Like Sunlight Shimmering On Open Oceans

No round up of the best of 2025 would be complete without mention of the one-man music industry that is Richard Norris.

I remain in awe: Richard's output continues to match quantity with quality, with a breath-taking amount of music across multiple genres, whether under his own name, in collaboration with Lol Hammond and Zeke Manyika or as an in-demand remixer.

I've taken a slightly different tack with today's selection. As all of these releases are this year, and I strongly urge you to track down and buy the originals on Bandcamp - better still, become a subscriber, it's a bargain - every single track is an edit.

In the case of the Music For Healing picks and Richard's beautiful tribute to his friend Dave Ball, these are shorter extracts of the full length pieces. For the featured remixes (tracks 2, 5, 7, 9 and 10), I have spliced, mashed and generally messed with multiple versions to produce a final edit. 

Open Your Eyes by Zeke Manyika & Dr No takes Richard's instrumental and vocal mixes to create a 12 min 44 second behemoth. Likewise, the edits of Gulp and Pale Blue Eyes chop and change the structure (subtly, I hope!) of his main and voxless versions.

Let Yourself Go by Una Camille & Dr No is pretty much just laying Richard's Lysergic and Main mixes on top of one another so that you get the best of both worlds, with vocal and infectious bass line throughout.

For the edit of The Glow by Moon Dust, it starts off with the Ambient Mix, then introduces the main mix, before cutting to the Slowed + Reverb version to close things out. I think it works...!

Sequenced with the Music For Healing pieces, I'm happy that the 90 minute selection works as a whole and more importantly, showcases why Richard Norris continues to astonish with every release. For a few quid a month, it's an understatement to say that subscribing brings an embarrassment of riches.

A perfect Christmas gift for the one you love...?

1) Siren 2: Richard Norris

2) Open Our Eyes (And All Shall Be Revealed Edit By Khayem): Zeke Manyika & Dr No

3) Cornflower (2025 Edit): Richard Norris

4) Cornsilk (2025 Edit): Richard Norris

5) How Long Is Now (How Long Is A Piece Of String Edit By Khayem): Pale Blue Eyes

6) Deep Down (In B) (For Dave Ball): Richard Norris

7) Let Yourself Go (Khayem's Let Himself Go Edit): Una Camille & Dr No

8) Rust (2025 Edit): Richard Norris

9) Wildflower (Richard Norris Remixed It, Khayem Plucked It Edit): Gulp

10) The Glow (Khayem's Radiant Edit): Moon Dust

11) Low Tide 2: Richard Norris

Like Sunlight Shimmering On Open Oceans (1:30:00) (GD) (M)

An Eye In The Glass On The Parquet Floor

I still think of The Creatures as relatively recent, but in October it will be twenty two years since Siouxsie and Budgie released their fourth and final album, Hái!

October will also mark twenty seven years since the release of 2nd Floor, the lead single and opening track of third album, Anima Animus.

A remix of the song popped up on my random shuffle and a subsequent YT search unearthed the promo video, which I'd never seen before. Monochrome (mostly), make up and manic moves make for a compelling four and a half minutes. Then again, I need little motivation to watch a performance by Siouxsie Sioux, she is superb.

The promo 12" and CD single came with an extended version, labelled the 'Album Mix', by Siouxsie, Budgie and album co-producer Warne Livesey. Ultimately this was ditched in favour of the single version, so it remains a relative obscurity.

The flip side of the promo featured 2nd Floor (Siouxsie, Budgie And Warne's Club Mix). I've not been able to track down the original 9:43 version, but I have found a 5:24 edit by Erasercuts, synched with the promo video.

Another promo 12" single featured a further remix by Girl Eats Boy aka one half of The Drum Club and Slab, Lol Hammond...

...whilst the regular single release featured a 2nd, very similar Girl Eats Boy remix.

In 1999, The Creatures released Hybrids, a compilation of previously released and newly commissioned remixes. One of the latter was a fresh take on 2nd Floor by the mysteriously named Vito Bonito. 

Apartment door

Is left ajar

An eye in the glass

On the parquet floor

All the guests

Have left and gone

But I'm still here

On the 2nd floor

Aftermath

In an amber glow

A vodka bath

For this shipwrecked soul

Seconds fly

As the years flow by

But I don't care

I'm on the 2nd floor

2nd Floor

And I still want more

2nd Floor

Coming back for more

Why fear death

When death never hurt

No one

2nd Floor

Can You See The Rockets?

Today's selection turns the spotlight on Nina Walsh, composer, performer, engineer, producer, supreme talent and looong overdue a Dubhed selection. I say that a lot, but I really mean it.

Sundays are often reserved for something a little bit more downtempo, a little bit more relaxed and this is no exception, although being Nina, this is more Cabaret Voltaire than Cafe Del Mar ambience.

That said, things start off with the beautiful and delicate original version of Borderland, featuring Sarah Sarhandi on viola, by Woodleigh Research Facility. Initially a joint project with Andrew Weatherall, since his death in 2020 Nina has continued to release music as WRF. Nina and Andrew's connection goes way back: previously romantically involved, the pair also founded and ran the Sabres Of Paradise and Sabrettes labels in the early 1990s, which is how I first became of Nina's work. Here's a photo the pair by John Barnett circa 2016.

