It Smells Like Something Set Apart From Time

After yesterday's preemptive start to my favourites of 2021, here is a selection of my most played songs of 2021 so far. Anything released post-September will be at a disadvantage simply because they've been available for repeated listens for relatively less time. Even so, it was still hard to whittle down to an even dozen. 

 

Opening with Andy Bell, the preview/pre-release from the Another View remix album and arguably the standout track. Brian Dougans & Garry Cobain have delighted with another subscription-only 'Calendar' album this year, with an exclusive new or archive track each month; May's FSOL offering was a particular highlight. The Limiñanas collaborative album with Laurent Garnier was excellent and I especially love this penultimate track featuring Bertrand Belin. Hifi Sean's re-remix of Fire Island's 1998 cover of The Style Council's Shout To The Top is arguably the new definitive version of the song. 

 

Kelsey Lu has been an enduring favourite of the past couple of years and their collaboration with Boys Noize was accompanied by a stunning animated video. Jane Weaver released one of the best albums of the year with Flock, as did The Anchoress with The Art Of Losing. I first heard of Dan Wainwright this year via his Hope & Deliverance EP and Feel was a winner, as was Joe Muggs' mash-up of Lorde's Solar Power & Primal Scream's Loaded with the appropriately named Lorded. Long-time fave Ladyhawke made a mighty comeback with Guilty Love featuring Broods and yet another great video. 

 

The Orb had dropped off my radar for some years but Adam @ Bagging Area pulled them front and centre with a brilliant remix by Gaudi, as a taster for their excellent remix album. Rounding things off, my favourite song from probably my favourite album of the year by John Grant, who I managed to miss live on stage this year, making for a record four times. 2021 was a great year for music, but on this basis 2022 will surely be even better.

1) Indica (Pye Corner Audio Remix – GLOK Re-Edit): Andy Bell

2) Ride Or Die (Single Version): Boys Noize ft. Kelsey Lu & Chilly Gonzales

3) Fledgling Sun: The Future Sound Of London

4) Au Début C'était Le Début: The Limiñanas / Laurent Garnier ft. Bertrand Belin

5) Sunset Dreams: Jane Weaver

6) Shout To The Top (Hifi Sean Mix): Fire Island ft. Loleatta Holloway

7) Feel: Dan Wainwright

8) Lorded (Lorde v. Primal Scream): Joe Muggs

9) Show Your Face: The Anchoress

10) Guilty Love: Ladyhawke & Broods

11) Ital Orb (Gaudi Remix (Iron Chair) By Daniele Gaudi): The Orb

12) The Rusty Bull (Album Version): John Grant

It Smells Like Something Set Apart From Time (1:03:43)

Keep Your Loving Warmer

In contrast to last week's summer washout mix, the beautiful blue sky weekend has inspired this week's 90 minute mix of blissed beats and summer sounds.

 

1) Asteroid ('Pearl & Dean Present' Theme): Pete Moore (1968)

2) Shout To The Top (Hifi Sean Mix): Fire Island ft. Loleatta Holloway (2021)

3) Lagrimas De San Lorenzo (Massivan Upcycled Remix): Chris Coco & George Solar (2021)

4) Forgive & Forget (Isabella 'Machine' Summers Remix): The Kooks (2015)

5) Indica (Pye Corner Audio Remix – GLOK Re-Edit): Andy Bell (2021)

6) Cosmorama: Beautify Junkyards (2020)

7) ¿Que Tal America? (Mericana Mix): A Man Called Adam (1996)

8) Intergalactic You, Intergalatic Me: Troubleman (2005)

9) Electric Blues (Full Length): The Soup Dragons (1991)

10) Feel: Dan Wainwright (2021)

11) Murphy's Law (Extended Mix): Róisín Murphy (2020)

12) This Rhythm (Fred Falke Remix - Radio Edit): Filthy Dukes ft. Samuel Dust (2009)

13) Inner Flight (FakeID In Outer Space Mix): Primal Scream (2005)

14) Alive: Hanni El Khatib (2020)

15) Touch Me With Your Love (Instrumental Version By Two Lone Swordsmen aka Andrew Weatherall & Keith Tenniswood): Beth Orton (1997)

16) Do Do Do: Mike Polizze (2020)

 

Keep Your Loving Warmer (1:30:19)
 

Shout To The Top

This came out earlier this month, but it was put on my radar by the ever brilliant The Vinyl Villian music blog. JC's post highlights Hifi Sean, perhaps better known by people of a certain age and musical persuastion as Sean Dickson, lead singer with The Soup Dragons. This time around, he's completely rebuilt and remixed a cover version of The Style Council 80s classic, originally released by Fire Island in 1998 and featuring disco diva Loleatta Holloway (also infamous for the belting sample that drove 1989's Ride On Time by Black Box).

 

When you've got Paul Weller, Pete Heller & Terry Farley (Boy's Own), Loleatta Holloway and Hifi Sean in the mix, you really can't go wrong. There are three Hifi Sean mixes, all on YouTube and all worth a listen to brighten up your day.

 

I'd highly recommend checking out Hifi Sean's other music too, especially his 2016 album Ft., which is truly brilliant. Big thanks to JC @ The Vinyl Villian for opening my ears.

 

Hifi Sean on Bandcamp

Fire Island / Farley & Heller on Bandcamp