Is It Obvious? Or Is It Delirium?

Last Sunday's post summed up some of the great music in 2025 so far and tomorrow will complete the 25 For 25 set.

That selection has focused on what I would loosely describe as 'alternative' music, whereas I have featured several selections this year that are more electronic / beats based.

And there's so much of it, I can't keep up, to be honest. Exhibit A: another 90-minute, 15 song pick that refuses to be pigeonholed.

There is something of a nostalgic feel to this one. The All Seeing I have released an expanded version on their 1999 album Pickled Eggs And Sherbert, including 4 reworkings by founder member Richard Barratt aka Crooked Man, which you can also buy as a standalone EP. Of course I had to pick 1st Man In Space featuring living legend Phil Oakey.

Phil's in good company. The following song La Musica was originally released in 2014 by Munk and re-released this year as a collaboration with Kapote...although they are one and the same person, Mathias Modica. The version here features George Kranz, heavily incorporating his 1983 song Din Daa Daa.

Oh, and Yoko Ono pops up in the next song by the brilliant Jezebell,  Dub Narcotic Sound System's 1994 single Fuck Shit Up gets a makeover by hi-falutin' Hifi Sean and you'll hear a familiar snippet of Peter Fonda amongst the guess-the-sample offering by Follytechnic Music Library aka Paul Southgate. Paul's seemingly unstoppable output of edits and mash-ups deserves a post of its own. I must get to it.

It's not all reflective, though. If you've been following this blog all year, you will have twigged that I like Airsine's Like Fire EP. I mean, a lot. Three of the four versions have now appeared on 2025 round-up selections, so I guess I'd better save the remaining one for the 'best of the year' round up.

senses appear for the second time in a week with the same song. The original 'indie' version has a charm all of its own, but there was no way I was leaving out Andy Bell's GLOK remix. 

Likewise, Let Yourself Go by Una Camille & Dr. No (well, Richard Norris in disguise actually) popped up previously with one of his own remixes, but I had to make room here for the super Acid Mix by Leo Zero. 

Leo's been pretty busy himself this year, as I found to my (literal) cost last Bandcamp Friday, so there will be more from him here soon. 

Other gifts that keep giving since their release are albums by Hifi Sean and David McAlmont and 100 Poems aka Mike Wilson. Hugo Nicholson is in a real purple patch at the moment, Pete Bones too, here with a remix of Nick Hook for a charity fundraiser EP.

Relatively recent discoveries are Greendoxyn (here with Lyubava), via the ever reliable NEIN Records label,  and London duo Mermaid Chunky, who I found via their collaboration with Orbury Common in 2022.

Rounding things out is sLEdger, who got my attention with an excellent remix of Fluke in 2024, and have kept it with some top notch and brilliantly titled releases. Trippy Ass God Funk indeed.

Please come back on Sunday for more 2025 highlights.

1) 1st Crooked Man In Space (Remix By Richard Barratt): The All Seeing I ft. Phil Oakey (Return Of The Crooked Cat EP)

2) La Musica (Din Daa Daa Version): Munk & Kapote ft. George Kranz (La Musica EP)

3) Turn It Yes: Jezebell (Jezebellearic Beats Volume 2)

4) Like Fire (Single Version): Airsine (Like Fire EP)

5) Spanner: Hugo Nicolson (Black Stick EP)

6) have you ever had a broken heart? (Andy Bell/GLOK Remix): senses (have you ever had a broken heart? EP)

7) Sleeping Pill (Album Version): Hifi Sean & David McAlmont (Twilight)

8) Waiting For An Angel: Greendoxyn & Lyubava (Waiting For An Angel EP)

9) Viva Palestina (Pete Bones Remix): Nick Hook (Viva Palestina (Dance For Peace Remixes) EP)

10) chaperone (Peach's 2Good 2Be Remix): Mermaid Chunky (chaperone EP)

11) Fuck Shit Up (Hifi Sean Mix): Dub Narcotic Sound System (Fuck Shit Up EP)

12) Let The Horse Run Free: 100 Poems (Let The Horse Run Free)

13) Surfer Man Got Loaded: Follytechnic Music Library (FML25 Baggy Ravers 3)

14) Let Yourself Go (Leo Zero Acid Mix): Una Camille & Dr No (Let Yourself Go EP)

15) Trippy Ass God Funk: sLEdger (Funk From The Portal EP)

Is It Obvious? Or Is It Delirium? (1:30:45) (GD) (M)

And if you missed the previous 2025 So Far selections...

28th March: It's A Glamorous World 

11th May: Doused In Dopamine

4th July: Staring Into Air

I Can Sing A Rainbow #3

A rainbow-themed selection (in the correct polychromatic order, of course, none of this nonsense) was the inspired idea of Martin at New Amusements, who kick started proceedings with a rather excellent selection last Thursday.

