Is It Obvious? Or Is It Delirium?

Last Sunday's post summed up some of the great music in 2025 so far and tomorrow will complete the 25 For 25 set.

That selection has focused on what I would loosely describe as 'alternative' music, whereas I have featured several selections this year that are more electronic / beats based.

And there's so much of it, I can't keep up, to be honest. Exhibit A: another 90-minute, 15 song pick that refuses to be pigeonholed.

There is something of a nostalgic feel to this one. The All Seeing I have released an expanded version on their 1999 album Pickled Eggs And Sherbert, including 4 reworkings by founder member Richard Barratt aka Crooked Man, which you can also buy as a standalone EP. Of course I had to pick 1st Man In Space featuring living legend Phil Oakey.

Phil's in good company. The following song La Musica was originally released in 2014 by Munk and re-released this year as a collaboration with Kapote...although they are one and the same person, Mathias Modica. The version here features George Kranz, heavily incorporating his 1983 song Din Daa Daa.

Oh, and Yoko Ono pops up in the next song by the brilliant Jezebell,  Dub Narcotic Sound System's 1994 single Fuck Shit Up gets a makeover by hi-falutin' Hifi Sean and you'll hear a familiar snippet of Peter Fonda amongst the guess-the-sample offering by Follytechnic Music Library aka Paul Southgate. Paul's seemingly unstoppable output of edits and mash-ups deserves a post of its own. I must get to it.

It's not all reflective, though. If you've been following this blog all year, you will have twigged that I like Airsine's Like Fire EP. I mean, a lot. Three of the four versions have now appeared on 2025 round-up selections, so I guess I'd better save the remaining one for the 'best of the year' round up.

senses appear for the second time in a week with the same song. The original 'indie' version has a charm all of its own, but there was no way I was leaving out Andy Bell's GLOK remix. 

Likewise, Let Yourself Go by Una Camille & Dr. No (well, Richard Norris in disguise actually) popped up previously with one of his own remixes, but I had to make room here for the super Acid Mix by Leo Zero. 

Leo's been pretty busy himself this year, as I found to my (literal) cost last Bandcamp Friday, so there will be more from him here soon. 

Other gifts that keep giving since their release are albums by Hifi Sean and David McAlmont and 100 Poems aka Mike Wilson. Hugo Nicholson is in a real purple patch at the moment, Pete Bones too, here with a remix of Nick Hook for a charity fundraiser EP.

Relatively recent discoveries are Greendoxyn (here with Lyubava), via the ever reliable NEIN Records label,  and London duo Mermaid Chunky, who I found via their collaboration with Orbury Common in 2022.

Rounding things out is sLEdger, who got my attention with an excellent remix of Fluke in 2024, and have kept it with some top notch and brilliantly titled releases. Trippy Ass God Funk indeed.

Please come back on Sunday for more 2025 highlights.

1) 1st Crooked Man In Space (Remix By Richard Barratt): The All Seeing I ft. Phil Oakey (Return Of The Crooked Cat EP)

2) La Musica (Din Daa Daa Version): Munk & Kapote ft. George Kranz (La Musica EP)

3) Turn It Yes: Jezebell (Jezebellearic Beats Volume 2)

4) Like Fire (Single Version): Airsine (Like Fire EP)

5) Spanner: Hugo Nicolson (Black Stick EP)

6) have you ever had a broken heart? (Andy Bell/GLOK Remix): senses (have you ever had a broken heart? EP)

7) Sleeping Pill (Album Version): Hifi Sean & David McAlmont (Twilight)

8) Waiting For An Angel: Greendoxyn & Lyubava (Waiting For An Angel EP)

9) Viva Palestina (Pete Bones Remix): Nick Hook (Viva Palestina (Dance For Peace Remixes) EP)

10) chaperone (Peach's 2Good 2Be Remix): Mermaid Chunky (chaperone EP)

11) Fuck Shit Up (Hifi Sean Mix): Dub Narcotic Sound System (Fuck Shit Up EP)

12) Let The Horse Run Free: 100 Poems (Let The Horse Run Free)

13) Surfer Man Got Loaded: Follytechnic Music Library (FML25 Baggy Ravers 3)

14) Let Yourself Go (Leo Zero Acid Mix): Una Camille & Dr No (Let Yourself Go EP)

15) Trippy Ass God Funk: sLEdger (Funk From The Portal EP)

Is It Obvious? Or Is It Delirium? (1:30:45) (GD) (M)

And if you missed the previous 2025 So Far selections...

