Stocking Fillers? Or Floor Fillers?

Or both? Another bag full of Bandcamp boogie and beats that will give Santa's sack a run for its money.

 

After featuring Charlotte & Reinhard in yesterday's selection, it's back to their day job with Rheinzand for the first goody, the 'Sonic Refurbished' version of their album Atlantis Atlantis which proved to be a summer highlight. 

 

Pete Blaker's 'remixes' of Facciamo L'Amore and Ibiza Macht Frei had been released as standalone singles in 2023, and they both appear here alongside four other extended reworks. This is no mere 'remix' album though, as indicated by the fact that Blaker receives an artist co-credit with Rheinzand.

Pete got the band back into the studio to record new vocal and instrumental elements, which were dubbed and layered to create a fresh incarnation of each song. The shortest song on the album is eight and a half minutes, the longest - a version of Level 42's 1981 hit Love Games - nearly twelve and a half. 

The Gift Of Love is nearly twice the length of the Atlantis Atlantis original, retaining the former's languid melody, adding some bass from the bottom of the ocean and taking the listener on an even deeper dive.

 

From Pete Blaker to Pete Bones, here as The Shaker with the excellent 3-track single You Ain't Seen Me from April. I previously featured the Black Octopus remix, so I've gone for Serge Santiago this time, a heady mix of samples, synth stabs and fat beats dragging you back to the late 80s like the party never ended. All three recommended, to be honest.

 

Greendoxyn is Alen Delon (or Alen Ari, according to other t'internet sources) from Kazakhstan. I'd not heard any of his music or remixes before but the Roaming EP was released on the excellent Nein Records, which was good enough for me to take a punt. I did not regret it. 

Three tracks, Roaming, Closed Gamer and The Shark, with a remix of the latter by Elninodiablo aka Stephanos Pantelas. Titled the Close Encounter Remix, which immediately calls to mind a John Williams film score, with a title like The Shark, there is inevitably a nod to his earlier classic, Jaws. Nein were so impressed that the remix is also included on their Best Of 2024 compilation.

 

Portland, Oregon-based label Boomarm Nation released Family Album 2024 on January 1st, the fourth such compilation but the first since 2018. Again, another punt on a label and artists that I was mostly unfamiliar with, on the strength on the sole contributor that I had heard of, StinkyJim. His offering Lie In King, is a dubby, bubbly warm hug of a song and worth the price of admission alone.

Jim's in good company, as evidenced by the bass-heavy, dub colossus that is the 10-minute extended version of Ancient Atoll by Ulrich Troyer. Nineteen tracks in all, available as a name your price download. I mean, why wouldn't you?

 

Returning to planet Nein, and Walentin Pauer. What can I tell you about Walentin? Well, he's based in Bucharest...and that's about all I've got. July saw a 4-track single featuring Maat Mons and Voyager III, with a remix apiece by Stockholm Syndrome (Iain Mac, Australia) and From Beyond aka Alex Wastnidge, England). Here's the latter.

 

Getting down to the indie disco with Spare Snare, who handed their excellent album The Brutal over to other artists, resulting in the rather wonderful Mix Up, out in November. And what better way to kick of than with HiFi Sean's superb Echoplex Dub of I Have You? The bar is set high and maintained throughout.  

 

 

I've been subscribing to Richard Norris' Bandcamp for a few years now and the amount of music that's come my has been staggering, with 2024 being an especially fertile year. An almost impossible task to pick just one, the quality being so high, but I've gone with April's standalone single Weatherall's Last Stand, simply because it's a beautiful tribute to a much missed collaborator and friend.

 

Given the season, a reminder that Paisley Dark Records released the superb compilation Shelter Me - In Crisis in April. Eighteen tracks by top notch artists such as Al Mackenzie, Duncan Gray, Jezebell and Zillas On Acid, all for fifteen quid. All proceeds go directly to the account of UK based homelessness charity, Crisis. 

