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 an 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.
Listen to ‘Lord Of The Hornets’ – BELOW:
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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