28th March: It's A Glamorous World 

11th May: Doused In Dopamine

4th July: Staring Into Air

Staring Into Air

Time for another round up of tunes and beats that have been lodged in my brain this year.

A brisk run through of seven songs in forty-four minutes, some tracks featured previously albeit in different mixes, some more recently purchased, all pressing my buttons.

If you like what you hear, go buy! Links below.

Happy Friday, everyone!

1) Little Fluffy Clouds (Ambience Of Coconut Mix): The Orb (Feed Your Head! The Second Course: 15 Mind Altering Classics (Mojo magazine promo CD))

2) Like Fire (The Machine Soul Morning Chord Mix By Robert Folkesson): Airsine (Like Fire EP)

3) KGLW (GIFT Remix) Pt. 3: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard (KGLW (GIFT Extended Rave Remix) EP)

4) Field Of Dreams (Rude Audio Remix By Mark Ratcliff): Hugo Nicolson (Field Of Dreams EP)

5) Mystery (Dub Mix): Kapote ft. Guinny (Mystery EP)

6) Love Filter (Strings Of Love): Kito Jempere (New Life EP)

7) Lazy Arc One (Rework By Gaudi): Roedelius, Story, Gaudi (Lazy Arc One EP)

Staring Into Air (44:17) (GD) (M)

Doused In Dopamine

Another round up of 2025 highlights so far, this time focusing on the electronic end of the musical spectrum.

I posted my first review in March and only one of the ten artists featured then reappears in today's selection. No surprise to find that it's 10:40 aka Jesse Fahnestock, with the flip side of his excellent Powder Wax Vol. 2 EP. 

A few surprises: it was a delight to discover that Montjuïc are James Hackett and Ian Carmichael, old buddies from The Orchids, the latter also delivering era-defining music with One Dove. 

Not only that, but the remix is by Cold War Cowboys, who happen to be Martin Watkins, long-time Marc Almond collaborator, and Phil Bloomberg, bass player with The Polecats.

But I've saved the best 'til last, with a beautiful dub-infused remix by Matias Aguayo of Lucrecia Dalt's Cosa Rara, with a spoken word vocal from none other than David Sylvian, who also co-wrote, played guitar and produced the song. A real "how did she do that?!" moment.

1) Dagger (Radio Edit By Charlotte Caluwaerts & Reinhard Vanbergen): Charlotte & Reinhard (Dagger EP)

2) Falling (What Time Is Love?) (Tronik Youth Remix By Neil Parnell): Blavatsky & Tolley ft. Gene Serene (Falling (What Time Is Love?) EP)

3) Field Of Dreams (Hardway Bros Cosmic Interpolation Mix By Sean Johnston): Hugo Nicolson (Field Of Dreams EP)

4) The Third Wave: Matt Gunn (Nowhere EP)

5) We're All Gonna Hurt (Extended Vocal): Le Carousel ft. Jolene O’Hara & Jess Brien (We're All Gonna Hurt EP)

6) Let's Change (Cold War Cowboys Remix By Martin Watkins & Phil Bloomberg): Montjuïc (Let's Change EP)

7) Miracle Me: 10:40 (Powder Wax Vol. 2 EP)

8) Popolina 90: Follytechnic Music Library vs. Pop Will Eat Itself (FML25 Baggy Ravers 3)

9) Like Fire (A Space Age Freak Out Remix By John Paynter & Ben Lewis): Airsine (Like Fire EP)

10) Cosa Rara (Matias Aguayo's Dopamine Dub): Lucrecia Dalt ft. David Sylvian (Cosa Rara EP)

Doused In Dopamine (1:00:09) (GD) (M)

You can find my previous 2025 selection, It's A Glamorous World, right here.

As If All This Would Do, When All We Want To Have Is Fun

A double celebration today, and an excuse (not that any is needed) for an hour of Andrew Weatherall.

Lady K will see this as further evidence of my ongoing stumble into irrelevance and decrepitude, but somehow another year has passed and I enter my 54th year on this swirling, twirling, constantly confounding and exciting plane of existence. 

 

Also, a slightly belated cheer for this here blog, which first emerged blinking into the artificial light of the blogoverse on 7th December 2020. Thanks to all those who have joined the ride along the way, and continue to inspire and encourage me. 