Again, a tough one to pick from, as they're all so good, so I've taken the easy option by choosing A Space Age Freak Out aka Paisley Dark Records co-founder John Paynter. His contribution Song Of Siraba is remixed in full effect by Mindbender aka Mårten Attling. Buy the whole album now!

  

Recorded By Steve Albini

Celebrating Steve Albini, 22nd July 1962 to 7th May 2024.

I was hours behind everyone with the unwelcome news, only chancing upon it because I checked my phone just before I put my head down for the night. There was no doubt waking up this morning that I'd focus today's post on the merest hint of Steve's genius. He didn't like to be labelled as a producer, frequently credited as 'recorded by' but he was obviously so, so much more, which is clear from the transformative effect his presence in the studio has had on the hundreds of artists he has worked with. 

 

There are already many thousands of words out there paying tribute to his hugely important and influential career, his kindness and generosity, side-by-side with a no-bullshit attitude and a lifetime dedicated to music and being authentic, an overused term but you'll know what I mean when applied to Steve Albini.

 

Steve was only 61. Gone far too soon.

 

The limited time I've had to pull this selection together (I'm already at risk of being late for work but priorities, right?) means that there's so much more that I could say yet can't include in today's post. However, pop over to The Vinyl Villain as JC pulled a late shift last night to hold the presses and post an incredible Imaginary Compilation Album with superlative sleeve notes. I'm expecting more tributes to follow in this corner of the blogosphere, given how much Steve Albini has populated our respective record collections these past four decades.

At first, I was tempted to exclude all of the more obvious choices of artists, and whilst I managed to drop Nirvana, in all conscience I couldn't ignore The Wedding Present, PJ Harvey or Pixies, whose Surfer Rosa was the first time I'd heard an album recorded by Steve Albini.

I've also tried to include some more unusual song selections and possibly one or two artists that you may not have realised Steve worked with, such as Nina Nastasia and Anni Rossi. 

Cosmia by Joanna Newsom is a bit of a cheat: Steve 'just' recorded the vocals and harp, the other constituent parts worked on by Van Dyke Parks, Jim O'Rourke and Joanna; however, it sits beautifully between Low and Songs: Ohia and couldn't be left out.

 

The selection ends, as it probably should, with a song from PJ Harvey's 1993 album Rid Of Me. Man-Size was - and remains - a hugely important song, but the decision to include two versions on the album was a bold one. I've opted for Man-Size Sextet here as it demonstrated a different side to Polly's and Steve's work that I'd been familiar with up to that point.

 

Rest (and record) in power, Steve, you've left us with so much to treasure.

 

1) We Are The Snare: Spare Snare (2018)

2) Santa Ana Winds: The Wedding Present (2008)

3) Everything You Say Will Destroy You: The Auteurs (1996)

4) Bang On: The Breeders (2008)

5) Where Is My Mind?: Pixies (1988)

6) Quick, Before It Melts: Cinerama (2002)

7) Weight Of Water: Low (1999)

8) Cosmia: Joanna Newsom (2006)

9) Farewell Transmission: Songs: Ohia (2003)

10) Fuckingsong: Jarvis Cocker (2009)

11) Our Day Trip: Nina Nastasia (2006)

12) Leave Me Alone So I Can Rock Again: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (1999)

13) Ecology: Anni Rossi (2009)

14) Man-Size Sextet: PJ Harvey (1993)

1988: Surfer Rosa: 5

1993: Rid Of Me: 14

1996: After Murder Park: 3

1999: Acme-Plus: 12 

1999: Secret Name: 7

2002: Quick, Before It Melts EP: 6 

2003: The Magnolia Electric Co: 9 

2006: On Leaving: 11

2006: Ys: 8

2008: El Rey: 2

2008: Mountain Battles: 4

2009: Further Complications: 10

2009: Rockwell: 13

2018: 'Sounds' Recorded By Steve Albini: 1

Recorded By Steve Albini (50:52) (KF) (Mega)

Everything Playing At Once

"How did I get here?" as David Byrne once said. I know what he means. It's been a pretty crappy year in many respects, but music - and blogging about music - has been my salve, my safe space, my springboard back into the, at times, sheer madness of the wider world.

