David Holmes and Raven Violet’s Stop Apologising finds the pair again calling for revolution, this time set to a Goldfrapp-esgue electro-glam beat. The music is a bionic (Marc) Bolan boogie, whose synthesised wall of sound is a nod to Phil Spector, of course, but also Klaus Dinger’s La Dusseldorf. The song, Raven’s hook, of “Stop apologising for the things you`ve never done”, could be taken as a celebration of individuality, a call for you to be proud of who you are. Reassuringly requesting that you not be afraid to make, and own, your mistakes, as it’s only through trying, and failing, and trying again, that we learn and grow. 

Remixes come from Horse Meat Disco and Colleen “Cosmo” Murphy. The former set about supercharging the original’s stomp. Much more muscular, and now Giorgio Moroder-esque, its pumping is so powerful that it verges on menacing. However, the shadowy mood is totally shattered by some serious, spirit-lifting piano, which dominates the track’s final third.  

Colleen’s rework is the more radical of the two, racing, as it does, to a looped disco b-line and a frantic, electric, 6-string strum. Cosmic synths, that sound like UFOs taking off, further add to a `60s psychedelia-influenced rocket-launching racket, whose intensity builds to a heavy phased axe freakout. 

The song’s title and chorus lift a line from Paul Weller, The Jam’s A Town Called Malice, and both pieces can be seen as protests at politicians pulling the wool over the public’s eyes. Governments gaslighting generations to believe that economic catastrophe is our doing and not down to corporate greed. Where state-sanctioned stealing is reframed as the fault of the individual. Austerity-touting authority asking us to tighten our belts and take the blame.

Weller’s record was released from inside “Thatcher’s Britain”, and 40 years later we’re still reaping the “benefits” of that regime. The milk-snatcher’s push for privatisation, and “lean & nimble” business, led to lay-offs, mass unemployment, and the creation of a “non-working” class.

Companies saved money, and increased profits, which lined investor’s pockets, while tax-payers footed the bill for those on welfare. Folks without jobs, worried about paying the rent, feeding and clothing their kids, and an uncertain future, suffered from stress and depression. Hopelessness and a lack of self-worth. 

The resulting mental, and physical, illness, in turn, gave rise to a huge health care burden – again, paid for by taxes – with people put on meds and sent for therapy sessions. Not to help with their situation, but only their ability to cope with it.* There were increases in homelessness, addiction, and crime.

Surely it would have been far better, less damaging, both financially, and to communities and lives, to have simply saved those jobs… but then, of course, the shareholders’ dividends would have suffered. It’s hard not to see this as anything more than a massive money laundering exercise. A siphoning off of wealth, but at what cost? Callous corporations, who only care about cash – as if they’re addicted to it – asset stripping, when the biggest asset we have is us. 

David Holmes & Raven Violet’s Stop Apologising is out now on Heavenly Recordings.

*The mighty Mark Fisher opened my eyes. Rest In Peace.