Sample: synth stab

Sample source: Time Zone – Wildstyle (Special New Mix) [Wildstyle (Special New Mix), 1983]

Many fans still consider the initial version of the track more authentic and beloved compared to the one that was later completed with SDJ Zak and officially released.

Beat 55 — is nothing more than a classic jam track that was first played spontaneously during the band’s May 16 gig in Sheffield, and wasn’t even listed on the setlist. Contrary to popular opinion, the track did not have a clear structure typical of regular jam tracks and of course was played without the xylophone melody from ‘Omen’.

It wasn’t until a couple of gigs later that this jam became a regular feature of the show and was officially listed in the live setlists as ‘Beat 55’.

For years, fans have puzzled over what this title could mean, but we assume that this was the number that went with the main beat in one of the samples libraries from which it was taken.

We’re halfway through recreating ‘Beat 55’ in its entirety and are happy to share with you our demo!

We still can’t identify the guitar sample, so we temporarily used a similar. As soon as we find it, we’ll replace it and make a proper studio mix!

Stab — as mentioned at the beginning, is a track that was played only once in Tokyo on August 11, 2008, at Studio Coast. Whether it was a new tune or one that remained from the ‘Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned’ era is unknown. It’s also quite curious, that one of the bridges in ‘Stab’, starting at about 1:15, is strikingly similar to the bridge from the ‘Omen’, which appears from time to time throughout the track.

It is also worth mentioning the unreleased Dead Ken Beats, which was played on the first 2 gigs of 2008, thereby leaving hopes for its promised release by b-side, on any of the new singles, but unfortunately it turned out to be only an echo of the departing “war”.

NEW LIVE REMIXES

In addition to the fresh tunes that were introduced to the public, Liam also refreshed the sound of some old tracks. Among them, there were revamped versions of bangers like ‘Breathe’, ‘Voodoo People’, and a peculiar mash-up/remix of ‘Mindfields’, which was played only once.

Speaking of Breathe (dbstp), which was showcased on the same day as the peculiar Mindfields (New Mix), it’s worth mentioning that dubstep was rapidly gaining popularity in Britain. It was precisely because of this trend that Liam, in pursuit of staying current, created an updated arrangement.

The one-time performance of the new mix of ‘Mindfields’ had a peculiar and unusual sound for the band. It’s worth noting that the track took on a surprisingly upbeat and uncharacteristic vibe for Liam. The version of the track was not akin to a typical remix; rather, it resembled a lighthearted and straightforward mash-up with The Clash – Should I Stay Or Should I Go for the home-party. While we were digging into it, it turned out to be a live-jam, i.e. the remix/mashup was actually played live by Liam.

We speculate that Liam was exploring a lighter and more playful sound for the upcoming performances as a departure from the restrained and sometimes dark sound that the band was known for during the period from ‘Jilted Generation‘ to ‘Always Outnumbered’ and ‘Their Law’ times.

We’re also halfway through recreating this live mix and happy to share with you our demo!

NEW STUDIO DEMOS

In general, the band didn’t publicly discuss any new tracks prior to the album’s release. Throughout 2008, there were only three major interviews in the press, and even those didn’t provide much information. But in their blog via MySpace, as well as in rare non-private conversations, the band had been teasing their fans with promises of new material since 2006. According to the established unofficial tradition, the long-awaited album was initially planned to be released in 2007. However, the release was first postponed to February 2008 and later to April-May 2008. As it turned out, there was no release in May, as Liam, with his characteristic perfectionism, was in no rush to release it.

Interestingly, a couple of months before the May concerts, in late March 2008, Liam uploaded a fresh sketch titled Who The Fuk Is Eddy Cochran to the band’s website.

In many ways, it was the first glimpse of the new album and perhaps one of the very few instances where the band’s fresh material was uploaded directly to the website without being tested in a concert or an official release. To be fair, the demo was rather weak for a standalone release, but the fans, hungry for new material, embraced it with great enthusiasm.

Towards the end of the year, apart from ‘Who The Fuk Is Eddy Cochran’, the band revealed some more studio demos, though not officially. Suddenly information appeared on the Internet about a certain promo CD with four demo versions of ‘Take Me To The Hospital’, ‘World’s On Fire’, ‘Piranha’ and ‘Warriors Dance’, which later made it to the album, but differed significantly from the final album mixes.

Very little is known about these CDs: they were distributed to music journalists, and the recordings themselves had unique audio watermarks, making it easy to trace who leaked them. At first, in the fall of 2008, a single mix of the four short fragments of the aforementioned tracks surfaced, and then the full tracks started to appear one way or another. Any other information about this release is unknown, as well as the exact order of the tracks.

UNRELEASED STUDIO DEMO-TRACKS

 Sorry, but this publication has been moved to the archive!

Liam: “We’re looking, sort of like, if it gets too late towards the end of the year, we’ll probably go January. But like, at the moment, it’s kind of like this year. Erm, we’ve got about 2 or 3 more songs to write then we’re just gonna mix it, and then I guess the record company will decide when it comes out. We’ve done our bit nearly.”
By the way, the ‘Invaders Must Die’ title itself began to appear on the band’s merch already in the summer of 2008, and around the same time the band also announced a upcoming tour called the ‘Invaders Tour’. The highlight of the year was the release of the track ‘Invaders Must Die’, which was available for free on the band’s website. We will tell you about it in the next article about the ‘Invaders Must Die’ single. Stay tuned for more exclusive insights!

By the way, the ‘Invaders Must Die’ title itself began to appear on the band’s merch already in the summer of 2008, and around the same time the band also announced a upcoming tour called the ‘Invaders Tour’. The highlight of the year was the release of the track ‘Invaders Must Die’, which was available for free on the band’s website. We will tell you about it in the next article about the ‘Invaders Must Die’ single. Stay tuned for more exclusive insights!

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