"What, no mega-mix?" as Ernie Goggins commented yesterday. Well, I'd always planned a Dubhed selection to sum up 2023 and see in 2024. Thankfully, it's not a 24-hour marathon attempting to squeeze everything in. Instead, it's a much more ear-friendly party mix at a smidge over an hour, sampling 17 tracks (and one interview snippet) including one song which didn't even make yesterday's end of year list!

This may be the only place today where you will hear Balearic, post-punk, downtempo, travelogue, dub, house, alternative, r 'n' b, politics, jazz and psychedelia all cut and pasted together. As I said to Ernie, more manic- than mega-mix. I think it turned out surprisingly well.

 

I have no plans for Dubhed to slow down in 2024, so expect more of the usual make-it-up-as-I go-along nonsense on a daily basis, inspired as ever by the music that soundtracks my life and keeps me going through good and bad times. 

On that note, a massive thank you again to you all for your continued support this year, it really means a lot. I hope that however you are spending New Year's Eve, it's a good one and that 2024 brings you much joy and happiness.

 

Happy New Year!

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!

Bliadhna Mhath ùr! 

Athbhliain Faoi Mhaise Dhuit!

Bonne Année!  

Ευτυχισμένο το νέο έτος!

Feliz Año Nuevo!  

Щасливого Нового року!

 

1) Ride A Cloud (Xavi's Campfire Mix - Khayem's Nice 'n' Splicey Edit): The Woodentops ft. Kyoko Sato *

2) Master Of Time: Jah Wobble

3) That Time Of Night (Hardway Bros Meet Monkton Uptown Dub): GLOK ft. Shiarra

4) Lack Of Sleep (Pye Corner Audio Remix): Maps

5) Cleanse Your Guilt Here: Algiers

6) Somehow It Feels Important (Auren Remix): Hairdressa

7) Tender Years: Robert Forster

8) I Laugh Myself To Sleep: David Holmes ft. Raven Violet

9) "do you wanna know what's changed about the music industry?": David Holmes **

10) Many Hands (Retroforward Dubbin' Hands Remix): D:Ream 

11) Brigada (Single Version): Bárbara Boeing ft. Phil Mill

12) Baba Louie: Jaimie Branch ft. Akenya Seymour & Kuma Dog

13) Go On Dub (Adrian Sherwood 'Reset In Dub’ Version): Panda Bear & Sonic Boom

14) 3rd Highlands And Islands Tour: Julian Cope

15) wifi: Spare Snare

16) There Will Be No Crying: Cleo Sol

17) $1 One Vote!: The The

18) Sunday's Cool: 10:40

 

Everything Playing At Once (1:02:45) (KF) (Mega) 

 

* This is possibly the laziest edit I've ever done. I've simply laid a copy of the mix on the other, with a 20-second delay and (roughly) beat matched. I like the repetition of Kyoko Sato's voice, so this version stayed in. 

 

** A snippet from Edith Bowman's interview with David Holmes earlier this month. Well worth an hour of your time.

Better Late Than Never

Spare Snare have been releasing music (independently) since 1992. Were it not for a few well-timed and inspiring posts in the blogosphere in 2022, they may have continued to fly under my radar. Thirty years late, but a helluva back catalogue to dive back into.

 

Super Slinky is one of the tracks that's been highlighted, once via the original version from 1995's debut album Live At Home and again via the 2018 re-recording with Steve Albini on the Sounds album. Both are pretty special, as is the live version which heads up this post, from the Homegame Festival in Anstruther, Fife on 12th March 2010.

Spare Snare's extensive back catalogue is available on Bandcamp, with some ridiculously reasonable prices for digital and CD formats - both of the aforementioned albums are on sale for £3.00 and £5.00 respectively. Some releases also have vinyl and cassette formats remaining.

 

Spare Snare started recording a new album in October 2022, Steve Albini back in the studio, for a release in Spring 2023. I'm hoping that a tour will be forthcoming, with some dates in my neck of the woods. I'd love to see them live in concert.