 

Suitably fired up, Rol at My Top Ten followed a guest post featuring bands called Rainbow (great work, George) with his own selection of 'rainbow' songs on Wednesday. Again, a fab list with some forgotten gems.

 

And so, never one for an original idea at the best of times, I couldn't resist the temptation to have a go at my own selection of songs featuring the colours of the rainbow in the title. More by accident than design, the oldest song here is from 1994, the most recent 2023.

The song that immediately popped into my head was Basement Jaxx and Red Alert, featuring the aptly-named Blue James (or Blu or Bluski or Belinda, depending on how well you know her). Not only is it a great song, it's also a natural opener and gets things off to a rousing start. Other versions are available, though the radio edit comfortably hits all the sweet spots in just over three and a half minutes.

Taking things down a notch musically but ramping things up lyrically is Elevated Orange by Ali Shaheed Muhammad, on one of his solo outings from A Tribe Called Quest in 2004. I don't know who the intended target of the song is but with its title and lyrics like

Them laws you make
It’s not going to keep you safe
You straight transgressed the means, now it’s time for you to come clean
When I mix it up, it’s going to leave your face twisted up

 

I can't help be reminded of a certain pus bag (former) US president in the here and now...

 

Lee 'Scratch' Perry up next with Yellow Tongue from his superb 2008 album The Mighty Upsetter, produced by Adrian Sherwood. 'Scratch' is joined on this song by Tunisian-French singer Samia Farah, who I first encountered as one of the On-U Sound collective guesting on Sherwood's 2006 solo album Becoming A Cliché. It's hard to believe that it's coming up to two years since Lee 'Scratch' Perry left us, so present is his music in the soundtrack of my life.

 

I know very little about The Allender Band as this song appeared on a freebie CD with Bristol's (now defunct) listings magazine Venue back in 2008. Discogs tells me that Green Wound was also the lead song on their EP from the same year, In The Grip Of Light. The Allender Band released an album called Outer Dark in 2009 and that appears to be it. Founding member Robin Allender joined Yann Tiersen's touring band that year (as did drummer Dave Collingwood) and appears to have had a fruitful and diverse career since, not least as a solo musician and a stand-up comedian. I really like this song, so I should check out more of Robin's music, especially as it's Bandcamp Friday. 

 

Blue was my first purchase by Bark Psychosis and came on the back of frankly lazy music journo comparisons with late-period Talk Talk. Bark Psychosis are/were much more than that, though Graham Sutton (as Boymerang) did go on to remix .O.Rang, the band formed by former Talk Talk members Paul Webb and Lee Harris. My copy of Blue is on rather lovely but very crackly white vinyl 12" single with the full length version of the song. This edit was on the CD and 1997 compilation Game Over.

 

Indigo was an easier choice for me as I have a few in my collection but The All Seeing I's remix of the 2000 single by Moloko was my immediate thought. Any excuse to shoehorn Róisín Murphy into a post for the second time this week. Jason Buckle is currently a member of Jarvis Cocker's 'other band' and has released a steady stream of albums this year - two in July alone - as JP Buckle, which are all worth checking out. With song titles like Guns Versus Butter, Return Of Super Dirty, Quick Jimmy Riddle and Tinker Taylor Soldier Funk, you know you're onto a winner.

 

Violet was a toss-up between an Andrew Weatherall song and my final choice, Stonehouse Violets from The Bluebells' wonderful album from earlier this year, In The 21st Century. I didn't know much about The Bluebells apart from 1980s singles Young At Heart and Cath and the album - their first in over three decades - is a great listen from start to finish. This is one of my favourite songs, too.

 

1) Red Alert (Jaxx Radio Mix): Basement Jaxx ft. Blue James (1999)

2) Elevated Orange: Ali Shaheed Muhammad (2004)

3) Yellow Tongue: Lee 'Scratch' Perry ft. Samia Farah (2008)

4) Green Wound: The Allender Band (2008)

5) Blue (Edit): Bark Psychosis (1994)

6) Indigo (All Seeing I Glamoloko Edit): Moloko (2000)

7) Stonehouse Violets: The Bluebells (2023)

I Can Sing A Rainbow (31:10) (KF) (Mega)

And if you're disappointed with Mr. Tumble and a succession of other charlatans giving the wrong colours of the rainbow in the wrong order, here's my go-to...

 

Oh, and a final thanks to John Medd, for inspiring me to take pictures of old red telephone boxes for the monthly photo challenge on his blog, Are We There Yet? 

 

Today's image is a filtered, messed around with photo of a solitary red box in a neighbouring village. All looks quiet and peaceful, but cropped out of sight was what seemed to be a mass gathering of villagers milling on the street for an imminent party. Hopefully, not of the lynching variety, having spotted the 'not local' skulking around their precious phone box. Needless to say, I beat a hasty retreat after a long distance photo...