The promise — and the pain — of the little acts. By Randall Roberts.
Two Coachella-related releases to celebrate in advance of the fest.
Ride
“OX4: The Best of Ride”
(Rhino Records)
Though the British guitar band called it quits in 1996, the thick layers of distortion and washes of melodies it made during its mid-1990s prime are likely still echoing somewhere in the galaxy. Until recently, that was all fans had to sustain themselves with. Ride, which rose as part of essential English label Creation Records’ roster, is returning for Round 2 when it hits the Coachella Music and Arts Festival.
Along with fellow Creation bands My Bloody Valentine, Medicine and Swervedriver, Ride spawned a legion of admirers and imitators. It never achieved the status of MBV, but the quartet crafted a sound that at its best channeled the spirit of British guitar pop and post-punk and merged it with the harmonic vibe of ’60s L.A. The band released four albums between 1990 and 1996, and the highlights are spread across “OX4,” recently reissued in the U.S.
Guitar texture was paramount, and the group found tones through effects pedals and electronic units. Ride’s Mark Gardener told me recently he had to undertake sonic archaeology to uncover the tones and settings he hadn’t used since. “I became like a white-coat lab technician” with one piece of gear, he said. “I had kept all of the Ride sounds in the machine.” One spin of “Vapour Trail,” which sounds like Byrds-era L.A. channeled through circuitry mazes designed by M.C. Escher, suggests the lab work will prove valuable in Indio.
Erol Alkan
“Fabriclive 77”
(Fabric Worldwide)
The British dance music producer and DJ proves his depth by ending this 70-minute mix of house, techno and experimental beats with his remix of Saint Etienne’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart.” The group’s cover of the Neil Young classic was an early rave anthem, one that Alkan upends in hypnotic fashion.
Before that, Alkan rips through a joyous, rhythmically wild series of Chicago house-centric tracks that further confirms his beat knowledge — and hints at future dance tent glory on the pitch. Whether Phreak’s rhythm box banger “Acid On,” Tom Rowlands’ (Chemical Brothers) solo groover “Through Me” or Alkan’s own minimalist acid house track “Bang,” this relentless, dynamic mix makes for a delightful road-trip soundtrack.