Today's selection is inadvertently a dozen highlights from 2024, connected simply by virtue of incredible voices.
All of the albums, EPs and one-offs deserve a post in their own right, but suffice to say here that every single one is worth tracking down. It's been an embarrassment of riches these past twelve months, without a doubt.
Many of the artists here have become firm favourites thanks to the discerning taste and recommendations of my fellow travellers in the blogosphere. A shout out therefore for the following: HANN (C @ Sun Dried Sparrows), Humanist (Mike @ well, here pretty often), Nana Benz Du Togo (Ernie @ 27 Leggies) and Acid Klaus (Swiss Adam @ Bagging Area). Legends, all of you!
There's a connection to my birthplace Bristol, too, as three of the artists are based there: Emily Breeze, tor aka Tor Maries aka Billy Nomates and Katy J Pearson. I've been fortunate to see Emily and Katy live in concert. I was hoping to see Tor perform an intimate hometown gig last week at the wonderful Strange Brew, but unfortunately couldn't make it. One day, one day...
It was hard to narrow this selection down to a mere twelve, given the quality and quantity of great music. Criminal omissions include albums from Beth Gibbons, Ibibio Sound Machine, Isobel Campbell, Jane Weaver, Jo Bartlett, Sam Morton, Starless and Xan Tyler, and many more singles and EPs. Needless to say, I'm already thinking of a companion selection...
For today though, enjoy the next three quarters of an hour of subllime sounds.
1) Shade To The Sunshine: HANN (Forever In A Glance)
2) When I Look At You: Gates Of Light (Gates Of Light II)
3) Love You More: Humanist ft. Isobel Campbell (On The Edge Of A Lost And Lonely World)
4) Wicked Game (Cover of Chris Isaak): The Anchoress (Versions: Encore EP)*
5) Graceland (Single Version) (Cover of Paul Simon): Emily Breeze (Second Rodeo EP)
6) Tite (Kiledjian 'The Womb' Remix): Nana Benz Du Togo (Tite (Kiledjian Remixes) EP)
7) Aerodromes (Single Version): Acid Klaus ft. Philly Piper (P.T.S.D By Proxy EP)
8) Trance Stance (Single Version): Electric Blue Vision (Trance Stance EP)
9) wwid: tor (wwid EP)
10) In The Countryside: Kito Jempere ft. Lena Tronina (Part Time Chaos Part Time Calmness)
11) Sylvia (Album Version): Lisa Moorish (Divine Chaos)
12) Sky: Katy J Pearson (Someday, Now)
What Will I Do Without The Weight Of You? (44:40) (KF) (Mega)
* Yes, I know that Catherine Anne Davies originally recorded and released Wicked Game as a standalone single during lockdown in 2020. However, the song received it's first physical release at the weekend, on the 6-track Versions: Encore, a limited edition of 500 12" EPs on eco-vinyl. Each 12" is manufactured from leftover wax pellets, resulting in a completely unique colour combination, and hand signed by Catherine. But hurry up, only 17 left at the time of this posting!
I know I posted about Katy J Pearson barely a month ago, but she's released another great single and video in Maybe, so it would be remiss of me not to draw your attention to it.
Here's the promo blurb that dropped into my email inbox courtesy of Heavenly Recordings on Tuesday.
I’ve had this song with me for years now — I wrote it about 6 years ago, and it was a little tiny soundbyte demo. Over the last few records I kept going back to it, but it just didn’t click. Heavenly heard it and loved it, and I was like I’m glad you like it but I hate it, it’s the bane of my life, this song is never seeing the light of day, no way. I was so stubborn, but the label really wanted me to put it on the record, so I tried to see if I could like it again.
It took a while to get it there. When I was in the rehearsal room with Huw Evans, a few lyric tweaks happened. The chorus used to be "maybe I need your love / to show me that I’m good enough" and he was like why are you being like this to yourself? It should be the other way round! And I was like oh, ok, thank you, feminist ally in the room. When a man’s telling me what to do in a studio I can get my back up pretty quickly, so it was brave of him to suggest it, but he was right.
