Everything Is Under Control was pretty much everything you might expect from the first Coldcut single in ages. Follow-up Man In A Garage is a very different beast however - an understated, downbeat, almost folky ballad (with bleeps) featuring John Matthias, it's an urban melodrama not unlike those Terry Hall used to deliver during his Specials days, but this time backed up with clinical breakbeats and Tindersticks-style strings.
Being Coldcut there's plenty of remixes too - except that the most notable, from Snap Ant, isn't a remix at all since they recorded a new version from scratch. Arguably it's better too, becoming a (still downbeat) shonky punk-disco number living somewhere between Narco and T.Raumschmiere territory. For the rest we're in straightforward remix mode with something to suit every dancefloor tempo. Bonobo gives us spiky, dreamy West Coast breakbeats and Daedelus gives us a collage of bleepy techno and backwardsy noises (to turn us into devil-worshippers no doubt). Finally, from Lemon Jelly, there's a seven minute controlled prog-house build for budding Sashas to slot expertly and seamlessly into their sky-bound dreamscapes.
It's pretty hard to know from the first couple of singles what we can expect from the forthcoming Sound Mirrors album, especially as it's their first in an aeon - its also becoming clear that a large part of the final picture will rest with the illustrious roster of collaborators. Man in a Garage does provide a reason to maintain some cautious optimism - but whether they can finally make an album of their own material that stands up to their legendary Journeys By DJ epic - well we'll just have to wait and see.
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