Gangsters, Gangsters, Everywhere Gangsters

Gangsters, the latest single from Mark Pritchard and Thom Yorke's Tall Tales album has arrived with a mesmerising / fascinating / irritating (delete as applicable) video by Jonathan Zawada.

I haven't yet heard the album, but it's piqued my curiosity and I will check it out at some point. This listen took me down a different - and more obvious - rabbit hole of songs with a gangster...with no prizes for guessing where it ends up.

A few special mentions: 

1) I've never seen the video for Gangsterville by Joe Strummer before, so that was a treat even if the audio quality is a bit hissy;

2) In case you don't already know, The Sinister Ducks were a super group, comprising Max Akropolis, Capt. José da Silva and Translucia Baboon, better known to you and me as Alex Green (Jazz Butcher), David J (Bauhaus) and Alan Moore (comics legend), with visuals by Kevin O'Neill (also a comics legend);

3) Up until about 5 minutes ago, I was convinced that the repeatedly sampled line in Gangster Trippin by Fatboy Slim was not "What we're doin' when a" but "Fluff with the women" and I am greatly disappointed to be corrected.

4) It doesn't get much better than the last song, does it?

Had I more time, I would have presented this as a Dubhed selection. Instead, enjoy the videos (where available) and some rather cracking tunes.

 
1) Gangsters: Mark Pritchard & Thom Yorke (2025)

2) Big Time Gangsters: Benjamin Zephaniah (1990)

3) Gangster: Dreadzone (2010)

4) Gangster: Electronic (1992)

5) Gangster Of Love Part I & II: Jimmy Norman (1968)

6) Gangster Of Love: Talking Heads (1991)

7) Gangsterville: Joe Strummer (1989)

8) Old Gangsters Never Die: The Sinister Ducks (1983)

9) Gangster Chronicle (Live @ Green Theatre, Kiev) (Cover of London Posse): Tricky ft. Bella Gotti (2014)

10) Cowboys & Gangsters: Gichy Dan's Beachwood #9 (1981)

11) Gangster Trippin: Fatboy Slim (1998)

12) Gangsters: The Special AKA (1979)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nothing Is Triggered, Nothing Is Silent

The Smile have released a couple of remixes on 12" vinyl, transforming tracks from their album Cutouts.

I haven't heard the original album versions yet, but the mention of James Holden remixing the A-side Don't Get Me Started was enough to get me straight over to YouTube for a listen, and it's well worth a visit.

Coming on like some lost Byrne and Eno outtake circa 1981, Don't Get Me Started has a menacing, percussive rumble, before Thom Yorke's vocals come in on waves of synths and loops, Holden maintaining the tension and drama for the remainder of the song. 

It's an irresistible eight minute ride.

Robert Stillman's remix of Instant Prism also starts off with a evocation of another era and genre, this time mid-90s Japanese ambient techno.

Again, Thom's voice comes in early, the opening line "The overfllow in a hurricane" a portent of what's to come.  By the three-and-a-half minute mark, the vocals are looped, reversed and dropped back in the mix.

The last three minutes lose Thom altogether, strings, clanging metal and synth squalls all treated with a lightness of touch, before the subtle fade in of frenetic percussion, nothing overwhelming though. 

And then, just shy of eight minutes, it all drops away to a few phased, shimmering chords before coming a gentle but sudden end at nine minutes and sixteen seconds.

Both stunning remixes which have the desired effect of making me want to rush out and buy the EP and check out the original source album.

You can find the remix 12" and Cutouts album in The Smile's online shop and other retailers. To get the EP in digital format, look to the likes of iTunes and Amazon. Bandcamp doesn't appear to have either, but previous digital releases are available. 

I'm not the killer

Don't get me started

I'm not the villain

Choose someone else

You don't get to

Nothing is triggered

Nothing is silent

Don't pull me backwards

No, you don't get to

And your voice means nothing

And your voice means nothing

And your voice means nothing

And your voice means nothing

You don't get to

Don't get me started

You don't get me

You don't get me

You don't get me

You don't get me

You don't get me

Don't get me

And your voice means nothing

And your voice means nothing

And your voice means nothing

And you don't get me

Sixty Years Of 3D

Happy birthday to Robert Del Naja aka 3D, born 21st January 1965.

Ten songs, four official videos, one fan-made, one visualiser, four audio only, all prime examples of 3D's talent as a vocalist, producer, songwriter and remixer. 

Some of these collaborations are new to me: I had no idea 3D had worked with Mike Patton of Faith No More on his Peeping Tom, or that he's produced a remix (all eleven minutes of it) for a reimagining of McCartney III. 

And his work with Massive Attack alone is the stuff of legend, not just the music, but the activism and political drive, and the willingness to challenge conventions of live performance. 

And then there's his art.

Truly inspirational.

Have a good one, 3D!

