All Guerilla, No Filla

The Guerilla record label shone briefly but oh so brightly. Launched in 1990 by William Orbit and Richard O'Dell aka Disc O'Dell, it ran until 1994 (although it was 2003 before the company was formally dissolved).

The sight of the custom camouflage 12" single designed by Steven Cook - sometimes in blue, sometimes in green - in the record rack was a happy moment, a guarantee of quality locked in the grooves.

Guerilla was instrumental in bringing progressive house music to a wider audience and in particular introducing me to artists such as Spooky, D.O.P. and React 2 Rhythm, who have remained required listening ever since. 

William Orbit debuted Bassomatic (or Bass-o-matic, if you prefer) on the Guerilla before a deal with Virgin Records beckoned, and released the seminal Water From A Vine Leaf, featuring Beth Orton and remixes from Spooky and Underworld. An edit of the original version closes this selection.

Spooky and Underworld teamed up for a classic remix of the former's single Schmoo, getting today's mixtape off to a rousing start. 

Spooky make three further appearances, firstly remixing Jo Bogaert (the brains behind Technotronic) and The Chameleon Project aka D.O.P. aka Kevin Hurry and Kevin Swain. 

There's also Persuasion, their frankly stunning collaboration with Billie Ray Martin on the Throbbing Gristle song, with D.O.P. returning the favour on remix duties.

D.O.P. (Dance Only Productions, if you were wondering) released two volumes of Musicians Of The Mind, which don't get the attention and respect afforded to contemporary albums by Underworld, Orbital or Fluke, but were must-have purchases at the time and still hold up, thirty years on.

Speaking of Orbital, they dub up early Drum Club single Alchemy, whilst Glasgow legends Slam soup up Supereal.

I could go on about the rest of the selection, the glaringly obvious omissions, the expertly curated compilations that Guerilla issued in those golden years. Instead, I'll just point you to the music for the next 87 minutes. I'd love to hear what you think.

1) Schmoo (Underworld Mix): Spooky ft. Heather Sian Wildman (1993)

2) Go Getta Nutha Man (The Whole Shabang Mix By Phil Kelsey): Bassomatic ft. Divine & Glory B (1991)

3) I Still Want Ya (Nooshty Mix By Lisa Loud & Mat Clark): Outer Mind (1992)

4) Ooh La La (Album Version): D.O.P. (1993)

5) Your Face In My Mind (Pat Pong Ghekko Blast Mix By William Orbit): Lizzie Tear (1990)

6) Rhythm Addiction (Lea Bridge Road Mix By Sugar J. & F.C. Harmony): React 2 Rhythm (1990)

7) Alchemy (Phasers On Dub Mix By Orbital): Drum Club ft. Kate Holmes (1993)

8) Water (Spooky's Heavy Water Mix): Jo Bogaert (1994)

9) Feel (Spooky Remix (Part 1)): The Chameleon Project (1993)

10) Persuasion (D.O.P. Mix) (Cover of Throbbing Gristle): Billie Ray Martin & Spooky (1993)

11) United State Of Love (The Slam Remix): Supereal ft. Janet Cofie (1992)

12) Fight Back (Rootsman Version By Digidub aka Lee Berwick): The Moody Boys (1994)

13) Water From A Vine Leaf (Album Edit): William Orbit ft. Beth Orton (1993)

1990: Rhythm Addiction EP: 6

1990: Your Face In My Mind EP: 5

1991: Go Getta Nutha Man EP: 2

1992: I Still Want Ya EP: 3

1992: United State Of Love EP: 11

1993: Alchemy EP: 7

1993: Guerilla Remix EP: At The Moment Of Impact: 9

1993: Musicians Of The Mind Volume 2: 4

1993: Persuasion EP: 10

1993: Schmoo EP: 1

1994: Recycled EP: 12

1994: Water EP: 8

2003: Pass In Time: The Definitive Collection: 13

All Guerilla, No Filla (1:26:54) (GD) (M)

Out On The Periphery, Nobody Can Hear You Bleep

Keeping up with Andrew Weatherall's prodigious output in the 1990s was no easy task, given that releases were frequently low-key, one-offs or under a dizzying number of aliases. 

No Discogs, no Flightpath Estate, no widely available internet even, to assist the erstwhile fan in their (largely unsuccessful) attempts to get a handle on it. 

And by the time you might see a mention in Jockey Slut or Mixmag, these frequently small run vinyl releases were already as rare as hen's teeth.

Lords Of Afford existed in 1994, a partnership between Andrew Weatherall and David Hedger, with a handful of releases in that year alone, limited to compilations and remixes for other artists.

Not enough for a Dubhed selection, but I've tracked down most of them on YT to share with you.

The only omission that I'm aware of is the Out There: A Thread Through Time compilation, which featured two tracks, Circular Sore and Circular Soar.

My introduction to Lords Of Afford came via a remix for the Repetitive Beats EP by one-off 'supergroup' Retribution. Contrary to the above, I managed to pick this one up on CD single on release at my local Virgin Megastore, on the shelf with the regular new singles that week.

Next up for me, although chronologically speaking this may have been their final Lords Of Afford outing, was a one-off track, Do Laugh (Whitey Part 4) on the brilliantly titled 1995 compilation, 101 + 303 + 808 = Now Form A Band.

A more recent acquisition, relatively speaking, was the Lords Of Afford remix of Flame In Darkness by Steve Bicknell, thanks to the accessibility of DIY vinyl rips on t'internet. 

