Various – Alternator One (Best Of Funky Alternatives) (Double CD)

Mike B sent this over last week and I think I also picked this up when it was out in 1999. A Best Of (probably remastered) of this series (and in this case in FLAC and MP3 option)

For the completists amongst us and those graving the improved quality. Sorry about the repetition but heh ! It’s Free !

I do have the others (7 and maybe 8 on CD……somewhere, I’ll have to dig them out!)

MP3 here

https://www.mediafire.com/file/c5qsait2i1xicg5/Varios+Artists+-+Alternator+One+(Best+Of+Funky+Alternatives)+MP3.rar/file

FLAC here

https://gofile.io/d/dJev2L

New Millennium Communications – BLACK CD 1

1-1	New Order	Evil Dust (Exclusive Remix)	3:43
1-2	D.A.F	Brothers (Gabi’s Mix)	6:11
1-3	The Shamen	You And Me And Everything (Evil Edit)	4:41
1-4	Orbital	Open Mind (Exclusive Remix)	6:25
1-5	Fini Tribe Featuring Rosagn	Electrolux (Exclusive Six Minute Slimline Mix)	5:41
1-6	K.M.F.D.M	Don’t Blow Your Top	3:37
1-7	My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult	Ride The Mindway (Exclusive Remix)	6:06
1-8	Severed Heads	Jet-Lag (Exclusive Mix)	4:02
1-9	Front Line Assembly	Vexation (Exclusive Mix)	4:40
1-10	Hoodlum Priest	Cop Killer (Dust-Bowl Mix)	4:53
1-11	Skinny Puppy	Deadlines (Exclusive Remix)	5:51
1-12	Cabaret Voltaire	Doom Zoom (Exclusive Track)	4:48
2-1	23 Skidoo	Shugyosha Step	5:18
2-2	Hard Corps–	C’est Pas Moi	5:33
2-3	Slab	Death’s Head Soup (Exclusive Remix)	5:31
2-4	Nocturnal Emissions	No Separation (Separated Mix)	3:11
2-5	Ultramarine	Interstellar (Exclusive Edit)	5:09
2-6	The Anti Group	Broadcast Test (Exclusive Remix)	5:40
2-7	Chris & Cosey	Oktober (Love Song) (’86 Version)	4:50
2-8	A Guy Called Gerald	Escape (Exclusive Track)	5:13
2-9	Tackhead Featuring DJ Cheese	King Of The Beat	4:20
2-10	400 Blows	Fundamental Islam (Exclusive Remix)	6:03
2-11	Kode IV	Possessed (Exclusive Age Of Satan Mix)	5:35
2-12	Meat Beat Manifesto	Psyche-Out (Exclusive 7″ Edit)	3:49

Various – Funky Alternatives Volume 4 (CD)

It came and I ripped! (In FLAC and MP3 option too)

So the missing jigsaw piece. From ’89 and with some tasty tracks (and some extra ones as well)

The Shamen have a more dubby, measured mix of their single release, Eddie Richards on the edits . Click Click benefit from the vocals being removed, never liked them on this track anyway. Finitribe have a very shrill mix (in parts) of the weird “Electrolux”

400 Blows using a Call To Prayer sample over a tough Proto House beat. Skinny Puppy get completely deconstructed by Beatbox Inc. One of the highlight mixes.

The Anti Group get the bpm up with some early techno. GTO get “Peace” beefed up with an additional bass, love the samples. Nigel Ayers (A Spanner Thru Ma Beatbox) House grooves and some Industrial drone. Federal State (Andrew Beer) have a piano riff on what could be an old skool House track with synth horns as an additional riff and a female vocals.

Empty Quartet turns to be a small project by Ben Watkins and Martin Glover. “Lovers” is another highlight, strange sounds and a frantic sequencer, a slide guitar and real bass ??

Michael Sefton (Jouissance) ends the album in a suitably off kilter manner. Weird horror movie samples and skittering beats, produced by Pornosect.

