Goths-gone-psychedelic popsters the Horrors dropped their Skying set last year, but are now offering up a re-envisioned sonic landscape of the songs via their new Higher remix LP. The album officially arrived digitally yesterday (December 3), but the band are letting loose a hefty deluxe box set of the project for ephemera addicts later next year.
The outing features several redos from the likes of Connan Mockasin, Seahawks, Andrew Weatherall, Blanck Mass, Peaking Lights, Cherrystones, Cabaret Voltaire's Chris Watson, Daniel Avery, JTC and Andy Blake.
Watson, a noted wildlife recorder, imbued his take of "Dive In" with some compelling and water-locked nature sounds. "I used Weddell seals singing at the intro recorded under the Antarctic sea ice," he explained. "The rhythms of the Humbolt current around the Galapagos Islands recorded with DPA hydrophones. Singing grey seals recorded out on the Farne Islands, Northumberland and the processed voices of orca, killer whales, recorded in the sea of Norway."
The Horrors' Tom Furse said that the remix project ballooned from its humble beginnings, as the band kept asking people to contribute new interpretations of Skying tracks. According to the synth player, as soon as the tracks were let loose in the contributors' hands, the songs took on new meanings.
"Through chance encounters and wanting to involve more people whose music excited us, the box soon grew into an impressive collection of sonic tapestries and hypnotic grooves and it became apparent that this was no longer about the singles," Furse said in a statement. "It was now about this new music which had used the different elements of Skying as a springboard to other ideas. We encouraged everyone involved to be as obtuse as possible, to get as far away from the original source material as they could. The results are stunning, and I think it's just a shame we couldn't have done more."
While you can pick up the whole thing now as a digital package, the box set arrives this March through XL. It will feature four 12-inch singles (manned with the original tracks and their tweaked-up counterparts), two CDs that host the remixes, and a DVD featuring some music videos. You can get the details down below, as well as stream the digital version of the remix package at the bottom of the page.
In other band news, the Horrors are apparently already in the studio working on a proper follow-up to Skying.
Higher:
12-inch One:
A1. Still Life
A2. Still Life (Connan Mockasin Remix)
B1. Still Live (Still Living Still Giving Cherrystones Remix)
B2. Dive In (The Pressure Ridges) - Chris Watson Remix
12-inch Two:
A1. I Can See Through You
A2. Monica Gems (Daniel Avery Remix)
B1. I Can See Through You (Blanck Mass Remix)
12-inch Three:
A1. Changing The Rain
A2. You Said (Peaking Lights Dub U Mix)
B1. Comes In Waves (Seahawks Skying Suite)
12-inch Four:
A1. Moving Further Away (Andrew Weatherall Remix)
B1. Moving Further Away (Andy Blake World Unknown Mix
CD One:
1. I Can See Through You (Blanck Mass Remix)
2. Monica Gems (Daniel Avery Remix)
3. Still Life (Connan Mockasin Remix)
4. You Said (Peaking Lights Dub U Mix)
5. Still Live (Still Living Still Giving Cherrystones Remix)
6. Moving Further Away (Andrew Weatherall Remix)
CD Two:
1. Comes In Waves (Seahawks Skying Suite)
2. Moving Further Away (Andy Blake World Unknown Mix)
3. Dive In (The Pressure Ridges)
4. You Said (JTC Remix)
5. Wild Eyed (Andrew Weatherall Remix)
6. Moving Into Blue (Seahawks Skying Suite)
DVD:
Still Life Video (Directed by Oliver Murray)
I Can See Through You (Directed by White Rabbit)
Changing The Rain (Directed by Pete Fowler)
The outing features several redos from the likes of Connan Mockasin, Seahawks, Andrew Weatherall, Blanck Mass, Peaking Lights, Cherrystones, Cabaret Voltaire's Chris Watson, Daniel Avery, JTC and Andy Blake.
Watson, a noted wildlife recorder, imbued his take of "Dive In" with some compelling and water-locked nature sounds. "I used Weddell seals singing at the intro recorded under the Antarctic sea ice," he explained. "The rhythms of the Humbolt current around the Galapagos Islands recorded with DPA hydrophones. Singing grey seals recorded out on the Farne Islands, Northumberland and the processed voices of orca, killer whales, recorded in the sea of Norway."
The Horrors' Tom Furse said that the remix project ballooned from its humble beginnings, as the band kept asking people to contribute new interpretations of Skying tracks. According to the synth player, as soon as the tracks were let loose in the contributors' hands, the songs took on new meanings.
"Through chance encounters and wanting to involve more people whose music excited us, the box soon grew into an impressive collection of sonic tapestries and hypnotic grooves and it became apparent that this was no longer about the singles," Furse said in a statement. "It was now about this new music which had used the different elements of Skying as a springboard to other ideas. We encouraged everyone involved to be as obtuse as possible, to get as far away from the original source material as they could. The results are stunning, and I think it's just a shame we couldn't have done more."
While you can pick up the whole thing now as a digital package, the box set arrives this March through XL. It will feature four 12-inch singles (manned with the original tracks and their tweaked-up counterparts), two CDs that host the remixes, and a DVD featuring some music videos. You can get the details down below, as well as stream the digital version of the remix package at the bottom of the page.
In other band news, the Horrors are apparently already in the studio working on a proper follow-up to Skying.
Higher:
12-inch One:
A1. Still Life
A2. Still Life (Connan Mockasin Remix)
B1. Still Live (Still Living Still Giving Cherrystones Remix)
B2. Dive In (The Pressure Ridges) - Chris Watson Remix
12-inch Two:
A1. I Can See Through You
A2. Monica Gems (Daniel Avery Remix)
B1. I Can See Through You (Blanck Mass Remix)
12-inch Three:
A1. Changing The Rain
A2. You Said (Peaking Lights Dub U Mix)
B1. Comes In Waves (Seahawks Skying Suite)
12-inch Four:
A1. Moving Further Away (Andrew Weatherall Remix)
B1. Moving Further Away (Andy Blake World Unknown Mix
CD One:
1. I Can See Through You (Blanck Mass Remix)
2. Monica Gems (Daniel Avery Remix)
3. Still Life (Connan Mockasin Remix)
4. You Said (Peaking Lights Dub U Mix)
5. Still Live (Still Living Still Giving Cherrystones Remix)
6. Moving Further Away (Andrew Weatherall Remix)
CD Two:
1. Comes In Waves (Seahawks Skying Suite)
2. Moving Further Away (Andy Blake World Unknown Mix)
3. Dive In (The Pressure Ridges)
4. You Said (JTC Remix)
5. Wild Eyed (Andrew Weatherall Remix)
6. Moving Into Blue (Seahawks Skying Suite)
DVD:
Still Life Video (Directed by Oliver Murray)
I Can See Through You (Directed by White Rabbit)
Changing The Rain (Directed by Pete Fowler)
