All Guerilla, No Filla

The Guerilla record label shone briefly but oh so brightly. Launched in 1990 by William Orbit and Richard O'Dell aka Disc O'Dell, it ran until 1994 (although it was 2003 before the company was formally dissolved).

The sight of the custom camouflage 12" single designed by Steven Cook - sometimes in blue, sometimes in green - in the record rack was a happy moment, a guarantee of quality locked in the grooves.

Guerilla was instrumental in bringing progressive house music to a wider audience and in particular introducing me to artists such as Spooky, D.O.P. and React 2 Rhythm, who have remained required listening ever since. 

William Orbit debuted Bassomatic (or Bass-o-matic, if you prefer) on the Guerilla before a deal with Virgin Records beckoned, and released the seminal Water From A Vine Leaf, featuring Beth Orton and remixes from Spooky and Underworld. An edit of the original version closes this selection.

Spooky and Underworld teamed up for a classic remix of the former's single Schmoo, getting today's mixtape off to a rousing start. 

Spooky make three further appearances, firstly remixing Jo Bogaert (the brains behind Technotronic) and The Chameleon Project aka D.O.P. aka Kevin Hurry and Kevin Swain. 

There's also Persuasion, their frankly stunning collaboration with Billie Ray Martin on the Throbbing Gristle song, with D.O.P. returning the favour on remix duties.

D.O.P. (Dance Only Productions, if you were wondering) released two volumes of Musicians Of The Mind, which don't get the attention and respect afforded to contemporary albums by Underworld, Orbital or Fluke, but were must-have purchases at the time and still hold up, thirty years on.

Speaking of Orbital, they dub up early Drum Club single Alchemy, whilst Glasgow legends Slam soup up Supereal.

I could go on about the rest of the selection, the glaringly obvious omissions, the expertly curated compilations that Guerilla issued in those golden years. Instead, I'll just point you to the music for the next 87 minutes. I'd love to hear what you think.

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

2) Go Getta Nutha Man (The Whole Shabang Mix By Phil Kelsey): Bassomatic ft. Divine & Glory B (1991)

3) I Still Want Ya (Nooshty Mix By Lisa Loud & Mat Clark): Outer Mind (1992)

4) Ooh La La (Album Version): D.O.P. (1993)

5) Your Face In My Mind (Pat Pong Ghekko Blast Mix By William Orbit): Lizzie Tear (1990)

6) Rhythm Addiction (Lea Bridge Road Mix By Sugar J. & F.C. Harmony): React 2 Rhythm (1990)

7) Alchemy (Phasers On Dub Mix By Orbital): Drum Club ft. Kate Holmes (1993)

8) Water (Spooky's Heavy Water Mix): Jo Bogaert (1994)

9) Feel (Spooky Remix (Part 1)): The Chameleon Project (1993)

10) Persuasion (D.O.P. Mix) (Cover of Throbbing Gristle): Billie Ray Martin & Spooky (1993)

11) United State Of Love (The Slam Remix): Supereal ft. Janet Cofie (1992)

12) Fight Back (Rootsman Version By Digidub aka Lee Berwick): The Moody Boys (1994)

13) Water From A Vine Leaf (Album Edit): William Orbit ft. Beth Orton (1993)

1990: Rhythm Addiction EP: 6

1990: Your Face In My Mind EP: 5

1991: Go Getta Nutha Man EP: 2

1992: I Still Want Ya EP: 3

1992: United State Of Love EP: 11

1993: Alchemy EP: 7

1993: Guerilla Remix EP: At The Moment Of Impact: 9

1993: Musicians Of The Mind Volume 2: 4

1993: Persuasion EP: 10

1993: Schmoo EP: 1

1994: Recycled EP: 12

1994: Water EP: 8

2003: Pass In Time: The Definitive Collection: 13

All Guerilla, No Filla (1:26:54) (GD) (M)

There's Always Help, If You Know Where To Look

Side 1 of a mixtape, recorded sometime in 1998. 

