Loop Da Loop Da Loop

Side 1 of a mixtape, recorded sometime in 1999 and bringing another half dozen tracks with rolling beats and repetitive rhythms.

 

The selection starts off with Mark Pritchard reuniting with former Global Communication partner Tom Middleton for a remix/edit of the latter's Summer In Space, released in 1999 under his Cosmos moniker. It's a jazzy, syncopated saunter along the starways. 

 

The boys are back later on with one of their final releases as Global Communication, here remixed by DJ/artist Davidson Ospina, born and raised in Queens, New York and bringing some pulsing, insistent grooves to the floor.

 

Over in Washington DC, Jean-Phillippe Aviance and Victor Imbres aka Alcatraz take on Apollo 440's tribute to Gene Krupa. A cracking tune in it's original form, the remix stretches out the ride to nearly 11 minutes without missing a beat. 

Meanwhile in Europe... German duo Hardfloor meet Dutch duo Work for a meeting of the minds on 1995 single Mahogany Roots, with suitably explosive results.

Side 2 opens with Ben Watkins aka Juno Reactor, but his first appearance on this mixtape is as co-writer (with Wonder Schneider, one half of Secret Knowledge) of Traci Lords' 1994 single Control. Traci first gained notoriety in the adult film industry before moving into mainstream acting and then music, duetting with Manic Street Preachers in 1992 then releasing a solo album (produced by Watkins) called 1000 Fires a couple of years later. 

Bringing this side to a close in spectacular fashion is Leftfield with Afro Ride, as remix of Leftism album highlight Afro-Left and featuring Djum Djum, who they'd previously collaborated with on the 1990 single Difference. Afro Ride takes the original, takes it for a night on the tiles and ends up at a heaving club, nine minutes feeling like it could go on forever.

1) Summer In Space (Mark Pritchard Edit): Cosmos ft. David Laudat (1999)

2) Mahogany Roots (Work Remix By Olav Basoski & Erick Eerdhuijzen): Hardfloor (1995)

3) Krupa (Alcatraz Within The Joint Remix vs. @440) (Remix By Jean-Phillippe Aviance & Victor Imbres): Apollo 440 (1996)

4) The Way (Davidson Ospina Mix): Global Communication (1996)

5) Control (DJ E FX San Frandisco Dub): Traci Lords (1994)

6) Afro-Left (Afro Ride) (Remix By Neil Barnes & Paul Daley): Leftfield ft. Djum Djum (1995)

 

Side Two (45:31) (Box) (Mega)

Side One here

Heaven Leads To Hell

Side 2 of a mixtape, recorded 13th July 1997 and featuring a selection of 1990s favourites.

First appearance on this blog for German acid techno duo Hardfloor aka Oliver Bondzio and Ramon Zenker. Mr. Anderson was an early single on the Harthouse label, typical of the Hardfloor sound with hard beats and a chorus of Roland TB-303 bass synthesizers in the breakdown. 

 

Propellerheads aka Alex Gifford and Will White were everywhere in the mid-late 1990s, collaborating with Dame Shirley Bassey and composing the theme tune to The Graham Norton Show on Channel 4. They were also ubiquitous remixers and this, combined with Manic Street Preachers' James Dean Bradfield on vocals, helped (excuse the pun) propel Lopez by 808 State to #20 in the UK singles chart in February 1997.

A Man Called Adam aka Sally Rodgers and Steve Jones called in another duo, Glasgow heavyweights Slam aka Stuart MacMillan and Order Meikle, to remix Bread, Love And Dreams from their debut album The Apple. The sleeve of the single features Sally Rodgers' arse but there's not a single bum note (sorry, no more puns) in this remix.

 

I bought the 12" single of Sincere / 3-Wheel Crash by Robin Reliant for the sole reason that it was on the Finiflex label and it turned out to be a safe bet. Robin Hickman is joined on The Unstable Mix of the latter by John Vick and Fred Parsons aka Mr. Samples and Phunky Torso for ten minutes of progressive house, which really hits the spot.

 

Bumble were an early 1990s act that sought to marry club beats with traditional Irish music. 1992's West In Motion was released on U2's Mother label (yes, really). It caught the attention of Andrew Weatherall who provided an epic twelve minute remix, which itself laid the groundwork for his subsequent and equally epic remix of Peace Together with Sabres Of Paradise. The original cassette compilation featured Bumble's own club mix of the track, featuring Breda Mayock on vocals. I've swapped it here, mainly because I haven't ripped the 12" single in full but also because it gives me an excuse to include an alternative Weatherall mix, which appeared on a white label 12" and the CD single. 

 

Rounding things off is System 7 aka Steve Hillage and Miquette Giraudy, with the lush synth-rinsed breakbeats of Interstate, as remixed by Doc Scott. I'm a huge fan of System 7 and the duo's ongoing thirst for collaboration with contemporary artists. Simultaneously urgent and calming, this mix of Interstate is eight minutes but could have stretched to at least twice the length and not outstayed it's welcome. 

1) Mr. Anderson: Hardfloor (1994)

2) Lopez (Hard On) (A Progressive Mix By The Propellerheads): 808 State ft. James Dean Bradfield (1997)

3) Bread, Love And Dreams (Slam Mix): A Man Called Adam (1992)

4) 3-Wheel Crash (The Unstable Mix): Robin Reliant (1993)

5) West In Motion (Andrew Weatherall Drum Mix): Bumble (1992)

6) Interstate (Doc Scott Mix): System 7 (1995)

Side Two (46:55) (Box) (Mega)