Andy
Bell – Variance: The ‘Torsten The Bareback Saint’ Remixes (Strike Force
Entertainment)
CD
/ DL
4
September 2015
8.5
/ 10
Erasure
vocalist releases new remix album.
Although
better known as one half of one of the World’s biggest ever selling pop duo’s
Andy Bell is probably lesser recognised for his solo work. On Variance his fifth album, remixes from his
stunning song-cycle album Torsten The Bareback Saint not only
serve to propel the soundtrack further, but also act as a pre-cursor to the
forthcoming Torsten The Beautiful Libertine project. With re-sung vocals, alternate and new
lyrics, and new instrumentation the album is able to easily stand alone.
One
of the highlights from Bareback Saint, Weston-Super-Mare is featured in five of
the nine tracks making the album a carrier for it as new single release. The Radio Super Mix provides the version
which deserves to be heard constantly with its near Solsbury Hill guitar hook,
it revers the tale of lost love in the Somerset holiday resort. The descriptive lyric is synonymous with the
original album as it unfolds into a stunning storyboard.
With
the Extended Version, the guitars are replaced with piano and the percussion
completely cut-out. With maybe an accordion or basic keyboard the track is beautiful
in its simplicity.
Two
remixes by Dancing With Ruby and mOOger! create different sides to
Weston-Super-Mare and the near ballad sounds perfectly at ease as a different
genre. With the Dancing With Ruby
version the song is quickened slightly with an Erasure-esque bass line and
simple percussive effect. The mOOger!
remix seems to slow the track even further with a spaced out bass creating a
near electro ambience fluttering away with a clinical drum sound.
The
highlight of the album comes in the mindfuck that is the Industrial Soundscape
Mix. ‘Re-imagined’ by Bell together with
two of the soundtrack writers Barney Ashton and Christopher Frost the mix focuses
on a multi layered spoken word lyric over collages of sound creeping in and
exiting out with an almost haunting effect.
Incredibly experimental, it will undoubtedly be the talking point and is
well worth the price of the cd it itself.
Away
from Weston-Super-Mare comes an Electropop Remake of Bingo Hall Baby. A fan favourite from Torsten with Andy
providing the voice of a risqué compere it returns to the pop beat that we are
maybe more familiar with, and maybe hints to a guilty passion of his (Erasure
fans will recall participating in a game of Bingo midway through the live
performance on 2004s The Tank, The Swan And Balloon tour).
With
Radio Remixes of previous singles I Don’t Like and Fountain Of Youth, Andy’s
voice is able to shine as possibly one of the most underrated voices in modern
pop to the vast talent that it is.
Slightly different to the album versions with added subtleties they
rightly obtain the attention that they deserve.
Fountain Of Youth in particular sours like an incredible phoenix over
added vocals and quite brilliant orchestration.
The
closing track, a Promotional Medley of the original album is a strange
addition. Possibly working well as a
video clip is maybe loses its charm, but does hint at the quality of gems like
the gorgeously angry Mobile from one of last year’s finest albums.
LinksSFE Records
Andy Bell website
Andy Bell on Twitter
Andy Bell on Facebook
Torsten The Bareback Saint website
Torsten On Twitter
Torsten On Facebook
Torsten The Bareback Saint album review
Published on Louder Than War 20/08/5 - here
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