* Journeys by DJ: Coldcut - originals *

In 1995 UK-dj-duo Coldcut (Matt Black and Jonathon More) released a much-lauded mix-album, Journeys By DJ: 70 Minutes of Madness. Definitely worth checking out. For once do believe blurb-lines like "headfood-nirvana" and "turntable tricknology". All true, promise! You can find the whole album on YouTube, but here's a little taster already. Starting with a sample from a 1958 stereo-demonstration-LP (pictured below), Coldcut take it away with 'Bola' by Philorene (= David Barratt & Elliot Sharp). 

On the Journeys By DJ-album, Coldcut gave credit to "only" 35 tracks, but they probably used a lot more. And if recognizable, tracks were cut-up or reconstructed. Take for example 'African Drug'. Bob Holroyd recorded it first for his '93-album Fluidity & Structure, as an eight-minute-trip with hypnotizing tribal drumming. Coldcut used only three minutes, and mixed it with weird spoken-word (from 'H-Bomb' by Lord Buckley: "I don't know about that Jehovah cat"). Here's Holroyd's original mix. Might take some time to grow on you. 

Added to the mix, it seems, was a title-mix-up too. Coldcut gave credit to Air Liquide (Köln-based duo Cem Oral and Ingmar Koch, aka Jammin' Unit and Walker, respectively) for using their track 'If There Was No Gravity'. SMoRaS liked it and tried to track it down. BUT, almost certainly, the Air Liquide-track used is actually 'Stratus Static'. Presented here in its original glory, with sample of 'Insane in the Brain' by Cypress Hill.

Last but not least: Coldcut did not only bring obscure acts to a bigger audience. Famous songs got a new life as well. Like ‘One Blood’, a massive 1989-dancehall-hit for Jamaican singer Junior Reid. Hear the original first, then the drum & bass-version used by Coldcut on their Journeys By DJ mix-album.