One record at a time: 557. Pet Shop Boys - Disco 5

As the title rather laboriously suggests, "Disco 5" is another instalment in the Pet Shop Boys’ “Disco” series. I nearly wrote “unwanted instalment”, because the series has rather lost its way of late. What began in the eighties as a collection of remixes of the boys’ own material has gradually mutated into compilations that feature remixes they have produced for other artists. I am not especially taken with this approach as I would much rather hear inventive reworkings of Pet Shop Boys tracks than endure some of the material assembled here. Sometimes it doesn't matter how much glitter you roll a turd in, it will always be a turd.

That is my principal issue with “Disco 5”. With a couple of exceptions, I would not normally listen to music by any of the artists featured, and some I actively dislike. I will not name names, as I am not here to upset anyone or pour scorn on other people’s musical tastes. Even so, the boys’ apparent enthusiasm for remixing traditional rock artists who have previously poured scorn on electronic music leaves me scratching my head. 

Other baffling choices are the inclusion of a 1993 version of “Let the Music Play” recorded with Carroll Thompson which has been dragged from the vaults for no discernible reason, while a 2008 collaboration with Sam Taylor-Wood is tossed into the pot with equally little justification. The whole thing is a ramshackle mess with no obvious sense of purpose, beyond giving collectors another object to buy against their better judgement.

Naturally, as a collector, I still felt compelled to buy the limited-edition double orange vinyl set with slipmat, along with the common-or-garden black vinyl. The standard copy arrived from Amazon with a bent sleeve, although even in pristine condition it would hardly be a treasure. In truth, I cannot imagine when I will ever play this record again. Just as well it looks nice, because otherwise it might have no reason to exist at all. 2/5

One record at a time: 204. Jean Michel Jarre - Chronologie Pt6 Slam and Gat Dacor Remixes

This is a potentially controversial entry as the debate over how to classify this release rages amongst some Jarre fans. People on both sides of the argument are convinced they are correct, but ultimately it just comes down to personal preference.

If you wish to consider this a single (or God forbid a 'Maxi') then please do so and just think of it as having been reviewed out of turn. Personally I don't care, but as I bought the CD from the album section of the shop and it charted in the UK album chart, I'm treating it as if it were an album. I have owned the CD since it was released in 1994 but I only acquired the vinyl in 2020. I had no burning desire to hear this music from wax but I was trying assemble a more complete collection at the time I bought it. 

Whatever format we consider this record to be, it has little to recommend it. I absolutely love the original version of "Chronologie Part 6" but these mixes are not only boring but completely divorced from the source material. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy some progressive house and techno, but these tracks are devoid of ideas and go nowhere. 

The first Slam mix starts promisingly but after eleven minutes of hearing the same two bar loop going round and round it becomes a real test of endurance. The second mix abandons the techno bassline and leans more heavily on TB-303 acid squeals, but ultimately it goes down the same cul-de-sac as the first. The "Main Mix" by Gat Dacor utilises a breakbeat and the occasional vocal sample, but the closest it comes to incorporating material from the original is a few chords after about five minutes. The "Alternative Mix" is just more of the same dross. In truth, the only thing of merit on this disc is the original version.

In creating this record I think Jarre and Polydor were attempting to gain credibility in the nascent dance scene by paying newer artists for remixes. The trouble with this approach is that some people will always be content to take the cash and churn out a song of their own creation rather than rework the source material. The same issue would occur a few years later when The Orb were commissioned to remix "Oxygene Part 8", but there were slightly more spectacular consequences that time. This 'album' is definitely for completists only and even the most ardent Jarre fan can afford to ignore it. 1/5 (it would be zero if the original were not present).

One record at a time: 21. The Beloved - Blissed Out

This is a remix compilation that followed hot on the heels of "Happiness" which was released earlier in the year. My memory of the chronology has faded over time, but I am sure the single "It's Alright Now" was released around the same time and I seem to recall receiving the cassette of this album as a Christmas present in 1990. I asked for the cassette as I had read a review of the album in "Smash Hits" which said the cassette had quite a few extra tracks - value for money was a big concern when you're only source of income was delivering newspapers. I was accustomed to CDs offering extra tracks to lure me to the new format, but cassettes were a dying breed even in 1990, so this decision didn't make sense then or now.

