One record at a time: 415. Soulwax - From Deewee

I have lamented the decline of The Vinyl Factory in other posts, so I won't go into it again; but suffice to say back in 2017 they actually produced something worth listening to.

I bought this limited edition of "From DeeWee" based on my love for the Soulwax album "Nite Versions". This version differs from the standard release as it has different artwork, uses clear vinyl and was limited to 500 copies. It's not worth a fortune (you can buy a copy for less than £100) but it does sound very good and is the best way to hear this unique album.

The artwork tells us the music included here was recorded in one take, but we also know that the performance was comprehensively rehearsed, there were multiple takes and the whole thing was subsequently mixed, edited and expanded. All of this attention to detail means that the finished record avoids all of the pitfalls inherent in a live performance, but preserves some of the spontaneity.

Much like "Nite Versions", the brothers Deewee blend vintage synths and drum machines with live drumming and bass guitar to create disco tinged electro that will satisfy even the most demanding electronic music fan. My personal favourites are two of the first tracks "Masterplanned" and "Missing Wires" which are underpinned by rubbery analogue synth bass and gloriously simple beats."Do You Want To Get Into Trouble" is another highlight that even caught the ear of my young children, "Who sings this song? Who? Soulwax? Never heard of them." But they were both dancing.

What I like so much about the music on this album is that it has strong melodies and ideas. There is no abstract or self indulgent noodling to be found on "From Deewee", everything is efficient and calculated. The approach is almost like that of Kraftwerk where ideas flow into each other and are realised precisely. There are also idiosyncrasies such as the curious spoken introduction to each side stating the catalogue number and each side finishing in a locked groove. It might not sound like Kraftwerk, but their DNA is palpable. 4/5

One record at a time: 414. Soulwax - Nite Versions

I discovered “Nite Versions” when I heard the tracks “Another Excuse” and “Compute” on the Xbox 360 game “Test Drive Unlimited”. I played the CD almost relentlessly during 2007 and it remains firmly embedded in my list of favourite albums.

This double coloured vinyl version was released to mark the 15th Anniversary of the original release as part of Record Store Day 2020. Because of the COVID pandemic Record Store Day that year was a much more civilised affair conducted entirely online. There was no queueing from silly-o-clock in the morning with other middle aged men; all I had to do was go online at the prescribed time and place my order. Much better.

"Nite Versions" is actually a remix album that takes songs from the band's "Any Minute Now" and adds a much needed sprinkle of magic. The Dewaele Brothers create some really unique remixes with all kinds of crazy effects, loops and Korg MS20 patches thrown around. The music here is hard to pigeonhole as much of the original alternative rock tracks are retained and then draped in disco clothes with accessories by the eighties electro scene. I think the sound is best described as "dance punk".

My personal favourite is "I Love Techno" with "Another Excuse" and "Compute" being the other two standouts. As "Another Excuse" is mixed by DFA its sound is very reminiscent of LCD Soundsystem at their disco peak and creates a perfect high on which to finish.

Whilst I have just realised this album is almost twenty years old, but it still sounds incredibly fresh and innovative to me. I don't listen to this album as much as I used to but it is still fun to give it a spin and reminisce. 4/5

Soulwax: "Nite Versions" - A Classic

Whilst compiling my list of favourite albums for my last.FM page I wrote a paragraph about the album “Nite Versions” by Soulwax. In this text, I muse that there are not too many remix albums that have a film or documentary made about them. When you also consider that this album spawned a 120-date tour that visited Europe, South America, Japan, Australia and the USA, you have to wonder what is going on. 

The phenomenon of the ‘remix album’ was born in 1979 with Sly and the Family Stone’s album “10 Years Too Soon”. This album took many of Sly Stone’s hits from the 1960’s and presented them in a contemporary disco style. Next came electronic music pioneers such as Soft Cell who released remixed versions of tracks from their 1982 album “Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret” as “Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing”. Hot on their heels were The Human League with “Love and Dancing”, a remix album of their hit record “Dare”. The concept of a remix album was firmly established by the success of “Disco” by Pet Shop Boys in 1986. 

Since the 1980’s, remix albums have flourished with many artists and continue to sell steadily. Groups such as Nine Inch Nails have released a subsequent remix disc with all but a few of their studio albums. Soulwax are clearly paying homage to the format’s eighties history with the title of their album as Duran Duran often used the title “Nite Version” for their dance remixes. The parent album from which the tracks for “Nite Verions” are taken is 2004’s “Any Minute Now”. 

On paper, the album looks great. Soulwax members include brothers David and Stephen Dewaele of “Too Many DJ’s” fame along with drummer Steve Slingeneyer and bassist Stefaan Van Leuven. With production maestro Mark “Flood” Ellis and mixing genius Alan Moulder at the controls what could go wrong? Well quite a lot actually. 

The album sounds messy and disjointed and to a lover of electronic music, its sound veers too close to a type of ‘indie grunge’ for my taste. However, the failings of the original album serve to amplify the glory of its remixed counterpart. I initially discovered “Nite Version” as I heard the tracks “Another Excuse” and “Compute” on the Xbox 360 game “Test Drive Unlimited”. When I eventually acquired the CD I thought it was pretty good. The original “Any Minute Now” album, which I bought simultaneously, soon began collecting dust, but I was drawn back to “Nite Version” again and again. Initially, I loved three or four of the tracks, but I soon stopped skipping “E Talking” and “Slowdance” et al and began to appreciate the album in its entirety. With time, this appreciation became love and then the love became obsession. There was only one CD in my car last summer.