MIX-UP by SPARE SNARE

JC writes………………………

I’m not one for normally using the blog as a promotional vehicle for new music, but I will make an exception when it comes to the work and efforts of personal friends.

Jan Burnett, the lead singer of Spare Snare is someone I’ve got to know in recent years, after a chance encounter at an event organised by Last Night From Glasgow.  He is, without question, one of the nicest and most unassuming persons on the planet, as well as being extremely gifted, talented and charismatic, a statement that would, I’m sure, be backed up by anyone who was the 2024 edition of the At The Edge of The Sea festival in Brighton where he and the band stole the show thanks to an outstanding set and performance.

There’s a new album coming out soon, on CD and digital.  It’s something a bit different for the Snare, albeit it’s the sort of thing quite a few other singers and bands have done with a degree of success over the years.  Here’s Jan to tell you a bit more:-

Jan writes…………………………………….

“I’m not sure too many people who follow The Snare know the initial dabbling of releases lent a little to sampling a few rhythms or guitar at a with a maximum of a couple of seconds… the most my little £30 Yamaha sampler toy(ish) keyboard could manage.

Nor that I’m a collector of 12” singles of a certain period. I’m a sucker for a ‘Super Sound’ Extended 12″ from the 80s.

So a Spare Snare remix album actually isn’t too much of a surprise, in fact we’ve had the odd remix done previously as a bit of an experiment and because people asked to do them.

This time we have a standalone album, MIX UP, which features remixes of our last album, The Brutal, recorded in Leith by Steve Albini.

It took a little while to work out the running order, I’m describing it as a ‘remix oddity odyssey’, but once I knew the beginning, middle point and end, the rest fell in to place. A perfect 50+ minute headphone journey.

Alan and Adam from the band did a few, while big hitters like Hifi Sean and bis dropping there takes into the inbox were a delight.

I’m so chuffed to have friends and comrades like White Label, Scanner, The Leaf Library, Raz Ullah and Pete Silvers involved too, cutting, chopping, and re imagining to their individual agendas.

A really variable take on an album that’s reached out to an extended audience so far. These remixes won’t disappoint any fans of The Brutal, it just gives the listener a different view through the prism, a new glimpse through the frosted glass.

All the remixers were given the original stems recorded by Albini to do what they wanted with, no guidelines. I find that the best way, free reign. So what came back was part pop, part dancefloor, part progressive, part dub and part psyche, and strangely… putting all those parts back together again is probably the original Spare Snare.

It’s released November 1st, and can be pre-ordered now.

Digital only available direct from the band. The strictly limited 300 CDs, initially signed, will be available direct from the band and couple of choice stores.”

JC writes (again)…………………………

A taster for the album was made available a short while ago through the release of some very limited edition 7″ singles which, you won’t be surprised to hear, I’ve picked up.  The Hifi Sean remix on vinyl is the ‘radio edit’ and comes in at a little over two minutes in length.

mp3: Spare Snare – I Have You (HiFi Sean echoplex) radio edit

The full version on Mix Up runs to over five minutes, and is one of a number that you can listen to over at the Spare Snare bandcamp page, where you can put your order in.   https://sparesnare.bandcamp.com/album/mix-up

It really is highly recommended.

And just so that you can appreciate how much work has gone into the remixes, here’s the original as recorded by the late Steve Albini

mp3: Spare Snare – I Have You

Enjoy!