Swans - Love of Life

This little remix EP accompanied the release of the Love of Life album by Swans back in 1992. It makes things a touch confusing whilst researching online as both 12"s have the same title. It takes two tracks from that record, and pairs them alongside "long versions", which are essentially drawn-out, more atmospheric takes on the classic original tracks. This "single" isn't particularly rare, but at the same time it isn't very easy to find either. I know that doesn't make much sense, but don't expect these to fall off trees. Despite this, you can still get it fairly cheap (expect to pay around a minimum of £15). I found my copy buried in amongst all the crap at Kelly's Records in Cardiff market, much to my delight. This will eventually go inside my Love of Life black box set, which to date is still missing a record (White Light). When I get a copy of White Light I'll do a separate review for that as well and then do the Love of Life album review + box set overlook in another post, probably as something special like the 1000th post or something.

The title track remix doesn't really offer much, just drawing out the track a bit more and adding a weird funk to it, as well as a strange dance beat. When it kicks in proper, it has more time to unfold that the 3-minutes-or-so album version, but it does get a bit repetitive after 6 minutes. The "Amnesia" remix however is totally brilliant. It takes the drum pattern and extends it, filling the void with hellish screams, horns, mysterious sounds and Jarboe's haunting vocals. The original version of "Amnesia" is so short and to the point for a Swans song, so this creepy atmospheric version definitely feels more like the real thing!

Both remixes were done by a guy called Martin Bisi, who runs a recording studio in New York with Bill Laswell (the guy who produced The Burning World), and the 12" was put out by Gira's own label, Young God Records. You check out both extended remix tracks below. Get in!

Burial - Truant / Rough Sleeper

Welcome to what is quite possibly one of the most chilled out things in the world. I'm not talking that lovey-dovey "ambient" chill out shit that comes in box sets of 5 CDs, I'm talking about modern, chillax-to-the-max experimental dub. After being recommended Burial by about 40,000 different people I decided to actually check out some of his tunes on Spotify and I was an instant convert. One thing I don't agree with here though is the insistence on the dubstep tag; sure this will appeal to thousands of dubstep fans but I do not think that it really falls in with the genre. It is simply too laid back and experimental. 

"Truant" is a 12 minute masterpiece of sonic sub-bass bliss that simultaenously shakes my house and gives my brain the cerebral break it so desperately needs. What more can you want from music? Switch it on, switch yourself off. Job done. The B side, "Rough Sleeper", is a bit different. It is a bit longer, clocking in at just under 15 minutes, but it seems to be comprised of several songs (or should I say "vibes") mashed together rather than one 15 minute long trip. It's still goddamn awesome though!

This 12" was put out December past by Hyperdub. Check it out in the link below (although it won't do the sub-bass justice)

King Midas Sound - Aroo

This 12" marks my first Record Store Day purchase, even though it was accidental. I decided to visit Cardiff on Record Store Day this year, which was fairly disastrous, but I ended up in Catapult browsing where I picked up another King Midas 12". When I took it to the counter to pay for it, the chap at the desk kindly informed me that the band had put another 12" out on Ninja Tune just for Record Store Day. When I looked up they had a wall behind the counter covered in the shit that had been released for today only, which was a lot more understated than other shops in the area, which had queues out the door and half way around the fucking city.

I'm glad I picked this up, because otherwise I would have missed my chance and have to pay hipsters on Discogs extortionate amounts for a copy, but this is definitely more of a completists item for the King Midas enthusiast. Don't get me wrong, I love the 'Sound, but the reason I love KMS so much is because of the haunting vocals, and thoughtful lyrics. The A-side, "Aroo" is enormously poppy, unlike anything I've heard from King Midas in the past, the usual choppy dub beats being led by an odd, distorted, almost guitar-like lead and fresh female vocals. Which is all well and good (not to mention, huge sounding), but it doesn't leave much time for the Midas dubs, yo, which is what I'm all about. The standard vocals burst in every now and then like an afterthought, if anything just to "keep it Midas".

Side B and it's "Version" are much more gloomy. A heavy synth leads a mystifying track that is much more on par with the King Midas Sound that I love. All in all, not a bad pick up, but not maybe something I would have rushed into buying if it wasn't a limited edition. There is no record of this on Discogs etc. yet so I can't give you a valuation (Monday 22nd update - now there is), but I paid £6.99 for it, which was probably a bit steep, but helps your ol' bricks and mortar record store and all that. I guess that this price will rise a bit when the record becomes less easily available.

Turn all the way up, and chill the absolute fuck out. 

D12 - Shit On You

I always have mixed feelings about D12: the potential with the group was absolutely fantastic; each artist is an excellent rapper in their own right, but if they work together as a group or not is something that has always bugged me. I guess it's the endless "it's Eminem's old band, innit" that pisses me off. The first record shared the load fairly but the second album parodied this yet lived up to it entirely; employing Mr. Mathers as the lead vocal in nearly every song, not to mention on nearly every bastard chorus. But I digress. This is about a single that was released around the time of the first record, and is actually pretty awesome.

The beat comes on like some pretty serious hip hop; a whole level of Immortal-Technique-ganna-fuck-shit-up vibe, but by the time Bizarre hits the mic and Em's chorus of shitting on your family comes in, the hardcore street-beat has lost all seriousness. The B side is the track "Under the Influence" which originally appeared on Eminem's second album, so it's kinda cool to have it here collected under the D12 name. This 12" is deffo for collectors / die-hards only, and offers no real merit to anyone who wasn't a DJ in 2002.