REVIEW: Various Artists, Random (02) Mixes of Gary
Numan
- Joe Silva
It's generally agreed that while he lacked the critical verite at the time, Gary Numan's kicking at the hands of the press, leftover punks, and disco dollys of the day, Gazza can be credited with reducing the amount of flak that the bulk of synth bands to follow would have surely had to absorb. Even with "Cars" already in pocket, not many wanted to hear about his wanky, paranoid visions of the future. A generation or two removed from all of his benefactors, however, comes the second installment of the Random tribute.
Beggars, initially swamped with material and a healthy throng of co-conspirators, decided not to put off the masses that might initially snap up the project by working in the techno mixes that came with the flood of interest. And true enough, neither Damon Albarn's excellent take on "We Have A Technical" or An Pierle's (pronounced "Peer-lay") super Tori-esque "Are Friends Electric?" from the first double CD (!!) installment would have been easily meshed alongside the way-extended club visions included on the follow-up.
But the two editions should not exist separately either. Right out of the gate it's obvious that Robert Armani's six minute treatment of "Metal" should not have been lost to space reserved for a more marketable entry. Distilled down to his essence as it is here, Numan's material still maintains its bleak but arresting flavor. Of the two distinct approaches to "Cars," the Mike Dearborn deconstruction is probably the preferred version. Having seemingly little to do with the original, unlike the following (and largely faithful) Dave Clarke take, the ceaseless thumping is mo' satisfying in it's abstraction. With not much more than two notes and a snatch of re-worked vocal from the original, the same can be said of Liberator DJ's "Are Friends Electric?" And even if his own LP might be a complete snoozer, Steve Stoll's work is engaging as he endlessly does a house loop around "I Was Vapour." When things aren't quite as bumping, as in Peter Lazonby's closer "The Iceman Comes" or the excellent "Dans Le Parc" by D.J. Hell, it's apparent that Numan's essence becomes easier to secure.
For all his naff, second-hand Bowie faculties, Random makes clear that Gary's detachment was valid enough to shine through to the future he desperately felt more of a kinship to. So now the only coal that remains to be stirred is - will the pale airborne android touch down amongst us once again now that terrain below appears a trifle more welcome?
