Version On The Extreme

Sorry, a bit later than usual posting this, due to a Clan K excursion last night and a bit of a lie-in this morning. A warning: this is a big one,  you might need a Thermos flask and packed lunch to get you through.

 

Oh, this is difficult. Even trying to nail down some of my favourite versions - covers, remixes and reimaginings - of 2023 has proved to be an insurmountable task.

Therefore, I've picked out just 23 listed alphabetically by artist. Some I've been enjoying for many months, one in particular (The Woodentops) was a last minute addition, having belatedly discovered it via Swiss Adam's year end run down at Bagging Area.

Strap in, there's a wild ride ahead!

Jango Mango: Ademarr & Joseeph

 

EP released via Roam Recodings in July, featuring the original version plus standout remixes from Darlyn Vlys and Iñigo Vontier.

 

Tender (Cover of Blur): The Anchoress

For the past year or so, Catherine Anne Davies released a cover version per month, available for a limited time on Bandcamp. Many of them were subsequently collected for this year's excellent Versions album. 

Tender, originally released in 2021, didn't make the album cut but it did get a physical release in April, as the third of a series of limited edition EPs. The EP has long since sold out and the song has vanished from t'internet. To give you a taste of how good it is/was, here's an extract (KF) (Mega).

Gorgeous, isn't it?

Njalo: Cee ElAssaad ft. Bongi Mvuyana

Morrocco meets South Africa with stunning results. Njalo has been burning a hole in my speakers since February and comes in three versions: the original full vocal, dub and instrumental; all superb.

 

 

Yeah x 3: David Holmes ft. Raven Violet 

I could have picked any of David's singles, whether with Unloved or Raven Violet, as highlights of the year, to be honest. Yeah x 3 was released in November, with a diverse range of remixes from Panda Bear & Sonic Boom, Jordan Nocturne, X-Press 2 and a couple of beauties from Gary Irwin aka The Vendetta Suite.

 

  

Rusalkas (Transglobal Underground RMX): DjClick & Masha Natanson

 

I was down a specific Transglobal Underground rabbit hole, which led me to the Violins Against Bombs RMX album, featuring 10 reworks of the original 2022 album by TGU along with Fluo Sobre, Rafael Aragon, Dunkelbunt, MiRET and Recycler. Now available as a name your price/free download, so what have you got to lose?

 

 

Unchanged (GLOK Remix): Dot Allison

Dot Allison meets Andy Bell on a dub excursion that evokes yet avoids mimicking the majesty of One Dove. Released in June and a perfect companion piece to their respective releases this year.

 

 

Other Skies: Electric Blue Vision

 

As mentioned in yesterday's post, Sean Johnston and Duncan Gray have been on fire this year with standalone remixes and releases. However, when they come together as Hardway Bros Meet Monkton Uptown, the listener is in for a dub excursion par excellence.  

 

Other Skies, the second single by Electric Blue Vision by Emilia Harmony and Jesse Fahnestock, broke cover in November, the sublime original also channeling the spirit of One Dove. The remixes took the song in wildly different directions, all worth the trip.

 

  

Confessions Of An Ageing Party Girl: Emily Breeze

 

A 2020 single and highlight of this year's Rapture album, March saw the release of a remix by Massive Attack's Daddy G (Grant Marshall) and Robot Club (Stew Jackson). Not available on Bandcamp but available through most of the usual places. 

 

If you're a regular visitor to the essential music blog No Badger Required - and if you aren't, I urge you to start right now - then you'll have spotted that I referenced it over there as my track of 2023. Thanks, SWC!

 

Cello Song (Cover of Nick Drake): Fontaines D.C.

I was slow to listen to Fontaines D.C.'s second album Skinty Fia this year - my mistake - and to their singular take on the Nick Drake back in March. My fellow blog travellers have written about why this is the epitome of what a great cover version should be and they are absolutely spot on. If I heard this in complete ignorance, I'd think it was a stunning song. The fact that it may inspire listeners to check out not just Fontaines D.C. but Nick Drake can only be a good thing. 

Cello Song features on the album The Endless Coloured Ways: The Songs Of Nick Drake, which I could easily have included in my list of favourite compilations yesterday.

Shakatak: Gaudi

Woah, come back. If you're worried that this March 2023 release is a tribute to the '80s white English jazz-funk band, rest assured. Daniele Gaudi delivers another colossal slice of dub, especially on the 'ReRub' version.

