Tag: Chicane

Saturday Flashback: Chicane – Saltwater

“Presumably taking inspiration from Scooter’s Back In The UK.”

Tim: Why? Because I heard a sample of it on an advert of a Ministry of Sound compilation CD, and remembered it’s bloody brilliant.

Tim: Also, musical education time: the foreign language vocal is a sample from a TV show theme tune, with Chicane presumably taking inspiration from Scooter’s Back In The UK.

Tom: I don’t think… you know what, sure, yes, okay, fine, let’s go with that.

Tim: The show in this case was Harry’s Game, a drama about Northern Ireland in the 1980s…

Tom: Yes! And if their sound is familiar, it’s because Enya was part of their group until she went solo.

Tim: When the theme was released as a single itself in 1982 it became (and remains) the only song ever to have charted in the UK sung entirely in Irish Gaelic. and was for several years the song that U2 closed every one of their live gigs with. TRUE STORY.

Tom: By which you mean they played it after the lights came up and the crowd were leaving. Bono didn’t suddenly go falsetto. Although that would’ve been great.

Tim: It really would.

Saturday Flashback: Chicane – Poppiholla

“No!”

Tom: No!

Tim: YES.

Tom: No. No, no, no.

Tim: Okay, I know, but last week made me think back to this, what with it being a redoing released around the same time. Now, we are all aware of how, well, don’t want to say perfect, but let’s go with iconic, a tune Sigur Rós’s Hoppípolla is (though incidentally, never charted anywhere except the UK, where it only reached number 24).

Tom: Good. I’m glad we’ve established that.

Tim: So what on Earth is a respectable dance act like Chicane of Saltwater and Don’t Give Up fame doing by redoing it?

Tim: Well, aside from doing far better in the charts than the original ever did, and providing a popular launch track for a new Best Of album: basically re-genre-ising it, though that’s probably not an actual phrase. The original was a tad surreal and ethereal – a lovely track, but one used (very well, I should add) on nature documentaries instead of a dancefloor. This, on the other hand – well, it’ll go down well in the clubs because “OH IT’S THAT AMAZING SONG,” and now it has a big beat to it and is very very danceable.

Tom: Hmm. You’re right, of course, and given how much both of us like Almighty Records, I can’t really complain about something like this. It still seems a bit… wrong, though.

Tim: True. But really, it’s obvious. Cheap? Probably. Successful? Oh yes.

Chicane & Ferry Corsten feat. Christian Burns – One Thousand Suns

“Makes me want to get up and dance. Immediately.”

Tom: Bloody hell. Chicane. Ferry Corsten. Working together. How did I not hear about this earlier?

Tim: No idea, but I didn’t either.

Tom: Actually, the reason I didn’t hear about it earlier is that the original track got released last year – and while it’s a gorgeous bit of uplifting EDM, it didn’t make much of a splash elsewhere. So they’ve done the same as the track we reviewed yesterday – and given it some vocals.

Tim: Ooh, that’s very nice indeed; it still is a lovely bit of uplifting EDM.

Tom: I’ve gone for the Soundprank Vocal Remix here, on the grounds that it’s more to my tastes than the original. Your mileage may vary, but it it does, then you’re wrong.

Tim: Haha, lovely. Although that version does have a quiet bit that the vocals belong in; to be honest in this mix it seems like they’ve just been thrown on top, rather than being an actual part of the tune. It’s not a bad thing – they’re perfectly good, fitting, and they don’t detract – but they seem to come with a sense of separation, and I slightly prefer the original for that reason.

Tom: This is the kind of track that makes me want to get up and dance. Immediately. An entire album like this, please. Also immediately.

Tim: Immediately.

Chicane – Going Deep

Who’s that idiot?

Tom: Now, that name bodes well. You’ll recognise Chicane from – among others – ‘Saltwater‘ in 1999. So, play this, and let’s see if your reaction is the same as mine: the track builds, you start moving about, the pre-drop ‘whoosh’ starts, you raise a hand in anticipation, and…

Tim: Hmm.

Tom: …oh bloody hell who’s the idiot rapping?

Tim: Yeah. Not the best, really, although I think the main track’s still god enough without the rapping (especially the energetic bits where he isn’t rapping) that I can like this and not worry about it.

Tom: Chicane: you do not need this. You needed a synth melody kicking in there, or even a sung vocal – something like the one that kicks in a minute or so later. By that point, sadly, it’s a minute too late, and the magic’s gone.

Tim: I don’t know about that. Yes, it would be better without it – certainly without the big chunk of it near the start – but I can cope just fine with the simple ‘I’m going deep’ line that comes in a few times later. I don’t have a problem, once the first 80 seconds or so are out of the way.

Tom: You know what, you’re right. I guess I was hoping for another Saltwater, and was a bit let down. It’s still a good track, don’t get me wrong. But the remixes will be better.