When Bands Collide

From top: Maps; The Longcut; Outputmessage; Working For A Nuclear Free City

Maps - Start Something (Longcut Remix)
Outputmessage - Sommeil (WFANFC Remix)

What happens when four bright talents from the world of music collide head-on? Well, aside from the obvious bloody mess, once you’ve picked your way through the shards of bone and gory body parts, you might be lucky enough to find two brilliant tracks like there are posted here. This musical collision finds two of the standout acts from the latest crop of bands to emerge from the Manchester scene, work their magic on tracks from a pair of their equally gifted contemporaries. And, in a nod to the city’s exalted past, both remixes feature bass lines that Hooky would be proud to put his name to. Proof, if you needed it, that it’s been another damn good year for emerging talent.

First up, the Longcut get to work on Maps’ phenomenal psychedelic torch song ‘Start Something’. Stripping away much of the original track’s space rock majesty, the Longcut isolate James Chapman’s ethereal vocal over skittering drums, giving it a real sense of desperation and urgency to connect. The track builds towards a soaring conclusion featuring a thunderous low-slung bass and jerky guitars. The remix is taken from the ‘Region Two’ CD that came free with initial quantities of the recent Maps 10” ‘Don’t Fear’. Not sure if it’s still available, but try and hunt it down. The Longcut released their debut album ‘A Call and Response’ this year to deserved acclaim, fulfilling the promise they’d shown with an edgy collection of dark and brooding experimental rock.

Working for a Nuclear Free City delivered one of my album’s of the year with their eponymous debut, released on Melodic back in September. Here they are getting their teeth into their label mate Outputmessage’s track ‘Sommeil’. The original track was a highlight from Bernard ‘Outputmessage’ Farley’s debut album ‘Nebulae’, which also came out this year. The WFANFC treatment opens with some woozy melodies, reminiscent of Boards of Canada, before echoing fellow Manc’s 808 State - a case of techno music made on guitars. Dubbed out effects and another rumbling bass line complete the transformation. This remix is an exclusive for TWNR from the lovely people at Melodic as it’s not coming out until next year, when it will be available on a remix EP, released on February 5th 2007. Other artists remixing include Farley himself, with a cracking purist electro interpretation, plus My Robot Friend, American Pop Band and Person. Well worth the wait.

Buy from Norman Records
Maps
The Longcut
Outputmessage
Working For A Nuclear Free City
Visit the Melodic website - be sure to check out the recent WFANFC podcast, featuring tracks from their debut album
Maps website
Maps My Space
The Longcut website
The Longcut My Space
Outputmessage website
Outputmessage My Space
Working For A Nuclear Free City website
Working For A Nuclear Free City My Space

Joe.