Weatherall Remix Friday Twelve

Back in 2013 Andrew Weatherall was on the crest of a new wave, his skills as a remixer in demand again, a new generation of artists wanting his magic dust sprinkled over their work and the man in fine form, producing remixes that took in a variety of styles and influences- dub, post- punk, kraut, Balearic, acid and more all showed up across a slew of remixes. This one found a sweet spot somewhere between indie- dance and techno, the sugar psychedelia of Australian band Jagwar Ma rejigged with a tough drum track, juddering synth sounds and singer Gabriel's compressed vocal. 

Come Save Me

Moving to London Jagwar Ma's Jono Ma- the man who does the guitars, synths, drum machines, samples and production- found himself in studio space adjoining Mr Weatherall's, in a facility in Tottenham. In 2016 Jagwar Ma released a second album, Every Now And Zen. In 2017, having sent the stems and tracks next door Andrew provided a pair of remixes of the song Give Me A Reason, one making it to a 12" release. These are a step away again from the Come save Me remix, a version which could easily have soundtracked mayhem at indie nights on dancefloors in 1991. These are more spacey, the rippling cosmische extended for up to ten minutes, waves of synthlines flowing over minimal, pattering electronic drums. The second one goes further still, a stripped down electronic dub version with distorted voices, bending the original song and its remix into new shapes. 

Give Me A Reason (Weatherall Meets Jonnie Two Heaters Uptown Part 1)

Give Me A Reason (Weatherall Meets Jonnie Two Heaters Uptown Part 2)

Jono found the British winter tough, shivering in his studio space, wrapped up to beat the cold. The Facility 1 landlord brought him a heater but one was not enough. Hence the remix titles. 

Uptown And Back Again

Monday's Uptown post led me to two further Andrew Weatherall remixes with Uptown in the title, this pair from 2016. Australian band Jagwar Ma's second album Every Now And Zen looked to the late 80s and early 90s for its inspiration, Manchester's neo- psychedelia and Screamadelica. They'd moved into studio space in Weatherall's Scrutton Street bunker complex and his influence must have seeped through the walls and open doors. He would remix the song Give Me A Reason twice, the first a slowed down, electronic dub excursion, the dull thud of the drum machine pushing it on for nine minutes. The second is a more abstract, even dubbier work out. A robot voice intones 'and left and right and left and right'. The  drum machine patters on.

Give Me A Reason (Weatherall Meets Jonnie Two Heaters Uptown Part 1)

Give Me A Reason (Weatherall Meets Jonnie Two Heaters Uptown Part 2)

Edit: the space Jagwar Ma's Jono moved into alongside Andrew Weatherall was not the Scrutton Street complex. I am more than happy to be corrected by those who were there.

Give Me A Reason

A couple of years ago Andrew Weatherall remixed Aussie duo Jagwar Ma's Come Save Me, spinning their dance pop into an early 90s indie-dance direction.

Come Save Me (Weatherall Remix)

He's had another go at them this time around, with this ten minute cosmic, synthed out version of Give Me  A Reason complete with robot voices. It's been given the magnificent new title of Weatherall Meets Johnnie Two Heaters Uptown Part 1. Which leads me to speculate that there will also be a Part 2.



And if you can clear your diary for a couple of hours this mix of the man himself playing Leftorium in Brussels in the middle of January should provide some musical thrills and spills.

Sunday's Not For Everyone

Andrew Weatherall has been back on the decks and the mic at NTS radio with the July edition of Music's Not For Everyone- this one includes Jah Wobble, King Tubby, Tommy McCook, Wild Billy Childish, Wire, Vox Low and his new outfit Woodleigh Research Facility. I think you'll enjoy it

Andrew Weatherall Presents: Music's Not For Everyone - 23rd July 2015 by Nts Radio on Mixcloud

This Weatherall remix of Jagwar Ma's Come Save Me from summer 2013 has been running through my head for the last few days. It is a stunner and sounds not unlike the kind of job he might have done to an indie guitar group circa 1991, which would lead to them saying 'there's always been a dance element to our music' on page 19 of the NME.

Come Save Me

As well as the beefy indie-dance Andrew Weatherall remix of Jagwar Ma's Come Save Me single there's this remix by The Pachanga Boys- euphoric is the word. An extended two minute plus intro of ascending keyboard notes followed by ten minutes of hands-in-the-air excess, pitch bending all over the place. Like eating way too much chocolate in one go.

Come Save Me

Jeez. Pass me a drink. That was tough. Now I'm post-wake drunk and on the computer.

This is an outstanding indie-dance remix of Jagwar Ma by Andrew Weatherall, the guitars at around four minutes a particular highlight. Like 1989 all over again. 1989- that was a year wasn't it?