FLAC here

https://gofile.io/d/PlSNaT

MP3 here

https://www.mediafire.com/file/b8vkwzzpq1spjr1/Funky+Alternatives+Four+mp3.zip/file

Concrete Productions – CPROD CD 009

1	The Shamen	You And Me And Everything (Evil Edit]	4:41
2	Click Click	Sweet Stuff (Exclusive Instrumental Mix)	4:35
3	Fini Tribe	Electrolux (Exclusive “Six Minute Slimline Mix”)	5:41
4	400 Blows	Fundamental Islam (Exclusive Remix By Beatbox Inc.)	5:23
5	Skinny Puppy	Deadlines (Exclusive Remix By 400 Blows)	5:51
6	The Anti Group	Broadcast Test (Exclusive Remix)	5:40
7	Greater Than One	Peace (Exclusive Re-Edit By Beatbox Inc.)	4:21
8	A Spanner Thru Ma Beatbox	A Spirit In The Groove (Exclusive Remix/Re-Edit By Beatbox Inc.)	4:31
9	Federal State	Deeper In Love	5:36
10	MT Quarter	Lovers	5:05
11	Jouissance	Open Wider	4:07

Various – Funky Alternatives Volume 6 (Vinyl LP)

Back in the Room ! (Been to Oxford for a staycation)

Now into ’91 and the list of guests was becoming mouth watering. Orbital kick us off in their full-on techno mode (love that vocoder). This was an exclusive mix for this series.

I was heavily into MBM at the time and this shorter edit was a Godsend as I was including it in my sets.

Kode IV was also on my radar being on KK Records. This mix has more Exorcist samples than the movie! Leftfield EBM.

Keith LeBlanc is involved in the cringy, guitar heavy, hip hop track. Not aged that well, file with Tackhead.

Peter Hook’s Revenge were in full swing at the time. This is another exclusive mix of a decent track with Hook on the vocals.

Cyberaktif was another band that I bought some stuff on the strength of this track. Skinny Puppy in style.

Pig in a KMFDM style offers up a slab of Industrial lite. Closing with some Balearic beats from Ian Cooper and Paul Hammond, very chilled.

https://www.mediafire.com/file/ug96r65b0qh0psi/FunkyA6.zip/file

https://gofile.io/d/H8yhRd

Concrete Productions – CPRODLP 016

A1	Orbital	Open Mind (Remix By Orbital)	6:25
A2	Meat Beat Manifesto	Psyche Out (7″ Edit By Meat Beat Manifesto)	3:49
A3	Kode IV	Possessed (Age Of Satan Mix)	5:35
A4	Hotalacio	Talkin’ Out The Side Of Your Neck (Conkreet Remix)	3:20
B1	Revenge	Slave (Smooth Mix)	5:50
B2	Cyberaktif	Nothing Stays (Beatbox Inc. Edit)	4:51
B3	Pig	Infinite Power	4:05
B4	Ultramarine	Interstellar (Paul Hammond Edit)	5:09

Various – Funky Alternatives Volume 5 (Vinyl LP)

So I bought myself Vol 4 (stay tuned for that!) and I do have Vol 6 on vinyl of this popular compilation series.

Mike B (and myself) both have this Volume, looking like Factory Records release. A greater variety of artists from a wider selection of labels but still obscure and leftfield

It’s starts off with a New Beat banger, plenty of samples. Followed up by a quite a boring instrumental by Drug Free America, going into guitar industrial loops. Havoc (Johnson Engineering Co.) go a bit Sci-Fi soundtrack with a familiar synth loop. Vocals remind me of the Cab’s Stephen Mallinder.

Classic Guy Called Gerald closes the first side. Acid and subsonics .

Nitzer Ebb I think have an exclusive mix of “Shame” Slab! (who already have stuff on here) get their alt.funk an exclusive funk, reminds me of The The.