I've created loads of Andrew Weatherall selections in the past four years, and yet there's so much to choose from that it's still relatively easy to come up with a mix of music (or versions) that hasn't featured on this blog before. In fact, I was convinced that several of today's tracks had appeared here, but with one very deliberate exception, as far as I can tell, it's first time for all of the rest.

All eight songs are Andrew remixing other artists, not quite going back to the very beginning but starting relatively early in 1991 and going right to one of the very last remixes that he produced, before his passing in 2020. 

By accident not design, I've inadvertantly skipped any of the remixes Andrew did with Keith Tenniswood as Two Lone Swordsmen or Timothy J. Fairplay as The Asphodells, but there are other collaborations here: The Sabres Of Paradise (of course) with Jagz Kooner and Gary Burns, plus David Harrow and Hugo Nicolson.

 

David Holmes is another inevitable inclusion; the instrumental mix of I Heard Wonders has previously appeared, here is Weatherall's full vocal version. Holmes has been a key figure in keeping the Weatherall flame burning and embodying the same spirit of curiosity, adventure and inclusion that typified The Guv'nor's approach to his craft.

 

Andrew previously remixed Jungle Bill by Yello in the early 1990s, and returned over twenty years later to refashion Frautonium. 

 

It was common for Andrew to deliver multiple versions in one go: Ohm's Tribal Tone got three, Sleeper by Audioweb got two, as did Son Sur Son by The Venetians. Value for money would be an understatement, none of the remixes were ever 'dialled in' and each has a character of their own.

 

One Dove and Andrew Weatherall were inextricably linked on their early singles and monumental debut, Morning Dove White. There are lots of mixes of Fallen, but the Nancy & Lee Mix was so epic that it was adapted for inclusion on the album.

 

I started this blog in 2020 with 50@50, a series of Dubhed selections, charting key songs from 1970 to 2020, each 'side' covering roughly 5 years. Andrew Weatherall dominated the 1990-1994 selection, with 3 of the 5 tracks being his remixes of Primal Scream, Finitribe and the Nancy & Lee Mix of Fallen by One Dove.

 

On 11th December 2020, I pulled all of the sides together and sequenced them together into an epic four-hour selection. So, to celebrate four years to the day since Fallen (Nancy & Lee Mix) by One Dove and Andrew Weatherall appeared on this blog, here it is again to close out today's selection.

 

Less self-promotion and more (of the usual) nonsense tomorrow.

1) The Drum (12" Mix By Andrew Weatherall & Hugo Nicolson) (Cover of Slapp Happy): The Impossibles (1991)

2) Tribal Tone (Sabres Mix #1 By Sabres Of Paradise aka Andrew Weatherall, Jagz Kooner & Gary Burns): Ohm (1993)

3) I Heard Wonders (Andrew Weatherall Vocal Mix): David Holmes (2008)

4) Frautonium (Battery) (Remix by Andrew Weatherall): Yello (2017)

5) Sleeper (Emissions No.5) (Remix By Andrew Weatherall & David Harrow): Audioweb (1995)

6) Son Sur Son (A.W. Edition Due) (Remix By Andrew Weatherall): The Venetians (2020)

7) Sweet Love For Planet Earth (Andrew Weatherall Remix): Fuck Buttons (2008)

8) Fallen (Nancy & Lee Mix By Andrew Weatherall & One Dove): One Dove (1992) 

 

All We Want To Have Is Fun (58:54) (KF) (Mega)

Believe (For Adam And Andrew)

Over at Bagging Area for the past six months, it's been Weatherall Remix Friday, a veritable treasure trove of deep cuts and 'lost' classics from the mighty Lord Sabre.

As a tribute and thank you to Swiss Adam and Andrew Weatherall, here's a 65-minute excursion on the version, some early(ish) favourites from 1990 to 1993 with an additional tip of the hat to Jagz Kooner, Gary Burns and Hugo Nicholson.

Apologies for the shonky quality of some of the vinyl rips (not all mine) and the slipshod segues (all mine), hopefully compensated in part by the great tunes and smattering of audio Easter eggs, courtesy of this excellent 2013 interview with Mr. Weatherall.

Peace and love to you all.

