The Electric Age Reprogrammed

Running Time: 7:17

Released On: "Noise Around The World Volume 12" - Various Artists (9 tracks)

Label: Plataforma Recs

Release Date: 30th July 2024

Format: Download

Buy Link: Bandcamp

I'm betting you never thought you'd see anything about Wham on this website. And they say stranger things happen at sea, hah! So, funny story, and when you're sitting comfortably, I shall begin... Once upon a time, last autumn to be precise, I placed a call out for material for the Christmas edition of Dr. Magic's Audio Lab in the EFSPACM Facebook group. "Anything festive," I said, "but not Silent Night, I've got one of those."

So along comes fellow member, Wilfried Hanrath, with a version of Silent Night. To be fair, he's German and they are quite proud of it. It's okay, it was quite different to the other version. And to the other other version too. Popular song, clearly. But I digress, which is most unlike me. He also presented what he described as a 'fun mix' of Wham's 1984 hit, Last Christmas. Um... okay. Not our usual fayre, but what he'd done with it was kind of interesting, so on the playlist it went. The Why Does Everybody Do A Christmas Show Christmas Show was duly broadcast on Saturday 2nd December, and lo and behold, three weeks later, the original had made it to the Xmas no. 1 spot in the UK charts... 39 years after its release! Jokingly (honest), I said "Don't fancy doing a 'fun mix' of a Magic Bullet track, do you?" And here we are...

Wilfried is based in Wuppertal, Germany, and something of a late returnee to the world of underground experimentalism. Having started young in music, like myself, he had abandoned his dreams to take the 'normal' route through life instead, also like me. Only he lasted the distance, whereas I only got to 28 before my head exploded with that great 'what the fuck am I doing with my life' moment that lead to the creation of Magic Moments At Twilight Time. At the ripe old age of 50, he returned to the sound creation fold, and that much to the benefit of our community.

"I grew up with classical music," he begins, "krautrock, fusion, the beginnings of German electronic music, and they all have deep impact on me and sure are influences. Main instrument is bass, but I also play guitar, drums and synthesizer; I play just what my soul sings, ranging from jazz to pop to ambient to rock."

Well, he didn't say that to me really, I nicked it off his Bandcamp. Currently, on our radar, he is threatening to do things to The Magic Bullet Song, plus you'll also find a contribution on the Blood Hunt album and radioshow. Oh, and I'm spinning this track on the current edition, A New Chapter In Space History, tune in!

https://wilfriedhanrath.bandcamp.com

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