Returning to Justin Robertson, with an 86-minute Dubhed selection, spanning thirty five years, 13 tracks and countless happy times listening to his music.
Justin's current output as Five Green Moons gives the same thrill as listening to his early remixes of the likes of Happy Mondays and Inspiral Carpets, many a time buying music just because his name's attached, confident that I would never be disappointed.
Three and a half decades in, and no sign of that, or of Justin slowing down, even though I wonder how he also fits in time to write, paint and DJ on top of all this!
And yes, that is "Vol. 1" appended to the mixtape title...
1) Jamit: Justin Robertson's Deadstock 33s (2023)
2) Beglammered (Justin Robertson's Deadstock 33's Remix): The Asphodells (2013)
Side 1 of a made up mixtape series, bounding through the first decade of the 21st century.
In the year 2000, Robbie Williams duetted with Kylie Minogue on the phenomenal crowd pleasing single Kids. in 2001, Kylie pushed the envelope further with the brilliant Can't Get You Out Of My Head. But what about Robbie?
2001 was pretty good to Robbie too, with three singles, two of which hit the top spot. 2002 saw just the one single, Feel, reaching #4 at the end of the year. Not that I was really all that bothered.
What interested me more with his guest spot on My Culture by 1 Giant Leap. It's a really good song and deserved to be a hit, but would it have been a Top 10 hit without Robbie and Maxi Jazz from Faithless on it?
Well... follow-up single Braided Hair featuring Neneh Cherry and Speech from Arrested Development managed one week at #78, whilst the eponymous debut album fared slightly better at #51. Which is a shame as 1 Giant Leap is a really good album. People were sadly more interested in buying the latest steaming slop by Blue and Celine Dion.
Likewise, Cornershop had followed up a #1 hit single and Top 20 album in 1998 with a great album, Handcream For A Generation, and a rifftastic lead single in Lessons Learned From Rocky I To Rocky III. Although neither could be considered a flop, with a Top 30 and Top 40 placing respectively, Cornershop never again enjoyed the UK chart success of the 1990s,. Didn't stop them making fantastic music, though.
Another legendary artist that consistently delivered wonderful music for frustratingly little reward is Edwyn Collins. His 2002 album Dr. Syntax is chock full of tunes that his contemporaries would sell their souls for, and Johnny Teardrop is in my Top 5 favourite Edwyn Collins songs. It's the perfect distillation of everything that makes Edwyn such a superb songwriter. And it got to bloody #192! Were there really 191 better singles on sale in the UK that week?!
The previous week, Sugababes were back with a vengeance - and their first UK #1 - with Freak Like Me. Having just watched the excellent Girlbands Forever documentary series on BBC2, I appreciated just how much was on the line for the group. Founder member and childhood friend Siobhan Donaghy had left, and Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan were teamed up with new member Heidi Range. Sugababes had been successful, but without a #1 single or album to date, it was make or break time.
DJ and producer Richard X has gained notoriety, not least for his bootleg mash-up of Freak Like Me by Adina Howard and Are 'Friends' Electric? by Tubeway Army. Sugababes and Richard X were paired up in the studio to record a commercial version for single release. It turned out to be a smart move for them both.
Another mash-up artist who exploded in 2002 was Mark Vidler aka Go Home Productions. The Weather Episode is a glorious melding of The Next Episode by Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg and Weather With You by Crowded House. When a mash-up works, it really hits the spot and this is a prime example.
I am completely disregarding the rules here, as The Weather Episode was released as a free bootleg MP3 download and therefore ineligible for the Official Chart in the UK. I'm applying the "played by Zane Lowe on his XFM On-Air radio show" rule to sneak this one into its rightful place in today's selection.
Another remix that I loved was by dub legend Scientist aka Hopeton Brown, taking the title track of Death In Vegas' third album, Scorpio Rising. The second Top 20 single for Richard Fearless and co, their previous #9 hit had a guest spot from Iggy Pop and Scorpio Rising repeated the formula by featuring a certain Liam Gallagher.
I'm not a fan of Oasis or, generally speaking, the exploits of the Gallagher brothers in or out of the studio, so I was bought this single purely because it was Death In Vegas and Scientist. I don't think even a diehard Liam fanatic would deny that this is far from his best vocal performance, but I love Scientist's game attempt to wrestle it into a dubtastic shape.
Unlikely collaborations were plentiful at his time, yet X-Press 2 teaming up with David Byrne was a real surprise for Lazy A deserved #2 hit in April 2002, I was pleased to see Lazy included in Byrne's stunning American Utopia live set on the Sky Arts channel a while ago.