Anyway, the LP of this album starts with the "Happy Sexy Remix" of album track "Up, Up and Away". This is a club orientated mix with a prominent sub bassline and TR909 snares. Whilst the difference to the album version may not be startling at first, Danny Rampling delivers a much sparser mix that retains interest right to the end. The second track is one of my favourite remixes ever: "Hello (Honk Tonk)". The key to the success of this remix is that is it a completely different take on the track. Jon and Helena didn't just tinker with the original but replaced the backing track with a sample laden dance workout that compliments the vocal perfectly. There are many nice flourishes and changes of direction that mean the six minutes fly by. I have always liked "Wake Up Soon (Something To Believe In)" as it features a sample of the Eurythmics song "Greetings From A Dead Man" that I recognised instantly. Aside from giving myself marks for sample spotting, I like this mix as it moves the album version from a very eighties sounding track into something a bit more contemporary without losing its character.  

"Time After Time (Muffin Mix)" shows the pure genius Jon and Helena were capable of when remixing their own material. This version turns the original into the type of ragga dance track that was de rigueur in the early nineties. However, unlike many contemporary ragga mixes, this one hasn't aged at all. Leslie Lyrics proves to be the perfect MC with his tongue in cheek delivery and clever rhymes. Instrumental B-side "Pablo" was always a bit of disappointment to me and the club orientated dub that comes next isn't significantly different from the original. We return to more familiar ground with "The Sun Rising (Norty's Spago Mix)" which is a classic house mix by Tony Humphries. The main change here is to the drums which take on the relentless sound favoured by the early house pioneers such as Tony and Larry Heard. 

"It's Alright Now" was released as a single to promote the album and it featured several fantastic remixes that I play regularly to this day. The pick of the bunch is "Back to Basics" which builds from a sparse, acid tinged dreamscape into a hypnotic colossus. Amazing. However, things go a little awry at the end with "Your Love Takes Me Higher (Calxy of Isis)" which is a 10 minute long instrumental which centres on saucy ad libs and (presumably) fake orgasm noises contributed by a backing singer. Personally I find the mix boring and the vocals very annoying. Thus the vinyl finishes with a bit of a damp squib, but the disappointing ending shouldn't be allowed to detract too much from what has gone before. As remix albums go, you'd be very hard pressed to find a better one. 4/5

One record at a time: 15. The Art of Noise - The FON Mixes

Retrospective remix albums like "The FON Mixes" by The Art of Noise were all the rage in the early 90's and this album set a trend that was followed by other artists such as Yello with "Hand on Yello", Yellow Magic Orchestra with "Hi Tech/No Crime" and The Sugarcubes with "It's It".

However, it's inaccurate of me to suggest the artists themselves were behind these releases. Remix albums such as this were clearly commissioned by record companies to rinse the back catalogue of an artist who had either stopped recording or were on a hiatus. Some successful remixes could drive both sales of a parent album and the back catalogue generally. With "Instruments of Darkness" China records must have thought they'd won the lottery. This track hit a sweet spot when The Prodigy weren't too big to turn down a remix but they had the talent and balls to produce amazing music (see also "Take Me (Prodigy Mix)" by Dream Frequency). Even though this mix bears little resemblance to the original track, it stands on its own merits. In fact this track drove me to buy the CD of this album back in 1991. Whilst I have owned the CD for thirty years, I only acquired the vinyl from eBay in the last 6 months. Why I bought the vinyl I can't really tell you. It is in excellent condition and the two 12" singles are well presented but the music isn't improved much by the carrier. 

Once we are over the zenith of the opening Prodigy remix things meander along with uninspiring mixes by Carl Cox (Paraniomia), Mark Gamble (Roller 1) and the first "Interlude" in the form of "Yebo". Other early 90's notables The Sweet Exorcist, Mark Brydon, LFO and Graham Massey make brave attempts at revitalising old tracks but they all sound unconvincing and like their heart wasn't in it. The Youth track "The Art of Slow Love" is just "The Art of Love" single from the year before played at 33rpm and not 45rpm. One of my favourite AoN songs, "Catwalk" is remixed by The Ground whose biography in the sleeve leaves me no clearer to their identity. Discogs only credits them with this remix and there are absolutely no biographical details listed; they are a mystery. 

Unfortunately many albums of the era seemed to think it was compulsory to commission a mix by The Orb and include it no matter what load of old tosh turned up. Fortunately this album avoids this further ignominy, but this is one of few redeeming features. Whilst this album is disappointing, it's not because of any inherent fault with the source material. The afore mentioned Prodigy remix and subsequent singles such as the Ollie J and Arkana remixes of "Yebo!" from 1995 prove that it is possible to make good dance tracks from The Art of Noise back catalogue. Just don't mention the car crash that is "The Drum and Bass Collection". 1/5

Lost gem: New Order Wainting For The Siren's Call (Planet Funk Remix)

On listening to the latest New Order album "Education Entertainment Recreation" I was blown away by the version of "Waiting for the Siren's Call" the band played. I remember buying the parent album,"Waiting for the Siren's Call" on the back of hearing the single "Krafty" and thinking, "Meh." What I don't remember is hearing one of the greatest song/remix combinations ever. 

