A Conversation With That Little Devil On Your Shoulder

Iraina Mancini returned with a single and video, Running For Your Life, at the beginning of February and it's another gorgeous slice of dramatic pop, with lush cinematic production and sumptuous vocals.

I was introduced to Iraina's music pretty much this time last year via a couple of remixes of songs from her debut album, Undo The Blue. The title track was reanimated by Beyond The Wizards Sleeve aka Erol Alkan and Richard Norris, whilst Sugar High had been remixed in 2023 by Saint Etienne. 

With artists like that involved, you expect top quality but even so, both remixes are superb.

  

Which inevitably lead back to Undo The Blue the album, issued on Pete Paphides' rather wonderful Needle Mythology label. Ten songs brimming with confidence, poise and hooks, to the extent that you'd be forgiven for thinking that this is Iraina's second or third album. No first release nerves here, this is an accomplished and satisfying debut.

Here are a couple of examples: 

 

And, after that satisfying feast, for dessert, Undo The Blue in French.

And, to finish, Iraina performing Undercover, Wild Runaways and Deep End at Buffalo Studios in London, in 2021. 

  

 

Waiting For The Time To Come

Even now and then, I do a mix on the fly that lands just so, really hitting the sweet spot. I like to think I've managed it again today with a 63-minute selection of songs that have come out in the first half of 2024.

I say this every year, but it's been a bloody good year for music. If there's ever a moment when you think you've heard it all before and there's nothing to lift the spirits, along comes something to dissolve that cynicism. My longlist was at least twice as long as the 11 songs that made the final selection. I love every second of it and I hope you do too.

Fluke's surprise comeback this year was a delight, not least with the release of the, well, insanely beautiful single Insanely Beautiful. All of the mixes are worth your time, but I have been obsessed with their remix featuring lead vocals by Leah Cleaver. I think it's one of the best things they've ever done and I can't wait to hear what's next.

Likewise, Fruits Of The Deep, the first new album in 8 years by The Woodentops was like a gift from the heavens. Ride A Cloud paved the way in spring 2023, followed a year later by Dream On, which frankly should be mandatory listening. Rolo supplied a wonderful dub along with a superb, uplifting remix from Balearic Ultras which I've included here.

Pete Paphides has delighted me on two fronts this year: firstly, a belated catch up with his autobiography, Broken Greek; secondly, by signing Iraina Mancini to his Needle Mythology label. Following up on last year's Saint Etienne remix, Richard Norris and Erol Alkan have got together again as Beyond The Wizards Sleeve to re-animate the title track of Iraina's debut album, Undo The Blue. I'm so glad that they did as they have created a thing of exquisite beauty from a song that was already special.

C.A.R. is Chloé Alexandra Raunet, who I was vaguely aware of from her time in Battant and associations with Timothy J. Fairplay and Andrew Weatherall, but came back to in her current incarnation via a remix by (and for) GLOK aka Andy Bell. I previously included the Anzu EP in my 2023 'best of' singles. However, Anzu was re-released in March with a brace of Hardway Bros remixes that will make you fall for the song all over again. I've opted here for the dub, which is equally precision tooled for the dancefloor.

In February, Matt Gunn released the Elexperimental EP, four tracks self-described as resembling "something akin to Kraftwerk & LCD with a bass after a big night on the sauce". Drive Thru Century, featured here, is labelled as "Matt Gunn vs The Death Rattle Of An 80’s CR78", which may tell you all you need to know. Matt released a brand new track on Friday, Dub Clone Rising, too late to make this mix but well worth a listen, nearly ten minutes of bass heavy vibes.

Another February release on the always excellent Paisley Dark label was the 3-track PoPoPom EP by Spanish artist Stylic. Second track Like This is a thunderous beast, laden with vocal samples and locking into a hypnotic groove that's hard to resist. A remix EP followed in April, with both Keith Forrester and Mindbender aka Mårten Attling eager to get their hands on the track, and with good reason.

From there and a superlative remix from the aforementioned Andy Bell in his GLOK guise. David Holmes' album with Raven Violet, Blind On A Galloping Horse, is astonishing and between February and May, a steady stream of remixes and versions have emerged. Andy seems to be steering GLOK in a slightly different direction, if this and other recent remixes are an indication, though similarly transporting the listener to a wholly different headspace. 

Easing a little bit of funk back into proceedings is Steve Cobby & Third Attempt aka Torje Fagertun Spilde, with the closing track from their Offshore Sunsets EP. Feeling Seen is fuzzy funk (is that a thing?), perfectly connecting Kingston upon Hull and Tromsø, Norway.

Another international partnership that continues to deliver the goods is Jezebell aka Jesse Fahnestock and Darren Bell. Weekend Machines is the lead track from a 4-track EP landing on 3rd July and it signals a further evolution in the duo's work, which never fails to excite and entertain. If this doesn't get you moving, check your pulse.

I enthused about the México 24 EP by La Guardia De La Luz and Picotropico in May and I'm still feeling the love. I've inevitably gone for the best song- and remix title of the four, and it's chock full of chug, to put it mildly.

The closing track isn't new at all - it was released in September 2022 - but is new to me as I was gifted it on Saturday night. I'm on the mailing list for Lithuanian label Electric Shapes and they are extremely generous in dropping emails with free download codes for their back catalogue. Unfortunately, without fail I've seen the emails when the codes have long been used...until last night, when I just happened to be checking emails when their latest gift landed.

