Music/Remix News

MUSIC NEWS

SHAMEN ALERT!! The Shamen are hitting the record shelves with an arsenal of new releases lately -- two albums and two singles to be exact..... Moving rather far away from their techno-pop sound this time, their album "Hempton Manor" is done in an instrumental Drum & Bass/Jungle style, and has also spawned a single simply entitled "Hemp" (you can clearly see where their interests lie with this project!). In a more traditional Shamen vein their classic single "Move Any Mountain (Pro Gen)" has just re-emerged with a batch of new '96 remixes -- featured are mixes from The Beatmasters, Tony De Vit, Sneaker Pimps, Forces Of Nature, and The Shamen themselves. They also have a special megamix album available called "Stars On 25 Remix Collection", which features four medleys of their tracks divided according to the style of remix - Alternative, House, Acid, Drum & Bass - and features mixes by Orbital, 808 State, Meat Beat Manifesto, Hardfloor, Deep Dish, LTJ Bukem, and others.....

Belgian rave hitmakers Channel X return from limbo with the release of a new single on the Antler-Subway label. Featuring vocals by Julie Wells this time instead of Jade 4U, the song is called "The Rhythm Of The Night" -- and is definitely NOT the Corona song of the same name! Channel X's mainman Praga Khan also has a new single of his own out now, and that one's called "Jazz Trippin'". Let's hope this long absence means he's been recording a lot of other new material for imminent release (such as a third album from Lords Of Acid, perhaps?).

The U.S. based Cleopatra label has a number of interesting tribute album projects coming out right now..... "Covered In Black" is a compilation CD paying homage to those inspirational figureheads of the industrial music scene -- Australia's AC/DC!!(??). For those about to rock you'll find contributions from Spahn Ranch, Terminal Sect, En Esch (of KMFDM), Godflesh, Pigface, The Electric Hellfire Club, and more. The Electric Hellfire Club also have a new album of their own entitled "Caling Dr. Luv", the title track being a cover of the Kiss song recorded in tribute to recently deceased keyboardist and co-founding member The Rev. Dr. Luv (aka Shane Lassen). Also out on Cleopatra is the "Reflections In The Looking Glass" CD, a tribute to Siouxie & The Banshees featuring newer goth-oriented bands such as Switchblade Symphony, Collide, Mephisto Waltz, Corpus Delicti, and others.

Front Line Assembly bring their live industrial concert experience to CD players everywhere with the release of the follow-up to their recent "Hard Wired" album, which is of course called "Live Wired". This 2-CD set is also available in a special Limited Edition version which comes in a box with a video (over two hours!) of the full live set plus six promo clips and interview footage, a 12-page colour booklet and a metal badge. "Live Wired" is out on both the Offbeat and Metropolis record labels.

Industrial-strenth techno act Empirion unleash a number of new offerings hot on the heels of the success of their "Narcotic Influence" single, and the excellent EBM-style remix of The Prodigy's "Firestarter"..... They have now released a full-length album with the title "Advanced Technology" on the XL Recordings label, and they are also involved in a side project with members of the UK indie rock band China Drum under the anagram Rancid Hum, producing the single "Sleazeball". They also share a single with LFO on the XL label -- LFO's track "BEATA" sits back-to-back with LFO's remix of Empirion's "Ciao". Also of interest to LFO fans, they join Darren Price in providing remixes for the trance techno single "Earthquake" by Atomizer (Martin Walsh of the band Inspiral Carpets!) on X Records.

Bjork and avant-house group Spooky team up to release a single under the name The Lucky Monkeys. The song is called "Bjango" and comes with five different mixes. Spooky also has a new single on their Generic Records label called "Bamboo", featuring a remix from Doi-oing and a live version of their popular "Little Bullet" cut. Also, they have issued a remixed version of their "Stereo" single with new versions from both Carl Cox and Fluke.

Tori Amos has collaborated with BT (Brian Transeau) on a track called "Blue Skies". It appears on the BT album "Ima" and is also available as a single with remixes from Paul Van Dyk, Deep Dish, and Rabbit In The Moon.

Shaun Ryder of Black Grape guest stars on the new single by The Heads (aka Talking Heads - minus David Byrne) called "Don't Take My Kindness For Weakness", which features remixes by Farley & Heller, Roni Size, and Lunatic Calm..... Something else to be on the lookout for is the excellent Crystal Method remix of Black Grape's single "Reverend Black Grape" -- an alternative club scorcher!

David Bowie enlists A Guy Called Gerald as his collaborator on the single "Telling Lies", with mixes from not only Bowie and Gerald but Adam F as well. Look for another Drum & Bass styled single from David Bowie with the song "Little Wonder", available in different formats which include mixes by Junior Vasquez and Danny Saber, as well as a Leftfield mix of "Jump They Say" and Adam F's mix of "Telling Lies". Both singles are taken from the new Virgin Records album called "Earthling".

Rock/Dance outfit Garbage have reinvented their song "Milk" with the help of Tricky who appears as both producer and vocalist. The single is available in different formats containing remixes of "Milk", and also "Stupid Girl", from not only Tricky but also Goldie, Todd Terry, Massive Attack, Danny Saber, and Rabbit In The Moon.