I don't claim to be a New Order completest so the remixes of the single "Waiting for the Siren's Call" completely passed me by in 2005. This it seems is a very big oversight on my part. I can't explain just how wonderful I think this remix is. It's the perfect recipe: great sleeper song, terrible 'band' type original production and brilliant electronic remix that lifts it beyond perfection.

As I listen to this remix, I can't think why it wasn't issued as a single. The band clearly like it and it is in a different universe to the original. Maybe Hooky wasn't into it? Maybe the record company were deaf? Who knows. But I'm so glad it exists and it easily goes into my top 10 greatest remixes ever made. I'm just sad I didn't know of it sooner.

Remixes - too much of anything is never enough

I’ve always defended the use of remixes. Yes, they have been used to cynically exploit the record buying public at times, but they have also given much joy. I love remixes that either improve on or drastically alter the way you perceive a track. I have a playlist on my computer entitled “The Best Remixes Ever”. Here are some of the gems it includes:

Front 242 – Rhythm of Time [Victor the Cleaner] remixed by The Orb [the only decent remix The Orb ever did] I forgot about the Depeche Mode "Happiest Girl" remixes when I posted this

Nine Inch Nails – Only [Richard X Mix]

Depeche Mode – Enjoy the Silence [Ewan Person Extended Remix]

Mansun – I can Only Disappoint You [Perfecto Club Mix]

Baxendale – I Built this City [Michael Mayer Mix]

Björk – Hunter [Skothus Mix] remixed by Gus Gus (I used to think the single version of “All Is Full Of Love” was a great remix until I found out it is the original version and that the album version is a remix)

I could add loads of other great remixes and I’m sure most fans of dance or electronic music have their own. But when do remixes get out of control? How many mixes are enough?

In the 1980’s record labels began releasing multiple formats of the same single which all counted towards its chart position (only sales of physical product counted then). Picture discs were a particular favourite tool with free posters also common. As dance mixes became more popular these various formats began to fill with different remixes and in turn spawned more formats. Historically most people have cited Trevor Horns plethora of “Relax” 12” singles as a turning point in the life of the remix. By the 1990’s singles such as Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence” were being released on no less than 7 different formats. Luckily the digital age arrived and saved fans the maddening task of identifying and procuring every release and remix. Or did it?

The Pet Shop Boys single ‘Vocal’ was released back in June. There were 9 versions of the song released on the CD with a couple more available as exclusives on services such as Beatport. However since its release it has become apparent that there were many more remixes commissioned but not used. These mixes seem to have been released back to the artists who are making them available online, presumably with Neil and Chris’s consent.

The trouble comes in the sheer volume of these ‘official mixes’. Personally I lost count somewhere around the 40^th different mix. Many of them are average, but strangely none of them are terrible. A few are superb. The ‘Drop Jackson mix’ seems to be universally praised amongst fans with the ‘Armageddon Turk Occupy Mix’ and ‘Leonidas & Hobbes Vocal mix’ also personal favourites. So why weren’t these mixes released? Well they have been. ‘Officially leaked’ seems to be the order of the day. If you want to spend hours on dodgy websites duelling with Trojans and spyware looking for that one last dub/edit/instrumental you are missing, then you can. Alternatively you can be happy with your digital download from iTunes and leave the searching to idiots like me. It seems you can never have too many remixes.

Naughty boys and their yellow magic

For a devoted fan of electronic music the pickings were slim in the early 90's. A backlash against the synth driven pop of the 80's led to the rise of Britpop and the guitar driven dirges of Pulp, Blur, Oasis, et al. During these bleak days I sought solace in a variety of strange (electronic) music; "any port in a storm" and all that.

Artists such as Wendy Caros and Isao Tomita didn't appeal too much (as my tastes have matured and both now have a place in my music collection) and never really came up to the standards of my hero Jean Michel Jarre. Tangerine Dream and The Art of Noise were two bands that I felt I should like, rather than having a natural affinity for. Yello and Vangelis were all well and good, but they still lacked melodic drive and proved to have quite inconsistent back catalogues (I'm thinking more Vangelis than Yello here to be fair).

