglobal Underground (based in London but without borders). DjClick's album Violins Against Bombs was released in 2022 and a remix companion came out at the beginning of April, available as a free download via Bandcamp.

 

I've recently enthused about Björk's remix of Shygirl and Más o Menos by Damian O'Neill, so they were a shoo in for this selection. I've gone for Kevin Sharkey's remix of the latter, which ups the Ennio Morricone vibe and mixes in a bit of a Mo' Wax vibe.

 

Emily Breeze is another favourite here. Confessions Of An Ageing Party Girl is a highlight of her current album Rapture. Bristol legends Grant Marshall and Stew Jackson - better known as Daddy G and Robot Club respectively - transform the song whilst losing none of it's narrative thrust.

 

Things come to an end as they must with the aptly titled At The Turning Of The Tide, from another Dubhed regular, 10:40 aka Jesse Fahnestock. 10:40's album Transition Theory has been on regular rotation and I feel just as strongly now as I did when it came out in February. If you haven't bought this album already, then you really should. Right now.

 

As it's another day at the grindstone tomorrow, normal service (and scheduling) will resume.

 

1) Spring - Alban Eilir 2 (Edit): Richard Norris

1.1) Fitzroy Avenue (No Effects Vox): Warriors Of The Dystotheque ft. Joe Duggan 

2) That Time Of Night (Hardway Bros Meet Monkton Uptown Dub): GLOK ft. Shiarra

3) Rusalkas (Transglobal Underground RMX): DjClick & Masha Natanson

4) Woe (I See It From Your Side) (Björk Remix): Shygirl

5) Más o Menos (Kevin Sharkey Remix): Damian O'Neill

6) Confessions Of An Ageing Party Girl (Daddy G vs Robot Club Remix By Grant Marshall & Stew Jackson): Emily Breeze

7) At The Turning Of The Tide: 10:40 ft. Emilia Harmony & Matt Gunn) 

 

It's All Happening Here (44:51) (Box) (Mega)

Do They Even Know What It's Like This High?

It may seem a leap to go from The Cure to Shygirl, but there's a tenuous link in that respectively they have the capacity to make me want to dance and send a shiver down my spine in the same song.

I first heard of and posted about Shygirl in January this year, when she and Nuxxe co-founder and label mate Sega Bodega aka Salvador Navarrete remixed a Björk song, Ovule. I liked it a lot.

 

Björk's now repaid the favour by remixing and adding vocals to Woe, the opening track from Shygirl's debut album from last year, Nymph. Sub-titled I See It From Your Side, the song starts off quite ordinarily before left turning into more familiar Björk territory at 0:22. It's an unsettling ride, enhanced to unsettling effect by the video, directed by Sam Ibram. The remix was originally released last month and has been bundled and re-released with 3 other tracks as the Playboy/Positions EP.

 

According to Iffypedia, Shygirl aka Blane Muise creates music that "incorporates elements of dance music, industrial hip-hop, experimental pop, grime and deconstructed club. She has also been associated with the hyperpop music scene. I don't know what most of these genres are, to be honest, but there's something morbidly fascinating about the songs.

 

Each of the tracks has an accompanying video: Playboy/Positions is particularly weird; Heaven (ft. Tinashe) has a rather bizarre visual nod to TLC's Waterfall; Poison (Club Shy Mix) features Shygirl as an albino; lots of distorted mirror effects, variable lighting and strobing and jump cuts throughout.

If this has piqued your curiosity, the EP is available via Bandcamp and the usual outlets.

Oh, and an early happy 30th birthday to Shygirl for 4th May.

 

 

Darren In The Underworld

Inspired by Swiss Adam's return visits to some classic Darren Emerson and Underworld tracks and mixes over at Bagging Area and the coincidental inclusion of an Underworld remix on the cover-mounted Depeche Mode compilation CD available with the current issue of Mojo magazine, I've thrown caution to the wind and jumped on the bandwagon.

I've cherry picked half a dozen remixes from 1993 to 2003, classics all, and generous with beats and breaks. It's impossible for me to pick a favourite from this bunch.

 

1) Human Behaviour (The Underworld Dub (1)): Björk (1993)

2) Harlequin - The Beauty And The Beast (Underworld Alternative): Sven Väth (1994)

3) Sunset (Bird Of Prey) (Darren Emerson Remix): Fatboy Slim ft. Jim Morrison (2000)

4) David (Darren Emerson's Underwater Remix): GusGus (2003)

5) Schmoo (Underworld Mix): Spooky ft. Heather Sian Wildman (1993)

6) Risingson (Underworld Mix): Massive Attack (1997)

 

Darren In The Underworld (54:39) (KF) (Mega)

What I'd Pay To Give You A Minute Of This

On Friday, Björk released a remix of Ovule, the third single from current album Fossora. The original version (and video) came out last September to coincide with the album release. For the remix, Björk teams up with Nuxxe label founders, Shygirl and Sega Bodega aka Blane Muise and Salvador Navarrete. 

The album version is very much what you'd expect from latter day Björk, lush strings and skittering beats, vocals dancing around but not married to the song. The remix retains elements of the strings but drops in more beats and more structure with a 'chorus' from Shygirl that ties the whole song

What I'd pay to give you a minute of this  

All I feel is bliss when I think of you  

 

I love it. You can view, stream or buy Ovule (Sega Bodega Remix ft. Shygirl) and Fossora from all the usual places. Pay a visit to Bandcamp and you'll find them both along with Björk's back catalogue; I'd also recommend stopping by the Nuxxe label page.