Favourite Record of 2002.

I think most (or at least a really really high %) of the world's best music comes out of the UK... let's face it... The Smith's, Sting, Iron Maiden, Sex Pistols, The Editors, Ian Brown, um... some small time band called The Beatles and most electronica that took us into and shaped the new millenium... don't forget to credit these guys with how music is produced and now purchased these days...

This band however was responsible for my favourite record of 2002 and they were AMERICAN.

Listening again to this band takes me back to Byron days when I used to go in to set the club up early and sound check playing this album (my old friend from home sydney Meredith Jordan introduced me to it) - #1 by New York City's Fischerspooner. I used to play this record and sing into the mic... mostly to myself (thankfully) but sometimes Tabitha (my bar manager) would get an earful.

These guys were ahead of it - and "electroclash" was still emerging in even London and Germany when these dudes were all over it (but suprisingly from the USA??!) ... For me it was them and Miss Kitten & The Hacker at the forefront...

This record is a treat... influencers must have been Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys & Kraftwerk...

I remember back to my record label days (and work with The Shop Music) when they released the follow up album called Odyssey. Tim McGee at EMI / Ministry and Craig "Burger Queen" at Sony got into a big old bidding war for the follow up... and the album wasn't nearly (unfortunately) as good as their first (featuring this record).

It was however the Adam Freeland (Marine Parade - also played at c-moog for me) remix of "Emerge" that made them the dosh (at least in clubland)...

However it was this record, "the 15th", which was my favourite record in 2002.... enjoy!