 

 

Pez (bdrmm Remix): GIFT

This all started with A Place To Bury Strangers, specifically their remix album See Through You Rerealized which featured separate remixes by GIFT and bdrmm. I wasn't familiar with either band and little trawl of Bandcamp unearthed their respective back catalogues. The two come together on this remix, released in August as a precursor to GIFT's debut album, Momentary Presence, a couple of months later. Check 'em all out.

 

 

Dirty Hugs (Richard Sen Remix): GLOK

The Pattern Recognition album got a 3-track remix EP in March, a great month for releases, in retrospect. Hardway Bros Meet Monkton Uptown and Tom Sharkett from W.H. Lung set the bar high but Richard Sen has no difficulty in holding his own and taking the original 20-minute trip on a wild chase through the city's nightlife.

 

 

 

A Night In Siolim (A Space Age Freak Out Remix): H​ö​gt I Tak

Paisley Dark Records have been a go-to with each release, not just for the high quality electronica but the calibre of remixes. Label boss John Paynter proves that you don't need to outsource to produce something quite special, as his Space Age Freak Out remix from December amply demonstrates.

 

 

I Am The Fly (Cover of Wire): Jah Wobble

The Wob made a raucous return (not that he's ever been away) with a slew of new albums in 2023, August's A Brief History Of Now revisiting his punk/post-punk stylings with fellow traveller Jon Klein. Their cover of Wire's I Am The Fly was an unexpected treat, Klein on vocals and Jah Wobble working his usual bass magic.

 

  

And, as a bonus treat, here's the man himself showing you how it's done (and yes, Mike, he is playing more than one string!)

 

Arabiklan (Rude Audio Remix): James Rod

Another top notch Paisley Dark remix package, this time in May, with an artist that I wasn't that familiar with. James Rod provides two classy originals with Synthetic Glory and Arabiklan, handing them over to Mindbender, Hunterbräu, H​ö​gt I Tak and Man2.0. Rude Audio aka Mark Ratcliff delivers a blinder.

 

Trading Places: Jezebell  

 

I've written previously about Trading Places, issued as a pair of EPs in April, offering up 'daytime' and nighttime' versions. All excellent, but the 6PM version gets a special mention for the delightful cameo by Siouxsie Sioux, expertly woven in by Jesse Fahnestock and Darren Bell. Available as a name your price/free download.

 

 

Phoenix (Cover of The Cult): JIM

First off, apologies that I've completely forgotten which music blog introduced me to this cover version and JIM (Jim Baron) in general, as I doubt I would have found him or the rather lovely Love Makes Magic album otherwise. Originally issued in June, the 10-song album included this fine cover, swapping bollock rock for Balearic acoustica to brilliant effect.

 

 

Bridge To Heaven (Sonic Boom Bass Remix): John Massoni

Another chance discovery this year whilst searching for Sonic Boom related items was his collaboration with John Massoni on the 8-track EP, Think Of Me When You Hear Waves. A further Sonic Boom remix of Bridge To Heaven, stretching things even further to just under ten minutes, shimmered into view in August.

 

 

Willow's Song (Richard Norris Ritual Mix): Katy J Pearson 

Katy J Pearson recorded a whole bunch of covers for The Wicker Man EP, released in October to celebrate the film of the same name's 50th anniversary. Katy had originally recorded Willow's Song as the closer of her 2022 album Sound Of The Morning and the Richard Norris remix came out in June this year. A strong contender for remix - and track - of the year and perfectly aligned with his own mighty dub workouts as Oracle Sounds.

 

Edge Of The Edge Dub (Adrian Sherwood 'Reset In Dub’ Version): Panda Bear & Sonic Boom 

August - another solid month for great music - saw the third iteration of the Reset album, following the original and 'Songbook + Instrumentals' versions. Here, Adrian Sherwood puts the entire thing through a dub rinse which promises much and somehow manages even then to exceed expectations. Much as I love Noah Lennox and Pete Kember's collaboration, Reset In Dub takes the music to another plane of existence.

 

 

Expansions Dub (Cover of Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes): Prince Fatty ft. Shniece McMenamin

Not the only cover version that Prince Fatty shared in 2023 though arguably one that I wasn't expecting at all. With Shniece on the mic and Fatty at the controls, the listener is in safe hands and the dub version feels even more like a big aural hug. Another August highlight.

 

 

Fitzroy Avenue (BFP Acid-Flex Mix By Bedford Falls Players): Warriors Of The Dystotheque ft. Joe Duggan

 

We're on the home stretch now with yet another Paisley Dark winner, going all the way back to March. This is a generous 8-track digital EP, with a bonus hidden ninth 'No Effects Vox' version, i.e. just Joe Duggan. Tons of great remixes by Mindbender, H​ö​gt I Tak, Hunterbräu, Ed Mahon, Jezebell and this one from the ever excellent Mark Cooper aka Bedford Falls Players.

