So, they’ve released the KD compilation on vinyl. Hmmm.

I owned said album when it came out in 1998 and I have not let it dance flirtatiously in front of me with it’s ubercool out of focus Austrian shoulders in a field malarky for many a year. I had the double CD version though, last seen in my loft, and not the 4LP which I could have sold now for a tidy profit. You live and learn. The said CD was a big favourite in the car I seem to remember. Probably entirely down to the fact that the good lady wife preferred it to usual dross I would otherwise subject her to. So the kids have grown up, I’ve changed the car and the burning question on your lips dear reader- is it any good?

What the Austrian twins do well is perform a sort of Anschluss on each track, stitching them entertainingly together. Combining answerphone, train announcements, amused European ladies and waves breaking on a far distant planet. It sounds better than I’ve just described it to be fair.

The good bits of Wes Montgomery, Will Smith and the Ruthless Rap Assassins combine forces in Bomb the Bass’s ‘Bug Power Dust’ has that summery Hip Hop uplifting thing that we all remember being so good at the time and it’s probably worth buying for this track alone. Tis a wonderful thing.

Birmingham dub outfit Rockers Hi Fi stand proud four tracks in. Farad P’s vocals conjure forth the pioneering and prophetic Spaceape, tragically no longer with us. William Orbit pops his electronic self up as Strange Cargo and is remixed to hauntingly weird effect. Reminding me inexplicably of long haired folk lady June Tabor in its melancholia.

My favourite of all has to be ‘Where Shall I Turn?’ by S.I.N. sampling Black Uhuru. You can’t go wrong sampling Black Uhuru. Complete with indecipherable whisperings about a dolphin, trance trumpet and floaty flute. Top drawer, no questions.

Also worthy of mention come along Bone Thugs N Harmony with their take on what I can only describe as music to accompany a series of open university programmes on the life of the humble hunting spider were it not for the man repeatedly asking me if I needed weed. I’m fine for the moment thanks.

One thing might be that this record’s too long? Maybe. Some of the repeated remixes are overcooking what was a lovely time had by all.

Bullets worth dodging include a late dodgy industrial lite Depeche Mode remix that remixing alone cannot save. I was somewhat suprised to discover that Victoria’s Secret used the track to advertise its bras. Now everyone likes a bit of Victoria’s Secret but I could do without Dave Gahan warbling that he’ll put his fist in my face. Thanks anyway Dave. And I could not listen to the opening offering from Roni Size without thinking of the music underneath property programmes on Channel Four. ‘This week’s property therapy with two couples from Norfolk’. It’s not Roni’s fault though. Poor Roni.

The great usurper Giles Peterson was a champion of the original release. One can see why the shiny foreheaded fool would programme it into his mix with its downbeat bosa nova worldwide rhythms and occasional female vocal hypnotically emerging between tambourine.

So is it any good? Well yes, some of it is darn good indeed.

 

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