Nothing Is Triggered, Nothing Is Silent

The Smile have released a couple of remixes on 12" vinyl, transforming tracks from their album Cutouts.

I haven't heard the original album versions yet, but the mention of James Holden remixing the A-side Don't Get Me Started was enough to get me straight over to YouTube for a listen, and it's well worth a visit.

Coming on like some lost Byrne and Eno outtake circa 1981, Don't Get Me Started has a menacing, percussive rumble, before Thom Yorke's vocals come in on waves of synths and loops, Holden maintaining the tension and drama for the remainder of the song. 

It's an irresistible eight minute ride.

Robert Stillman's remix of Instant Prism also starts off with a evocation of another era and genre, this time mid-90s Japanese ambient techno.

Again, Thom's voice comes in early, the opening line "The overfllow in a hurricane" a portent of what's to come.  By the three-and-a-half minute mark, the vocals are looped, reversed and dropped back in the mix.

The last three minutes lose Thom altogether, strings, clanging metal and synth squalls all treated with a lightness of touch, before the subtle fade in of frenetic percussion, nothing overwhelming though. 

And then, just shy of eight minutes, it all drops away to a few phased, shimmering chords before coming a gentle but sudden end at nine minutes and sixteen seconds.

Both stunning remixes which have the desired effect of making me want to rush out and buy the EP and check out the original source album.

You can find the remix 12" and Cutouts album in The Smile's online shop and other retailers. To get the EP in digital format, look to the likes of iTunes and Amazon. Bandcamp doesn't appear to have either, but previous digital releases are available. 

I'm not the killer

Don't get me started

I'm not the villain

Choose someone else

You don't get to

Nothing is triggered

Nothing is silent

Don't pull me backwards

No, you don't get to

And your voice means nothing

And your voice means nothing

And your voice means nothing

And your voice means nothing

You don't get to

Don't get me started

You don't get me

You don't get me

You don't get me

You don't get me

You don't get me

Don't get me

And your voice means nothing

And your voice means nothing

And your voice means nothing

And you don't get me

2001: The Party, The Future

As an accidental companion piece to recent posts on Bagging Area and No Badger Required, I've been sorting out some CDs that I will no longer keep, having ripped them to MP3 some time ago. Prior to donating the CDs, I've been listening to each of them in their entirety. Some, including today's selection, have a tenuous link to NBR's excellent "Crossover Tracks" series (coincidentally, the artist in this morning’s final post also features here).

One of the (re)discoveries was two cover-mounted CDs released to accompany the Muzik Magazine Dance Awards 2001, respectively sub-titled The Party and The Future. With 'The Future' now being over two decades in the past, it's been a really enjoyable listen, both solid compilations and music that - to my ears, at least - hasn't dated as much as I may have thought. 

No surprise that Dot Allison was smashing it with the title track of her album, co-produced with Keith Tenniswood. Her current more pastoral music is excellent but this bass-heavy electro chugger is a welcome reminder of her dancefloor credentials.

From Edinburgh to Glasgow and a very pleasant surprise to find Monica Queen providing vocals to Chris Coco's All Of My Beautiful Friends. I got her 2022 album Stop That Girl as part of my Last Night From Glasgow membership and from there was belatedly introduced to The Kingfishers, little realising that Monica had been hiding in my collection all along. A reminder that I should also seek out the Chris Coco solo album that this track is lifted from.

Fellow Glaswegians Craig Morrison and Graeme Reedie aka Silicone Soul also pop up, a reminder of how good they were. Sadly, they appear to have called it a day over a decade ago. 

Another sadly defunct duo is Fort Lauderdale aka Steve Webster and Toby Jenkins. I've just discovered that they went on to form Higamos Hogamos in the late 2000s and Steve resurrected the latter to record and release an album, Generation Games, during lockdown. We Ain't Got No Money Honey is the opener of Fort Lauderdale's second album, Time Is Of The Essence, and it makes for a rather beautiful closing track too.

 

1) Mindset To Cycle: FC Kahuna (2000)

2) We're Only Science (Album Version): Dot Allison (2001)

3) Big Groovy Fucker (Edit): Plump DJs (2001)

4) Star 69 (What The F**k) (Wine 'Em Dine 'Em 69 'Em Mix By X-Press 2): Fatboy Slim (2001)

5) The Answer (Album Version): Silicone Soul ft. Melanie Clarke (2000)

6) All Of My Beautiful Friends (Album Version): Chris Coco ft. Monica Queen (2001)

7) Deeper Water (Wookiee Slut Extended Vocal Remix): PMT ft. Michelle Breeze (2000)

8) Darkness 01/01/01: Steve Mac & Yousef (2001)

9) I Feel Loved (Danny Tenaglia's Labor Of Love Edit): Depeche Mode (2001)

10) One For You (Original Mix): James Holden (2001)

11) We Ain't Got No Money Honey: Fort Lauderdale (2001) 

 

2000: ...A Soul Thing: 5

2000: Big Kahuna Kicks Two Sampler (promo 12"): 1

2000: Deeper Water EP: 7 

2001: I Feel Loved EP: 9

2001: Muzik Magazine Dance Awards 2001 Vol.1: The Party: 3

2001: One For You EP: 10

2001: Star 69 (What The F**k) EP: 4 

2001: The Drumbums EP: 8

2001: Time Is Of The Essence: 11

2001: We Are Science: 2 

2002: Next Wave: 6

 

2001: The Party, The Future (1:13:52) (KF) (Mega)