Various Artists:
Dirty Edits Vol. 2
Edits are everywhere these days. They fill the disco racks at record stores, and to me they seem to be the disco scene’s equivalent of the quickly made unofficial remixes which clog up the Hype Machine on a daily basis. The term “edit” is pretty loose these days. Back in the 1980s when people started doing edits, they would do it by cutting tape and using a reel to reel, the kind of practice that only masochists could appreciate. As technology has become more advanced, things have become easier, firstly with the advent of hardware samplers with on-board memory and then with computers and software sequencers; of course, now that it’s so easy, everyone wants to have a go, which is how we have arrived at the point we are at now. Despite this situation however, there are a few figures who are worth investigating. One stands head and shoulders over the rest (except perhaps JD Twitch’s Betty Botox persona): Pilooski. Pilooski has been the main man behind French outfit Dirty’s series of edits for their duration, and Dirty Edits Vol. 2 collects the remaing sold out 12″s that didn’t fit on Vol. 1.
When the compilation opens with the psyche-folk of People’s “Glastonbury”, not an edit, but a “Dirty Reissue”, it gives us as much insight into the minds of Pilooski and his compatriots at Dirty as any of the edits on the disc. It’s an eerie track which conjures up images of Wicker Man-esque pagan stomping. As an opener, it’s bold, but it sets the tone for the disc as a whole, which is full of edits that inspire a certain kind of trepidation.
The second track is a Pilooski edit of an Elvis Presley track, “Crawfish”, from a 1958 film, King Creole. Far from being an edit, this could be classed as a remix; as well as an added kick drum to beef things up a bit, the track features the kind of dissonant atonal sounds which Pilooski’s output (and that of his his Discodeine alias) is often characterised by. The occasional vocal stuttering and echo and ring modulation which is applied to the track reinforce the pervasive dread begun in “Glastonbury”. It feels fresh, and it’s probably because, unlike 99% of the other editors out there, Pilooski is not just editing disco.
What Pilooski seems to understand better than most is that being a good editor is not just in the editing itself, but in the choice of the source material. Half the joy of the Dirty series of edits is being exposed to music that isn’t just disco. Some of the most interesting cuts here are the 80s synth-pop edits, chiefly The The’s “Giant” and Holger Hiller’s “Das Feuer”, cuts which are as similarly creepy as the first two. Of course disco does get a nod; Pilooski’s edit of Jackson Jones’ “I Feel Good, Put Your Pants On” (the original of which was featured on James Murphy’s Fabric mix) is another highlight, but once again closes by upping the fear quotient at the end of the edit.
Pilooski’s edits aren’t the kind of thing you can listen to too much of - like Discodeine’s upcoming Tom Select the slight weirdness is likely mean most people can only tolerate small doses, given that there seems to be something inherently sadistic in Pilooski’s editing and production technique, but those who can take it will undoubtedly be rewarded.
Download:> People - Glastonbury (Dirty Reissue)
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Dirty Edits Volume. 2 is available now on Dark & Lovely
Buy the CD from Phonica
