Goat - Run To Your Mama Remixes

Goat – Run To Your Mama (mixes)

Label - Rocket Recordings

2012 was, in many ways, the year of the Goat. Not a great deal is known about this enigmatic Swedish collective, other than the fact they hail from a little town called Korpilombolo which has a population of little over 500 people, and they appear to be some reclusive voodoo sect. However, ‘World Music’ topped many an end of year poll, weaving its spell with a rather oddball take on voodoo and more importantly, a totally infectious, danceable groove. Given that the ever reliable Rocket Recordings had, completely out of nowhere, a genuine phenomenon on their hands; it was obvious there was a need to feed the Goat fan base’s growing addiction. As a limited edition for Piccadilly Record’s Album of the Year edition of ‘World Music’, Rocket Recordings assembled a veritable who’s who of contemporary psych rock’s elite to remix one of the standout tracks from the album. To serve the greater public, the Rocket boys are making this collection available over a series of 2 x12”’s for Record Store Day 2013.

West Country shoegazers Thought Forms open up the proceedings with a rather tribal take on Run To Your Mama, replete with warbles and echo, which gets the things off the ground nicely. High Wolf (who released the ace Annapurna Illusion on Rocket Recordings) creates a loopy hypnotic swirl and cosmic wash with his visionary take, whilst Invada man Redg Weeks adds post-punk/kraut clang to his. Tom Furse of The Horror’s rousing ‘extrapolation mix’ is precisely that, venturing off on a whole together rockier, Ziggy Stardust course than the original, with (presumably) leather pants, face paint  and platform shoes included.

Salfordian shamans Gnod and their right hand (sound)man Raikes Parade blow Ayahuasca smoke into the track to add a welcome dubbed out Future Sound of London feel, taking you on a slightly scary vision fueled trip up the Amazon . Fellow Rocket-eers Teeth Of The Sea give theirs a run through the ‘Your Mercury’ machine, which is no bad thing, as creepy guitar noodle, beefed up drums and ominous synths warp themselves around a skeletal version of the original. The much vaunted Hookworms hammer ‘Run To Your Mama’ into Spacemen 3 style shimmer with haunted Farfisa and Space Echo.

Cherrystones manage to repurpose the track into slightly darker Wax Trax! territory with crackly industrial drive, whilst Cage and Aviary deliver an altogether more Acid House take. Both tracks here are perhaps the most radical re-imaginings of ‘Run To Your Mama’ available here.

On the face of it, the idea of hearing 9 versions of the same track may not initially appeal, but the pedigree of the re-mixers involved ensures that this is time well spent. Difficult as this collection was to review without repeating myself, the collection perhaps makes more sense run over the course of 2x12”’s rather than as one continuous piece. The spirit of ‘World Music’ is most definitely upheld here, as there are many competing influences making their way to the surface, whilst never losing sight of the trance filled, ritualistic feel which powers the album. There really isn’t a weak or unimaginative version here, and whilst you get to hear some of the best modern psych acts at work, this plugs the gap comfortably until the mysterious Goat collective manage to summon forth their next long player.

First published on Louder Than war