 

If it's Tuesday, it must be time for trance, with four epic slabs of sonic bliss. I posted side 2 back in February 2022, commenting that I'd discovered the track listing whilst sorting through a box of paperwork, the original C90 long since lost or given away. 

 

Starting things off is one of the best remixes that Underworld ever produced, Sound System by Drum Club stretched out over nearly 12 minutes with vocals from Wonder Schneider dropping in. 

Visions Of Shiva aka Cosmic Baby and Paul Van Dyk up next with a remix of L'Esperanza that ups the ante (and the tempo). The first Sven Väth record that I ever bought, fact fans.

The video for Liquid Cool by Apollo 440 was featured here in May, along with a YouTube posting of the 2CD single release with 9 - count 'em, 9 - mixes. Here's one of 'em, the 14-minute Space Colonization by Rhythm Of Space.

Finally, Suzuki K1 aka Keiichi Suzuki with Satellite Serenad, which I originally bought on CD without hearing a note, as it included a couple of remixes by The Orb which was reason enough to buy back in 1994. This version also came as a pair with - you guessed it - the Sunday Mix, both by Ryoji Oba and Simon Posford. All good, but I don't think I've heard any of Suzuki's music apart from this one song.

 

1) Sound System (Underworld Mix By Darren Emerson & Rick Smith): Drum Club ft. Wonder (1993)

2) L'Esperanza (Hope Will Move Mountains Mix By Visions Of Shiva aka Harald Blüchel & Paul Van Dyk): Sven Väth (1993)

3) Liquid Cool (Space Colonization Remix By Rhythm Of Space aka Steve Musham, Simon Lord & Jonathan Podmore): Apollo 440 (1994)

4) Satellite Serenade (Saturday Mix (With Japanese It's All Right Song) By Oba & Simon Posford): Suzuki K1 (1994)

 

Side Two (45:37) (KF) (Mega)

Side One here

Celebrate The Drum

I'll confess straight up that I remember very little about this night, other than I had a really, really good time. It was my second and last Megadog gig, with Drum Club and Finitribe headlining. My first was in Derby, around March 1994 and fronted by Transglobal Underground and Banco De Gaia. 

Drum Club were on fire at this point, having just dropped second album Drums Are Dangerous, following debut Everything Is Now and seminal single Sound System. Finitribe had released An Unexpected Groovy Treat in 1992 and I'm guessing will have been showcasing tracks from their follow-up Sheigra, which followed in 1995; I recall lead single Brand New getting an airing. 

 

Setlist has been unfortunately unable to fill in the blanks on this occasion, so I've instead opted for a handful of tracks from Drum Club and Finitribe, circa 1993-1994. I've intentionally left off the Underworld mix of Sound System for a future post and the Andrew Weatherall mixes of 101 as they've featured here previously. In between, you get a clutch of remixes that appeared on singles and electronica/dance compilations. Not your typical Sunday fare, but a good way to dispel the November gloom (on this island, at least).

1) Brand New (Tip-Top Tune): Finitribe (1994)

2) Sound System (Dub Me Crazy): Drum Club ft. Wonder (1993)

3) Drums Are Dangerous (Stand And Fight Mix): Drum Club ft. Maxine Harvey (1994)

4) Monster In The House (Monster Mutley Medley): Finitribe ft. Mutley & The Gang (1993)

5) De-Lushed (Stars Above The Campfire Mix): Drum Club (1994)

6) Follow The Sun (Remix): Drum Club ft. Kate Holmes & Wonder (1993)

7) 101.93: Finitribe (1993)

 

1993: Monster In The House EP: 4, 7

1993: Sound System EP: 2 

1993: Trance Europe Express: 6

1994: Brand New EP: 1 

1994: Survival 2000: 5

1994: Taking Liberties: 3

 

Celebrate The Drum (49:54)