This one is perfect as a run-up to Dubtember. Dear friend Nathan Nothin' left me a telepathic message.
Nothin' sez:
"Every since I heard Laika Come Home back in 2002, it has been in my top-ten all time Dub albums, right up there with Tubby, Mad Prof, Adrian, Culture, Keith Hudson & a few more. I play it for people all the time & they are not always impressed. No accounting for taste. I sez. If you don't have this platter, if you don't play it at least once a week. then you're no Dubhead imo. So pleez, can you share this one for me?"
Being as Nathan is one of the most loyal, long-time supporters around here, how can I refuse? But knowing me, here's a few (few???) words first...
Laika Come Home is a Gorillaz remix album released in July 2002. Unlike a typical remix album, it is all remixes by just one group, Spacemonkeyz. It contains most of the songs from the Gorillaz' first album, Gorillaz, but remixed in Dub & reggae style. The album features Terry Hall, U Brown, Earl 16 & 2D. The limited edition was packed in digipak, featuring two hidden tracks.
The album's title is a reference to Laika, the tragic Soviet hero space dog & the film Lassie Come Home.
The album contains mixes of every song on the original album except "Double Bass", "Latin Simone (¿Que Pasa Contigo?)", "Rock the House" or the bonus track "Dracula".
The Spacemonkeyz appear to be first referenced before the album in the "Tomorrow Comes Today" video. During the video, in the background, a poster can be seen with a pictures of monkeys with spacesuits featuring the caption "Laugh now but one day we'll be in charge".
The artwork is a famous piece of art by Banksy, the graffiti / visual artist. While the band was on hiatus in Beverly Hills, after touring for their debut album, they took a break from writing a script for their unfinished movie to appear at the Isle of MTV concert off the California coast. After their set, Murdoc was asked to sign a record he didn't recognize, which turned out to be the Spacemonkeyz album. It appears that 2D never locked Kong Studios up properly before leaving on tour.
The three escaped Soviet Space Program chimps, the Spacemonkeyz, entered & hijacked the master tapes in an attempt to contact Laika herself, who is supposedly their Space Program lab mate & leader. After discovering the record, Gorillaz shot one or two photos with the monkeys. They then disappeared. Murdoc is still angry at them for doing the album, despite the extra income he gets from it. He maintains that Dr. Wurzel, his archenemy, is behind the incident & complains about still trying to get monkey feces out of the carpets at Kong. Before the release of the album, the mix of "Tomorrow Dub" was released in the single of Tomorrow Comes Today in February 2002.
On the Spacemonkeyz remix, a whole host of guest musicians also contributed additional instrumentation to the record, notably reggae artists U Brown & Earl 16. The Spacemonkeyz certainly know their Dub; as even seasoned Dub fanatics have been known to admit that Laika Come Home's sound is truly authentic, There are elitist intellectuals & Jamaican eclusiveists that are unconvinced, but anyone with half an ear for Dub knows. Get the cool, cool shoeshine!
decryption code in comments
Jungle Fresh (19/2000)
Strictly Rubbadub Slow Country)
Bañana Baby (Tomorrow Comes Today)
Monkey Racket (Man Research)
De-Punked (Punk)
P.45 (5/4)
Dub 09 (Starshine)
Crooked Dub (Soundcheck)
Mutant Genius (New Genius)
Come Again (Re-Hash)
A Fistful of Peanuts (Clint Eastwood)
Lil' Dub Chefin' (M1A1)
hidden tracks -
Strictly Rubbadub (More Rubbadub version)
A Fistful of Peanuts (More Peanuts version)
bonus track -
Tomorrow Dub
Tomorrow Comes Today (Carl H. remix)
Note: "Tomorrow Comes Today (Carl H. Remix)" (also known as "Middle Row remix", "Carl Humphrey remix" or "Carl H mix") is a remix of the Gorillaz single "Tomorrow Comes Today" made by DJ, producer, & radio host Carl Humphrey, better known as Carl H., owner of UK Garage labels Busta Groove Records & Middlerow Records (hence one of its names). At the time the remix was made, Middlerow had a studio in the same building as Damon Albarn's Studio 13. Damon knew the Middlerow crew. He invited them to listen to the finished Gorillaz masters. He had the idea of the Middlerow crew doing some remixes to build interest & bring attention to Gorillaz & their unreleased material by getting them airplay at clubs & dancehalls throughout England.
Enjoy,
NØ
Laika Come Home
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