Are You in the Mood(y) for More Dubz, Boyz

 

The Moody Boyz is Tony Thorpe's UK-based record production & remix outfit. 

Thorpe was closely linked with The KLF, in particular with KLF member Jimmy Cauty. Thorpe developed a creative partnership with KLF which stretched back to their incarnation as The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu when a 400 Blows remix of ''Don't Take Five'' was recorded. Thorpe went on to become KLF's  breaks, beats, & samples controller. He remixed both the debut cut of ''3am Eternal'' as well as the follow up chart topping version for which Thorpe was given full publishing credit. Thorpe's KLF work included What Time is Love?, Last Train to Transcentral, & their best selling album The White Room. Journey into Dubland EP was made with Jimmy Cauty as co-producer. If you want any of his KLF output then you'll have to ask nicely. 

 

Moody Boys - Journey into Dubland 12'' EP, XL Recordings XLEP 107, 1990.
all decryption codes in comments

Side A -
Dub Me Right featuring Daddy Chester
Free (sampled vocals from King Tubby - Blackheart Man Dub)

Side B -
Lion Dance (sampled vocals from Barrington Levy - Look Yout' Man, Mikey Dread - Comic Strip, & X-Clan - Funkin' Lesson)
Pumpin' Dumpin'
A.U.N. 

 

In 1994 Thorpe recorded the stunning debut Moody Boyz album Product of the Environment for Guerilla Records. The following year Thorpe teamed up with Belgium imprint Crammed Discs to release a full set of uncompromising remixes called Recycled for the Environment. The tracks on CD 1 without remix titles are the original versions from Product Of The Environment CD. 

 

The Moody Boyz - Recycled for the Environment 2xCD, Crammed Discs SSR 140, 1995.

CD1 -

Destination Africa (Bush version)
Pygmy Song
Shango (re-edit version)
Daydream
Fight Back
Melting Pot (Acidic version)
July
Elite Doodz present Snooz: the Sequel
Shango (Pray to the Thunder God)

CD2 -

Destination Africa (Spirit of Freedom version)
Pygmy Song (Mysteron VelcroCity version)
90 Days (Technicolour version)
Black Russian (edit)
Fight Back (DigiDub RootsMan version)
Pygmy Song (The Arc Nocturnal Edit version)
Destination Africa (The Lords of Afford Electric Forest version)
A Funny Thing Happened to Me on Wednesday (Overdub version)
Destination Africa (Mellow Spirit version)

 

 

 

 

Thorpe's productions remain at the cutting edge, including remixes for artists including Amy Winehouse, Erykah Badu, Lee Scratch Perry, Roots Manuva, & Bloc Party. He has curated the Dub Step Chronicles for Massive Attack's Meltdown Festival. Tony is one of British musics true mavericks who has been surfing the contours of echo drop dub since he first started fusing tape looped noise with earthbound funk with 400 Blows.

While we're here with Tony T'n'T Thorpe, how about a few other sounds. Running the gamit of genres, dig in.

Here's a 12'' 45rpm from Rhythm of Life with two remixes by ''Little'' Louie Vega.

 

Rhythm of Life - A Tropical Shower, SBK Records 12SBK 7006, 1990.

Side A -
A Tropical Shower (original)
A Tropical Shower (expansions)
Side B -
A Tropical Shower (club)

 

 

 

 

Next we find T'n'T as Urban Jungle laying down the Bad Man.

 

Urban Jungle - Bad Man 12'', Union City Recordings UCRDJ10, 1992.

This Side -
Bad Man (Dub mix)
Bad Man (Black Dog Bite mix)

Other Side -
Bad Man (original)
Bad Man (DigiDub)

 

 

 

 

Now, Voyager... 

 

Voyager - Transmission, Union City Recordings UCRCD22, 1993.

Underworld Theme
In Unity
Suck Acid
Suck Acid (Ubik version)
Underworld Theme (Jetslags version)
In Unity (Irdial 17.55 version)
Arrival 

Jumping forward to 2000, here's Wayward Soul. The CD I have has some CD rot (its [PIAS] Recordings after all so track 7 is totally unlistenable). I added a few bonus tracks. Sorry, blame PIAS. 

 

Wayward Soul - Brothers from Another Planet, [PIAS] Recordings PIASX011CD, 2000.

DJ Friendly
Real Wild Child
PMT
Different Strokes for Different Folks
Serum (The Remedy)
Electric Man
-----------------(Solutions)
Showroom Dummies
Voice of Breaks
Crater Face

bonus tracks:
Real Wild Child (Juttla mix)
PMT (Buckfunk 3000 mix)
DJ Friendly (X-Press 2 The Hard Way)

 

 

 

 

& back to the beginning. It all started in the early 80s. Late 83 T'n'T joined 400 Blows (Andrew Beer & Robert Tayler at the time). Tony appears on 400 Blows' first full length ...if I kissed her I'd have to kill her first... which I've posted before, as well as on two 1984 12'' 45s.

 

 

400 Blows - Declaration of Intent 12'' 45, Illuminated Records ILL 3012, 1984.

Side A -
Declaration of Intent
Side B -
Declaration of Intent (Black & White mix up)
Perspective 1

 

 

 

 

 

400 Blows - Groove Jumping 12'' 45, Illuminated Records ILL4812, 1984.

This Side -
Strangeways (revisited)
Other Side -
Groove Jumping

Enjoy,
NØ