Rockbites: Sonic Boom remixes Phillips and Wareham

recentnews

Recent news • Rockbites Alternative Daily

• back to recent news index

Sonic Boom remixes Phillips and Wareham
20 October 2003

Sonic Boom (Pete Kember) helped radicalize spacerock back in the ’80s with his minimalist/experimental band Spacemen 3, and went on to work with E.A.R. (Experimental Audio Research), Spectrum, Yo La Tengo, and many other artists. This month he quietly radicalizes romantic pop with a most extreme remix EP, Sonic Souvenirs. The disc is a reinterpretation of the stunning duet album L’Avventura from Luna’s Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips (see our review from June of this year).
    Sonic Souvenirs, out 7 October on New York’s Jetset Records, includes five gloriously subversive and boldly gentle remixes by Sonic Boom, along with a counterpoint new-pop mix by legendary producer Tony Visconti—perhaps best known for his work with David Bowie, and who collaborated with Phillips and Wareham to birth L’Avventura.
    Sonic Souvenirs begins with a version of Phillips’ song Your Baby, whose extreme quietness here makes the original—itself unfashionably quiet—seem jaunty. A splash of synth brings on the sounds of gentle rain and thunder off in the distance, and then Britta’s sleepy voice swathed in fluffy blankets of reverb.
    Other Sonic Boom remixes on the disc are Hear The Wind Blow, Knives From Bavaria, and Moonshot... plus a second remix of Your Baby. Visconti notches up the disco groove, à la Madonna, on a remix of Ginger Snaps
    As a radical interpretation, a first listen to Sonic Souvenirs—if you know L’Avventura—might prompt a minor 'what the fuck?' reaction as it did for me. It’s that extreme. But no worries. Let it sink in a bit and give it another go. This is devastating shit.
    There is so little significant stretching of the envelope these days (or ever), even among non-mainstream artists, that Sonic Souvenirs is just as important as a statement of what can be done under the umbrella of rock & pop as it is a gorgeous piece of audio art in its own right.
    For yet more alternate versions, check out Dean and Britta’s website (link below) where you’ll find free MP3 files for a demo of Your Baby and a completely different version of Knives From Bavaria, called Uterus, written for the film Piggie. | Dean and Britta | | Jetset Records | | Sonic Boom bio on Trouser Press | | Luna | | CD from Amazon.com | | L'Avventura review on Rockbites | | top of page |

today’s stories •

click for Rockbites Home
	Copyright © 1998 - 2002 M. Jason. All Rights Reserved. Rockbites is not for profit and supports human rights. “Rockbites” and “Alternative Daily” are service marks of Rockbites. All names are the property of their respective owners. Send your feedback or questions to feedback@rockbites.org Send your press releases to press@rockbites.org Rockbites Alternative Daily contact information