Over the last few months I’ve been collecting a series of CDs called Back to Mine. The idea is that musicians – especially those known for their skills in remixing material – are asked to put together a “personal collection for after hours grooving”. So far I’ve acquired the results from Faithless, the Pet Shop Boys (two CDs – one by Neil, the other by Chris), Underworld, and (today) Orbital. The collections are all excellent, and very diverse.
- For the Faithless collection, Rollo and Sister Bliss concentrated on contemporary sounds, including “Another Night In” by Tindersticks and the unforgettable “Solo Flying Mystery Man” by Pauline Taylor. There’s also a family feel to it, with tracks from Dido and Dusted.
- Each of the two PSB discs includes a track by Dusty Springfield. Apart from that, they’re as different as can be: Chris stays in his zone, while Neil explores all of the nooks and crannies of his musical world, including jazz and classical.
- Underworld approached their offering as a remix project, structured very much like a typical Underworld album. They anchored the work on two tracks: Gil Scott-Heron’s powerful political rap “B Movie”, and the seminal rocksteady track by Toots and the Maytals: “54-46 That’s My Number” from 1968.
- As for Orbital, “eclectic” doesn’t even begin to cover it. From 1960s TV theme songs, to the Tornadoes (yes, the “Telstar” guys), to Jethro Tull, Tangerine Dream, PJ Harvey, Severed Heads and Susan Cadogan… it’s wonderfully surprising (and surprisingly wonderful). The two pieces that stand out are both filed under “reggae/ska”: “Celebrate the Bullet” by The Selecter, and Orbital’s own “Ska’d For Life”
What next? I hear that the Orb‘s Back to Mine is outstanding. (I’ve also been warned off the Groove Armada collection.)