So, I am now the happy owner of the Crouching Tiger EP by Jokios Kultūros aka Dovydas Platakis. Jokios Kultūros loosely translates as 'uncultured' though this release is anything but. I've enjoyed all seven tracks, though the remix here by German DJ/producer Tassilo Vanhöfen has currently nudged ahead as my favourite.

I usually include Discogs links to the artist's names. This time around, I've gone for Bandcamp links so that you can check out purchase their releases if you like what you hear.

1) Insanely Beautiful (Leah’s Mix): Fluke ft. Leah Cleaver

2) Dream On (Balearic Ultras Brooking Bass Remix): The Woodentops

3) Undo The Blue (Beyond The Wizards Sleeve Re-Animation): Iraina Mancini

4) Anzu (Hardway Bros Conqueror Knock Dub): C.A.R.

5) Drive Thru Century: Matt Gunn

6) Like This (Single Version): Stylic

7) Agitprop 13 (GLOK Remix): David Holmes ft. Raven Violet

8) Feeling Seen: Steve Cobby & Third Attempt

9) Weekend Machines (Single Version): Jezebell

10) I First Learned About Shelley's Through A Magazine (Pico's Stoke-on-Trent Is Not In Mexico Remix By Picotropico): La Guardia De La Luz

11) Crouching Tiger (Tassilo's Vision Serpent): Jokios Kultūros

Waiting For The Time To Come (1:13:38) (KF) (Mega)

A Shot Of Equanimity

Another dip into the shopping bag for an hour-long selection of purchases from last Friday.

 

Topped and tailed by David Holmes, all but one from this decade, a mix of legendary and new(ish) names, all committed to delivering some top tunes, bending the original music into new shapes.

 

Enjoy! 

 

1) Yeah x 3 (Rich Lane Remix): David Holmes ft. Raven Violet (2024)

2) PoPoPoPom (Keith Forrester Remix): Stylic (2024)

3) If.... (Ditz Remix): bdrmm (2020)

4) You Ain't Seen Me (Black Octopus Remix): The Shaker (2024)

5) Leave House (Motor City Drum Ensemble Remix): Caribou (2010)

6) Game (Mezey Remix By Benjamin Boeldt): Martina Topley-Bird (2022)

7) Camouflage (Pattern 2) (Remix by UXB aka Peter Morgan): Campbell / Mallinder / Benge (2022)

8) Sugar High (Saint Etienne Remix): Iraina Mancini (2023)

9) Sylvia (David Holmes Remix): Lisa Moorish (2024)

 

2010: Swim Remixes: 5

2020: If.... EP: 3 

2022: Clinker (Expanded Edition): 7

2022: Game EP: 6

2024: Beyond The Wizards Sleeve / Saint Etienne Versions EP: 8

2024: Blind On A Galloping Horse (Remixes Vol. 1): 1

2024: Shelter Me: In Crisis: 2 

2024: Sylvia EP: 9

2024: You Ain't Seen Me EP: 4

 

A Shot Of Equanimity (1:00:23) (KF) (Mega)

Add To Basket

Having missed the last Bandcamp Friday and with a stack of albums on my list, here's a random selection of singles and remixes that will also be going in the basket this Friday, having grabbed my attention these past few weeks and months.

 

First in is Iraina Mancini. With influences described as "60s/70s, French pop, psychedelia, soul, garage, Ye-Ye Girls and vintage cinema" and backed by Pete Paphides, the odds were stacked that I would like Iraina's album Undo The Blue and I do. Sugar High was issued as a single and video last year, backed with a wonderful remix by Saint Etienne. The latter was re-released at the end of March with a brand new remix of the album's title track by Richard Norris and Erol Alkan, reunited as Beyond The Wizards Sleeve. I've gone for the Saint Etienne remix here, but really you can't do without both (or the album).

 

Toby Tobias resurrected his Casinoboy alias last year after several releases in the late 2000s. I'm not familiar with his previous music, but the 4-track EP he's released on Italian label Duca Bianco hits a sweet spot of Balearica, breakbeats and a 90s-style rap that just about treads the line between Stereo MCs and 2 Unlimited (!) Infectious.

 

A third London-based artist, albeit born in Italy and influenced by Jamaica, is a favourite of this blog, Daniele Gaudi, teaming up here with fellow Italian 3-piece Savana Funk for a 2-track single, Raha b/w Orewa. This is Afro-Cosmic-Disco that is brimming with funk and designed to get you moving. It succeeds.

 

 

Deep down to Australia now and Sydney-based duo Rachel Rutt and Ryan Grieve aka Heart People. I was only previously familiar with them from an Andrew Weatherall remix of their 2017 song Voices, which led me back to the source EP, Homecoming, and it's dub companion. In December 2023, the pair returned with the Adriatica EP. Musically, it reminds me of Mick Karn's solo music from the 1980s, but Rachel's voice adds an extra dimension, particularly on the title song.

 

My last pick is some Czech rap courtesy of Prague-based duo Mutanti Hledaj Východisko, which Google reliably informs me translates as Mutants Search For The Exit. Fotbal is taken from the album Puma, which is frankly an astonishing and bewildering mix of samples, sounds and styles. And the best album cover of the last twelve months, no question.