This is a digest version of the upcoming release on Firestation Records of Berlin collecting some of the recordings of Horsham beat merchants The Gits (not to be confused with The Beat Merchants from Horsham).

http://www.gitsuk.co.uk

The Gits (UK) - Eventually - A Retrospeculative 1987-1990 (Abridged)

I've been knocking out the odd track for the Music Weeklies challenge where a prompt is offered to base a tune on. This was one I didn't finish completely by the deadline which I've filled out a little with bass in the second half and some supporting synths and effects.

Because It Was There

Man Of Culture

From Pokeweed Wormfence of 1991 which I hope to get out the door by the end of next week.

Almost topical, if metaphorical. Though actually a simile, oh silly me. 

VTOR - Catherine Wheel (1991)

The next reissue out in a couple of days once I've checked I haven't made any daft errors. It'll end up here: http://noise.zatapathique.co.uk

VOTR - Pokeweed Wormfence (Abridged) 1991 - 2014 Remaster

A bash at the POPsters mix kit as seen on Ototoy. They can be found on Soundcloud hereabouts https://soundcloud.com/periodofplastc2mercy

I had an awful lot of synths left over.

A video with an edited version of the original. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K07xAFm7x-Y

And now a video for my version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPqOVOU_R5Q

Having stumbled across 'Pretty Pretty Good' via the pleasingly ludicrous video of this alternative Idol group hanging from a crane the appeal of mixing it came from the offer of complete unadorned tracks, rather than the more common stems. Also the possible puns around the name were too numerous to refuse.

The world was saved from my usual airy fairy stretchy interpretation by it being obvious from a quick perusal of the recordings that there was a lot of good bass and guitar work going on behind the synthesizers dominant in the official release.

First order of the day was a bit of shifting rhythm guitars around to fill in the odd hole here and there as well as moving the piano to accompany the singing in the quieter parts. For good measure I did the digital equivalent of old fashioned splicing to extend a couple of sections, though to what end I wasn't sure at the time.

Then came the leg work of equalization, compression and wot not together with whacking amp simulations on the initially clean and D.I.ed guitar sounds (Scuffham S-Gear for the aficionados).

I'm sure like myself you wondered how anyone could release a four to the floor stomper without tambourine and 80s drum machine hand-claps so they were added at strategic points and sound effects shuffled around for greatest effect.

Lacking something to provide a bit of a boost to the vocal in the last chorus I dragged out a guitar for some ersatz double tracking. It was at this point we drifted back to the 70s as echoing the final 'cry away' suggested the octave part on the prior instrumental section.

After much mucking around with effects automation and titivating levels the chance finally came for a bit of subtle stretching with a touch of he old 'Johnny Remember Me' behind the late ba-didily-ba-bas.

Interesting to me at least was that my master had a momentary peak of the same LUFS value as the average of the original which I feel could have been given a little more room to breathe. Or in layman's terms, it had been squashed to buggery.

How the merry band of POP will fair now their leader has been sidelined due to taking 'action in breach of management's instructions' we shall see. 

Although I had little to no knowledge of the Idol industry before this it didn't take a lot of effort to work out she was a something of a square peg. But that seemed to be what set her group apart.

It's interesting from a cultural point of view that rather than storming the Bastille the fans on the whole appear to have reacted with, 'that's a rum do, hope you're back soon'. 

Now I'll have to find something else to distract me from what I'm meant to be doing.


The picture is based on the cover the of XTC single 'This Is Pop' and the name of the mix from M's 'Pop Muzik'. 

POP - Pretty Pretty Good (Reasonable Remix)

GG - C - D6 - Goldfish

Thought I better get this in sharpish before the Tories are swept from power in the UK and it starts to become out of date.

From the Happy Fun Tunes EP which is linked to by the buy button though it doesn't have to cost you anything.

Happy Fun Tunes

Fallen

As this has been mentioned by t'singer herself I shall be less circumspect and stick the name in the headline.

I think I heard Decision mentioned as the title.

On Garage.tv 2012-12-27. Did what I could but was fighting a losing battle against background noise and auto-gain.

宮本菜津子 - Decision (2012)

From December 2019's 'Happy Fun Tunes'.

https://manofarun.bandcamp.com/album/no-2-happy-fun-tunes

Wait A Minute

From April 2020 and part of the 'Amateur Hour' EP.

https://manofarun.bandcamp.com/album/no-3-amateur-hour

Man Of Arun

Popular tracks