Goldie: Timeless (The Remixes)

Metalheadz

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Drum & Bass pioneer Goldie’s basic debut album get the remix remedy from the likes of Photek and 4 Hero on this double disc set.

When Goldie launched his debut album Timeless again in 1995, the genres and sub genres that had been showing within the dance music scene had been many and diversified. Scenes corresponding to Pace Storage, Large Beat and IDM sprang up and, for essentially the most half, pale away or mutated additional. Drum & Bass nevertheless continues to be very a lot with us nearly three a long time later. The scene now has grown since its genesis within the mid 90s and itself now has a number of genres corresponding to Liquid, Darkstep or Neurofunk.

Again then, it was a simply one other new music that was taking form on the nation’s dancefloors. One of many issues that gave it credibility and longevity was the work of one among its predominant gamers, Goldie.

Goldie is a titanic ball of vitality, an vitality that decided he was going to be a hit a method or one other. His profession has taken in graffiti artwork, manufacturing, label administration, performing and, after all, music. Not solely this, however he has been a hit in the whole lot he has turned his hand to.

His graffiti work caught the attention of the British Arts Council and Channel 4, his Metalheadz label launched among the most unimaginable and influential DnB releases, as an actor he has been a Bond baddie and a gangster in Eastenders. However it’s his music that has the place he has most made his mark.

His debut album, Timeless, stretched the boundaries of what was potential, not solely in Drum & Bass, however dance music as a wider phenomenon. The place most artists aimed their information on the dance ground, Goldie’s music was an expression of his life. As he himself as soon as stated, “In my music is the whole lot I’ve realized, everybody I’ve met, the whole lot I’ve skilled.”

The album opened with Internal Metropolis Life, a 22 minute lengthy “hardcore symphony” and went on to incorporate laborious, in-your-face breakbeats, light ballads and all factors in between. And now, after lockdown induced delays, Timeless has been lovingly remixed by a few of Drum & Bass’ veterans and rising stars. The ensuing double album options remixes by Break, Searchlight, Photek and 4 Hero.

Some tracks are remixed a number of occasions, Internal Metropolis Life claiming 4 remixes by itself, however the remixes are wildly completely different, with every remixer selecting to give attention to completely different facets of the songs, such because the rhythms, the melody or the experimentation. In consequence, we get an album that’s diversified, fascinating and comes throughout as very a lot a labour of affection.

The general sound of this album is louder and extra in your face than its supply materials. The sound has been polished and made shinier and extra trendy. The Timeless songs themselves nonetheless sound trendy and updated, nevertheless it nearly the timidness of the manufacturing that dates these originals, the place the remixes are way more upfront and in your face.

The album begins off with Internal Metropolis Life remixed by Break. Clocking in at a modest six minutes, this remix strips a lot of the fats from the bone and leaves us with an brisk and up to date tackle the unique observe. The beats are louder and sound much less natural and are method larger up within the combine. The result’s a observe that may stand proud within the trendy drum and bass world. Break retains the quieter elements of the tune so as to add to the environment, however it is a youthful, extra important take.

The remix album doesn’t persist with the unique tracklist, so subsequent up is the Gray Code remix of Kemistry, a tribute to the Drum & Bass DJ of the identical title who sadly handed away in 1999. The place as the unique builds from a relaxed starting to a busy however nonetheless comparatively serene observe, this explicit remix is bass heavy and options louder, extra skittering percussion.

State of Thoughts is reworked from Soulful Drum & Bass with a Roni Dimension-esque jazz really feel into an absolute epic. The beautiful vocal from Diane Charlemagne is allowed to take centre stage and the tune is the higher for it. Once more, the manufacturing appears leaps and certain forward of the unique, brighter and clearer. An album spotlight.

The place the ’95 model of Angel is one other soulful observe, the Scar remix is harsher and extra aggressive, the drums being extra simple and insistent. From right here we’re again to Internal Metropolis Life, this time the Nookie 2021 remix, a extra percussive take than the Break remix. As soon as the drums kick in, they keep for the entire observe, lending it an brisk, persistent really feel.

Subsequent up is Jah the Seventh Seal, right here shortened to simply Jah and remixed by J Kenzo. The Timeless model is packed stuffed with skipping percussion and the place the remix is loud, busy and booming. A Sense of Rage (Sensual VIP Combine) additionally has its title shortened, this time to simply Sensual. The unique has time to develop, having completely different phases. It stars out sparse and atmospheric earlier than  a sub bass is available in and, lastly, DnB drums choose the tune up. Once more, the remix is extra direct however makes good use of jazzy thrives.

From right here we’re again to Internal Metropolis Life, this time a Trevino remix. This model incorporates a pounding bass drum during the tune, round that are wrapped snatches and components from the unique materials. One other model of Kemistry  finishes the primary disc, this time remixed by OneMind. This slowed down model options dubby echo and god use of house. Drums and vocals float out and in and the tune can be excellent for an after membership session,

Disc 2 kicks off with Peshay’s Again From Narm remix of Angel, a totally completely different tackle the observe than the earlier Scar remix. Right here the drums sound muddy and additional again and vocal snippets come to the floor. 4 Hero are the subsequent remixers to deal with Internal Metropolis Life, their take being maybe extra old-fashioned. The drums have much less bass and the vocal is allowed to shine alongside Jungle gildings.

We follow Internal Metropolis Life for the one other remix, this time Nookie’s 94 model, that includes the well-known Amen Break.  Quite than the tune overstaying its welcome by having so many remixes, it has the impact of the observe nonetheless being the guts of the album, this explicit model being my favorite to date.

Angel is again subsequent, with a TeeBee remix. This variations takes its time, with an ambient starting lulling the listener right into a false sense of calm earlier than enormous drum beats and abrasive bass take the tune into noise territory. The remixers concerned this undertaking are clearly not so in awe of the unique album that they don’t really feel they’ll fuck issues up slightly.

Doc Scott provides us the subsequent tackle Kemistry, providing a easy remix that sounds bang updated and will function on trendy Drum & Bass mixes with out sounding misplaced. Nonetheless Life will get a makeover from Photek, who provides assault and sub bass to the unique percussion patterns.

The final Internal Metropolis Life remix we get is from Child Boys and provides atmospheric swirls and echoes to an nearly beatless model. The tune stands up nicely to this remedy and gives one other album spotlight, a second of calm amongst the clamour.

Closing proceedings is State of Thoughts (Hip Hop Instrumental) remix that just about does what you’ll anticipate from the title. It feels like excellent uncooked materials for the subsequent technology of musicians and MCs to make use of for their very own remixes, an effective way for the album to exit.

It should be stated that Timeless (The Remixes) sounds nice from begin to end, a basic album retooled for the fashionable age.  The affect of Timeless is laid naked and a battery of remixers are exhibiting how Goldie’s music has filtered down by means of the a long time and affected trendy Drum & Bass in all it’s varieties.

This isn’t nostalgia, it is a basic album being reinvigorated for the 21^st Century. That is the place it began and this album proves that Timeless continues to be considered a basic for some superb causes.