When we changed the sentiment of the song, now "maybe I don’t need your love / to show me that I’m good enough", my whole feeling about it changed, and it meant that we managed to actually get a handle on what it was meant to be like sonically. It just shows that it’s really important who you choose to have in a room with you.
The video is directed by film maker, animator and artist Edie Lawrence, who previously worked with Katy on the brilliant Alligator, and Maybe is equally vibrant and fun.
Based on the (fictional) North Somerset Archeress* Grand Final, it's also an acknowledgement of archery as a sport thatpioneered equality for women’s participation. South Korea has dominated women's team archery since it was introduced as an Olympic event in 1988, winning their 10th consecutive gold in Paris a couple of weeks ago in a thrilling final.
Katy J Pearson releases her third album, Someday, Now, on 20th September. Lead single and album opener Those Goodbyes has been joined by this week's reveal of the tenth and final song, Sky.
I didn't
discover Katy's music until album #2, Sound Of The Morning, from there
going back to debut album Return and snapping up everything else that's
been available, including her awesome reworks of songs from cult film
The Wicker Man.
Oh, and having seen Katy in concert in November 2022*, I can also say with confidence that she's a formidable live artist too, so I'd highly recommend getting to see her on the upcoming tour to accompany the album.
Someday, Now is produced by Bullion aka Nathan Jenkins. Back in 2007, Bullion's debut offering was Pet Sounds: In The Key Of Dee, primarily a 25-minute blend (not a mash-up) of The Beach Boys and J. Dilla, with other samples, bells and whistles thrown in for good measure. I think it first appeared on MySpace but, like I did when 'researching' this post, you can hear it for the first time on YouTube
There's been a fair few Bullion releases since, most recently the album Affection, out in April. Here are a couple of songs, both with Nathan on lead vocals, the first featuring Canadian singer/songwriter Carly Rae Jepson, who I'm only familiar with from this one song, but is currently on album #6.
* I've also restored the links to the accompanying Katy J Peason selection, for your further listening pleasure.
Today's post was supposed to be a new album review but due to some technical issues, I'm parking that one for now and present instead a random selection from this week's playlist. And a pleasingly eclectic mix it is, too.
I've been having a bit of a clear out since the New Year, the same dilemma covered by Swiss Adam and the prompt for his excellent current 'Various Artists' series, i.e. what to do with the ton of compilation CDs, mostly acquired from being cover mounted with music magazines.
As Adam notes, some of these are really good and bear repeated listens. But... I only have a plug-in USB CD/DVD drive and the CD/radio that was infrequently used by Lady K when she was younger. My car has no CD player and I've ripped all of the CDs to my digital collection. I do still have the CD player element of my stacking hifi, but it's been boxed in the loft for several years due to lack of space. So, the likelihood of getting a CD out for a listen is more and more limited. I'd much rather listen to vinyl when I'm relaxing and everywhere else, it's my phone every time.
I'm gradually sorting through the CDs and whittling them down in small amounts every week, either charity shops (selected ones that I know have an interested music CD buying footfall) or local freecycle sites. However, it's also provided an opportunity to revisit the compilations, mingled in with my general listening, each week. Here's a C90-friendly side with a baker's dozen of songs from the past seven day's travels.
To start, a song from Love Above All, an Uncut magazine compilation curated by Devendra Banhart in 2007. It's a cracking collection of artists including a few that were completely new to me. Kyle Tomzo aka Kyle Thomas is one example, with the rather lovely song Bicycle.
From there, the wonderful Katy J Pearson with a track from her EP of covers from The Wicker Man soundtrack, released last year to commemorate the film's 50th anniversary. Featuring Broadside Hacks, this is a beautiful bridge between Kyle Tomzo's stripped acoustics and the lush, sweeping strings to follow.
A compilation of James Bond themes was released in 1992 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Dr. No, the first 'official' release in the series, starring Sean Connery as 007. You Only Live Twice was probably my favourite of his and the theme song by Nancy Sinatra never gets old.