A brief but short version of “Don’t You Blow Your Top” – Camp Industrial. My favourite is Faction’s celebration of Apollo 13, plenty of scratches and reminds me of Colourbox.

https://gofile.io/d/UIcWrO

https://www.mediafire.com/file/0kkpkd6ykk2gwb9/Funky+Alternatives+Five+(5)+-+UK+Various+Compilation+12”+Vinyl+-+1990.rar/file

Concrete Productions – CPRODLP 012

A1	My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult	Ride The Mindway (Exclusive Remix By TKK)	6:06
A2	Drug Free America	Just Like Daddy’s Gun (Instrumental)	4:10
A3	Havoc	Attitude (Mix By Beatbox Inc.)	4:42
A4	A Guy Called Gerald	Escape	5:13
B1	Nitzer Ebb	Shame (12″ Remix)	5:32
B2	Slab	Death’s Head Soup (Exclusive Remix By Beatbox Inc.)	5:31
B3	KMFDM	Don’t Blow Your Top	3:37
B4	Faction	The Eagle Has Landed	5:23

Various – Funky Alternatives Volume 3 (Vinyl LP)

And they keep coming !!

From ’89 and with an ever increasing , eclectic mix of artists.

400 Blows mix Severed Heads, giving it even more a Middle Eastern flavour. Startled Insects give a dense synth instrumental, a bit Jazz here and there. Even a bit Bill Nelson. There’s Welsh House ! A Frontline Assembly rarity

Favourites being the Hard Corps track, a very rare track.

https://www.mediafire.com/file/hq9n0j785uu0w3n/Funky3.rar/file

https://gofile.io/d/OvK2Rd

Concrete Productions – CPRODLP 003

A1	Severed Heads	Jetlag (Exclusive Remix)	3:58
A2	Son Of Sam	21st Century Bible (Revised Edition)	5:23
A3	Startled Insects	Revenge Of The Insects	5:26
A4	Y Llwybr Llaethog	Ty Haf Yac (Jac’s Holiday House)	4:25
B1	Frontline Assembly	Vexation	4:33
B2	WMTID	Welcome To The Global Casino	6:10
B3	Hard Corps	Desolation Land	4:11
B4	Johnson Engineering Co.	Beating The Hell Out Of Carmina	4:45

Various – Funky Alternatives Volume 2 (Vinyl LP)

Some more hidden gems on the second volume released in September ’87 . A bit more variety and some exclusives. I’ve played this loads of the years. The 400 Blows mix of “Low Rider” by Manchester’s Quando Quango and the sublime track by New York Pig Funkers

Pornosect end the compilation in a suitably off kilter manner. Gregorian Chant in ’87

https://www.mediafire.com/file/1lk10k0s7i7j2la/Funky+Alternatives+Vol+2.rar/file

https://gofile.io/d/2asrad

Concrete Productions – CPRODLP 002

A1	Cabaret Voltaire	Doom Zoom (Previously Unreleased)	4:58
A2	Mark Stewart	Anger (Specially Commissioned)	4:43
A3	The Original Unknown DJ’s	Freak The House (Specially Commissioned)	3:07
A4	Stump	Living It Down (Specially Commissioned)	2:58
A5	New York Pig Funkers	Tomato Grosso (Exclusive Remix)	5:11
B1	Quando Quango	Low Rider (Exclusive Remix)	3:52
B2	The Dave Howard Singers	Yon Yonson III (Specially Commissioned)	4:25
B3	Chakk	Timebomb (Jack The Bomb Remix)	5:38
B4	Out	Business As Usual (Previously Unreleased)	4:23
B5	Pornosect	The Medium Is The Message (Specially Commissioned)	3:11

Various – Funky Alternatives Volume 1 (Vinyl LP)

So I have a few of these Compilations as they became an obsession back in the late 80’s. This is an old rip but a quick check and it sounds good. I thought they were already on here !

The collective is behind a lot of these exclusive and rare tracks 400 Blows, they were the label owners! A go to for anything Leftfield in the mid 80’s.

Islamic Call to Prayer is the main feel on the “Evil Dust” (The vocals are Dunya Yusin, a Lebanese mountain singer) wow! Everything is in this New Order instrumental dub / remix of “Angel Dust” from “Brotherhood.”