 

Borderland was originally recorded in 2019 and was finally released as volume 4 in the Apparently Solo series of EPs. I had to include the original here as it was such a strikingly obvious opener, but the EP includes a pair of remixes, one of Andrew's last, the other by uber-producer (and former Sabre) Jagz Kooner in 2021.

 

 

The rest of the selection takes in Nina's further collaborations as Slab with Lol Hammond (Drum Club), with Alex Paterson/The Orb and solo as C-Pij, with a rare A-side and couple of remixes for Andrew Weatherall and Keith Tenniswood aka Two Lone Swordsmen.

Bringing things bang up to date is an epic remix earlier this year of In A Wonderland from Steve Queralt and Michael Smith's brilliant companion to the equally excellent Sun Moon Town album. 

 

Nina provides vocals on several songs, not least the closing track, Slab's cover of Mazzy Star's 1993 song Fade Into You. The original may be definitive, but I really love this cover and there's something about Nina's voice here that really gets me. It's a wonderful way to bring things to an end.

Although what is the end? A couple of weeks ago, Nina released a Woodleigh Research Facility album, Phonox Nights. Her final WRF recordings with Andrew Weatherall, it's a stunning collection, tinged with sadness and loss and yet imbued with a positivity and joie de vivre, the latter seemingly typifying their working relationship. Joe Muggs had a superb interview with the pair for Fact magazine in 2016 which captures this wonderfully.

 

Nina continues to make music and I think is receiving (over)due credit for her immense talent. Head over to Nina's website for links to her solo, WRF and other releases and immerse yourself in some incredible music.

 

1) Borderland (Original Version): Woodleigh Research Facility ft. Sarah Sarhandi (2019)

2) Mental Ground Zero: Slab ft. Younger Youth (1999)

3) Big Clapper (C-Pij Remix By Nina Walsh): Two Lone Swordsmen (1999)

4) Rabbit's Moon (Squelch Mix aka Lateral Lagomorph Mix By Lol Hammond & Nina Walsh): Slab (1997)

5) Primitive.... (Orbtij Mix By The Orb & C-Pij aka Alex Paterson & Nina Walsh): D-Kiku (1999)

6) Nostik: C-Pij (2000)

7) Aeronauts The Next Phase: Woodleigh Research Facility (2015)

8) Taste Of Our Flames: Two Lone Swordsmen ft. Nina Walsh (2004)

9) In A Wonderland (Wonk On The Gnosis Mix By Nina Walsh): Steve Queralt & Michael Smith (2023)

10) Cosmo: Slab (1999)

11) Tiny Reminder No. 1 (C-Pij Remix Vocal) (Remix By Nina Walsh): Two Lone Swordsmen (2001)

12) Plum Island (Flat Mix By Nina Walsh & Andy Sheriff): The Orb (2001)

13) Fade Into You (Single Version) (Cover of Mazzy Star): Slab (1999)

Can You See The Rockets? (1:18:26) (KF) (Mega)

Celebrate The Drum

I'll confess straight up that I remember very little about this night, other than I had a really, really good time. It was my second and last Megadog gig, with Drum Club and Finitribe headlining. My first was in Derby, around March 1994 and fronted by Transglobal Underground and Banco De Gaia. 

Drum Club were on fire at this point, having just dropped second album Drums Are Dangerous, following debut Everything Is Now and seminal single Sound System. Finitribe had released An Unexpected Groovy Treat in 1992 and I'm guessing will have been showcasing tracks from their follow-up Sheigra, which followed in 1995; I recall lead single Brand New getting an airing. 

 

Setlist has been unfortunately unable to fill in the blanks on this occasion, so I've instead opted for a handful of tracks from Drum Club and Finitribe, circa 1993-1994. I've intentionally left off the Underworld mix of Sound System for a future post and the Andrew Weatherall mixes of 101 as they've featured here previously. In between, you get a clutch of remixes that appeared on singles and electronica/dance compilations. Not your typical Sunday fare, but a good way to dispel the November gloom (on this island, at least).

1) Brand New (Tip-Top Tune): Finitribe (1994)

2) Sound System (Dub Me Crazy): Drum Club ft. Wonder (1993)

3) Drums Are Dangerous (Stand And Fight Mix): Drum Club ft. Maxine Harvey (1994)

4) Monster In The House (Monster Mutley Medley): Finitribe ft. Mutley & The Gang (1993)

5) De-Lushed (Stars Above The Campfire Mix): Drum Club (1994)

6) Follow The Sun (Remix): Drum Club ft. Kate Holmes & Wonder (1993)

7) 101.93: Finitribe (1993)

 

1993: Monster In The House EP: 4, 7

1993: Sound System EP: 2 

1993: Trance Europe Express: 6

1994: Brand New EP: 1 

1994: Survival 2000: 5

1994: Taking Liberties: 3

 

Celebrate The Drum (49:54)