All the sounds of the Fairlight CMI in one CD

I have always been aware of the group ACT because of Claudia Brucken’s involvement. However, her collaborator on his project, one Thomas Leer, was until recently something of a mystery to me. Having recently acquired his 1985 album “The Scale of Ten” I seem to have discovered a Fairlight/Linn Drum classic.

The whole album is created on the Fairlight CMI and sounds like a cross between The Art of Noise, Thomas Dolby and Peter Gabriel with a bit of pop thrown in for good measure. The samples Leer uses are lo-fi 8 bit crunchy brilliance that could only come from a Fairlight. As the album unfolds some classic Fairlight presets are thrown in with some futher creative sampling to add the magic. This is the album I always wanted to hear the Fairlight produce.

For the ridiculously low price of £4.98 you can buy a CD that shows of an electronic ‘instrument’ like no other. Yes, Mr Leer has a good voice, and some of his songs are really quite brilliant, but the fascination for me is hearing a Fairlight used imaginatively. Sure Jarre, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel et al used the Fairlight to great effect but rarely in such isolation. If you wish to hear this machine in its full glory these is no better place to start.

DJ Culture: a hidden gem?

There are thousands of great moments in the Pet Shop Boys back catalogue. All ‘petheads’ have their own favourites and some are rather obvious. 

 

However, whilst flicking through various mp3 playlists on my hard drive recently, I came across one of their most overlooked moments of greatness. The “Extended Mix” of their 1991 single “DJ Culture” is, in my opinion, a hidden gem. I remember walking into “Our Price” record shop to buy all three formats of “DJ Culture” on the day of its release. I knew the “Extended Mix” would be my favourite as soon as I heard Neil saying, “I’d just thought I’d mention it. I just thought I’d mention It”, during a breakdown towards the end of the track. Moments like that are truly genius to me. 

 

Dr Wayne Studer also picks “DJ Culture” as one of his seven most beautiful Pet Shop Boys musical moments. On his highly regarded “Pet Shop Boys Commentary” website, Wayne places the bridge/middle eight in "DJ Culture" at number one:"Now, as a matter of pride, indulge yourself...." I get the shivers nearly every time I hear it: a gorgeous descending chord progression that lends an air of almost unbearable sadness to lyrics alluding to the sometimes desperate measures people take to try to make themselves happy. 

 

Some feel that “DJ Culture” was a weak track to be released as a single and its relatively poor chart performance goes some way to bearing this out. Indeed the b-side “Music for Boys” became so popular in the USA that the single was released as a double A side there. Surely this would not have happened if the lead track was stronger. Users of rateyourmusic.com also seem to feel the track was not one of the Pet Shop Boys best, “A real crappy stop-gap” is the only unsympathetic verdict offered. Yet if the track had not been released as a single, it is doubtful that the “Extended Mix” would exist. Now largely overlooked, “DJ Culture (Extended Mix)” remains a hidden gem that will reward the inquisitive and evoke great memories for those who have forgotten its charms.

Brian Higgins and the hit factor

The latest issue of the Pet Shop Boys Club magazine ‘Literally’ features a lengthy interview with Xenomania principal Brian Higgins. From what Neil and Chris have said about recording their album ‘Yes’ already, it seems Higgins and all the Xenomania team are highly talented but eccentric individuals. Yet the attributes that emerge from this interview are simply arrogance and overconfidence. This interview, to me, leaves him sounding like a driven, talented but highly unlikable individual.

The best evidence for Higgins’s true personality lies with the other acts with which he has worked. Sam Sparro says of his failed collaboration: “I did meet Brian Higgins but he, er, I can’t really comment on that. He’s a strong personality.”

Referring to another failed collaboration (I strongly suspect that here he is referring to his work on New Order’s “Waiting for the Siren’s Call”) Higgins states: “I’ve had the experience happen where the big artists were fine until they got into the mix room and they basically pulled the record to pieces. So I took my name off the record and the writing credits off the record. So big artists are often jerks of the highest order.”

Okay so you can’t hope to be best friends with everyone you work with, but Higgins does seem to have a habit of upsetting people. The name "Xenomania" means, according to Higgins, "the exact opposite of Xenophobia...a love of everything, of all cultures." Quite how one reconciles this philosophy with Higgins statement that “We’re Xenomania, so fuck you!” I do not know.

You can’t deny Higgins and Xenomania ARE very good at what they do. However, Higgins’swords seem to dismiss any other type of song writing other that the chart fodder they specialise in. There is a whole world of music out there and the vast majority of it is far more interesting, innovative and successful than Xenomania’s output. Higgins’s should be more conscious of this if he does not wish to sound quite so arrogant.

Yet there is a considerable amount of sense in Higgins evaluation of the Pet Shop Boys and their music. His feeling that they had not made a decent record since 1988 or 1989 is obviously complete rubbish; yet his assessment of “I think the rhythm programming had gone” and that they became self indulgent and used their music to chronicle their personal lives does hold water.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating and ‘Yes’, as I have already stated, is a brilliant record. I guess when considering working with Xenomania one has to undertake a risk benefit analysis. Will the final product justify the process? Can you endure a personality as strong as Brian Higgins? If you want a brilliant pop record then the answer has to be Yes.

