Originally released as a super limited lathe-cut 10”, Matt Gunn’s Disko Drohne E.P. now gets an extensive, multi-faceted overhaul. Label, Paisley Dark, commissioning a total of 9 remixers, and the package clocking in at well over 70 minutes. All the folks involved must be fans of Matt’s work, because, with a couple of exceptions, none of them stray too far from the OG mixes. You could pick your personal favourites and easily segue between them for a good half an hour. 

The titular track gets a total of 7 re-imaginings, including one from Mr. Gunn himself, who transforms the tune into a piece of popping, percolating, synthetic skanking. Each of the revisions varies the speed, and the pH, a smidgen. Some are more disco, some more house. The most radical being The Bedford Fall Players’ dubbed-out extravaganza, which fixes washes of distorted, Keith Levene-esque, metallic axe action to a broken James Brown break. Tin Gun probably takes the Balearic biscuit, though, by adding a funky 6-string lick, and rolling in some big-smile-inducing Second Summer Of Love key-bashing. A little cheesy, perhaps, but there’s no denying its charm. 

Mr BC and 10:40 smooth, and space, out Lost In The Drohne. The former replacing the original’s fuzzed-up rock thrashing, with contrasting gentle country-fied picking. The latter gradually building a groove from beatnik bongos, while sending the guitar spinning, psychedelically, backwards – a la The Bunnymen’s Will Sargent mimicking a sitar. Dropping a little acid and haunting harmonica. Rude Audio must have been drinking from the same cup, because their version is also a hypnotic, meditative, dubby, drug chug. While navigating explosions of Weatherall & Nicolson-esque SFX, they manhandle Matt’s Talk Talk / Life’s What You Make It-like piano motif. A rattling timbale marking time on this monumental mid-tempo journey, and a great gated riff providing its righteously rushing finale. 

Matt Gunn’s Disko Drohne Remix(es) are out now, on Paisley Dark.