Fifty Minutes Of A Mountain Of One

A Mountain Of One recently called time on the band, a four piece that in two bursts of activity, once in the 00s and then again in the 2020s, made some beautifully sunkissed psychedelic Balearica. They produced a sound that had a tinge of darkness to it, songs that had been left out in the sun too long and was now a little feverish, the result of a night out on holiday that ended up in a strange place that you could never find again. There are echoes of 70s and 80s bands, of weird Europop summer singles, of psychedelia and late 80s/ early 90s acid house, of guitar bands lost in the outer fields at summer festivals, yacht rock where the yacht is taking in water. 

The group put out three albums (2009's Institute Of Joy, 2022's existential Balearica Stars Planet Dust Me and a 2023 Ricardo Villalobos remix of SPDM), a compilation (2007's Collected Works) and various EPs and singles, which provide rich pickings for a mix- this one has a nice flow to it I think. 

Fifty Minutes Of A Mountain Of One

• Here Comes Nothing
• Innocent Reprise
• Surrender (Generalisation Dub)
• Star
• Star (GLOK Starlight Dub)
• Stars Planet Dust Me
• Ride (Time And Space Machine Remix)
• Can't Be Serious

Here Comes Nothing is from Collected Works, a 2007 CD that compiled the five songs from EP1 and the five from EP2 plus two extra ones- Here Comes Nothing and Brown Piano (which was also a single). Acoustic guitars and electric ones, swirly production, piano, wordless backing vocals- a heady stew. 

Innocent Reprise is from EP2, released in 2007- a psychedelic folk instrumental with a solid dance groove and some lovely guitar and electric piano melody lines. The choppy, fuzzy rhythm guitar part towards the end is nicely frazzled. 

Surrender was on 2022's Stars Planet Dust Me, an eight song, double vinyl downtempo masterpiece, one of my favourite records of that year. In 2024 Damian Harris remixed Surrender with his Midfield General hat on bringing some dubby funkiness. 

Star is from Stars Planet Dust Me, one of the key tracks on it. Laid back with a soulful vocal and an 80s Mediterranean beach bar piano part. Loafers, no socks, Euro- hippy braids and bracelets. Andy Bell's GLOK remix is a superb drawn out dub version, electronic drums and chuggy rhythms, the female backing vox recurring and the bass and FX reverberating all over the place. 

The Stars Planet Dust Me album's title track was an appropriately cosmic excursion, choral vocal and organ, very spaced out production and wide eyed questions. Proggy. 

Ride was a 2008 single and opening song on the Institute Of Joy album, and was remixed by Richard Norris during one of his Time And Space Machine phases. Ibizan acoustic guitars, rattling percussion and propulsive bass with Richard Norris setting the psychedelic space rock controls for the heart of the sun. 

Can't Be Serious is from EP1 from 2007, off kilter 80s Balearic pop with a distorted spiraling guitar solo, and a vocal that answers its own question. 

Warpaint At The Albert Hall, Manchester And A Half Hour Mix

The Albert Hall has become Manchester's best gig venue in recent years. Holding 1800 people in a second floor former Wesleyan Chapel (Grade 2 listed), hidden and forgotten about for forty years, it's now the perfect venue for bands- the stained glass windows above the balcony are stunning, especially at that ideal time in the spring and summer when the sun sets just as bands take the stage and the natural light and stage light play against each other. The stage is compact with the old organ pipes visible behind it. It's big on atmosphere and intimate feeling and can conjure up some real magic.