Back further in time to 1952 (I seem to have been on a real 1950s riff recently) and the brilliantly titled I Want A Slice Of Your Puddin' by Julius King. Much as I would love to own the original 10" shellac release, Mojo magazine spared me the expense by including it on their excellent compilation CD Love In Vain: The Old Weird Blues last year.
New Year's Eve by First Aid Kit is a more random selection as I don't own the parent album, The Lion's Roar (an oversight which I need to correct). This song was courtesy of that bastion of good taste, Charity Chic, in his Happy Hogmanay post at the close of 2023.
I was quite surprised to find that the Mojo magazine CD Let's Shake Hands: A Third Man Records Anthology was released as far back as 2019 as it still feels quite recent in my mind. In addition to music from the label's current roster, the compilation included The White Stripes' cover of a Love classic.
In 2016, Marc Almond released the career-spanning Trials Of Eyeliner: The Anthology 1979/2016, a mammoth undertaking that was jaw-dropping in it's breadth of material. The Guilt Of My Secret was an Almond co-write with Andrei Samsonov that first appeared on the deluxe edition reissue of album Glorious in 2001. It speaks of the quality of Marc Almond's music that songs as good as this could sit gathering dust for years.
A complete change of pace now with The Jesus Lizard, one of only three songs of theirs in my collection, all from various artists CDs. Gladiator came to me via another Mojo magazine compilation, Teen Spirit (sub-titled "15 Noise-Filled Classics From The American Underground Scene 1989-1992") which accompanied a cover feature on Nirvana. I didn't follow much of this at the time, outside some of the obvious ones. I'm not sure that The Jesus Lizard and others would have changed my life at that point in time, but it's an enjoyable CD.
Opinion seems to be divided on Know Your Enemy, the 2001 album by Manic Street Preachers. I've liked Let Robeson Sing since I first heard it but was less familiar with the album that it sprang from, or that the original intention was to release two separate albums simultaneously. I've subsequently revisited Know Your Enemy as well as 2022's deluxe edition which presents this song in it's 'intended' place within the first of the two planned albums, Door To The River.
Daniel Johnston is an artist that I've read and heard a lot about but who was also poorly represented in my collection. That was remedied in a big way in mid-December when the Shimmy-Disc label released Daniel's first 14 albums on Bandcamp, available for the first 48 hours as a 'name your price' download. I couldn't resist and bought all 14 for little more than 20 quid. I'm working my way through each album slowly and surely. I've picked Daniel's song The Beatles from his 1983 cassette-only 4th album, Yip/Jump Music. It's fair to say that the songs are resolutely lo-fi and the vocals a bit Marmite, but I'm really enjoying this crash course introduction to his music.
Another mammoth Bandcamp purchase late last year was the 84-track Spanish Cadillac Selected compilation of music by James Ray, spanning his early releases with The Performance and James Ray's Gangwar to more contemporary work with 25men and The Longfolk. This Is This is from another project, The MK Ultra, and the closing track of the 1994 album of the same name.
Last and most certainly not least is the welcome return of John Holt. I'll Take A Melody was written by Allen Toussaint and originally released by The Hues Corporation in 1974. John Holt reggae-fied the song for a single in 1976 and it was dusted off and given a polish for last year's Back In Time compilation. Which is as good a way as any to wrap up this selection.
1) Bicycle: Kyle Tomzo (2007)
2) Lullaby (Cover of Magnet): Katy J Pearson ft. Broadside Hacks (2023)
3) You Only Live Twice: Nancy Sinatra (1967)
4) I Want A Slice Of Your Puddin': Julius King (1952)
5) I'll Take You There: The Staple Singers (1972)
6) New Year's Eve: First Aid Kit (2012)
7) Signed D.C. (Cover of Love): The White Stripes (2011)
8) The Guilt Of My Secret: Marc Almond ft. Laska Omnia & Andrei Samsonov (2001)
9) Gladiator: The Jesus Lizard (1992)
10) Let Robeson Sing (Album Version): Manic Street Preachers (2001)
11) The Beatles: Daniel Johnston (1983)
12) This Is This: The MK Ultra (1994)
13) I'll Take A Melody (Cover of The Hues Corporation): John Holt (1976)
1983: Yip/Jump Music: 11
1992: The Best Of James Bond: 30th Anniversary Collection: 3
2001: Know Your Enemy: 10
2004: Mob Life: 16 Great Tracks From The Films Of Martin Scorsese: 5
2007: Love Above All: Inside The Mind Of The Acid-Folk King (Compiled By Devendra Banhart): 1
2012: The Lion's Roar: 6
2015: Spanish Cadillac Selected: 12
2016: Trials Of Eyeliner: The Anthology 1979/2016: 8
2017: Teen Spirit: 15 Noise-Filled Classics From The American Underground Scene 1989-1992: 9
2019: Let's Shake Hands: A Third Man Records Anthology: 7
Sorry, a bit later than usual posting this, due to a Clan K excursion last night and a bit of a lie-in this morning. A warning: this is a big one, you might need a Thermos flask and packed lunch to get you through.