1) False Flags: Massive Attack (2006)

2) Rabbit In Your Headlights (3D Mix-Reverse Light): UNKLE ft. Thom Yorke (1998)

3) 3 Libras (All Main Courses Mix): A Perfect Circle (2000)

4) Kill The DJ: Peeping Tom (Mike Patton) ft. Massive Attack (2006)

5) For Nothing: Euanwhosarmy ft. Lyndsey Lupe (2016)

6) Battle Box (Main Mix): 3D, Guy Garvey (2012)

7) WPIC (Higgins In 3D Remix): Higgins Waterproof black Magic Band (2014)

8) Deep Deep Feeling (3D RDN Remix): Paul McCartney (2021)

9) Kong: Neneh Cherry (2018)

10) Daydreaming: Massive Attack (1990)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We Should Give Ourselves Another Chance

A couple of songs in and I'm already excited by The Smile, the new project by Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Tom Skinner, working with longtime Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. 

 

Opening salvo You Will Never Work In Television Again kicked off 2022 in raucous style, whilst The Smoke is a bass-and-horns driven beast, which cried out for a dub reworking.

 

The Smile has duly obliged, with none other than the mighty Dennis Bovell serving up an extended dub remix that really hits the spot. Dennis introduced the song on Mary Anne Hobbs Radio 6 show on Thursday night - I hesitate to call it an interview as it's so brief - but you can listen to the snippet here.

 

There's also a video on YouTube of Thom performing another song by The Smile at the Letters Live event at the Royal Albert Hall, London on 30th October 2021. It's a beautiful synth-and-acoustic number called Free In The Knowledge.

 

The Smoke (Dennis Bovell Rmx): The Smile (2022)

The Smoke (Original Version): The Smile (2022)

You Will Never Work In Television Again: The Smile (2022)

Fobbed Off With Lame Shite Excuses

Continuing the electronica theme of the last couple of posts, here's Atoms For Peace with their BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix from 2013. Thom Yorke and Nigel Godrich on the mix, with nearly two hours of out there sounds, liberally sprinkled with Radiohead and solo Yorke offerings, though nothing from the Atoms For Peace album, which had been released a couple of weeks prior to this Essential Mix transmission. This is the broadcast version, so you will have to endure a brief Pete Tong intro, station ident interruptions and a fade out after track 39, but otherwise sit back and immerse yourself in the mix. Today's post title is a Thom Yorke lyric from Track 4, which feels apt at this moment in time.

1) The Pining Pt. 1: Clark (2012)

2) R Fren: Doom & Thom Yorke/Jonny Greenwood (2013)
3) Brazil: Luke Abbott (2011)
4) FeelingPulledApartByHorses: Thom Yorke (2009)
5) Man Out Of Time (Major Space Dub): Redshape (2009)
6) Golf: Kuodede (2010)
7) Bicycle Bells: Colleen Et Les Boîtes À Musique (2006)
8) Day After: Shed (2012)
9) The Twist: Thom Yorke (2013)
10) Has Been: Thom Yorke (2013)
11) Ellipse: Marcel Dettmann (2013)
12) Modern Driveway: Luke Abbott (2012)
13) Give Up The Ghost (Thriller House Ghost Mix): Radiohead (2013)
14) Harrowdown Hill (C90 Mix): Thom Yorke (2013)
15) The Gloaming: Radiohead (2003)
16) Kill The Kid: Boys Noize (2006)
17) Tamer Animals (Atoms For Peace Remix): Other Lives (2012)
18) Harmonics Loop: Radiohead (2013)
19) Ginmixer: Bad Autopsy (2010)
20) Fukushima: Phon.o (2012)
21) Sokana N'gamba Iami: Adolfo Coelho (1974)
22) Trousers (Remix): Trim ft. Riko (2009)
23) Average Joe: Apostrophi (2013)
24) Stunt: Mr. Oizo (2004)
25) Too Polite: Throwing Snow ft. Louis Vines (2011)

26) It's Gonna Rain Pt. 1: Steve Reich (1965)
27) Ping Pong Trak: DJ Tre (2013)
28) Cilonen: afx (Richard D. James) (2005)
29) Juke Me From The Back Low: DJ Slugo (2011)
30) The Drunkk Machine: Thom Yorke (2006)
31) Check Da Skills: Firefox & Glamour Gold (1996)
32) TheHollowEarth: Thom Yorke (2009)
33) Forget Stuff: Macc & dgoHn (2010)
34) Walkman: Wishmountain (1998)
35) I Only Have Eyes For You: Oneohtrix Point Never (2013)
36) Huyendo: Alex Cortex (2003)
37) Bloom (Jamie xx Club Remix): Radiohead (2011)
38) Your Love Made My Head Hurt: Abu Sultan (2012)
39) Get Off (DJ Rob3 Remix): Diplo & Blaqstarr (2009)

 

BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix, Saturday 09 March 2013: Atoms For Peace (1:57:14)