It's Happened Before

If like me you've had a week to forget, then a bevy of beauteous, bouncy beats is just what the doctor ordered....

....as long as the doctor is Dr. Syntax, that is, former Fluke fellows Mike Tournier and Jan Burton, whose remix of AIR-adjacent Gallic gents Mellow gets today's selection off to a rollicking start.

Staying in France briefly, Fred Falke invites German chums Axel Bartsch and Asem Shama aka VanGuard back to stay at his, the results a stuttering, juddering night in the studio.

Purple Penguin was a record shop, a label, a recording artist and a way of life in my beloved birthplace Bristol. Whilst they were never as massive as, er, Massive Attack, Tricky or Portishead, they were purveyors of mighty fine trip hop music, as debut single Passion attests.

The music of Cantoma aka Phil Mison was a relatively recent discovery for me, though the song selected here - a remix of North Shore by London boys Conrad McDonnell and Dan Tyler aka Idjut Boys - was released as a 12" single way back in 2010. Like a Balearic breeze blowing through your mind.

Pet Shop Boys really need no introduction, neither should DJ and producer Danny Tenaglia, but their coming together for a remix of 1996 single Before was really rather inspired. One of my favourite PSB tracks from that period and inspiration for the title of today's selection.

Hot Chip have been circling around in my consciousness since my post on Alexis Taylor's current single on Wednesday. In 2011, Dan Snaith took time out from his Caribou day job to put out music as Daphni. Dan was invited to remix Hot Chip's single Night And Day, a Record Store Day 12" single in 2012 which hits hard and doesn't give up.

The Other Two is a tongue-in-cheek, raspberry-blowing reference to the fact that whilst New Order stalwarts Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook were getting attention for their projects, Gillian Gilbert and Stephen Morris quietly got on with making music of their own. Ashley Beedle is on typically fine form on this dub remix of 1993 single Selfish.

Closing this collection are The Woodentops and, in keeping with today's title/theme, it's happened before. The remix of A Pact by Skyscraper HiFi aka Jon Dasilva and Jonas Nilsson originally featured last March on the Dubhed selection It's A Glamorous World, but that feels long enough ago to justify another appearance here. A chuggy, huggy masterpiece.

I hope that's got the blood flowing and the head cleared. If not, you may require urgent medical assistance!

1) Paris Sous La Neige (Vox Remix By Dr. Syntax) (Edit): Mellow (2000)

2) Back To Stay (VanGuard Remix): Fred Falke (2009)

3) Passion (Vocal) (Single Version): Purple Penguin (1995)

4) North Shore (Idjut Boys Version) (Instrumental): Cantoma (2010)

5) Before (Danny Tenaglia's Underground Mix): Pet Shop Boys (1996)

6) Night And Day (Daphni Mix): Hot Chip (2012)

7) Selfish (The East Village Dub): The Other Two (1993)

8) A Pact (Skyscraper HiFi Remix B): The Woodentops (2025)

It's Happened Before (45:58) (GD) (M)

Keep The Vibes Alive

Max Essa aka UK-born, Tokyo-based artist Max Bruce appeared on my radar last March with his stunning trio of remixes of What Do You See In Me? by Andres Y Xavi. I'm typically late to the party, as Max has been doing his thing since the early 1990s and has released a ton of albums, singles and remixes in the 21st Century alone whilst also running his own label, Jansen Jardin.

Completing the triangulation of sound, the UK and Japanese influences are bathed in Balearic sunshine, creating a groovy yet meditative sound that transports the listener back to the late 1980s/early 1990s. No surprise that there's a track called Blame It On Rea.

I've picked a ten song, one hour selection, mostly Max's own songs, mostly from the last couple of years, all available on Bandcamp. There are a few remixes along the way - Cantoma (aka Phil Mison), MCLD (aka André Mcleod), Natural Hugh (an Essa alias) and Charles Webster's remix of Max's Come Come The Rain, the latter especially apt as that pretty much sums up the weather here at home for the past week.

The Christmas and New Year celebrations are officially over at Casa K. The tree's been removed, the decorations packed away and we're all back at work today. This is my oasis/escape for an hour, at least.

1) Hearts In Flood (Alternative Version): Max Essa (2021)

2) Jigsaw Moon (Single Version): Max Essa (2021)

3) North Shore (Max Essa Instrumental): Cantoma (2011)

4) Fingers & Thumbs: Max Essa (2021)

5) Canopy: Max Essa (2021)

6) Lovers Then Strangers (Vacation Edit): Max Essa (2015)

7) Fountains: Natural Hugh (2021)

8) Love FM (Max Essa Remix): MCLD (2021)

9) Come Come The Rain (Charles Webster Remix): Max Essa (2018)

10) Blame It On Rea: Max Essa (2016) 

 

2011: Out Of Town: The Remixes: 3 

2015: Lovers Then Strangers EP: 6

2016: Blame It On Rea EP: 10

2018: M.O.D.F.D.M.V/Come Come The Rain EP: 9

2020: Palmetto Green LeMans/Fountains EP: 7

2021: Jigsaw Moon/Jules Y Cynthia EP: 2 

2021: Love FM EP: 8

2021: Miró In The Bathroom: 1, 5

2022: Fingers & Thumbs/I Can't Sleep EP: 4

Keep The Vibes Alive (1:00:35) (Box) (Mega)