- Everyone from Erol Alkan and Optimo to Ivan Smagghe and James Lavelle is indebted to Andrew Weatherall. Not necessarily in terms of aesthetics, but definitely in terms of stance: the legendary English producer, remixer and tastemaker was, after all, the first proper punk DJ. This is why the news Weatherall was going to deliver a mix for Ministry of Sound's somewhat pretentious Masterpiece series (one that isn't "mixed," but "created by," no less) was received with suspicious glances by some. On top of that, making the rare triple-CD mix experience worth repeated listening sessions is always a risky move and remains reserved to the lucky few; some will opt for drastic stylistic changes (think of SOS or Will Saul's Balance mixes, for instance) to the risk of losing a sense of an overarching narrative arc. Thankfully, Weatherall avoids all those pitfalls and hands over the most coherent commercial mix of his long, sometimes puzzling but always fascinating, career.
Of Masterpiece's 36 tracks, Weatherall's only real concession to the so-called indie dance he often gets associated with is at the very beginning of the mix (CD1's first cut from Weatherall's new goth-tinged project The Asphodells) and the very end (CD3's last song: A.R. Kane's post-C86, sub-Primal Scream piece of psychedelic guitar pop), their positioning saying more than their actual length or presence. Overall, all three CDs stay on the dubby, sophisticated yet experimental, and highly melodic side of house, with a good slice of cosmic disco (remixes from Disjokke or Prins Thomas among others) and Weatherall's own dance noir reworks of more alternative rockers such as Grinderman, The Horrors or Primal Scream. Guitars may still lurk here and there, as on The Asphodells' trippy "The Lonely City" or on Weatherall's trippier remix of Cut Copy's "Sun God," but they never interfere with the overall dance floor dedication the DJ displays.
On the more technical side of things, the overall mix is surprisingly seamless, and if the tempo rarely ventures above the 120 BPM mark (as Weaterall's motto has been in the last couple of years at his Love Letter From Outer Space parties), there are enough engrossing moments (Kasper Bjørke's groovy "Man from Venice," Apiento & Co's dramatic arrangements on "The Orange Place") to keep surprising the listener. Compared to his 2004 Fabric 19 mix, there is an imposing timelessness to Masterpiece, even though it's pretty much as "now" as you could get.
TracklistCD1: Eleven O'Clock Drop
01. The Asphodells - A Love From Outer Space
02. Grinderman - Heathen Child (Andrew Weatherall Remix)
03. Timothy J.Fairplay - Sleighride (Andrew Weatherall Remix)
04. The Asphodells - The Lonely City
05. Hardway Brothers - Mania's Theme (Andrew Weatherall Remix)
06. Kalidasa - Burstin' Through
07. Craig Batley - Birdshell
08. Apiento - The Orange Place - Apiento
09. Chida - Danca - Chida
10. The Horrors - Wild Eyed (Andrew Weatherall Remix)
11. Wooden Shjips - Crossing (Andrew Weatherall Remix)
12. Walls - Into Our Midst
13. Timothy J.Fairplay - The Final Reel (Andrew Weatherall Remix)
CD2: Twelve O'Clock Drop
01. Scott Fraser - A Life Of Silence
02. Mario Vierra - Cosmic Matter
03. Kasper Bjorke - Man From Venice
04. Bonar Bradberry - You Were Away (Space Ranger Hypno Mix)
05. Rudy's Midnight Machine - Ecstatic Love Machine
06. Midnight Savari - Phantom Galaction
07. Tornado Wallace - Insect Overlords
08. Sons And Daughters - Orion (Emperor Machine Remix)
09. Cut Copy - Sun Gold (Andrew Weatherall Remix)
10. Bogdan Irkuk A.K.A. Bulgari - My Weakness (Prins Thomas Discomiks)
11. Copyshop - Lipps (Pete Herbet Dub)
12. Pacific Horizons - Stealing The Fire From Heaven
CD3: One O'Clock Drop
01. The Subs - Decontrol (Aquarius Heaven Remix)
02. Black Light Smoke - Switchback
03. Soft Rocks - Magic Mikk
04. Martin Brodin - Badabing (Diskjokke Remix)
05. Ajello - Crystal Babe
06. Name In Lights - Ur Oskunni
07. Brioski - Radio Anatomy (Emperor Machine Remix)
08. Toddla T - Watch Me Dance (Andrew Weatherall Remix)
09. Todd Terje - Ragysh
10. Primal Scream - Uptown (Andrew Weatherall Remix)
11. A.R. Kane - A Love From Outer Space