I’ll be mixing the last selection of tracks submitted for the 64 Bar Music project early next month. Here are some previews of some of the 30 odd tracks submitted, mainly via the Ninja Tune forum. The standard is very high for the sixth installment, the brief being to write 64 bars at the tempo of 110 beats per minute in any style although the prevailing style seems to be very electronic.
64:6 promo tracks by 64barmusic

Another killer album from Ghost Box regular The Advisory Circle, if you like mid-70’s Kraftwerk, melancholic Radiophonica and that undefinable Britishness of yesteryear then this is for you. Definitely in the albums of the year list.

Continuing the theme of paintings on walls: New 3 track EP by Martyn out on Brainfeeder August 1st. Love the cover and the London’s Arches edit of ‘Viper’ is exceptional.

I don’t know how he does it but here’s another one from Jon Brooks on Café Kaput. “Every sound on this record, from the melodic sounds to the percussion, the atmospheric effects to the bass lines originates from the Braun AB-30 alarm clock.”

Listen and buy here

Martin Rushent, the man behind The Human League‘s incredible ‘Love and Dancing’ remix album from 1982, has passed away.

Rushent described working on Love and Dancing during an interview in 2007:
“The dub mixes started because we didn’t have time to do ‘B’ sides, We’d send Virgin Records a track and they’d want to rush-release it. I’d been listening to Grandmaster Flash and played it to Phil (Oakey). He liked it so I suggested doing a remix of “Love Action” by chopping it up and adding effects, then we could get Virgin off our backs!

When it was all finished I had four or five remixes. Phil wasn’t sure about releasing them on an album and left me to make Love and Dancing on my own. It was mixed on a board, so I had the multitrack of Dare feeding in, a Harmonizer on send one, delay lines and phasers everywhere and I’d flick it about. I’d do a section and if I liked it I’d make a tape cut and splice it in. There were thousands of edits on the master and it took forever to do.”

This album was a major inspiration when I was young and continues to be today. Synth pop twisted and remixed before the genre really existed and any rules were set in stone. This predated the Art of Noise and Trevor Horn‘s remix frenzies and, I’m fairly certain, could probably lay claim to being the first remix album. Certainly one by a chart-topping band at any rate.

I’ve recently completed a track with long-time musical hero JG Thirlwell, aka Foetus, Manorexia, Steroid Maximus and many more, for my new record due out in Sept. To say it was an honor is an understatement as well a dream fulfilled. Since first being given a cassette of seminal album’s ‘Hole’ and ‘Nail’ in the 80’s I’ve been hooked on his music and always checked for new releases. He’s been on the list of collaborators I’ve wanted for this new record for years and, to add the icing on the cake, I’m pleased beyond words with the resulting track – ‘Prey’. It will kick off my third EP this autumn, before the album compiles the trilogy shortly after.

If you’re not familiar with his work, the Quietus have just published this piece by my good friend Mark Emsley of ireallylovemusic. It’s as good a place as any to start. I’ve also put together a visual discography of all his many guises – Foetus, Wiseblood, Steroid Maximus, Manorexia, Garage Monsters, Stinkfist, Clint Ruin, The Flesh Volcano, Baby Zizanie, Hydroze Plus and of course, JG Thirlwell. Three decades’ work and that’s just his own productions, not including remixes, collaborations and four season’s worth of scores for The Venture Brothers TV series. One of the joys of any JGT production is that the artwork is always excellent, with themes and colours recurring to form a visual identity.

If this has piqued your interest but you don’t know where to start, I suggest the 80’s albums ‘Hole’, Nail’ and ‘Thaw’. ‘Sink’ is a great catch-all compilation of a lot of the surrounding singles and compilation tracks of the era. Noughties albums ‘Flow’, ‘Damp’ and ‘Hide’ are amazing and, if vocals aren’t your thing, any Steroid Maximus album is worth a try.