Sail We Must: A Sea Story of Andrew Weatherall & An Irish Fisherman

I’m going to let this one speak for itself. Enjoy.

*update it looks like they may have disabled embedding, you watch the video here.

In rural county Cork, a lone fisherman met a weary traveller who was on his way to a gig. They soon began to exchange stories, namely tales of the sea. During their conversation, the seafarer shared a sentiment that would stay with his passenger forever: “fail we may, sail we must.” The Tenth Man presents Sail We Must directed by Grizzly, a short film telling the beautiful story of the chance meeting between iconic artist Andrew Weatherall and fisherman Gerard Sheehy. The 10-minute film explores how the words of wisdom Sheehy shared with Weatherall changed his path and went on to influence another generation of musicians and creatives. The film also features Cian Ó Cíobháin who was instrumental in finding Gerard, as well as Andrew’s close friend and collaborator Sean Johnston. All proceeds from this film and any screenings will go to Andrew’s family and the charities that meant the most to him. thetenthman.com

Tiraquon Recordings vol. 1 – Space Dimension Controller

Ain’t no two ways about it, I’m a big fan of Space Dimension Controller. He has released a really tasty 6-tracker on his own Tiraquon Recordings.

The release is a slight departure in tone from his usual work; it is less ‘high-concept’ in the sense that there is no space-traveller voiceover, and the tempo is raised a little. Both changes make the tracks just that little bit more danceable. Even so, the release feels very much of the Space Dimension Controller universe. Maybe this is the stuff playing in the clubs of Mikrosektor-50 when Mr. 8040 walks in. Anyway, none of the originality or charm of the persona is lost. Listen up.

If you didn’t understand any of what you just read, where have you been? Do your homework.

Be My Husband (Hot Chip Remix Edit) – Nina Simone

I have a really special treat for you today readers.

There have been quite a few Nina Simone remixes coming out recently as part of a Greatest Hits re-issue, and I have been pretty unimpressed. To be fair it is a hard job to take recognisable and established tracks and reimagine them in a way that is an enhancement, without killing what was special about them to begin with. That challenge is amplified when it comes to Nina – her vocals tread a fine line between power and fragility. That tension is why she is such an iconic singer, and why she is able to convey so much emotion through her voice. It is also why most remixes of her tracks seem to miss the mark.

And so how does Hot Chip get this one so right?

I get the sense they are real fans of her work. They treat the vocal with a huge amount of respect and still let it lead the energy and the tone of the track. And then behind it they build up an incredible soundscape with piano, electric guitars and a bassline so thick you can almost touch it. It gets full marks from me.

Transcendence – Windows

Early Jan might not be the most clubby time for most people, but I couldn’t help but share this one from Windows (formally DJ Windows XP).

The EP opens up with All the Things You Are; I can only describe it as a thumpy monster. But the best part about it is that I’m pretty sure it samples Estelle & Kanye’s American Boy. Inventive, genius, and did I mention thumpy?

Sunset Love is a bit more on the dreamy side and sounds like an early Wayward track. Also highly likable.

Finally Secrets and Long Gone are both nice atmospheric pieces with nice piano and string leads respectively. I suspect they will last a little less long in the memory, but they both stand up well.

Check it out. I’m looking forward to seeing what he comes up with next.

Best of 2021

Happy New Year HME crew. I’m looking forward to what 2022 has to offer, but before then, one final post on 2021.

I’ve started to form a bit of a theory: are personalised end of year wrap-ups a bit like dreams? Everyone finds their own fascinating and everyone else’s immensely boring…

Anyway… here are my most played tracks of the year courtesy of Spotify and Soundcloud.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1EUMDoJuT8yJsl?si=5a431ddc80694d8d

Soundcloud here