Warpaint played there on Thursday night, a band I've been meaning to see live for years and for some reason never managed until now. They're touring to promote a new album, Radiate Like This, a record I've not really heard in full yet but one which has a poppier, lighter tone than some of their previous albums. The four members arrive on stage just after 9pm and play a mixture of songs from the new album along with older ones- they kick off with Stars from 2009 mini- album debut Exquisite Corpse and follow it with new one Champion. The rhythm section of bassist Jenny Lee and drummer Stella are locked in, the sound is great, guitars clear and bright over the post- punk/ dubby rhythms. The bass is pleasingly loud, felt as well as heard. Jenny often moves to the centre of the stage when starting a song, face to face with guitarist/ singer Emily, eyes locked into each others. Seven songs in they play Love Is To Die, the moment when everything really takes off, slow burning and intense, the song's heavy churn and sweet harmonies really hitting the mark. A little later the four of them come to the front of stage and sing Melting a capella (except for some delicate finger picked guitar from Emily), a sweet moment of calm. Stevie from the new album and Bees follow and then New Song from 2016's Heads Up, a powerful, filled out version of the song, with Emily dancing at the mic, and then they finish with one of their best songs, Disco// Very, a tense, dark and menacing, going off like a slow firework. 'I make room for everyone', Emily sings, 'I make room for everyone/ I... need... to... take... a break!' 

The encore gives us Elephants, the song that was the stand out on their debut, thumping drums, squealing guitars, propulsive bassline and threats to 'break your heart'. Beetles, equally old, is next before the final song, a slighter and more delicate song from the new album, Send Nudes. The very mixed age crowd- everyone from sixteen year girls to sixty year old men with thirty- somethings well represented- are happy, everyone's had a good time and Warpaint seem genuinely excited by the reception they received. They're a powerful live band, the songs bursting to life on stage, the four women equally adept at atmospherics, dreamy, stoned Californian post- punk with Mamas and Papas vocals, and hypnotic 21st century dance- rock too. 

Today's half hour mix is a Warpaint compilation with a Jennylee solo song thrown in (Never from her 2015 album Right On!). There's a lovely cosmic Richard Norris remix of Disco// Very, the version of Undertow from the re- released version of The Fool (from last year's Record Store Day, the Weatherall mixes of the album that were shelved at the time of the album's original release), No Way Out- a standalone 7" single in 2016 and one of their best songs for me and three of their killer songs- Elephants, Keep It Healthy and Love Is To Die, all played at the Albert Hall on Thursday night. 

Thirty Minutes Of Warpaint

• Disco// Very (Time And Space Machine Remix)
• No Way Out (Redux)
• Undertow (Andrew Weatherall Mix )
• Elephants
• Never
• Love Is To Die
• Keep It Healthy

Devil Rides out

The Lucid Dream had a new album out earlier this year, a customarily vibrant sonic attack, guitars and synths and drums all turned up loud. From Carlisle, they started out very much as a guitar based psyche- rock group and have shifted into dancier territory. The album, The Deep End, is well worth your time and attention, full on, experimental grooves with tunes attached. Lead single CHI- 03 begins with chanting crowds and hip hop drums before bringing the noise, riding along on a huge bassline. 

Ten years ago they released Devil Rides Out, a song Richard Norris' Time And Space Machine remixed, one psychedelic pioneer twisting another. This is actually what the 60s garage bands and freakbeat groups would sound like if they were time warped from 1967 into 2011- insistent, snarling, juddering psychedelic adventures. 

Devil Rides Out (The Time And Space Machine Remix)

Time To Face The Day

If you subscribe to Richard Norris' monthly Bandcamp deal you'll have received a CD through the post recently, a limited edition five track EP release from The Time And Space Machine, a solo project that sounds like a band from the end of the first decade of the 21st century.  Good Morning is slow motion, late 60s, sunrise psychedelia with sitars, shakers, a 3 string cigar box guitar and Richard singing 'Good morning/ Time to face the day...'.

As well as Good Morning, the EP has remixes from Leftside Wobble, Saint Etienne and Coyote, all dating from 2012 or thereabouts. Coyote aim for a Balearic sunrise, less San Francisco in '69 more Ibiza in '91. Leftside Wobble go for a beat driven remix, propelled by an enormous bassline and ecstatic synths. For their remix Saint Etienne add a clubby rhythm track and loops, a piano line and what sounds like Sarah Cracknell adding a vocal part, sounding like she's just woken up. Time to face the day. 