 

 

 

Ride A Cloud (Coyote Remix): The Woodentops 

The Woodentops released Ride A Cloud, with remixes by Coyote and Andres y Xavi, in June and somehow I managed to miss it completely. Thankfully, Swiss Adam to the rescue with his own end of year round up meant that I discovered this wonderful 3-tracker and it's ended up here just in time to wind things down after that marathon workout.

 

  

Tomorrow, I'll be trying hard to pick some more 2023 favourites. Heaven help me.

Music Is Still The Cure

At 8.00am GMT, it's Bandcamp Friday again for 24 hours so here's another mad dash through a half dozen singles and EPs I'd recommend for your shopping trolley.

It's been a heck of a year for Tor Maries. January saw the release of brilliant album Cacti; June a despicable display of trolling after a (frankly fantastic) performance at Glastonbury. After a period of retreat and renewal, retiring the Billy Nomates name and in August, sharing the first fruits of her "scratchy demos & stuff" as Tor.

 

emily, i'll do it tonight is the seventh weekly release from Tor since and it sounds every bit as wonderful as those that have preceded it. 'Demo' is a misnomer, these are fully formed songs and stories. Available as a name your price download, all highly recommended.

 

There will be some who imagine a parallel universe where Midlake and John Grant continued to work together after Queen of Denmark, John never moved to Iceland and took a musical left-turn into electronica and the friends continued deliver songs steeped in 1970s soft-rock.

In our plane of existence, it's been a thirteen year wait but a new AA-side from Midlake and John Grant is out today on Bella Union, which released that seminal collaboration. For a couple of quid, you get three tracks: Roadrunner Blues, plus two versions of You Don't Get To; the latter comes in a 3:30 edit and a full-length version clocking in at nearly eight minutes. I've particularly loved John Grant's subsequent musical direction, but listening to these songs is like slipping on a pair of well-worn and well-loved shoes. 

 

Not that they are mere pastiche or rehashes: the opening line of "Does it seem like you're surrounded by douche bags and assholes on all sides?" is reassuring grit in the honey pot. 

 

These songs were recorded a few years ago whilst Midlake was on hiatus for a collaborative project called BNQT. That now appears to be shelved and the various songs recorded with various artists will emerge as a series of 'Midlake &...' releases. John's also indicated his desire to work with Midlake again, so it's a win-win for me.

 

 

Château Flight are French duo Gilbert Cohen and Nicolas Chaix and I first heard them in the early 2000s. I don't always go for brand new music each Bandcamp Friday and like a rummage around in the archives for stuff I may have missed first time. In September, I checked out Château Flight after one of their remixes popped up in a random shuffle. I came away with Les Antipodes Versions Speciales, an EP from 2004. Their most recent release dated from 2018 and, prior to that, 2014 so my assumption was that Château Flight were possibly dormant or even no more. I signed up to mailing list anyway, as I do for all of my Bandcamp purchases.

 

A pleasant surprise then to receive an email last week with the cryptic message,

 

It's been a while since we haven't communicate..
Get ready..some hot news very soon..
We are back at y'a.

 

Last Friday, this materialised as a new song/single, Nookoqo. A quick t'internet search reveals that Nookoqo translates from Somali as 'change' or 'change it'. A six-minute banger, reminiscent of late 1990s Slam and Secret Knowledge which is a very good thing indeed. An album, La Folie Studio, is on the way and I will be waiting with interest. 

 

 

Cee ElAssaad is from Morocco and, like Diamond Dealer from yesterday's post, an artist I discovered thanks to Connected, the record label established by Stereo MC's. In February, Cee released the Njalo EP which has been on repeated plays since, whether the vocal, dub or instrumental mixes, and is itself a highly recommended purchase. 

 

In August, Cee released a collaborative single with US artist Lee Wilson. The original 6-minute version of Music Is The Cure contains familiar elements from Njalo, with additional jazz inflections and the Wilson's own East Coast vibe. On the (virtual) flip side is an RnB mix, under three minutes and completely laid back. Niiiiiice.

