Roots 'n' Culture, Thirty Years Later

Side 2 of a mixtape recorded sometime around September 1995. 

 

Whereas yesterday's selection was a tape from my brother's former girlfriend, today's is a cassette that I made for a girlfriend that I lived with in the second half of the 1990s. 

 

1995 was the height of Britpop and the dance/indie crossover, both of which was reflected in the mightily impressive line-up for Bristol Sound City '95 running from 17th to 23rd April that year. 

 

Pulp! Radiohead! The Prodigy! Suede! Supergrass! Orbital! Sleeper! Gene! The Chemical Brothers! Teenage Fanclub! Skunk Anansie! The Orb! Elastica! The Bluetones! Utah Saints! Ash! dEUS! Dreadzone! Reef! Marion! and er, Menswe@r!

 

Not that I went to any of these gigs, or was paying that much attention, judging by my track listing over the two sides of C90. The only Sound City '95 act to make the cut was The Jesus & Mary Chain, and nearly half of Side 2 stuck in 1992, with only Björk and Gavin Friday representing releases in 1995.

For all that, I really like this compilation. Both sides kick off with an instrumental, Barry Adamson on Side 1 and the timeless (and beatless) Smokebelch II by The Sabres Of Paradise aka Andrew Weatherall, Jagz Kooner and Gary Burns. 

A fair few cover versions on this side too, from The Fall, Björk and Vegas, the short-lived partnership of David A. Stewart and Terry Hall.

The LFO track first appeared on the book/CD series Volume Three in 1992, although I didn't get to hear it until I bought the two 2CD 'Best Of Volume' compilations that emerged in 1995. Slow Down Speedy appeared on the first, entitled Wasted, but both are worth tracking down.

And Julian Cope makes a brief cameo, right at the end of the selection, as only he can.

 

This particular love story didn't have a happy ending, but the music never let us down. 

 

1) Smokebelch II (Beatless Mix): The Sabres Of Paradise (1993)

2) Lost In Music (Single Version) (Cover of Sister Sledge): The Fall (1993)

3) Bonita Mañana (Gang Starr Vocal Mix): Espiritu (1994)

4) Deee-Lite Theme (Global Village Mix): Deee-Lite (1991)

5) Phorever People (D's Mellow Dub): The Shamen ft. Jhelisa Anderson (1992)

6) Honey Power (Single Version + Instrumental Coda): My Bloody Valentine (1991)

7) It's Oh So Quiet (Album Version) (Cover of Betty Hutton): Björk (1995)

8) Slow Down Speedy: LFO (1992)

9) Showgirl (Single Version): The Auteurs (1992)

10) Trance Of Hatred: Barry Adamson ft. Maria Zastrow (1992)

11) She (Disco Mix) (Cover of Charles Aznavour): Vegas (1992)

12) Angel (7" Edit): Gavin Friday (1995)

13) Cool Hand Flute (Original Mix): Fluke (1989)

14) Peggy Suicide is Missing...: Julian Cope (1992)

 

1989: Thumper / Cool Hand Flute EP: 13

1991: Power Of Love EP: 4

1991: Tremolo EP: 6 

1992: Jehovahkill: 14

1992: Phorever People EP: 5 

1992: She EP: 11

1992: Showgirl EP: 9

1992: Soul Murder: 10

1992: Volume Three: 8

1993: Sabresonic: 1

1993: Why Are People Grudgeful? EP: 2

1994: Bonita Mañana EP: 3 

1995: Angel EP: 12

1995: Post: 7

Side Two (46:39) (KF) (Mega)

 

And for those of you who weren't here 993 days ago when I posted Side 1, you can find it here.

Devotional

Side 2 of a Depeche Mode mixtape, recorded sometime around September or October 1998.

The triumphant return of the boys from Basildon with this selection focusing on a decade of mixes from 1988 (not 1989 as advertised above) to 1998, bridging live compilation 101 through to their second singles collection, the rather functionally titled The Singles 86>98.

 

Headstar is a good example of Mode's stock-in-trade B-side, an instrumental that could easily have wound up on a US TV drama soundtrack. World In My Eyes is remixed by The Beloved's Jon Marsh, tucked away on a limited edition single back in 1990.  

 

In Your Room wasn't a particular favourite of mine as a single/album track but the remixes were better, including the one here by Jonny Dollar and featuring my first encounter with Geoff Barrow working under the Portishead moniker. 

 

Wrapping up Side 2 - and the compilation - a rare occasion when I used an alternative to the definitive single version of Enjoy The Silence on a mixtape. Poor old Dave Gahan doesn't get a look in until the closing minute or so, but it's a good mix nevertheless. 

 

I haven't yet got around to buying the latest Depeche Mode album, more a reflection on the ton of great albums that have already landed in 2023 so far. 

 

1) Headstar (Single Mix By Tim Simenon & Robin Hancock) (1998)

2) Nothing (Zip-Hop Mix By Justin Strauss & Eric Kupper) (1988)

3) World In My Eyes (Mayhem Mode) (Remix By Jon Marsh) (1990)

4) I Feel You (Babylon Mix By Supereal aka John Crossley) (1993)

5) Barrel Of A Gun (United Mix By Paul Freegard & Marc Waterman ft. Vanessa) (1997) 

6) Home (LFO Meant To Be) (Remix By Mark Bell) (1997)

7) In Your Room (The Jeep Rock Mix By Jonny Dollar & Portishead) (Edit) (1994)

8) Enjoy The Silence (Ricki Tik Tik Mix By Daniel Miller & Phil Legg) (1990)

Side Two (46:22) (KF) (Mega)

 

If that's left you hungry for more Mode, here are the previous selections I posted in August 2021 and May 2022.

 

More Than A Party

Moving Violations

 

In The Middle Of This Contagious World

If I were a stickler for observing anniversaries, I'll have just missed the boat with this mix, as it was originally transmitted on NTS Radio on 22 June 2019. This is legendary producer Adrian Sherwood giving the Warp Records label an ON-U Sound rinse. 30 years of brilliance in 40 minutes. 

The title of today's post is a line from track 2, Licking An Orchid by Yves Tumor, originally released in 2018, the words seem especially appropriate in the present time. 

1) Wilmot: The Sabres Of Paradise (1994)
2) Licking An Orchid: Yves Tumor ft. James K (2018)
3) Flip Ya Lid: Nightmares On Wax (2006)
4) Nikels And Dimes: GonjaSufi (2012)
5) Auntie's Harp: Flying Lotus (2008)
6) Leyendecker: Battles (2007)
7) Dutty Bounce: Harmonic 313 (2012)
8) Alberto Balsalm: Aphex Twin (1995)
9) We'll Take It: Oneohtrix Point Never ft. Anohni & James Blake (2012)
10) Blood And Form: Mount Kimbie (2013)
11) Now Is The Time: Nightmares On Wax (2013)
12) Lion: Harmonic 313 (2012)
13) Simon From Sydney: LFO (1991)
14) Clonk's Coming: Sweet Exorcist (1991)
15) Pen Expers: Autechre (2001)

Warp vs. On-U Sound Mix: Adrian Sherwood (39:57)