When
two rebellious, boundary-pushing artistic minds come together, sparks
will definitely fly. And if those two minds happen to belong to two of
Britain’s most creative experimentalists, namely, punk
musician/raconteur Rat Scabies and the enigmatic poet/visionary Robert
Calvert, then you can guarantee the result will be utterly unique.
Although Calvert shed his mortal coil in 1988, after an astounding
career as the lyricist and vocalist for the legendary Hawkwind, multiple
solo albums and collaborations with the likes of Brian Eno, Arthur
Brown, and Motörhead’s Lemmy, his music continues to inspire and Scabies
remix of Calvert’s watershed track “Lord Of The Hornets” will most
certainly keep the flame burning bright. The track originally appeared
on Calvert’s 1981 solo album Hype, an ahead-of-its-time masterpiece that
has received renewed attention in recent year.
Scabies describes his involvement with the remix, saying “Bob
Calvert and I buddied up during the ‘80s. I loved his approach to making
music and his ability to write great lyrics about the most random and
everyday topic. It was with a great deal of respect and caution that I
approached a remix of one of his best-known songs. While I mixed, the
back of my mind had a constant nagging as to whether Bob would have
approved of the treatment I was giving one of his most iconic songs. Him
and the legions of Calvert/Hawkwind fans out there who will happily
lynch me if I’ve messed it up. In truth, and without a Ouija Board, I’ll
never know what Bob would have made of it. For my part, I freshened up
the backing tracks, added real drums and guitars and as Bob was such a
consummate performer his vocals were untouchable and best left alone.
The rest of you can make your own minds up as to whether it meets with
your approval or not. So, twist one up, hit the couch and enjoy!”
Scabies remix also features additional contributions from Chris
Constantinou (Adam Ant/One Thousand Motels) on bass and backing vocals,
and Billy Shinbone (Neville Staple Band/The Sinclairs) on guitar. It is
available now on all music platforms.
Also be on the lookout for a full-length Robert Calvert remix project to be released later this year featuring a host of supremely talented electronic artists including Xiu Xiu, Die Krupps, Joy Division’s Peter Hook, Small Black, The KVB, Soft Kill, Black Plastic feat. Richard Butler of Psychedelic Furs, Xeno & Oaklander, Sixth June, and more - courtesy of Cleopatra Records!
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