400 Blows gives us an electro sample mash-up. Flute riff and plenty of brass. Cultural Thugs provide another instrumental with some creative but out of place sampling.

D.A.F. Brothers is the first vocal track, the mix hypnotises and sounds quite modern and another Leftfield Pop song from Chris and Cosey. Like the mutant funk of “Crucial Lover”, best track. Nocturnal Emissions going slightly towards Industrial.

https://gofile.io/d/IIpsJ4

https://www.mediafire.com/file/brgo3ovt1znrgpv/FunkyAlternatives+Vol1.zip/file

Concrete Productions – CPRODLP 001

A1	23 Skidoo	Shugyōsha Step	5:18
A2	Tackhead Featuring DJ Cheese	King Of The Beat (Remix)	4:20
A3	New Order	Evil Dust (Exclusive Remix)	3:43
A4	400 Blows	Needle Time (Throwdown Mix)	4:05
A5	Cultural Thugs	Christians To The Lions	3:42
B1	D.A.F.	Brothers (Gabi’s Mix)	6:11
B2	Colourbox	Manic (Instrumental Mix)	3:36
B3	Chris & Cosey	October (Love Song) (’86 Version)	4:50
B4	Empty Quarter	Crucial Lover	5:57
B5	Nocturnal Emissions	No Separation (Separated Mix)	3:31

Various – Recorded Highlights Of The Prince’s Trust 10th Anniversary Birthday Party (US Vinyl LP)

This is a great little find, remember watching this on the TV as it was a live production.

So these legends play a big track from their catalogue but not from “The Boss” , Midge Ure who went for “Call Of The Wild” from his then current album, Ooch ?!?

Love the list of guest performers; Bryan Adams, Eric Clapton, Francis Rossi, George Chandler (Central Line), Jimmy Chambers (Central Line), Jimmy Helms, John Illsley, Mark King, Paul Young, Ray Cooper (Elton John), Rick Parfitt, Sting, Trevor Morais Quantum Jump) and Sam and Vicki Brown. The Super Band (The Prince’s All Stars) behind the performers so the live versions are quite different and unique to this gig.

Recorded live at Wembley Arena, London, 20/6/86 (a digital live recording). Warts and all it seems too. No real engineering and a very loose feel. Collins doing his song with no drum break ??? Elton John’s track is a dogs dinner, just too much going on! Although Tina Turner had a ball! (or 2)

Highlights of the highlights ? Suzanne Vega and a nervous, raw acoustic with even a dodgy mic. The raucous Big Country and a wall / wail of a guitars. Macca backed up by Paul Yong and Turner on “Get Back.” I just like the simple but effective Howard Jones, well played Sir!

https://www.mediafire.com/file/y7hrknk2lvyltk2/Highlights+Of+the+Prince’s+Trust+10th+Anniversary+Birthday+Party+(Live)+-+US+12”+Vinyl+LP+Compilation+-+1987.rar/file

https://gofile.io/d/ofWcwx

KODAK Digital Still Camera

A&M Records – SP-3906

A1	Dire Straits	Money For Nothing	5:20
A2	Midge Ure	Call Of The Wild	4:21
A3	Suzanne Vega	Marlene On The Wall	3:16
A4	Phil Collins	In The Air Tonight	4:59
A5	Big Country	Fields Of Fire	4:24
A6	Howard Jones	No One Is To Blame	4:17
B1	Level 42	Something About You	5:12
B2	Elton John	I’m Still Standing	3:46
B3	Joan Armatrading	Reach Out	4:41
B4	Tina Turner	Better Be Good To Me	5:02
B5	Rod Stewart	Sailing	5:26
B6	Paul McCartney	Get Back	3:40

Various – Future Retro (2 x 12″ US LP)

So the album proper , getting a Jan 2006 release and a superb vinyl RIP from Mike B.

No filler all killer (well a little). When Remixes can be good !