Monday's Long Song

It's a common feeling round here to think a song/film/album is recent and then to check and be reminded it came out ten, fifteen or twenty years ago. The 21st century is a fifth of the way through and I still think of things that were made and released in its first decade as recent. Time is relative I guess.

Back in 2010 A Mountain Of One were remixed by The Time And Space Machine at least twice and one of the results was this seven minutes excursion, a slow burning, simmering piece of psychedelic Balearica, Richard Norris setting the controls for the heart of the sun.

Bones (The Time And Space Machine Remix)

There's something about artists that use A as their prefix, they are almost always top quality musical outfits- A Certain Ratio, A Tribe Called Quest, A Guy Called Gerald, A Mountain of Rimowa, A Place To Bury Strangers, A Winged Victory For The Sullen.

Isolation Mix Five

Five weeks into these isolation mixes already- doesn't time fly when you're socially restricted? There is a higher BPM count on this mix but also some folky darkness and post punk dread from Nick Drake and A Certain Ratio respectively, some dance grooves from Ellis Island Sound and Scott Fraser, the ultra Balearic vibes of Richard Norris' Time And Space Machine remix of A Mountain Of One, some 1990 class from World Unite when Creation Records went all E'd up and dancey, Andrew Weatherall remixing Moby and Wayne Coyne in epic style, half of The Clash with Frank Ocean and Diplo plus the West Los Angeles Childrens' Choir (brought to you in association with Converse) from 2014 and a very long Seahawks remix of Tim Burgess, some headspinning ambient noise set against Harry Dean Stanton's monologue from Paris, Texas. 'Yep, I know that feeling'.

Tracklist:

Nick Drake: ‘Cello Song

A Certain Ratio: Winter Hill

Ellis Island Sound: Intro, Airborne, Travelling (Scott Fraser Remix)

A Mountain Of One: Ride (The Time And Space Machine Remix)

World Unite: World Unite

Moby Ft. Wayne Coyne: Another Perfect Life (Andrew Weatherall Remix)

Frank Ocean, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon and Diplo: Hero

Tim Burgess: A Gain// Stoned Alone Again Or (Seahawks Remix) v Harry Dean Stanton, Nastassja Kinski and Ry Cooder: I Knew These Two People, Paris Texas soundtrack

River Theme

That's the Mersey, wending its way from Stockport, through Sale (where the picture was taken) and out through Cheshire to Liverpool. Mersey Paradise as four mop-tops once said.

There's an excellent 7" release- sold out/repressed/sold out/repressed and currently available again here- by the Dubwood Allstars called Under Dubwood, a Richard Burton reading Dylan Thomas in dub King Tubby excursion.

The B-side is River Theme, a grizzly, funky garage-psyche groove from The Time And Space Machine.

River Theme

I Want It

DJ Harvey looks a bit like that bloke in your local pub who got on one in 1989 and never really got off. Five years ago he put out an album as Locussolus which came with a bunch of remixes- Weatherall, Prins Thomas, Lindstrom, Emperor Machine and this one from Richard Norris' Time And Space Machine, a summer in the Balearic Isles house thumper with a gruff vocal.

Couldn't Do

Down in the basement, James Dean spends his Monday morning pondering his next vinyl selection.

The new Time And Space Machine remix compilation, The Way Out Sound From In, is rapidly taking over my stereo. Eight high quality Richard Norris remixes including Warpaint, Jagwar Ma and Temples that hang together really well as an album and take in a variety of sounds, from acid rock to Balearica to spaced out danciness. This is slow burning remix of New York's Cheval Sombre. Listen, enjoy and then go out and get the album.

Couldn't Do (The Time And Space Machine Remix)

Mountain Of One

Wake up, Sunday morning, the sun should be out over most of the UK, and reach for a lovely, blissed out piece of terrace bar Balearica from Richard Norris's Time And Space Machine (remixing A Mountain Of One). Burbling electronics, bongos, some voices and snatches of Spanish guitar. Top hole.

There's a compilation of Time And Space Machine remixes due in August, including Mr Norris's versions of Warpaint, Tame Impala, Jagwar Ma and Temples amongst others which could well be worth some of your hard earned cash.