Oh, this is difficult. Even trying to nail down some of my favourite versions - covers, remixes and reimaginings - of 2023 has proved to be an insurmountable task.
Therefore, I've picked out just 23 listed alphabetically by artist. Some I've been enjoying for many months, one in particular (The Woodentops) was a last minute addition, having belatedly discovered it via Swiss Adam's year end run down at Bagging Area.
Strap in, there's a wild ride ahead!
Jango Mango: Ademarr & Joseeph
EP released via Roam Recodings in July, featuring the original version plus standout remixes from Darlyn Vlys and Iñigo Vontier.
Tender (Cover of Blur): The Anchoress
For the past year or so, Catherine Anne Davies released a cover version per month, available for a limited time on Bandcamp. Many of them were subsequently collected for this year's excellent Versions album.
Tender, originally released in 2021, didn't make the album cut but it did get a physical release in April, as the third of a series of limited edition EPs. The EP has long since sold out and the song has vanished from t'internet. To give you a taste of how good it is/was, here's an extract (KF) (Mega).
Gorgeous, isn't it?
Njalo: Cee ElAssaad ft. Bongi Mvuyana
Morrocco meets South Africa with stunning results. Njalo has been burning a hole in my speakers since February and comes in three versions: the original full vocal, dub and instrumental; all superb.
Yeah x 3: David Holmes ft. Raven Violet
I could have picked any of David's singles, whether with Unloved or Raven Violet, as highlights of the year, to be honest. Yeah x 3 was released in November, with a diverse range of remixes from Panda Bear & Sonic Boom, Jordan Nocturne, X-Press 2 and a couple of beauties from Gary Irwin aka The Vendetta Suite.
I was down a specific Transglobal Underground rabbit hole, which led me to the Violins Against Bombs RMX album, featuring 10 reworks of the original 2022 album by TGU along with Fluo Sobre, Rafael Aragon, Dunkelbunt, MiRET and Recycler. Now available as a name your price/free download, so what have you got to lose?
Unchanged (GLOK Remix): Dot Allison
Dot Allison meets Andy Bell on a dub excursion that evokes yet avoids mimicking the majesty of One Dove. Released in June and a perfect companion piece to their respective releases this year.
Other Skies: Electric Blue Vision
As mentioned in yesterday's post, Sean Johnston and Duncan Gray have been on fire this year with standalone remixes and releases. However, when they come together as Hardway Bros Meet Monkton Uptown, the listener is in for a dub excursion par excellence.
Other Skies, the second single by Electric Blue Vision by Emilia Harmony and Jesse Fahnestock, broke cover in November, the sublime original also channeling the spirit of One Dove. The remixes took the song in wildly different directions, all worth the trip.
Confessions Of An Ageing Party Girl: Emily Breeze
A 2020 single and highlight of this year's Rapture album, March saw the release of a remix by Massive Attack's Daddy G (Grant Marshall) and Robot Club (Stew Jackson). Not available on Bandcamp but available through most of the usual places.
If you're a regular visitor to the essential music blog No Badger Required - and if you aren't, I urge you to start right now - then you'll have spotted that I referenced it over there as my track of 2023. Thanks, SWC!