The Prodigy follow their "Firestarter" single with the instant hit track "Breathe". The single also includes two live tracks "Their Law" and "Poison", as well as another new cut called "The Trick".

DJ Justin Robertson's group Lionrock release a EP called "Project Now" featuring four new tracks, none of which are included on their acclaimed LP "An Instint For Detection"..... The titles are "Call A Cab", "Sun Up In The Centre", "Reel & Stepout" and "Obviously Obviously".

Both members of Global Communication have released solo outings on their Universal Language imprint..... The Mod Wheel (aka Tom Middleton of Glob Com) releases the "Spiritcatcher" single, while Series 7 (aka Mark Pritchard of Glob Com, with Steve Horne of Jak & Stepper) releases an EP simply entitled "Volume One".

REMIX NEWS

UK popsters Saint Etienne have a new album containing 19 of their tracks in remixed versions. The triple LP/ double CD is called "Casino Classics", and features mixes by Chemical Brothers, PFM, Underworld, Way Out West, Andrew Weatherall, Lionrock, David Holmes, Monkey Maffia, Death In Vegas, Sure Is Pure, Billy Nasty, Gordon King, Secret Knowledge, The Aloof, Broadcast, Aphex Twin, Primax, Psychonauts, and Balearico. Also available in a limited promo release is a one-sided 10" single of "The Sea" as remixed by PFM. Both releases are out on Saint Etienne's regular label Heavenly Records.

Alter Ego, the spinoff project of Acid Jesus on the Harthouse label, release a double CD set called "Alterism" containing both live and studio tracks, and also remixes from artists such as Andrew Weatherall (2 Lone Swordsmen, Sabres Of Paradise), Matt Herbert (Dr. Rockit, Wishmountain), and Luke Slater (Planetary Assault System, Morganistic). As with previous CDs, it's out in North America on the U.S. branch of Harthouse/Eye Q.

Spacetime Continuum (aka Jonah Sharp) has issued a remix version of his not-quite-ambient techno album "Emit Ecaps" called "Remit Recaps" on his own Reflective Records label. Remixers include Carl Craig, Herbert, Move D, and Autechre, among others.....

Swiss technopop legends Yello release a triple 12" of their new single "On Track" with remixes from personnel at the Plastic City label. These would include artists such as Awex, Tokapi, Timewriter, Doug Laurent, and Rhythm Assault. So, with this release you can catch up with Yello and sample the roster of the record label at the same time!

Rick Wright (keyboardist of Pink Floyd....) has a very interesting single featuring The Orb and William Orbit as remixers. Along with the original ambient version of his track "Runaway" is a very dubby mix of it from The Orb, while William Orbit takes the track "Night Of A Thousand Furry Toys" and gives it a kind of crunchy trip hop feel which takes it straight to the dancefloor.

Drum & Bass/Trip Hop/Pop duo Lamb have a new single called "God Bless" taken from their self-titled debut album, which features new mixes by Luke Vibert (Wagon Christ), Patrick Pulsinger, and Andrea Parker.

Dub War highlight their hybrid of Heavy Metal and dance sounds on a new remix EP of songs taken from their album "Wrong Side Of Beautiful" on the Earache label. The "Soundclash" EP features Jungle/Dub remixes from Aphrodite, DJ Rap, Rootsman and Dub War themselves.

Babylon Zoo are the recipient of another radical reconstruction by Jungle star Goldie on their single "The Boy With The X-Ray Eyes", the title track from their debut album (which will probably bear no resemblance whatsoever to the remix!).

The U.S. experimental guitar group Tortoise have two more installments in their series of dance remix EPs, both on the City Slang label..... There is an EP called "Along The Banks Of The Rivers" which features the Spring Heel Jack remix of "Galapagos" along with contributions from Bedouin Ascent and Jim O'Rourke, and you can also look for "The Taut And Tame" with remix duties by Luke Vibert of Wagon Christ and Plug.

DJ Carl Cox re-releases one of his older recordings as a single with brand new mixes on his own Ultimatum label. The track "Tribal Jedi" now sports versions from both Slam and Ian Pooley.

Black Star Liner have the EP "Halaal Rock" featuring a remix from the elusive Jimmy Cauty of the group KLF, as well as mixes from Andrew Weatherall and Nightmares On Wax.

Hardfloor - acid techno innovators and confirmed Beavis And Butthead fanatics - release a new single from their "Home Run" album on the Harthouse label called "Beavis At Bat", with remixes by Patrick Lindsay (also from Harthouse), Swag, and Dave Angel..... Dave Angel also provides a mix for Ken Ishii's "Overlap" single on the R&S label, as do DJ Food, Mark Broom, and Lemon D.

For earlier installments of this column, simply click on the desired issue to go straight there:

Music/Remix News #1. Music/Remix News #2. Music/Remix News #3. Music/Remix News #4. Music/Remix News #5. Music/Remix News #6. Music/Remix News #7.

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