Curve – Blackerthreetrackertwo

I love Curve, but this was an unnecessary release (along with Fait Accompli Extended), and can be skipped when comes to their discography. The Missing Link remix is overrated and just weak, dare I say even unlistenable.The only saving factor for this EP would be including original versions of "Rising" and "Half The Time". Here instead, the decision was to include right away poorly remixed versions of these songs, which makes this EP even less desirable. The original versions of these 2 tracks were finally included on the 2017 CD reissue of Cuckoo (with other bonus material), and are amazing. Like really, some of best Curve b-sides. Now this EP is being reissued by Music On Vinyl in 2023, which in my opinion is a waste of wax. /end of rant

Arguably, Curve's 'Cuckoo' album was their creative peek. It certainly was for me. There's an awful lot going on in their 1993-era output, not least of all across the 'Blackerthreetracker' EP formats. Here we have CD2, which plays host to three wonderfully inventive reworkings by Nine Inch Nails, Future Sound Of London and The Drum Club respectfully. Predictably, Missing Link (Screaming Bird Mix), goes down a noise-fest industrial route, slowing down Halliday's spiky coo into a bitter drawl. The gem of the piece is track two, an otherwise unreleased track, 'Rising', which could've been found onboard a crashed space craft. At just under 10 minutes in length, it's an epic, ambient odyssey which sounds like it was beamed through the universe and reflected back through an android's throbbing voice box. Easily my most favourite 'remix' - ever! Track three is another otherwise unreleased track, 'Half The Time', which is a rampant techno offering, cutting up several vocal pieces or textures, and reassembling them to form new 'words', which float over the tight drums. I've worn my copy out over the years, it's a solid 22 minutes of genius, with three very interesting and very different selections. A must-have.

Curve have always been amenable to electronic music, considering how processed their electric guitars are and how open vocalist Toni Halliday is to electronic projects. Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails delivers a industrial-noise mix of “Missing Link” that’s all growl and grit. From the other end of the spectrum, the Future Sound of London offers “Rising” an eerie, outer space journey in a rickety flying saucer. It’s another masterpiece from the FSOL boys, when they were in their heyday. The Drum Club give “Half the Time” a techno spin, looping vocal snippets over their trademark drums. The FSOL mix is the hands-down winner here, though all three are worthwhile.