A chance secondhand purchase in the late 1990s - and today's final selection - was The Recycled EP by The Moody Boys. And I've arguably saved the best to last, with an epic 10-minute 'Electric Forest Version' of Destination Africa.

I've no idea why the Weatherall/Hedger partnership didn't go beyond these few pieces of music but, sonically speaking, they are Weatherall's natural stepping stone from The Sabres Of Paradise to Two Lone Swordsmen, mining the minimalist seam to great effect.

October

It's 1st October so the obvious thing to do is post a selection of songs that I last played on 1st October in previous years, from 2021 going all the way back to 2014, with apologies for the latter to Blonde Redhead, Willie Nelson & Sinéad O'Connor and The Sisters Of Mercy, you've been sorely neglected.

 

Forty five minutes of music, randomly collated but lovingly sequenced into a sepia-tinged Saturday soundtrack. Feel and hear the leaves crunch underfoot as you shuffle along, occasionally letting yourself drop into a little jig when you think no-one is looking.

 

1) Silently: Blonde Redhead (2007)

2) Don't Give Up (Cover of Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush): Willie Nelson ft. Sinéad O'Connor (1993)

3) Everybody's On The Run (Radio Edit): Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds (2012)

4) Manipulating Woman: Ladyhawke (2008)

5) Something Fast (Album Version): The Sisters Of Mercy (1990)

6) Falling Down (SBN (Student Broadcast Network) Session): Turin Brakes (2003)

7) Ü (Angry Side): Kleenex (1979)

8) Lost In A Melody (Radio Edit By Graham Sutton): Delays (2004)

9) Crying Blood (Moody Boyz Front Line Re-Rub): VV Brown (2008)

10) Put You Down: Grant McLennan ft. Syd Straw & Esta Hall (1994)

11) Wiseblood (Johnny Jewel Alternate Version): Zola Jesus (2018)

October (45:30)

Ich Bin Ein Ausländer

I first became aware of Aki Nawaz via Nation Records, personally one of the most exciting labels to emerge in the 1990s. Little did I know at the time, but he'd featured in my record collection previously as drummer with The Southern Death Cult (who incrementally dropped prefixes to become The Cult, but that's another story).

 

As well as providing a home and creative outlet for artists via Nation Records, Nawaz also performed as rapper Propa-Gandi and has released an immense body of work as Fun-Da-Mental. Nawaz has consequently courted controversy over his political acts, lyrical content and recital of verses from the Qur'an over Fun-Da-Mental's music, as referenced in this 2015 interview with Vice's Jack Dutton.

 

This selection focuses on the 1990s, 12 tracks over 75 minutes, taking in Fun-Da-Mental remixes and remixed, including the collaboration with Pop Will Itself that provides today's post title. Some unsurprising inclusions here, with Transglobal Underground and Indian Ropeman, but hopefully a few unexpected remixes too, such as Hyperhead (Mary Mary's band between Gaye Bikers On Acid and Apollo 440) and especially The Jesus & Mary Chain.  

 

Fun-Da-Mental's last album was 2018's There Shall Be Love. As the Bandcamp release info states, the music "is a soundtrack to "life lived" and "life observed". The Political commentary, although very outspoken and nuanced, is and remains a matter of debate."

 
1) "You Have Become Human Swine" (A Lesson In Love...Listen!!!! Reprise): Fun-Da-Mental (1999)

2) Ja Sha Taan (Karachi Deathcult Mix By Transglobal Underground): Fun-Da-Mental ft. Nawazish Ali Khan (1997)

3) New World Order (Extended Version): Fun-Da-Mental (1994)

4) A Lesson In Love...Listen!!!! (Wisdom Speaks) (Remix By Phluide): Fun-Da-Mental (1999)

5) Ich Bin Ein Ausländer (Fun-Da-Mental 12" Mix): Pop Will Eat Itself ft. Blacka-D, Hot-Dog & Propa-Gandi (1994)

6) Mother India (Spirit Of The Tiger) (Remix By The Moody Boyz aka Tony Thorpe): Fun-Da-Mental (1994)

7) Shri Durga (The Organic Science Mix By Fun-Da-Mental): DJ Cheb I Sabbah ft. Mala Ganguly, Shafqat Ali Khan, Ustad Salamat Ali Khan & Ustad Sharafat Ali Khan (2000)

8) Ja Sha Taan (J&MC Debate With F<D>M Version By The Jesus & Mary Chain): Fun-Da-Mental (1999)

9) This Is Fascism (Exterminate Fascism Before It Gets Your Teddy Bear By Fun-Da-Mental) (Cover of Consolidated): New Fast Automatic Daffodils (1996)

10) Teenage Mind (Fun-de-mental Midi Breakdown Dub): Hyperhead (1992)

11) Mr. Bubbleman (Album Version): Fun-Da-Mental (1994)

12) Demonised Soul (Indian Ropeman Remix By Sanjiv Sen): Fun-Da-Mental (1998)

 

1992: Teenage Mind EP: 10

1994: Ich Bin Ein Ausländer EP: 5 

1994: Mother India EP: 6

1994: Seize The Time / Taking Liberties: 11

1994: Volume Nine: 3 

1996: This Is Fascism: 9

1997: Ja Sha Taan EP: 2, 8 

1998: Demonised Soul EP: 12

1999: Why America Will Go To Hell EP: 1, 4 

2000: Maha Maya: Shri Durga Remixed: 7

Ich Bin Ein Ausländer (1:13:45)