 

1) Imperfect List (Unlisted Version By Andrew Weatherall & Hugo Nicolson): Big Hard Excellent Fish (1990)

2) What It Is (Ain't Losin Control) (The Big Bottom End Mix By Andrew Weatherall): Word Of Mouth ft. Linda Love (1990)

3) Regret (Sabres Slow 'n' Lo - Dub Half) (Remix By Sabres Of Paradise aka Andrew Weatherall, Jagz Kooner & Gary Burns): New Order (1993)

4) Everything (Everything's Gone Quiet Remix By The Sabres Of Paradise aka Andrew Weatherall, Jagz Kooner & Gary Burns): Stereo MC's (1993)

5) Transient Truth (Death Of A Disco Dancer) (Remix By The Sabres Of Paradise aka Andrew Weatherall, Jagz Kooner & Gary Burns): One Dove (1992)

6) Fall (Let There Be Drums) (Andrew Weatherall Mix): Deep Joy (1990)

7) Come Home (Skunk Weed Skank Mix By Andrew Weatherall): James (1991)

8) Find 'Em, Fool 'Em, Forget 'Em (The Eighth Out Mix By Andrew Weatherall): S'Express (1991)

9) Shine Like Stars (Andrew Weatherall Remix): Primal Scream (1990)

Believe (For Adam And Andrew) (1:04:55) (KF) (Mega)

Isaac

Isaac Turner: 23rd November 1998- 30th November 2021.

 

Isaac Turner is the son of Adam, creator of the wonderful Bagging Area music blog. Isaac tested positive for COVID-19 on 24th November, the day after his 23rd birthday, and sadly passed on 30th November. His funeral is today.

 

Isaac fought for life from day one. He lived with a Mucopolysaccharide (MPS) condition called Hurler's Disease. He spent the first week of his life in intensive care and subsequently experienced bone marrow transplants, chemotherapy and a destroyed immune system as a consequence. Other effects of the condition included deafness, learning difficulties, physical disabilities and a short life expectancy. I was completely ignorant of this condition until I discovered Adam's blog and read his moving, funny, raw, painful and uplifting tales about Isaac and his family.

 

The past couple of years living with a pandemic has been tough for everyone, but especially so for Adam and his family. They went over and above every day to keep their son and themselves safe. COVID-19 is a cruel disease and it's heartbreaking that it took Isaac in this way.

 

Today is Isaac's funeral and also an opportunity to celebrate his life. To quote Adam, "Isaac faced more challenges and difficulties than most people do [but] He loved life and it showed in everything he did."

 

Adam is a huge fan of Andrew Weatherall, who sadly passed in 2020. His musical partner Nina Walsh has set up a JustGiving page and also an auction of some unique Weatherall-related items, all proceeds going to The MPS Society as a tribute to Isaac and his wonderful family. 

 

My thoughts and love are with with Adam, Lou and Eliza today as they celebrate the life of this incredible young man.

 

xxxx 

 

 

 

 

JustGiving page for The Society For Mucopolysaccharide Diseases (The MPS Society)

 

Woodleigh Research Facility (Nina Walsh & Andrew Weatherall) fundraising auction in memory of Isaac

 

Bagging Area

 

Shine Like Stars: Primal Scream (1991) 

My Converse Look Like They've Had A Hard Life

There has been so much good music coming out this year and the monthly Bandcamp Friday has seen me splurging on a regular basis. I'm still immersing myself in purchases from the last few months, but here are a dozen gems. Amongst them are a couple of nods to my birthplace (the Slack Alice compilation and James Dyer aka Chez De Milo), a couple of legendary producers delivering the goods (Dennis Bovell & Hugo Nicolson) and artists that I've belatedly discovered this year (SAULT, Rheinzand, Dan Wainwright, Andres Y Xavi). 

1) I Hope You Die A Painful Death: Fever 103° (from Slack Alice: 5th Birthday Compilation)

2) You From London: SAULT ft. Little Simz (from 'NINE')

3) Tres Freak: Gene Kennedy & Matt Prehn (from The Wild Army Vol.5 EP)

4) Strange World (Richard Sen Remix): Rheinzand (from Remix EP 1)

5) Spandau Mechanix: Bad Tracking (from Slack Alice: 5th Birthday Compilation)

6) All I Have Known (Dan Wainwright & Massey Remix): Super FU (from Cocoons EP)

7) Swanky Modes (Dennis Bovell Mix): JARV IS... (from Swanky Modes (Dennis Bovell Mixes) EP)

8) Bushwa (Smagghe & Cross Version By Ivan Smagghe & Rupert Cross): Chez De Milo (from Bushwa EP)

9) Railton Ruckus (Hugo Nicolson Remix): Rude Audio (from Railton Ruckus EP)

10) The Disco Dragger: Wet Signals (from Wet Signals EP)

11) Sparking Plugs (Hardway Bros Sueno Cosmico Remix): Deo'Jorge (from Robotic Souls EP)

12) Walking In The Sun (Coyote Higher Vibration Remix): Andres Y Xavi ft. Rolo McGinty (from Walking In The Sun EP)

 

My Converse Look Like They've Had A Hard Life (1:17:49)
 

Wise Up!