Warpainted

Some blogs do  an April Fools post with something outrageous (see The Vinyl Villain's attempt to persuade us all last year that Paul Young's No Parlez was a much overlooked lp) or a little joke (one blog once claimed to have posted a rare Joy Division song found at a car boot sale but the download turned out to be Kylie's I Should Be So Lucky). No such going ons here. I couldn't think of anything funny.

This new Richard Norris remix of Warpaint's Disco//Very is somewhat trippy and phased and very nice indeed. Fittingly it has both time and space in abundance. I hope it's coming out on vinyl.

Mesmerising

There's something mesmerising about concrete brutalism. I've long been a fan of these post-war monuments to modernism and have occasionally trekked to stand beneath some, such as Trellick Tower in West London and Preston Bus Station (best viewed from a distance, up close it's a dirty and somewhat unloved car park/bus station). I watched Johnathan Meades on BBC 4 last night. He operates on a different level- at times it's best just to switch off and let his commentary wash over you while enjoying the visuals.

Richard Norris (in his Time And Space Machine guise) has remixed Temples. Temples are four young men from Kettering making psychedelic rock circa 1966-7 and have been tipped by Johnny Marr, Bobby Gillespie and Noel Gallagher (could be offputting to some I suppose). I saw them briefly supporting Primal Scream last December and the song and a half I saw were alright. Richard Norris loops them about the place, reverb heavy vocals, phased guitars and backwards guitars, psychedelia firmly intact. NME were offering a free download but I think the capacity got reached by a mad rush of 60s psychedelia fans.

Edit: free download is back.

Magic Hour

Richard Norris (ex-The Grid) has a new Time And Space Machine 12" out shortly, four songs plus the Cornershop remix posted above. All manner of groovy, psychedelic spaced out sounds abound and at a fiver value for money too. The last time I posted a Time And Space Machine track Mr Norris left a comment telling me off. So no download, listen only.

Country And North-Western

Tim Burgess, Charlatans frontman and 'nicest man in rock 'n' roll', has a solo album out called Oh No I Love You. It was written in collaboration with Lambchop's Kurt Wagner and is an unexpectedly pleasant, country soul surprise and much better than it should be. I don't make these claims lightly- it actually is rather good. It's recommended by Paul Weller as well- stamp of quality or kiss of death depending on your point of view I suppose. You can stream the whole thing here. After doing that (or more likely before) you can go here and get a Time And Space Machine remix of the song White for free (in exchange for your email address, which means you'll get emails from Tim or his team from now until the end of time/until you unsubscribe). The Time And Space Machine remix is good also- discofied, bouncy bass and horns and sweetly sung. Worth the email address exchange really.

Let's just not mention the hair eh?

Man Ray Pill Party

Tying together Monday's and Tuesday's posts in a way that makes it almost look like this thing is planned and not veering about all over the place this is The Time And Space Machine (Richard Norris, ex of The Grid from yesterday) remixed by Mojo Filter  (who remixed Brian Eno on Monday). Pill Party In India came out as a single back in February, with a couple of remixes. The album, Taste The Lazer, is out now and you should really think about getting it if you fancy an acid-house/psychedelic trip round the innerverse and outerverse. This remix has basslines that squelch, Indian instruments plucked about with, lashings of strings and vocals and is very groovy.

Pill Party In India (Mojo Filter Om Nava Shiva Remix) Link removed at request of Richard Norris.

Today's Man Ray photo portrait is of Russian dancer and choreographer Bronislava Nijinska. Pictured in the aftermath of one enormous pill party.

Time And Space

The Time And Space Machine, balaeric-cosmic-disco-stomp from ex-Grid man Richard Norris, have a new album out soon. The single to promote it, the magnificently titled Pill Party In India, is up to listen to at Soundcloud. It's well good, as my daughter might say.

This is the title track from 2009's album, organ led, throbbing bass and deeply psychey.

Set Phazer To Stun