Scotland in the mid-eighties became a breeding ground for some of the most influential indie bands of all-time. Outfits such as the Jesus And Mary Chain, The Vaselines, Teenage Fanclub sprung up and defined a sound which would become prevalent with music of the nineties and indeed ever since. Another of those highly influential bands is this one the BMX Bandits. To explain the importance of this outfit, fronted by the enigmatic Duglas T. Stewart, it can easily be explained if you take the opinion of the late Kurt Cobain: “If I could be in any other band, it would be BMX Bandits”.
So any new music, or indeed any release full stop, is always welcomed with opened arms. Ahead of their Record Store Day re-release of the classic C86, the band have dropped a remixed single. The song “Razorblades & Honey”, originally appeared on the 2017 acclaimed BMX Bandits Forever, and features Anton Newcombe of the Brian Jonestown Massacre. This release however is a triple set of remixes by original band member, Scottish Dj Hifi Sean (Sean Dickson), and it is a spectacular reinvention.
Of the three, the first holds most of the elements of the original recording, but a bouncy beat vibing throughout. The second, the ‘extended revision’ is more dreamy and ethereal, whilst the final ‘dub revision’ is an early-eighties New Order styled banger. A playground of instrumental experimentation, that retains the interesting theme of the original. All-in-all a reminder of 21st century BMX Bandits, and why their importance should be held on a higher pedestal.
