Thanks to everyone who sent me a message of congrats and well wishes in regards to my news about moving to Tokyo. It meant a lot to me.

A lot of people have been asking me what I plan on doing with my records. Well, I’m probably going to put them in storage. I have about 2,000 records, and while I have been whittling down my collection as of late, most of them are just too important to me, I can’t part with them. Right now my plan is to stay in Tokyo for a couple of years or so, if I end up staying their longer, then I might think about figuring out how to bring them over. Regardless, don’t worry, I’m not getting rid of my Depeche Mode records. I’m not crazy.

However, I am getting rid of A LOT of records. So if you live in the greater Pittsburgh area and are looking for some weird records, then you should totally swing by my yard sale, which I’ll be holding this Sunday from 9am -2pm. You can find full details at Craigslist.

Since coming back from my west coast trip, I’ve recorded about 40 LPs and singles, and I got about 80 more to go, so while my posts might be a bit spotty for the next few weeks, you won’t have to worry about a lack of quality tunes. Or “quality tunes” depending on your viewpoint of what I post sometimes.

Ini Kamoze
Here Comes The Hotstepper (Let Go Mix)
I know the second line in the chorus of this song is “I’m the lyrical gangster, murderer,” but for the life of me, every time I hear it, I sing “I’m the leprechaun gangster, murderer.” If the Leprechaun ever returns to the hood (again), they should take my lyrical suggestion and use it for a new remix that could serve as the film’s theme.

Prodigy
Poison (Environmental Science Dub Mix)
95% of Prodigy songs are just “Here Comes The Hotstepper” with more aggro beats and more menacing lyrics. Think about it.

Freur
Runaway (Dun Difrunt)
You’re A Hoover (Dun Difrunt Too)
Freur was an early group by Karl Hyde and Rick Smith, aka the sole consistent members of the legendary electronic act Underworld. They formed in the early 80s and released just two albums, Doot-Doot and Get Us Out Of Here. They broke up in 1986, at which point Karl and Rick went on to form the very synthpoppy original incarnation of Underworld (which was great in its own way).

The title track to Doot-Doot was the band’s only hit, and it was a hit for a good reason. It’s a goddamn beautiful song, easily one of my favorite tracks from the era. You can get “Doot-Doot” on iTunes and Amazon, and I suggest you do. Shit, I suggest you get that entire album, it’s great.

Another highlight from the Doot-Doot album is “Runaway,” which is also a slow-paced, emotional love song, and after listening to it on repeat for the past few days, I like it almost as much as “Doot-Doot.” I think the unneeded (and entirely 80s) sax solo takes a bit away from it though.

“You’re A Hoover” is a weird, wild b-side and reminds me a bit of early Flock Of Seagulls with a slightly more sinister slant. Karl’s vocals are great on it.

Both these mixes are shockingly rare. Doot-Doot has been re-released several times over the years, and while most re-issues include remixes of “Doot-Doot” and “Hold Me Mother,” none have included these mixes. Maybe they were lost to the ages?

I would love to hear Karl and Rick talk about the early Underworld/Freur stuff, but I guess they’ve always been a bit hush-hush on that era of their musical careers. Although they did finally re-visit “Doot-Doot” at a live show this past April. Hopefully they’ll continue to do so for future gigs, and we’ll finally get a live version of “Underneath The Radar.”

That song is fucking dope.

 

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 18th, 2013 at 11:36 pm and is filed under Freur, Ini Kamoze, Prodigy, remixes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.