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Slinging tuneage like some fried or otherwise soused short-order cook. Embiggening the earholes

19 March 2026

Singles World Cup Finals: Round 4

Leader Board:
ACR              6
The Shamen  3
Utah Saints    3
Dreadzone     6

 
 
Today three Teams offered up single track Singles & the Shamen came on strong with seven versions of "Heal", a hit track from their Axis Mutatis CD, We’ll see how this works out for the Four. 
 
There was a bit of controvesy after yesterday's play. Two Teams sent letters of complaint to the World Cup Committee as to the Shamen - Show of Strength being ruled out as it was an EP & not a single. After lengthy review, The WCC concluded that the four track EP was no different from the maxi or Buzz Singles  & the four track EP would stand as Singles for the competition. They thanked both Teams for their concerns & assured all Four that they were carefully monitoring the games for rules violation.
Dreadzone - 16 Hole, Dubwiser Records DUB013, 2017.
all decryption codes in comments 
 
16 Hole (radio edit)
 
 
 
 
W.S.L.U.
 
 
 
 
 
The Shamen - Heal (the Separation), One Little Indian 158tp7cd, 1996.

Heal (the Separation) (organ mix)
Heal (the Separation) (Science Park mix)
Heal (the Separation) (PM Dawn alt lead mix)
Heal (the Separation) (Steve Osbourne Ambient 12")
Heal (the Separation) (H.E.L.P. Breakbeat)
Heal (the Separation) (Beatmasters)
Heal (the Separation) (Foul Play 12" vox)
 
 
 
 
Highlander (C. J. Bolland remix)
 
 
 
 

Tomorrow, Round 5,
NØ
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15 comments:

  1. NØ3/19/26, 12:01 AM

    16 Hole
    7FHLovkjOJLZyd8zC0OIR_T6_O0TWbybty6eWtEymTs
    W.S.L.U.
    nu9-LSqdT6XRC9pIX_zzfOnjBxkRQahufrCBbyhpH94
    Heal (the Separation)
    kf10X7UBvGCg1c8PU8spFYl6MyoMJZWvIDQlZkljIpw
    Highlander
    tyuUODUvTF-u0HKlJg6vn6VS7zAVB9RY5a-ebVNoIp0

    ReplyDelete
  2. That Bloke3/19/26, 5:15 AM

    I'm calling a foul... will expand on this later

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NØ3/19/26, 7:49 PM

      While officially only the Teams can submit letters of complaint, I'll surely be glad to listen to your calling of a foul. Be looking forward to it.

      Delete
  3. Jewels Berne3/19/26, 12:52 PM

    I know from following your blog for quite some time that your readers are not usually techno fans so I have to stick up for techno. I really enjoy the repetitive style with up-tempo beat. It focuses on rhythmic, hypnotic, futuristic sounds that I really enjoy. The Heal (the Separation) single has so many choices, if you just stay open, you gotta love one of them. My vote is for The Shamen.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NØ3/19/26, 12:53 PM

      Thanks Jewel. Good for you for taking the techno stand. I'll add your score to the Leader Board.

      Delete
  4. That Bloke3/19/26, 1:37 PM

    Dreadzone. Promising start with that strong bassline. Unfortunately I seem to have an aversion to that 'bubbly' rhythm that takes us through the track.

    The Shamen. Hang on a minute - how come they get 6 tracks when the others only get one each. FOUL!!! It matters not, because as the first track (Organ mix) got started I realised it was almost the same track as the Dreadzone offering. Could even have been a remix. Only the vocals were different.

    I listened to the other 5 tracks but wasn't inspired.

    Dreadzone and The Shamen are disqualified in my eyes for copying each other!

    ACR. I recognise the lyrics, but am a bit confused. (Looks through my ACR collection...) Oh, I see - I know the track as the rather splendid House-ish version that features on ACR:MCR. Having not taken any notice before of the singles that ACR have put out, I'm coming to the realisation that the best songs and versions have only appeared on albums. Unfortunately this version of W.S.L.U is rather uninspiring.

    I was beginning to give up hope for this round; then I played the Utah Saints offering. Despite being ripped from a rather scratchy record - something that I'll forgive - because the track is really rather good. Stripped of tune and melody, it's pure beat; repetitive, hypnotic House - just how I like it. A Superb track.

    Utah Saints for the win!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NØ3/19/26, 8:25 PM

      First to address the Foul call. Since there were no pre-set guidlines for this days competition, there is no Foul on The Shamen for 7 tracks as opposed to 1 track from all the other Teams. The decision lies wholly with the individual Teams.

      As for disqualifying The Shamen & Dreadzone for copying each other, that is your perogative. However, The Shamen Single was released in 1996 while the Dreadzone song was released in 2017. Therefore if anyone copied, it would have to be Dreadzone. I just relistened to both tunes & my own opinion is that no plagarism is involved. Both have a similar throbbing beat but other than that, not much similarity.

      The albums you have referenced so far for ACR (ACR:Box & ACR:MCR) are contemporary collections of ACR tunes from the past. Their output on Mute consisted of many Singles which they are using for this competiotion.

      I'm sure that some Rounds will be better than others as each Team tries to edge out their rivals. Even on the weakest outing there should be a favorite. If you can not pick something from a particular Round, then just abstain from voting. There is no overall totals score available. The scoring is simply cumulative over the course of the competition.

      I'll add your vote for the Utah Saints to the Leader Board.

      Thanks, That Bloke.

      Delete
  5. jonder3/19/26, 7:52 PM

    I'm not crazy about techno but I do like jungle, and the drums on the Foul Play mix of Heal The Separation caught my ear. Nice psychedelic vocal harmonies too.

    ACR and Utah Saints didn't bring much energy to the playing field today. (One of these days, I know that something good is gonna happen for those Utah Saints.) 16 Hole is a good Dreadzone track, but the Shamen get my vote.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NØ3/19/26, 8:33 PM

      Dreadzone's track is one I really like, but ya gotta hand it to The Shamen for bringing the variety on a day when the other Teams all offered up one song. Allowing the viewers to observe just a one song Single was good gameplay, but The Shamen countered with the perfect move.

      Thank, Jonder. I'll add your vote to the Leader Board.

      Delete
  6. jonder3/19/26, 7:56 PM

    Who is CJ Bollard? And where did I put my test pressing of "Highriser (JG Ballard Mix)"?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NØ3/19/26, 8:28 PM

      Christian Jay "C. J." Bolland (born 18 June 1971, Stockton-on-Tees, England) is an English-Belgian techno producer & remixer. He became notable as the first artist to release an album in the DJ-Kicks series for the independent label Studio !K7, 1995's DJ-Kicks: C.J. Bolland. 1996 his greatest commercial success came with the single "Sugar is Sweeter" hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart,

      As for “Highriser (JG Ballard mix”), my bet it’s in the last place you’ll look.

      Delete
    2. jonder3/19/26, 9:01 PM

      You have a typo ("Bollard" in place of "Bolland") -- which made me think of Ballard

      Delete
    3. NØ3/19/26, 9:23 PM

      Guess that's what I was thinking when I wrote that. Thanks for the proof-reading. Fixed my flub.

      Delete
  7. Richard3/20/26, 4:16 AM

    CJ Bolland was one of the early Rave Giants, this one is a classic
    https://www.discogs.com/master/27466-Cee-Jay-The-Ravesignal
    Adventurous, 1990, Get Busy Time, his signature Cee-Jay, his Rave Signal, a must-hear in early Techno. BTW very much on R&S is brilliant

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NØ3/20/26, 11:47 AM

      Thanks, Richard. I'll definitely give this a listen if I can find it.

      Delete

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