 

By the time Bandcamp Friday goes live, Powder Wax Vol. 1: Little Black Dress, a perfectly tailored new EP from Jesse Fahnestock will be on the catwalk. I was fortunate enough to get a sneak preview of the three-track single with these words from Jesse,

Got something new for you from my 10:40 alias (sort of). Going to start doing an occasional series of vocal house-ish tracks under the heading Powder Wax. This is the first attempt. The A-side is a pop/disco number - a bit out on a limb really, not sure how it will be received. The other two tracks are cosmic/dub versions that are more in my usual area. Anyway, maybe you'll find something to like.

There's no maybe about it. I can't be completely objective about this, as I've enjoyed everything that Jesse has produced in the last few years, but this delivers on several levels. If you've enjoyed Jesse's work as 10:40 and/or with Darren Bell as Jezebell then you will find much to enjoy here. If you're new, then this also serves as a great introduction/statement of intent.

There are three mixes available, the Original Fit, 10:40's Heavy Eyeliner Edit and the Undressing Dub. If forced to make a soundbite comparison, and partly because I've been listening to so much 1980s extended and dub mixes recently, I got a feel for Touched By The Hand Of God by New Order, with the 10:40 edit - intro especially - evoking Dancing On The Ceiling by Lionel Richie. I've seen the phrase 'future nostalgia' bandied around a lot but this seems a good application: music is forwarding thinking yet taps into a feeling of what has gone before.

 

All feature the vocal talents of London-based S.A.A.R.A aka Sara Belle, whose song Deliverance received the 10:40 dub treatment late last year. As usual, it's impossible for me to pick a favourite of the three mixes and why should I, when I can enjoy them all, all of the time? More please, Jesse.

Oh, and whilst the focus is on singles, a reminder that an early 2023 highlight was 10:40's Transition Theory album, released on Valentine's Day and available as a name your price download. You'd be bonkers not to.

Amadou & Mariam returned with Eclipse, their first album in three years, in December 2022 and they're back (again!) with a new song, My Sahel. Much as you'd expect, it's four and a half minutes of aural joy, with a killer bass line to boot. Now in their fifth decade of marriage and musical partnership, Amadou & Mariam continue to inspire and delight.

 

My Sahel also gives me an opportunity to once again plug the Sahel Sounds label, which celebrates each Bandcamp Friday by making their entire catalogue available as a name your price download. Lots of wonderful albums and compilations to choose from but sticking with the theme of this post, I'd also recommend the song/single Debbo by Andal Sukabe.

 

Set your reminders now!

God Save The Ing

...that is, if your thing is dancing, jigging, shaking or some other ing that involves moving, because the next hour and an a half is all about the beats. 

2023 has been a great year so far, musically speaking and as I hope this 14-track selection ably demonstrates. Several long-time favourites have returned with a vengeance: Cerrone, DJ Nature, A Man Called Adam and Four Tet; all delivering music as good as anything in their rich and varied catalogue. 

 

Others have done so in collaboration: Justin Robertson meets David Holmes' Unloved in the Temple Of Wonders; Telefís aka Cathal Coughlan (RIP) and Jacknife Lee holiday in Madrid with Howie B; Hifi Sean and David McAlmont take a dub excursion to another Happy Ending.

 

Some relatively recent discoveries continue to delight: Jezebell, Max Essa and Duncan Gray have all somehow managed to raise the bar with each successive release; how high can they go?

 

The rest are all artists that I've heard for the first time this year: Minus Yogis, Bárbara Boeing, Cee ElAssaad, DjClick and Masha Natanson; all very different, all worth further investigation.

Apart from Four Tet, I'm not sure if any of these artists will be troubling a stage at Glastonbury next week (though to be honest, my eyesight starting blurring after the tenth or eleventh scroll through the seemingly endless line-up page on their website). If they did though, I think they'd smash it.

 

1) A Part Of You (Club Mix): Cerrone

2) Follow Your Dreams: DJ Nature

3) Fruity Blues (Balearic Mix By Minus Yogis): Minus Yogis

4) It's Science Baby (Funkified): A Man Called Adam

5) Trading Places (6PM): Jezebell

6) Thrill Me (Justin Robertson's Temple Of Wonders Remix): Unloved

7) Short Haul: Duncan Gray

8) Beautiful (Hifi's Dub Excursion): Hifi Sean & David McAlmont

9) Baile Do Silêncio (Donald Dust Remix): Bárbara Boeing

10) Njalo (Full Length Version): Cee ElAssaad

11) Come Come The Rain (Club Mix): Max Essa ft. DC Mathias

12) Strawboy Supernova (Madrid Metal By Howie B): Telefís

13) Three Drums: Four Tet

14) 24022022 (Fluo Sobre RMX): DjClick & Masha Natanson

God Save The Ing (1:28:44) (Box) (Mega)