Last week there were two DL singles by artists I follow who were working together this time to lighten the burden on my budget, so I’m finally catching up with the review now. This had been planned for a post last week, but that got knocked askew by the memorial tributes I had to write instead. I’ve been following both Jan Linton and Fluid Japan for a few years now and they had delighted with their Art Rock chops. Todd Lewis of Fluid Japan had already guested on some material by Linton on the latter’s “Melatonin” EP of 2022 so now they have marshaled their powers together on two more occasions. One a dramatic revisit of a “Melatonin” track, and the other a Fluid Japan remix for a third artist. Let’s dive in now!

JAN LINTON + FLUID JAPAN

Jan Linton + Fluid Japan: Goodnight Mr. Ginger [Last Dreaming]

1. Goodnight Mr. Ginger [Last Dreaming] 4:32

What a difference a few years makes! Linton and Fluid Japan have revisited the song “Goodnight Mr. Ginger” from the “Melatonin” EP and it’s been radically reconstructed from the ground up with new lyrics, vocals, music, instruments. Really only the concept of the song [and its title] remained static. The rest was very, er, fluid.

The glitchy synth loop gave it a sharp, spiky rhythm right up front with tympani [!] underscoring the beat. Then the surprising juxtaposition of the breathy vocals by Linton with Todd Lewis and Heather Heimbuch of Fluid Japan and the airy synths absolutely gave us the rough with the very smooth. Some of those sounds weren’t synths because once again Linton was rocking a fretless guitar on the track.

Todd Lewis of Fluid Japan took the lead vocals and his delivery was ethereal yet spine tingling as this memory of a Hong Kong street cat became something much large in the telling. All of this was abetted by the dense layers of synths [and fretless guitar] constructing a veritable whirlwind of gentle sound, spiraling aloft on warm updrafts. With Mr. Lewis’ bass holding down the low end eloquently.

Lewis is also playing a harp here but it’s been run through so many effects you’d be forgiven for not recognizing it as such! So yes, this track was vibrating with the hybrid vigor that comes best from interfacing actual hardware in ways its inventors didn’t anticipate. The track ended with a long, elegant coda where the berserk rhythm loop faded as glassy string synths held final sway with Lewis’ recitation of letters and single words in both Japanese and English. It was all quite breathtaking, but hear for yourself below.

INTELLIGENTSIA: LIVE LIFE LOUD [FLUID JAPAN SEALAB REMIX RADIO EDIT]

Intelligentsia + Fluid Japan: Live Life Loud [Fluid Japan’s Sealab Mix Radio Edit]

1. Live Life Loud [Fluid Japan’s Sealab Mix Radio Edit] 3:14

Intelligentsia have a remix album based in a single song, “Live Life Loud” that they wrote as something in the vein of a late 70s YMO track, and they have enlisted musician from all around the world to collaborate in refashioning the song. Fluid Japan actually have two mixes in the album [Jan Linton is also there with one of his own] but Fluid Japan had taken the nine minute Sealab Remix and have trimmed it down to radio length with this 3:14 edit.

A pulse gated choir of Heather Heimbuch’s ethereal vocals made for a dramatic lead in to the heraldic synths and more jets of her chorused vocals. Prefiguring the staccato synth lead lines that rhythmically pushed forward. Then Jan Linton’s distinctive eBow guitar rode that thoroughbred energy like a pro. The middle eight gave Lewis’s guitar and bass a few bars to take the lead before that rushing energy of Linton doubled back. The song finally landing on the Simon Gallup-like bass line with the spotlight all to itself.

I had to admit that the edit was a bit of a tease and I’ve been thinking about the wonders of that nine minute mix of the track. The track wasn’t a remix in the traditional sense. Intelligentsia originally asked Todd Lewis of Fluid Japan to play bass on the track, Haroumi Hosono style, and when he received the demo he added not only bass but also guitar and heavier drums on the track, changing the complexity before enlisting Ms. Heimbuch and Mr. Linton to add their parts as well.

When Intelligentsia received the results they were taken enough with the end result that the idea of the remix album was sparked and even more bands ultimately had their way with the track. While I’m pretty much all-in on the good works of Jan Linton and Fluid Japan, this has lit a fire beneath me to check out what Intelligentsia get up to on their own. As these birds of a feather are making beautiful music. DJs, hit those buttons!

GOODNIGHT MR. GINGER [LAST DREAMING]

LIVE LIFE LOUD [FLUID JAPAN’S SEALAB MIX RADIO EDIT]

-30-