Cello Song (Cover of Nick Drake): Fontaines D.C.
I was slow to listen to Fontaines D.C.'s second album Skinty Fia this year - my mistake - and to their singular take on the Nick Drake back in March. My fellow blog travellers have written about why this is the epitome of what a great cover version should be and they are absolutely spot on. If I heard this in complete ignorance, I'd think it was a stunning song. The fact that it may inspire listeners to check out not just Fontaines D.C. but Nick Drake can only be a good thing.
Cello Song features on the album The Endless Coloured Ways: The Songs Of Nick Drake, which I could easily have included in my list of favourite compilations yesterday.
Shakatak: Gaudi
Woah, come back. If you're worried that this March 2023 release is a tribute to the '80s white English jazz-funk band, rest assured. Daniele Gaudi delivers another colossal slice of dub, especially on the 'ReRub' version.
Pez (bdrmm Remix): GIFT
This all started with A Place To Bury Strangers, specifically their remix album See Through You Rerealized which featured separate remixes by GIFT and bdrmm. I wasn't familiar with either band and little trawl of Bandcamp unearthed their respective back catalogues. The two come together on this remix, released in August as a precursor to GIFT's debut album, Momentary Presence, a couple of months later. Check 'em all out.
Dirty Hugs (Richard Sen Remix): GLOK
The Pattern Recognition album got a 3-track remix EP in March, a great month for releases, in retrospect. Hardway Bros Meet Monkton Uptown and Tom Sharkett from W.H. Lung set the bar high but Richard Sen has no difficulty in holding his own and taking the original 20-minute trip on a wild chase through the city's nightlife.
A Night In Siolim (A Space Age Freak Out Remix): Högt I Tak
Paisley Dark Records have been a go-to with each release, not just for the high quality electronica but the calibre of remixes. Label boss John Paynter proves that you don't need to outsource to produce something quite special, as his Space Age Freak Out remix from December amply demonstrates.
I Am The Fly (Cover of Wire): Jah Wobble
The Wob made a raucous return (not that he's ever been away) with a slew of new albums in 2023, August's A Brief History Of Now revisiting his punk/post-punk stylings with fellow traveller Jon Klein. Their cover of Wire's I Am The Fly was an unexpected treat, Klein on vocals and Jah Wobble working his usual bass magic.
And, as a bonus treat, here's the man himself showing you how it's done (and yes, Mike, he is playing more than one string!)
Arabiklan (Rude Audio Remix): James Rod
Another top notch Paisley Dark remix package, this time in May, with an artist that I wasn't that familiar with. James Rod provides two classy originals with Synthetic Glory and Arabiklan, handing them over to Mindbender, Hunterbräu, Högt I Tak and Man2.0. Rude Audio aka Mark Ratcliff delivers a blinder.
Trading Places: Jezebell
I've written previously about Trading Places, issued as a pair of EPs in April, offering up 'daytime' and nighttime' versions. All excellent, but the 6PM version gets a special mention for the delightful cameo by Siouxsie Sioux, expertly woven in by Jesse Fahnestock and Darren Bell. Available as a name your price/free download.
Phoenix (Cover of The Cult): JIM
First off, apologies that I've completely forgotten which music blog introduced me to this cover version and JIM (Jim Baron) in general, as I doubt I would have found him or the rather lovely Love Makes Magic album otherwise. Originally issued in June, the 10-song album included this fine cover, swapping bollock rock for Balearic acoustica to brilliant effect.
Bridge To Heaven (Sonic Boom Bass Remix): John Massoni
Another chance discovery this year whilst searching for Sonic Boom related items was his collaboration with John Massoni on the 8-track EP, Think Of Me When You Hear Waves. A further Sonic Boom remix of Bridge To Heaven, stretching things even further to just under ten minutes, shimmered into view in August.
Willow's Song (Richard Norris Ritual Mix): Katy J Pearson
Katy J Pearson recorded a whole bunch of covers for The Wicker Man EP, released in October to celebrate the film of the same name's 50th anniversary. Katy had originally recorded Willow's Song as the closer of her 2022 album Sound Of The Morning and the Richard Norris remix came out in June this year. A strong contender for remix - and track - of the year and perfectly aligned with his own mighty dub workouts as Oracle Sounds.