Simian Mobile Disco come up trumps

Having bought their first album on the back of a review that suggested electronic excellence, I have always trusted Simian Mobile Disco to deliver on their promises. 2007’s “Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release” was my record of the summer and will, in time, be regarded as a classic I’m sure. 

Thus, their second effort “Temporary Pleasure” is highly anticipated. Kicking off with the pulsating “Cream Dream” featuring vocals by Super Furry Animals front man Gruff Rhys, this album is set to become a dance floor favourite. 

Yet, unlike similar dance orientate efforts, this album has depth and is a considered endeavour. Catchy pop/dance cross over single “Audacity of Huge” is followed by trance like anthem “10,000 Horses Can’t Be Wrong”. The Italio house influenced “Cruel Intention” displays Shaw and Fords diversity and talent for crafting a groove. “Off the Map” and “Synthesise” are balls out dance tracks that deliver the four-on-the-floor kicks demanded by the dance floor. “Bad Blood” features Hot Chip vocalist Alexis Taylor in what strikes you as an obvious and satisfying collaboration, more should follow this if there is any justice. 

The only poor tracks are “Turn Up The Dial” and the final cut “Pinball”.  Whilst I acknowledge that “Pinball” is an attempt to balance against the heavy dance sound of the rest of the album, it just ends up sounding out of place. In addition, the track is just terrible in my opinion. Nevertheless, despite a poor ending, “Temporary Pleasure” is set to become less ephemeral than the title might suggest. Simian Mobile Disco seem to be generating quite a following both on and off the dance floor. All lovers of good electronic music should rejoice that bands as good as this keep making music.

B12 Archive complete

I first became acquainted with B12 via their ‘Electro-Soma’ album of 1993. This music was new and to me, truly unique. I have distinct memories of walking to tedious college lectures with the sounds of ‘Soundtrack of Space’ ringing in my ears and not a care in the world. The churning techno of ‘Telefone 529’, ‘Obsessed’, and ‘Hall of Mirrors’ became a little slice of heaven for me. There were many great tracks on ‘Elecro-Soma’ but ‘Soundtrack of Space’ continues to resonate most strongly with me.

However, between 1998 and 2007 nothing was heard of B12 or their pseudonyms Redcell, Musicology, Cmetric etc. Kraftwerk seemed prolific in comparison to Messrs Golding and Rutter. Yet 2007 saw a flurry of activity that went someway towards redressing the balance. The album ‘Last Days of Silence’ and its companion ‘Last Days of Silence (Remixes)’ proved to be the equal of anything in their back catalogue: a welcome return indeed. Thus, the B12 records archive series was hotly anticipated by fans.

I fail to agree with some reviews posted on the B12 records website which suggest that the most recent ‘Volume 7’ is the best in the series. The two discs that constitute volume one and the second disc of volume two are my personal favourites. Yet there are hidden gems on almost every one of the 14 CD’s.

So if you are partial to ‘intelligent techno’ or however else you wish to describe the music of B12, then you could do a lot worse than investing in some, or all of these CD’s. However, with such a rush of activity over, I now fear that B12 may disappear for another nine years. It would be a real shame, as electronic music that is both innovative and original is hard to come by; and these guys make some of the best there is.

Mute are at it too...

OK so they’re at it again. Record companies selling us music we already own. This time things might be different. Mute are set to release a 21st anniversary edition of Erasure’s ‘The Innocents” on October 26th. As well as a standard remastered edition there is a deluxe edition planned. Mute have a fabulous track record in special/deluxe editions and I am actually looking forward to this one. What will make or break this release is the quality of the remastering (j
ust louder with less dynamic range probably), the extra tracks (if any) and the packaging. 

Recently the official Erasure website actually asked for fans views on what was important in such releases. The majority of people plumped for the unreleased racks option rather than the remixes and video footage options. Let’s hope Mute were listening. The 21st anniversary edition may also put right a piece of history. At the time of the album’s release I always felt ‘Phantom Bride’ would be an appropriate single and it remains one of my favourite Erasure tracks. Currently there are plans to release a remix single of the track on October 12th. Let’s hope the remixes are good and not the usual dross.

Pet Shop Boys @ 02 arena

Well I have to blog my visit to see Pet Shop Boys on their Pandemonium tour at London's 02 arena. They were quite brilliant. 

One of the things about seeing artists live is that they often play the tracks as they sound on their album. Yet the Pet Shop Boys often take a more imaginative approach and present their tracks in new remixed versions coupled with stunning visuals. Particular highlights for me were the re-workings of "Why Don't We Live Together?" and "Two Divided by Zero". The Shep Pettibone Remixes of "Love Comes Quickly" and "West End Girls" sounded as fresh as they did when they were first released in 1986.

Only a few grumbles. The sound was pretty poor in terms of quality and also far too quiet for a venue of this size. The 02 which encloses the arena, and the transport links seem to struggle with large numbers of people leaving at the same time. Having to walk around the entire 02 to get out is not good planning. The merchandise was rather expensive and not a massive amount of choice. A disappointment to me. Roll on December and the MEN in Manchester (which I didn't make as the snow was so heavy the trains were cancelled).