Side 2 of a mixtape, recorded December 1991 to January 1992. I'd clearly recently bought Keeping The Faith: A Creation Dance Compilation, as it features heavily on both sides. I'd also taken delivery of a box of stuff that I'd picked up during my short time living and working in Perth, which I'd packaged and shipped home via sea- and land-mail services at the end of my year in Australia. I think it took about three months to reach me but it was like an early Christmas, especially the small selection of vinyl that I'd bought over there. The Soft Cell and Cabaret Voltaire tracks definitely came from that shipment. The Julian Cope track was the third of a trilogy of Hugo Nicolson remixes, this one in a lovely picture disc in yellow packaging. A bastard to store without damaging, especially with the number of short-term rents and constant moves I had in the 1990s, it has to be said. Very few of these songs could be found on the college jukebox or were being played out in the clubs that I was going to at the time. I was probably going to the wrong clubs...

 

1) Philly (Jamorphous Mix): Fluke (1990)

2) Time Beats (Album Version): Cabaret Voltaire ft. Lorita Grahame (1990)

3) Acid Love (Original Mix By Adam & Eve): The Beloved (1988) 

4) Memorabilia (12" Version By Daniel Miller): Soft Cell (1981)

5) Hypnotonic (Promo 12" Version): Hypnotone ft. Carlos (2 Supreme) (1991)

6) Heed: Of Penetration And The City Dweller (Head Remix By Hugo Nicolson): Julian Cope (1991)

7) Repetition (Dub): Tackhead (1990)

8) W.F.L. (The Vince Clarke Mix): Happy Mondays (1989)

 

Side Two (45:49)

 

You Think It's Cool

It's at least a couple of weeks since there was a Julian Cope post, so here we are. In complete contrast to last month's Urban Head Musics, this selection features 13 songs, all (bar one) under 3 minutes, wrapping up the whole album in just over half an hour. Nice.

 

Side One (17:00)

1) Fa-Fa-Fa-Fine (1992)

2) Baby, Let's Play Vet (1995)

3) No Hard Shoulder To Cry On (1992)

4) Unisex Cathedral (1990)

5) At The Start Of A Season (2018)

6) Robert Mitchum (1989)

7) Adam & Eve Hit The Road (1995)

Side Two (16:45)

1) Easter Everywhere (1988)

2) Head (Album Version) (1991)

3) You.... (Album Version) (1991)

4) No How, No Why, No Way, No Where, No When (1989)

5) London Underground (1993)

6) Road Of Dreams (1995)

A1,A3 taken from Jehovahkill

A2 taken from Try, Try, Try EP 

A4 taken from Droolian

A5 taken from Skellington 3

A6,B4 taken from Skellington

A7,B6 taken from 20 Mothers 

B1 taken from My Nation Underground

B2,B3 taken from Peggy Suicide

B5 taken from Skellington 2 

 

Side One (17:00) (KF) (Mega)

Side Two (16:45) (KF) (Mega)
 

Praying To The Skies...!

Side 1 of a mixtape, originally recorded 20th July 1992. 
 

1) In Yer Face (In Yer Face Mix): 808 State (1991) 

2) Don't Walk Away (Remixed By Cabaret Voltaire & Parrot): Cabaret Voltaire (1991)

3) Cascades (Hypnotone Mix By Tony Martin) (Edit): Sheer Taft ft. Ingrid Kudos (1990)

4) Nothing (Has Been Proved Mix By Chad Jackson): Frazier Chorus (1990)

5) Don't Fight It, Feel It (Scat Mix By Andrew Weatherall & Hugo Nicolson): Primal Scream ft. Denise Johnson (1991)

6) Let's Go To Bed (Milk Mix By Mark Saunders): The Cure (1990)

7) Freedom Fighters (Praying By The Sea Mix): System 7 ft. Aniff Cousins, Monday Michiru & Zoë (1991)

Side One (45:03)