Edge Of The Edge Dub (Adrian Sherwood 'Reset In Dub’ Version): Panda Bear & Sonic Boom
August - another solid month for great music - saw the third iteration of the Reset album, following the original and 'Songbook + Instrumentals' versions. Here, Adrian Sherwood puts the entire thing through a dub rinse which promises much and somehow manages even then to exceed expectations. Much as I love Noah Lennox and Pete Kember's collaboration, Reset In Dub takes the music to another plane of existence.
Expansions Dub (Cover of Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes): Prince Fatty ft. Shniece McMenamin
Not the only cover version that Prince Fatty shared in 2023 though arguably one that I wasn't expecting at all. With Shniece on the mic and Fatty at the controls, the listener is in safe hands and the dub version feels even more like a big aural hug. Another August highlight.
Fitzroy Avenue (BFP Acid-Flex Mix By Bedford Falls Players): Warriors Of The Dystotheque ft. Joe Duggan
We're on the home stretch now with yet another Paisley Dark winner, going all the way back to March. This is a generous 8-track digital EP, with a bonus hidden ninth 'No Effects Vox' version, i.e. just Joe Duggan. Tons of great remixes by Mindbender, Högt I Tak, Hunterbräu, Ed Mahon, Jezebell and this one from the ever excellent Mark Cooper aka Bedford Falls Players.
Ride A Cloud (Coyote Remix): The Woodentops
The Woodentops released Ride A Cloud, with remixes by Coyote and Andres y Xavi, in June and somehow I managed to miss it completely. Thankfully, Swiss Adam to the rescue with his own end of year round up meant that I discovered this wonderful 3-tracker and it's ended up here just in time to wind things down after that marathon workout.
Tomorrow, I'll be trying hard to pick some more 2023 favourites. Heaven help me.
Sunday 5th November is officially Bonfire Night, or Guy Fawkes Night if you prefer, although most of the displays in my neck of the woods inevitably took place on Saturday night.
Things have changed dramatically since I was a kid. The weeks leading up to 5th November used to see children pitched up outside the local newsagents with a badly stuffed and clothed effigy and calling out for a "penny for the Guy". This year my local shop had a copper-hued approximation of Spongebob Squarepants, no kids and no indication of whether poor ol' Bob was going to end up on the pyre come the evening's festivities.
Hallowe'en was virtually non-existent as a "thing" when I was growing up but seems to have completely taken over from Bonfire Night in the last few decades. We were in Valencia for the former, which is followed on 1st November by el Dia de Todos los Santos ("All Saints Day" itself derived from the pagan festival "All Souls Day"), a national public holiday and a time to remember and honour the dead.
From a meteorological perspective, there couldn't have been a greater contrast. Hallowe'en and All Saints Day were bright and sunny, with temperatures in the mid-high 20s; Bonfire Night was bloody freezing and it had been raining for much of the day. We've not been to the local firework display since Lady K very quickly lost interest in it as a child and this year was no exception. Bah. And humbug.
However, it does give me an excuse to pull together a (let's face it, verrrry loose) Dubhed selection based on fireworks, bonfires and fires in general. Spoiler alert: despite the title, Ash doesn't feature at all.
Speaking of covers, the only song I have by Joensuu 1685 is their full-volume cover of I'm On Fire by The Boss. The Helsinki-based band comprises three Joensuus - Markus, Mikko and Risto - though only the first two are related. Their second album was released in 2020 so I assume that they're still a going concern.
It would be remiss of me not to include a Spanish band in this selection and whilst they hail from Madrid not Valencia, who better than the raucous Hinds?
By complete contrast, things drop down to a much more sedate level for the closing song, The KLF adding a chilled country twang to Build A Fire from their seminal album The White Room.
