It's Friday . . Let's Dance

A few weeks ago I posted something by James Lavelle and UNKLE and the overwhelming view was that the collective were a bit of a disappointment and did not live up to the sum of their parts.

Since then I have gone back and listened to the albums and on reflection the output is patchy, the first album I still really like but a lot of the rest of the stuff I could take or leave and with the later stuff I definately prefer the instrumental takes of the tracks oppossed to those with the big guest names. I also think that their output sounds better when fucked about with by others. Some of the remixes have been inspired,  from Sasha's mix of In A State to Jesse Somfay's take on Burm My Shadow.

Today's track is probably my favourite remix of an UNKLE tune, messed around with by the one and only Carl Craig. At this point in time I can't think of a single thing bearing C2's name that I haven't instanly liked. Here he takes the neo classical Trouble In Paradise from the 2008 soundtrack inspired End Titles . . . Stories For Film and turns it into a ten minute slab of dancefloor friendly techno, absolutely magic.

UNKLE - Trouble In Paradise (Variation On A Theme - Carl Craig C2 mix)

Have a good weekend people.

A Disappointment? Not To Me

A couple of weeks ago in a piece on the Plaid remixes of the first UNKLE ep, Ctel over at Acid Ted commented that the first UNKLE album, Psyence Fiction was dull and SwissAdam commented that he thought the album a disappointment. These are comments that I have read quite a bit over the years and remember a couple of lacklustre reviews at the time of the release.

I on the other hand never found the album to be a let down at the time and having listened to it recently will freely admit that it isn't the greatest album in the world but I think that it still holds it's own.

One of the main reasons that I didn't have high expectations for the album was that at this time and even now  without the notable exception of a handful of artists and maybe a couple of dozen albums at the most, the LP is not the format in which dance music excels in my view. Over the space of a whole album even the Chemical Brothers and Underworld fail to hold my attention and I get bored. So when I first played the album there were sufficient changes in tempo and style to keep me listening. Okay there are bits of it that are less than brilliant and maybe it is a bit too eclectic at times but what else should be expected with so many collaborators in the mix.

Another reason why my expectations weren't stellar for this album was that up until this point the UNKLE singles weren't that brilliant, they certainly weren't the best output on Mo Wax. For me their remixes and DJ sets out shone their own work.

So I think that when I first listened to it I took it on it's own merit and was not let down with the result, don't get me wrong I wasn't proclaiming it the best album of 1998 either. But as albums in this genre go it is not too shabby.

I think that this Psyence Fiction is a necessary step where Lavelle honed his production and collaborative skills which would lead to further great albums such as Never, Never Land and War Stories.

UNKLE - Lonely Soul

GDMFSOB

I have avidly collected the works of Josh Davis since the first time I heard In Flux which was also my introduction to Mo Wax, James Lavelle and the whole headz culture which I eagerly embraced.

There is something about collages made from snatches of dialogue, samples, laid back beats and turntablism that floats my boat. I can got lost in these strung out, cinematic odysseys and long ago stopped trying to spot the samples.

The one thing about DJ Shadow is that every so often he does something that once you listen to it makes perfect sense but on first hearing of, you think, what is he up to? This was what went through my head when I first got my hands on Mashin' On The Motorway and noticed that the main track was a collaboration with Roots Manuva. However after listening to the track it was such an obvious pairing, the pre-eminent turntablist and the UK's best and most unorthodox rapper.

If you get the chance check out his mix cd with Cut Chemist, Brainfreeze, another venture which on hindsight is exactly what he should have done.

GDMFSOB would possibly have been the phrase I would have uttered when the alarm went off this morning, if I resided on the West Coast of the USA as opposed to west central Scotland where we just say, shit!

DJ Shadow - GDMFSOB (UNKLE uncensored)

Dad, Sure Them Cidermen Aren't Real?

A great day was had by all but alas no Rose Tyler. M was particularly scared of the Daleks but was happy that he got to see his favorites, the Sontaran. I don't think that it was the full exhibition though, there was no finale as Mondo mentioned in the previous comments.

I even got to go to Fopp and Oxfam Music.

BBC Radiophonic Workshop - Dr Who Theme

BBC Radiophonic Workshop - Dr Who Theme ( Unreleased U.N.K.L.E Reconstruction)

Orbital - Dr Who