That left the 'odd child' of electronic music; Yellow Magic Orchestra. My introduction to them came through their remix album "Hi-Tech/No Crime". Albums like this where were quite de rigueur in the 90's (The Art of Noise's "FON Mixes" and Yello's "Hands on Yello" etc etc). I liked a lot of the melodies in the album but it somehow left me cold and uninterested. Yellow Magic Orchestra albums were (and to a certain extent still are) difficult to obtain and so my interest in them cooled. However, in 2003, remastered versions of their albums were released in the UK and I dipped my toe back into the YMO water.

To listen to Yellow Magic Orchestra you have to re tune your ears away from western sensibilities and remember this band were trying to do something new. Not only were they determined to retain the sound of their Japanese heritage but they also wanted to add the bright fun loving melodies and sounds so despised by Kraftwerk and their contemporaries. They were, and remain, unique and fun loving.

P.S. As I mentioned earlier, not all Y.M.O. albums are easy to come by in the UK. Albums such as "Solid State Survivor" and "Yellow Magic Orchestra" are very easy to find, whilst "×∞Multiplies" and "BGM" are quite rare. Consequently, the unscrupulous are trying to make a killing on amazon by charging silly money for these rarer albums. Top tip is to use eBay and collector sites such as eil.com as they actually represent the best value for money and there can even be a bargain or two to be had.

The death of the physical single

Things change. Music has moved on. The days when an artists released their singles as physical discs are almost at an end. And it upsets me greatly.

I have collected records by the Pet Shop Boys for 25 years and their singles have always been important epochs for me. Every release evokes a memory or is associated with a person, a place or a point in time. I still recall the thrill of going into a record store the week after a single was released to buy the Remix 12" ('It's Alright' and 'So Hard' stick out for some reason). Import singles were like some magical exotica with different covers and remixes that always cost far too much. I still marvel at the cover of the 'DJ Culture' 12" and the double sleeve edition of 'Suburbia' is a work of art that I treasure. In short, it isn't just about the music these discs contain; it is also the experience of owning and buying them.

The fact that Neil and Chris had to persuade EMI to release a physical disc of 'Winner' is a stark contrast to the myriad of single formats that were being released  in the late 80's. We are losing an art form and the soulless click of a mouse on iTunes or amazon doesn't feel anything like walking in to Our Price and seeing a display stand bursting with shiny new 12" singles.

Yes, vinyl and CD singles are not totally dead, but they are on the endangered species list. I for one, will miss them more than I ever thought I would.

A week of remixes

The last week of listening has highlighted the difference between the old ‘extended’ remixes of the eighties and their modern counterparts. The “Big Train” remix of Erasure’s single “A Little Respect” is a good illustration of these differences. Yes, the snare is different and the songs structure has been altered, but essentially the “Big Train Remix” amounts to just a different mix of the original material. The verb ‘remix’ is defined as “to change the relative prominence of each performer’s part of (a recording).” What defines these brilliant mixes of the 1980’s and early 1990’s is that they use the source material to generate a new version of a recording. 

However, in recent years, remixing seems to have become something entirely different to some people. Artists such as The Orb, Aphex Twin and Underworld have contributed remixes that bear little resemblance to the source material. The popularity of the Depeche Mode song “Barrel of a Gun” from 1997 was enhanced by one mix in particular. The “Underworld Hard Mix” began to receive considerable club play on both sides of the Atlantic much to the mystification of the man who wrote the song, Martin Gore: “The original version of “Barrel of a Gun” was about 83 beats per minute. When we receive the “Hard Mix” back from them, we were sitting there thinking: what relevance does this speed bare to ours?” Gore later telephoned members of Underworld and asked, “Is there any chance you can fly some vocals in? Just so it has some relevance. Because there is not one sound of the original version on there?” Gore summarised the remix as: “Different key, different speed, different song!” 

 Sometimes you would be hard pressed to identify the original song from many contemporary remixes. Does anyone actually enjoy this stuff? With the exception of the remix of “Barrel of a Gun” mentioned here; I don’t know of any of this type of ‘remix’ as being popular with listeners. I don’t even like the Underworld remix of “Barrel of a Gun”. One of the biggest criticism I see aimed at remixes is that they are uninteresting and do not add anything to the original. Those of us who enjoy GOOD remixes know just how much difference a remix can make and equally abhor those mixes that bare no resemblance to the original. Some remixers would be better served by noting the definition of what a remix is, and if they do not like the source material, they should turn down the job. Please save me ear drums from the likes of “Liberation (E-smoove 12” Mix)” or “Sentinel (The Orb 7” Remix)”. Please.