Another unlikely collaboration, and even more unlikely reunion in 2002, was David McAlmont and Bernard Butler. Bring It Back - album and single - proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the magic that peppered previous hits Yes and You Do was still there. This partnership also holds a special place in my heart as they were the first gig that Mrs. K and I went to together. They were utterly fantastic, of course.
Concidentally, I saw McAlmont and Butler perform live again in 2025, albeit not together. David was with current musical partner Hifi Sean, Bernard with James Grant and Norman Blake. Sadly, Mrs. K was unable to join me for either as I think she would have loved them.
Another welcome return for the Pet Shop Boys and Johnny Marr, who have both appeared in the previous 'decade' series. Home And Dry signalled a more reflective PSB and one which signalled and embraced their - and their audience's - transition from Radio 1 to Radio 2. Johnny had collaborated with Neil and Chris previously and his trademark guitar lines add class to a classy song.
And so, we've suddenly come to the end of another year and, if you ignored most of the Top 40 most of the time, another great year for music.
Could 2003 hope to find some gold amongst the grit? Join me on Sunday to find out.
1) Lessons Learned From Rocky I To Rocky III (Radio Edit): Cornershop
2) Freak Like Me (We Don't Give A Damn Mix By Richard X): Sugababes
3) Dance To The Underground (Edit By The DFA aka James Murphy & Tim Goldsworthy): Radio 4
4) Something To Talk About (The Four Tet Convention Remix By Kieran Hebden): Badly Drawn Boy
5) Johnny Teardrop (Remixed & Radio Edited): Edwyn Collins
6) Bring It Back (Album Version By Bernard Butler): McAlmont & Butler
7) Lazy (Radio Edit): X-Press 2 ft. David Byrne
8) Home And Dry (Single Mix): Pet Shop Boys ft. Johnny Marr
9) The Weather Episode (Original Version): Go Home Productions ft. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg & Crowded House
10) My Culture (We Love This Mix (Video Edit)): 1 Giant Leap ft. Maxi Jazz & Robbie Williams
11) The Mello Hippo Disco Show (Jacknife Lee Mix): The Amorphous Androgynous
12) Scorpio Rising (The Scientist Mix): Death In Vegas ft. Liam Gallagher
10th March 2002: Handcream For A Generation (#37): 1
24th March 2002: Release (#14): 8
14th April 2002: Muzikizum (#2): 7
14th April 2002: 1 Giant Leap (#9): 10
28th April 2002: Angels With Dirty Faces (#1): 2
5th May 2002: Doctor Syntax (#192): 5
16th June 2002: About A Boy OST (#28): 4
23rd June 2002: This Was Pop (2002-2007) (# n/a): 9
Remembering Mark Stewart, 10th August 1960 to 21st April 2023.
I posted a hastily compiled Dubhed selection as a tribute the morning after news broke of Mark's passing. In closing, I promised that
"There will be a follow up post,
where I try to articulate just why Mark Stewart
is such an important figure [...]
I just can't find the words right now."
This is that follow-up post, marking two years since Mark died. I'm still not sure I have the words, but Mark's stepped up and done it for me by releasing a brilliant new single, Memory Of You.
Memory Of You is the opening track of The Fateful Symmetry, out in July and completed before Mark's untimely passing. No compromise, even in death.
I discovered Mark's music in the late 1980s via my interest in Adrian Sherwood and ON-U Sound and the Mute label, the channels leading me to his solo albums with Maffia aka Doug Wimbish, Keith LeBlanc and Skip McDonald.
At this point, I had no idea of Mark's links to my birthplace Bristol, and was largely ignorant of The Pop Group, their significance and legacy. The past thirty-odd years have been a voyage of discovery and learning, revealing the complexity and contradictions through a career of challenge and non-conformity.
I've had a little more time to compile today's selection, compared to the ad-hoc tribute in 2023. Even so, this remains a surface-scratching exercise; there are so many layers, and Mark's work goes way beyond that with The Pop Group, Maffia and solo. The good news is that much of it is available in digital and physical formats via Mute, Bandcamp or your friendly local record shop.
Mark's music remains as crucial now as it ever has done.
1) Deep Time Dub (Mark Stewart Mix): Nohumaneye vs Mark Stewart (2022)
2) Hysteria (Album Version By Mark Stewart & Adrian Sherwood): Mark Stewart + Maffia (1990)
3) Death Trip To Tulsa ('Mark Stewart’s Exopolitix Demix'): Mark Lanegan Band (2015)
4) Where There's A Will There's A Way (Single Version By The Pop Group & Dave Anderson): The Pop Group (1980)
5) Shame And Pain (Album Version By Mark Stewart & Jim Sclavunos): Mark Stewart & Jeffrey Lee Pierce ft. Thurston Moore (2014)
6) Gustav Says (Album Version By Mark Stewart & Youth): Mark Stewart ft. Keith Levene & Achim Treu (2012)
7) Toxic Waste (Mark Stewart & Uncle Fester On Acid Remix By Mark Stewart & Patrick Dokter): Lampredonto (2022)
8) Babycino (Album Version By Mark Stewart & Youth): Mark Stewart (2012)
9) Forces Of Oppression (Album Version By The Pop Group & Dave Anderson): The Pop Group (1980)
Responding to absolutely no demand whatsoever, here's another trip back twenty years to the sounds of 2003.
