Belong Forever

A belated welcome to Grenoble's finest, the unique Miss Kittin aka Caroline Hervé, singer, DJ, producer, solo artist and prolific collaborator. This post was originally intended for last Friday but it was replaced at short notice as I ran out of time to finish it. Fingers crossed it was worth the wait!

 

I first discovered Miss Kittin's music two decades ago via Felix Da Housecat's album, Kittenz And Thee Glitz, and her partnership with Michel Amato as Miss Kittin & The Hacker. Happily, the latter duo returned earlier this year with their third album titled, er, Third Album.

 

This selection mostly focuses on Miss Kittin's singles, collaborations and remixes from some top-notch artists, including Vince Clarke, John Foxx & Ben 'Benge' Edwards, Vitalic and Laurent Garnier.

 

Miss Kittin's videos are also good value so for your extended entertainment I have picked four from today's selection. Ostbahnhof, from Kittin + Hacker's Third Album, was released as a single in January and I've included the lyrics below, a love song to clubbing in Berlin and the inspiration for today's post title.

 

1) Voicemail: Felix Da Housecat ft. Miss Kittin (2001)

2) Hide (Nhar Vocal Remix By Bernhard Siefert): Kris Menace ft. Miss Kittin (2013)

3) Ride (Vince Clarke Remix): Dubfire & Kittin (2017)

4) Where Is Kittin? (John Foxx & The Maths Remix): Marc Houle ft. Miss Kittin (2013)

5) Madame Hollywood (Album Version): Felix Da Housecat ft. Miss Kittin (2001)

6) Maneki Neko (Chateau Marmont Remix): Miss Kitten (2013)

7) Hometown: Miss Kittin & The Hacker (2007)

8) Rippin Kittin (Tobi Neumann's Glove Tension Dub): Golden Boy ft. Miss Kittin (2002)

9) 1982 (Vitalic Remix By Pascal Arbez-Nicolas): Miss Kittin & The Hacker (2002)

10) Ostbahnhof (Album Version): Kittin + Hacker (2022)

11) Silver Screen - Shower Scene (Laurent Garnier Remix) (Album Edit): Felix Da Housecat ft. Miss Kittin (2001)

12) Party In My Head (Thieves Like Us Remix): Miss Kittin & The Hacker (2009)

Belong Forever (1:03:19) (Box) (Mega)

Maneki Neko: Miss Kitten (2013)

 

Hide: Kris Menace ft. Miss Kittin (2013)

 

1982 (Vitalic Remix By Pascal Arbez-Nicolas): Miss Kittin & The Hacker (2002)

 

 

Ostbahnhof (Album Version): Kittin + Hacker (2022)

 

 

2 pm on a Sunday
It's the best day they say
Flat white, toasts, shower and black sneakers
I jump in a taxi, it's playing 80's music
Time has already stopped
Destination Ostbahnhof
The wall reminds me it was real
Once there was a West and an East
I used to be just a tourist
Until I gave you more than this
I see the line, I see the light
But inside it's always dark
Line is 2 or 3 hours long at least
And I am not even on the list
So I put on my famous smile
Are you playing today they say
It's been a while, I don't know why
And I don't bother, we belong forever
Destination Ostbahnhof
I just wanna dance alone
They let me in with no sticker on my phone
I know the deal, I know the score
No pictures inside Ostbahnhof
First stop at the wardrobe
You leave a tip you start to stroll
You raise your hands you wanna pray
You ARE in the techno temple
Electric power in the power plant
I am about to disconnect from who I am
Tequila shots in my throat
Orange and cinnamon
Stairways to heaven or hell
Step by step on The Bells
I climb my way to the top
And I stop
I take a deep a breath
I lived it a thousand times
It's always the same
Are you ready?

Alien Feelings

After her stellar performance at Glastonbury, time to spotlight my favourite dancefloor diva. Diana Ross? Sod that, it's Róisín Murphy.

 

Bless the BBC and their Glastonbury coverage. Having the iPlayer app means that I've been able to dip in and out of the festival over the weekend and I can continue to do over the next week. It's absolutely not the same as being at a festival but some artists really pull out all the stops to provide the audience in the field and at home. 

 

Róisín kicked off her set like it was one of those Top Of The Pops "live across the Atlantic" performances that they featured in the early 2000s, backstage, travelling band walking behind her as she launched into a version of Moloko's Fun For Me. Even when Róisín arrived on stage, her eyes and performance were locked on the people at home, detracting attention from the band taking up position behind their kit. And then, as it remembering the thousands of people right there with her, Róisín skipped to the front of the stage to complete the song.

With as many costume (or accessory) changes as there were songs, it's an hour and half of pent up joy, finally released to an appreciate audience. Even on a Sunday night, sitting shattered on a sofa (try saying that ten times in quick succession), I felt my energy levels and sense of well-being rising.

 

In an amateur attempt to recapture that sense of euphoria and forestall the reality of a Monday back at work, today's selection features Róisín Murphy in uptempo mode, from (I think) her first solo outing before Moloko split covering Pulp to remixes from the superb lockdown panacea, 2020's Róisín Machine. What an absolute legend.

Oh, and early love and best wishes for Róisín's birthday next Tuesday, 5th July.

 

1) Sorted? (Cover of 'Sorted For E's & Whizz' by Pulp) (2002)

2) Murphy's Law (Cosmodelica Remix) (Full Length) (2020)

3) Sow Into You (Bugz In The Attic Remix) (2005)

4) Movie Star (Sam & Di Angelis 'For Jodie Harsh' Remix) (2008)

5) Unputdownable (Prosumer Remix) (2015)

6) Slave To Love (Single Version) (Cover of Bryan Ferry) (2008)

7) If We're In Love (Matthew Herbert's Lovers Remix) (2005)

8) Evil Eyes (Hercules & Love Affair Remix) (2015)

9) Primitive (Album Version) (2007)

10) Incapable (The Reflex Re√ision) (2021)

11) Overpowered (Kris Menace Remix) (2007)

12) In Sintesi (Psychemagik Remix) (2014)

Alien Feelings (1:11:00) (Box) (Mega)