You Can Touch It But It Will Still Not Fade

Side 2 of a cassette compilation, recorded 11th January 1998.

When I posted Side 1 in July 2022, I described it as "eight remixes that I was unlikely to ever hear down the local indie disco, but which in their own way, kick ass." Side 2 is all that, and more.

 

If there's a duff remix of Planet Telex by Radiohead, I've yet to hear it. The UNKLE remix was possibly the first one that I heard, tucked away on one of the CD singles for Just, and it remains my favourite. 

 

Likewise, K-Klass took New Order's Ruined In A Day and elevated it to a higher plain, surpassing the original to the extent that I'm pretty sure that this was the version the band 'performed' when they appeared on Top Of The Pops. Or, at least if it's not true, that's how I prefer to remember it.

Arab Strap's reworking of Don't Die Just Yet by David Holmes has appeared here before, as well as in a guest post that I did in January 2021 for The Vinyl Villain. Again, a remarkably strong bundle of remixes from Mogwai, Delakota and Holmes himself and Messrs. Moffat and Middleton.

Mixed in are some trip hop beats from Attica Blues vs. Lightning Seeds, a bit of drum 'n' bass from Tamsin Elliott vs. Faithless and Lush taken on a gothtronica excursion by Spooky. And then there's Beck, put through the aural equivalent of a meat grinder by Aphex Twin and somehow surviving. 

 

Closing on a funky but rather more sedate pace is Jon Carter, shrugging off his Monkey Mafia mantle to mix the Manics. Phat beats and a trumpet, what more could you want?

 

1) Planet Telex (Karma Sunra Mix By UNKLE): Radiohead (1995)

2) You Showed Me (Attica Blues Vocal Mix) (Cover of The Turtles): Lightning Seeds (1997)

3) Richard's Hairpiece (Remix Of "Devil's Haircut" By Aphex Twin): Beck (1997)

4) Ruined In A Day (Reunited In A Day Remix By K-Klass): New Order (1993)

5) Reverence (Tamsin's Re-Fix By Tamsin Elliott): Faithless (1996) 

6) The Holiday Girl (Don't Die Just Yet) (Remixed By Arab Strap): David Holmes (1997)

7) Undertow (Spooky Remix By Charlie May & Duncan Forbes): Lush (1994)

8) Kevin Carter (Busts Loose) (Remixed By Jon Carter): Manic Street Preachers (1996)

 

1993: Ruined In A Day EP: 4 

1994: Hypocrite EP: 7

1995: Just EP: 1 

1996: Kevin Carter EP: 8

1996: Reverence / Irreverence (ltd 2x CD): 5 

1997: Don't Die Just Yet EP: 6

1997: The New Pollution EP: 3

1997: You Showed Me EP: 2

 

Side Two (46:02) (KF) (Mega)

Side One avaialble here

Dripping Onto My Tongue

Side 1 of a mixtape compiled 11th January 2003. Back to the old school - well, early 1990s at least - for today's selection of end-of-week bangers.

Bolting from the gate is Apollo 440 with Liquid Cool, which came with a plethora of mixes, including The Future Sound Of London and Jah Wobble and several from French duo Deep Forest. I wasn't a huge fan of the latter's music at the time but they turned out some pretty satisfying if safe remixes of this standout from the Millennium Fever album.

Dutch DJ/producer Patrick Prins was the brains behind Subliminal Cuts, originally releasing Le Voie Le Soleil in 1994. It was re-released in 1996 with further remixes, including this one by obvious fans of The Simpsons, Itchy & Scratchy. A duo of Seb Fontaine and Julian Peake, the latter had further chart success as Jules Vern, one half of Stretch & Vern.

 

Volcano were a trio of Norwegian DJs/producers, Ole Mjøs, Bjørn Torske and Rune Lindbæk, who teamed up with Sam Cartwright for a few singles on the Deconstruction label. Only Bjørn Torske and Rune Lindbæk are familiar to me from their later output. If you're into re-edits of 1980s classics, Rune Lindbæk offered up a 50-track smorgasbord including Thomas Dolby, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Amanda Lear and Toto. The whole collection is available as a name your price download from Bandcamp. 

 

Edinburgh meets Glasgow on the next track, Botany 5 representing the former, the legendary Slam the latter. Love Bomb is a match made in heaven, well, Scotland but what's the difference really? Botany 5 sadly didn't get beyond a debut album and handful of singles but it would be an understatement to say that Slam have done pretty well since then. 

 

Speaking of which, William Orbit was already well on the way to global domination when Water From A Vine Leaf was released in 1993. Featuring Beth Orton on vocals (although not noticeable here) and a stunning remix from Underworld (one of two), both of whom had even greater things ahead of them. This remix comes in at just under 12 minutes and really, just isn't long enough.

 

Keeping it short and sweet for the closer then is 808 State, with a scuzzy mix of Open Your Mind, a double A-side with Lift which just about cracked the UK Top 40 (#38) in August 1991, continuing their on/off relationship with singles-buying public. I bought this on CD single for pennies a couple of years later from a music stall in the Eagle Shopping Centre in Derby. Great times...!

 

1) Liquid Cool (Deep Forest Trans-Afrique Life Extension Express) (Remix By Eric Mouquet & Michel Sanchez): Apollo 440 (1994)

2) Le Voie Le Soleil (Itchy & Scratchy Mix By Julian Peake & Seb Fontaine): Subliminal Cuts (1996)

3) More To Love (K-Klass Pharmacy Dub): Volcano (1994)

4) Love Bomb (The Slam Production) (Remix By Stuart McMillan & Orde Meikle): Botany 5 (1990)

5) Water From A Vine Leaf (Underwater Mix Part 2 By Underworld): William Orbit ft. Beth Orton (1993)

6) Open Your Mind (Sound Garden Mix): 808 State (1991)

Side One (46:11) (KF) (Mega)