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6 Degrees Entertainment

Title - Sirius Sounds (Expanded) [3CD]
Artist - Children of the Bong

For those unaware, Children of the Bong was a British electronic band, formed in the early 1990s by Rob Henry and Daniel Goganian. They signed to Planet Dog Records in 1994 and released one album, Sirius Sounds, as well as a couple of tracks on Planet Dog compilations. The band recorded a Peel Session for DJ John Peel on BBC Radio 1 on 26th April 1994.

The group split up shortly after the release of the album. Rob Henry went on to form a band called Euphonic and now plays in a band called Deep City. Daniel Goganian went on to study at the National Film and Television School and now works in the film and television industry as Studio Director for The Peoples Voice in London. He also plays samba percussion for the Paraiso School of Samba in London.

Sirius Sounds: The Planet Dog Years is a quite wondrous expanded 3CD edition of Children Of The Bong’s debut album that brings together stand-alone tracks released during the band’s time with Planet Dog, unheard mixes and demos, forgotten remixes and a recording of a live performance from 1995.

All the tracks have remastered from their original sources.

CD 1: Sirius Sounds (Remastered)
1. Polyphase
2. Ionospheric State
3. Interface Reality
4. The Veil…
5. Underwater Dub
6. Life On Planet Earth
7. Squigglasonica
8. Visitor

Disc One is a remaster of the band’s 1995 debut album ‘Sirius Sounds’, an 8-track collection of breakbeat-influenced, melodic, analogue, dubby electronica.

Some albums won’t give you life-changing experiences, but they will at least pass the time effectively enough. When it comes to the realm of ambient techno, such an approach is actually more welcome than most. Children of the Bong actually care about beat as well, but though they fool around with dub touches and some often heavy beats, the feeling is more about sweet float ala the lighter side of the Orb.

Indeed, that band is the obvious touchstone for what the Children are doing, but lacking the insane, out-of-nowhere touches which transform the Orb into true experimental monsters of odd. The Children would rather live up to their name and just relax a bit, and you can almost smell the burning cannabis as a result.

Underwater Dub, as can be guessed by the name, really hits the stoner flow hard; about the only thing missing is black light and patchouli oil, though admittedly it’s not all that distinct a song to begin with. Still, there are enough moment of combined acid squelch and relaxed float that make things worthwhile.

Ionospheric State is the first song of note, with a melody buried tantalizing beneath the lead synth crunch and a sharp rhythm roll. Further keyboards in the background accentuate the gentle rise and flow surrounding the main parts of the song.

Other tunes of greater note include the nicely energetic Interface Reality and the deep bass tug of Life on Planet Earth, managing to be both a good groove and subtly haunting at the same time. Otherwise, things tend towards the generally pleasant through Sounds, as with the nice-but-not-much-to-it The Veil... and the tighter dance grooves and vocodered snippets of speaking on Squigglasonica, which definitely has a fun name to its credit.

CD 2:
1. Ultrascope – Quadruped V·1
2. Symbol I – Feed Your Head Volume 2 4. Underwater Dub – Full on, Drums and Bass All Hands-on Deck Roots Mix…!
5. Polyphase Dub – Alternate mix of Polyphase from the Sirius Sounds sessions
6. Squigglasonica – Demo Version
7. The Veil – Having Bean Mix
8. Visitor – Demo Version

Disc Two brings together all of the band’s stand-alone tracks released on various Planet Dog compilations along with a previously unreleased out-take from the ‘Sirius Sounds’ recording session and three demo tracks from the band’s earliest days prior to their signing to Planet Dog.

CD 3:
1. Interface Reality – Stryke’s Reality Reconstruction
2. Interface Reality – Deep Dust Remix
3. Interface Reality – Tyler Stone Remix
Live at Megadog, Cambridge Junction, May 1995
4. Polyphase – Live Version
5. Interface Reality – Live Version
6. Ionospheric State – Live Version
7. Aphelion Force – Live Version
8. Ultrascope – Live Version
9. Squigglasonica – Live Version

Disc Three features three remixes which only ever saw light of day on a limited edition US- released 12”. These are followed by a desk recording of a full live set by the band recorded at a Megadog event in Cambridge in 1995.

The package includes a 20-page full color booklet featuring many unseen photographs and artwork from the band’s archives accompanied by insightful sleeve notes from Kris Needs charting the band’s short but productive career.

“Pushing musical boundaries from the off, COTB laid the exploratory path for all to follow” – Trunky, Exclusive Magazine, 15/7/22.

“Fiery acid melodies and earthy dub rhythms. Dance music has rarely sounded so warm, so organic, so human” – Push, Melody Maker, 8/1/94.

“This album sounds like the unfolding of an entire previously unexplored universe via lots of dubbed-up bass sounds, break beats, trip hoppy vibes and…squiggly techno noises” – Ngaire Ruth, Muzik, August 1995.

“The jewel in the Planet Dog crown…it soundtracks the open mindedness of a new post-E generation” – John Collins, Muzik, September 1995.

Keep up with the latest Children Of The Bong news at their official website: www.childrenofthebong.com

Official Purchase Link

www.cherryred.co.uk





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