SHARE JEM HAYNES’ NEW ‘LA VAMPIRE’ REMIX – LISTEN HERE
THE ORIGINAL FEATURES ON THE ACCLAIMED DEBUT ALBUM
‘NORTHERN GENTLEMAN’– LISTEN HERE
“It is a life-affirming, rollicking, thrilling, kinetic, sometimes unbearably poignant tribute… Northern Gentleman is not only a stunning record in its own right, and a magnificent achievement by Kav and the band, it is a fitting epitaph to Andy Rourke, and a musical life less ordinary.” – Louder Than War
“A striking, emotional collection of songs, embedded in energy and life, their final work is a heartfelt farewell to a friend, who leaves a legacy, unforgettable memories of who Andy was as a person and his spectacular style of bass playing.” – Clash
“Listeners will leave with tugged heartstrings as the power of human connection through music is shown in a way like no other.”– The Upcoming
“A life-affirming piece of work and fitting tribute to Rourke.” – Live 4 Ever
“Kav Sandhu and crew infused their long-awaited debut with the love of music as escapism and how a great hook can lift everyone’s spirits.” – New Noise
**** – The Sun
Blitz Vega’s long-awaited debut album ‘Northern Gentleman’ recently emerged to strong critical acclaim – a record that was testament to both legendary Smiths’ bassist Andy Rourke’s life-long creativity as well as bandmate Kav Sandhu’s dedication to completing a fitting tribute to his much-missed friend. Now Blitz Vega return to the band’s roots by releasing Jem Haynes’ remix of ‘LA Vampire’, one of the very first songs that they collaborated on together.
The original ‘LA Vampire’ is one of Blitz Vega’s finest moments, pulsating electro-rock that captured the dark, sleazy undercurrent of Los Angeles. Jem Haynes has reshaped it in an entirely new light, a tech-house juggernaut of heavyweight grooves, clattering beats and a vibe that captures the hedonistic atmosphere of his time as a regular at Manchester club institution Sankeys. He also takes a playful approach to highlighting elements from the original, with vocals distorted into euphoric waves of sound and select bursts of chiming guitar.
Jem says, “It’s been a real honour to put a fresh new spin on Andy Rourke’s amazing work alongside the hauntingly brilliant vocals from Kav. I hope indie kids and dance music fans love it!”
Kav adds, “It was one of two of the first songs we recorded and it triggered Andy suggesting we should form a band. It’s a fun song, a tongue-in-cheek observation really, inspired by some friends in LA. A celebration of characters. It was originally written to a 4/4 house beat. So, when Jem did the remix, it made complete sense.”
Jem Haynes is best known for his nine-year residency for Space Ibiza, his Balearic adventures also taking him to Pikes. Back home in the UK he has played an A-Z of standout clubs, also including Ministry of Sound, Fabric and The Warehouse Project, while Glastonbury and Bestival are among his festival highlights. His own tracks, primarily released on his own Colour Series label, have amplified his reputation alongside collabs with the likes of Stanton Warriors (recently hitting #1 on Beatport with ‘Gonna Be’), the Grammy Award winner Jinadu and Faithless. Radio airplay and club support has come from an array of influential names, including Pete Tong, Skream, Anja Schneider, Hot Since 82 and Sister Bliss.
Named in tribute to Andy Rourke, Blitz Vega’s ‘Northern Gentleman’ album is packed with singles – ‘Disconnected’, ‘Strong Forever’ (featuring Johnny Marr), ‘Lost Myself’, ‘Lost & Found’, ‘Love City’ and ‘LA Vampire’ – while the overall record is an exuberant hybrid of sounds that takes in touches of timeless rock ‘n’ roll, classic Britpop, decadent LA punk, thumping electronica, and a little ‘70s glam for good measure. Kav has also kept up his promise to Andy that he would take the band on the road, with recent shows at London’s Scala, three nights at the Edinburgh Fringe, and at Leicester’s International – expect news of more to follow soon.
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