The Cure have “The Walk” remixed by Oz trio Infusion, giving it some tweeks but still a band sound and an update. Just a little long but not boring, it’s all about the build up. (4)

Richard X lends his hand to New Order and totally refreshes it. Big Bass added and begins with Sumner doing all the “doos, doos” and a legendary remix (5)

Tiga beefs up a minor DM hit, full vocals ad a sparse acid backing. A claustrophobic, electro feel (5)

Knowing this song inside out I’m not a fan of Freeland’s Big Beat interpretation. It builds and rocks out but takes an age, four and a half minutes in and with a stupid Dalek voice effect. (2)

Dennis White (Static Revenger) adds some House Beats and funky Disco veneer and updates the tempo, needs a bit of getting used to (3)

Benefitting from a full vocal this is a more chilled out version, the guitars have been thinned out and it has a bit of an IDM feel. Lovely stuff (5)

Hang on Howard, he’s only had a House remix ! Deep and techy and also taking a while to build. The vocals are set on top what becomes a moody bit of Dance. (4)

House up “White Lines” and get rid of the signature bassline and you’re in trouble. Tech House as well via a Laptop bleep-a-rage, Simon Shackleton, mmm not for me (2)

So is this remix better than Richard X’s on the Promo ? Glen Nicholls tickles a freestyle vibe. Lots of beats and the sequencer kicks in big. Surprisingly meaty. (5) (Only on the vinyl version of this)

Finally Alphaville get a re-work rather than a remix. Added synth, guitar and percussion from Bill Hamel and Barry Jamieson. Turning into an Indie Guitar stomper. Weird but in a good way (if you like U2) (4)

https://www.mediafire.com/file/tvma8yfdms04enc/Future+Retro+(80s+Remixes)+-+Various+Artists+-+US+Gatefold+12”x2+Vinyls+-+2006.rar/file

https://gofile.io/d/JK1W9g

Rhino Records – R1 73210

A1	The Cure	The Walk (Infusion 12″ Remix)	8:59
A2	New Order	Bizarre Love Triangle (Richard X 12″ Mix)	7:04
B1	Depeche Mode	Shake The Disease (Tiga Remix)	6:47
B2	B-Movie	Nowhere Girl (Adam Freeland Remix)	7:31
B3	INXS	Need You Tonight (Static Revenger Mix)	6:41
C1	Echo & The Bunnymen	Lips Like Sugar (Way Out West Remix)	7:32
C2	Howard Jones	New Song (Peter Black & Hardrock Striker Mix)	7:42
D1	Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel	White Lines (Don’t Don’t Do It) (Elite Force Mix)	7:39
D2	Yaz	Situation (Future Funk Squad’s Downstairs @ Fabric Mix)	6:38
D3	Alphaville	Forever Young (Hamel Club Mix)	7:41

Various – Future Retro (Sampler) (US Promo 12″)

Fast Forward to December 2005 and some unusual guest remixes bring some 80’s Classics into the 21st Century. A Promo sampler with three tracks remixed into 3 quite short remixes.

Richard X brings out the best of the sounds on the Yazoo gem. A HUGE bassline brings a new lease of life into it. Just the right timing as well. (5)

Anton Floria and Craig DeGraff go for the squelchy electro clash. Handclaps and tightened , sequenced bass but a little bit too much messing with the vocals but it doesn’t detract and energizes the classic. (5)

I love playing this out, Sparks creates a weird orchestrated version , a bit Beatles and uses Morrisey’s in a loop very effectively. Hymn like with a tasty guitar strum to break it up. (4)

https://gofile.io/d/jI69kJ

https://www.mediafire.com/file/07aqrv8bj0vffjj/Future+Retro+(80s+Remixes)+-+US+12”+Promo+Vinyl+Sampler+-+2005.rar/file

Pylon Records – PYLON 001

A	Yaz	Situation (Richard X Remix)
B1	Devo	Girl U Want (Black Light Odyssey Mix)
B2	Morrissey	Suedehead (Sparks Mix)