1) After The Fireworks: Tuff Monks (1982)
2) Sacrificial Bonfire: XTC (1986)
3) Indoor Fireworks: The Costello Show ft. The Attractions & The Confederates (1986)
4) Burnin' Up (Mike Watt Original Demo) (Cover of Madonna): Ciccone Youth (1986)
5) Building A Fire: James & Brian Eno (1994)
6) Worn From The Fight (With Fireworks): Castanets (2009)
7) (Burn It Up!) Bring It Down (This Insane Thing) (12" Version): Redskins (1985)
8) Light/Fireworks: The Fall (1993)
9) Fire Leap (Cover of Magnet): Katy J Pearson ft. Drug Store Romeos, Wet Leg & Sarah Meth (2023)
10) Bonfire: Lamb (1999)
11) Fireworks (12" Version): Siouxsie & The Banshees (1982)
12) I'm On Fire (Cover of Bruce Springsteen): Joensuu 1685 (2009)
13) Looking For A Bonfire (Unreleased Alternate Recording): Tom Robinson (1984)
14) Burn: Hinds (2020)
15) Build A Fire (1991 Album Version): The KLF ft. Maxine Harvey (1991)
1982: After The Fireworks EP: 1
1982: Fireworks EP: 11
1985: (Burn It Up!) Bring It Down (This Insane Thing) EP: 7
More gems from this year's releases to distract from the drawing in of the sunsets and the drop in temperature as autumn beds in.
Richard Norris appears twice, firstly remixing Katy J Pearson's cover of Willow's Song from the classic film The Wicker Man then with Lightning Version, a 10-minute dub extravaganza from his Oracle Sound project. As a subscriber to Richard's music, which is worth every penny as it is, I was also recently the beneficiary of a free Oracle Sound T-shirt, which I'm happily modelling for today's selection.
A couple of purchases recommended this year by Swiss Adam at Bagging Area, who is always on the mark. Trotting the globe, New Zealand's Stinky Jim is remixed by British Columbia's Seekersinternational, featuring vocals by Nazamba aka George Scott, who sadly passed in July 2022. From there, it's a trip from Oxford to London via Mozambique as Steve Queralt and Michael Smith are remixed by Nandele Maguni.
Róisín Murphy's excellent Hit Parade album has been unfortunately overshadowed by her recent comments on social media, follow up response and what seems to have been a pulling back of promotion and support by record label Ninja Tune. The album, created in collaboration with DJ Koze, isn't quite as immediate as predecessor Róisín Machine but repeated listens reward.
Dub Pistols have been around forever it seems though this is the first album of theirs that I've bought. Lots of dub and dancehall influences, unsurprisingly, with a great vocal turn from Natty Campbell, I can imagine this would go down a storm in a live setting.
Jason Buckle's releases as JP Buckle have been a relatively recent discovery, including his quirky Covers mini-album/EP. The selections are quite heavily rooted in 1980s popular culture - Prince & The Revolution, Wham!, U2, Bruce Springsteen - with a few surprises such as a cover of Into The Garden, a 1981 song by post-punk Artery. Perhaps less of a surprise when you know that Jason Buckle is member of JARV Is... and Jarvis Cocker convinced Artery to reform and perform at the Meltdown Festival which he curated in 2007.
Pye Corner Audio possibly need no introduction if you've frequented these pages before. As I wrote last month, Martin Jenkins has released several superb pieces of music this year and the brilliantly-titled Cabaret Sauvage is just one example. I said at the time that the song "immediately strikes as lost Pink Industry outtake, with a striking bass
line and synth effects that call to mind 1980s arcade games". 'Nuff said.
1) Willow's Song (Richard Norris Ritual Mix) (Cover of Magnet): Katy J Pearson (Willow's Song EP)
2) Steam Fish (Steam Veg Dub) (Remix By Seekersinternational): StinkyJim ft. Nazamba (Social Awareness: The Remixes)
3) Arabiklan (Högt I Tak Remix By Janne Berglund): James Rod (Synthetic Glory EP)
4) Can't Replicate (Album Version By DJ Koze aka Stefan Kozalla): Róisín Murphy (Hit Parade)
5) Moving On: Dub Pistols ft. Natty Campbell (Frontline)
6) Lightning Version: Richard Norris (Oracle Sound Volume One)