My original shortlist was 20 songs, 10 forming yesterday's selection and the remaining 10 (in my mind at least) working well enough to provide another selection, just shy of an hour.
After a bit of a red herring with the opening two tracks, yesterday's turned out to be more of a downtempo, relaxed affair. Not so today. You want beats? You've got them. Well, at least until the closing track. But then, it's a remix by Boards Of Canada. You didn't really expect a gabba rave country crossover, did you?
A few of the big guns brought out for this one: Justin Robertson gets things off to a rousing start, Trevor Jackson ramps it up in his Playgroup guise and Ian Pooley's Solid Dub of a Nick Holder track is, well, solid.
After yesterday's DFA remix of The Rapture, two other bands from that (kind of) dance punk scene in the early 2000s - did it ever have a label? - come together. Dance To The Underground by Radio 4 was originally produced by The DFA and remixed by Trevor Jackson/Playgroup, both versions are personal favourites. The Faint (who also appeared in yesterday's selection) take the song in a different direction yet again and I like it.
Dubhed hero Rob Smith
gives a shout for Bristol, whilst the rest of the mix variously takes
in Bamako, Berlin, Paris, Ravenna, Cincinnati, Toronto, New York and
Hull.
Today's title is lifted from a song by French DJ and producer Agoria aka Sébastien Devaud. Don't be fooled by the innocent sounding name, Spinach Girl is pure smut.
Enjoy!
1) Do It Proper (Justin Robertson Remix): Chicken Lips (2003)
2) Strict Machine (Rowan's Remix By Rowan Oliver): Goldfrapp (2003)
3) Bucci Bag (Playgroup Remix By Trevor Jackson): Andrea Doria (2003)
4) Serious (Album Version): Da Lata ft. Mamani Keita & Bémbé Ségué (2003)
5) Spinach Girl (Album Version): Agoria ft. Sylvie Marks & Kofea (2003)
6) Dance To The Underground (Prance Mix By The Faint): Radio 4 (2003)
7) On My Mind (Ian Pooley's Solid Dub): Nick Holder ft. Sacha Williamson (2003)
8) Dead Again (Shirner Dub) (Remix By Reiner Schirner): Billie Ray Martin (2003)
9) Rock Dope Stupid (R & R Mix): Rob Smith (2003)
10) Last Walk Around Mirror Lake (Boards Of Canada Remix): Boom Bip (2003)
Some disco pogo for punks in pumps to usher in the weekend with this CD-R compilation that I burned for my brother in October 2004.
Guitar-based club tracks with some lovely easter egg samples for the goth, indie and synth-pop lovers out there. I couldn't find the original CD sleeve art for this one, so you get a photo deep within Gough's Cave in Cheddar Gorge, Somerset, which Clan K visited last weekend.
1) Destroy Rock & Roll (Single Version): Mylo (2003)
2) Wordy Rappinghood (Playgroup Dub) (Remix By Trevor Jackson) (Cover of Tom Tom Club): Chicks On Speed (2003)
3) On My Own (Album Version): Ulrich Schnauss ft. Judith Beck (2003)
4) Absolute Affirmation (Tom Middleton's Cosmos Mix): Radio 4 (2004)
5) Rocking Music (Joey Negro Club Edit By Dave Lee): Martin Solveig ft. Jay Sebag & Michael Robinson (2004)
6) Harlot (Thee Glitz Extended Mix By Felix Stallings Jr.): Felix Da Housecat ft. Melistar (2001)
7) What Was Her Name? (Original): Dave Clarke ft. Chicks On Speed (2004)
8) Some Velvet Morning (Disco Heater Dub) (Remix By Two Lone Swordsmen aka Andrew Weatherall & Keith Tenniswood) (Cover of Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood): Primal Scream ft. Kate Moss (2003)
9) For Real (Rollo Mix By Rollo & Sister Bliss): Tricky (1999)
10) The Wrestler (Lionrock's Wrestler) (Remix By Justin Robertson): Slick Sixty (1998)
11) Wrong Number (ISDN Mix By Mark Plati): The Cure (1997)
12) The Golden Path (Ewan Pearson Extended Vocal): The Chemical Brothers ft. The Flaming Lips (2003)
