The Smitten appreciation thread...

[Si the Sigh]

Yet another classic acid techno label! Ok, so some people don't rate the Smitten releases as highly as the Stay Up Forever, Routemaster, etc releases, but there has been some awesome stuff on the Smitten labels.

I love the way the label progressed as well. The early releases being acid trance, then full on acid, before the percussive releases. Highlights for me have to be:

Smitten 9 - Lawrie Immersion - Slut Fu*k.

The break in Slut Fu*k is sick! Head mashing sounds & great acid IMO. Bit of a bastard to mix though. By that I mean, I have not quite found anythink that really goes well with it. :twisted:

Smitten 32 - X meets Y - 13.5% Extra.
Smitten 41 - Bodie & Doyle - Stop the Rush.

These 2 tracks are so different from any of the other releases IMO, both have a really chilled acid sound to them. 2 of the finest releases on Smitten. And if you don't like the trancy sound, both sides are hard as nails on the flip. :cool:

Smitten 34 - Audio Pancake - Meltdown to the Millennium.
Steve Smitten told me this was the worst selling Smitten release ever...God only knows why, as I think its awesome! From start to finish its quality! :rambo:

All the Punk Floyd releases.

All amazing. The first acid techno super group. All hail Punk Floyd! :clap:

Smitten 36 - Vibe Bar Rejects - Harry's Delay.

Love this for that fu*king smoke alarm sound! When I have been a bit "under the influence" this always trips me out! :lol:

Smitten Remix 1 - Rozzer's Dog - Mad Cows on Acid.

Rozzer's Dog can do no wrong. Awesome tune & one of the Smitten's I need to complete my collection. Shame no ones willing to sell this to me (hint hint! ;) )

Smitten Remix 3 - DAVE the Drummer's remix of Purge.

Dark & hard and reminds me of one of the best ever Mark EG sets from Helter Skelter. :rambo:

And last but not least...

Smitten LTD 5 - DDR - The Gift.

Such a wicked idea for a track! Took me ages to get hold of this again after some muppet put it on a space heater after they had taken it off the decks... :doh: A classic & clever tune.

So, Smitten...

What do / did you think of this label?

Are you pleased to see Smitten is Dead?

Whats been your top Smitten tunes?

What would you like to hear given a new lease of life on Smitten is Dead?

[Paul Zykotik]

Found Smitten consistently brilliant, and then I just kind of went off it really, around the early 40s. I was the same with SUF and Routemaster though, so it was probably more me getting fed up with 303s rather than any decline in quality. It was an excellent label though, and it was sad to see it go.

I tell you what - I seem to be in the minority for this as well - but I could never get into the Smitten Ltd releases. I always found them far too slow and dull. But as I say I realise this is a minority view!

Anyway, my highlights are:

Geezer - Bubblerap (16)
Dave The Drummer - Strictly Underground (24)
Tarball & Lungbutter - Out There (27)
Vibe Bar Rejects - Disturbance (31)
Chris Liberator & The Geezer - Our Shit Is Out There (33)
Geezer - Suspect Package (39)

Bodie & Doyle - Cropduster (41) AWESOME tune, got so many memories of this, it used to get cained in Edinburgh!

Dave The Drummer - Buried Alive (46)
DDR - Splinter (48)
Immersion - Fat Acid (50)

Tarball & Lungbutter - Wank In My Pocket (LP 5)

Punk Floyd - The E's Are Working (Ha-Lo Coming Up Mix) (Remix 4)

[Si the Sigh]

I agree that around the 40 mark, Smitten tried to change a bit & some of the releases were a bit hit and miss. I do agree that the Smitten LTD's were a bit slow & sometimes weird (Trailer Trash for example). I think the worst things to come out on the label were:

Smitten 44 - Dexys Subway Runner - Both sides are really bad :neutral:
Smitten LP 6 - Rowland the Bastard - Things to do in Devon when your dead...

Over all though, a high quality label! :clap:

[sim]

My favourite release on smitten has to be #31 ( Vibe Bar Rejects - Disturbance/70MPH). Both of these tunes are so dark & atmospheric, truly wicked (esp. 70mph).

I also love the gift, was ****ing around last night & recorded an old school acid set, which started off with this, so funky & cool.

Other highlights, for me:

Mad cows on acid (original & remix) - one (two) of the most mental acid tunes ever

Mardy Alan (#19)

Can't breathe (#12)

Its an acid thing (#20)

Madness (#30)

The one last one (#46)

Shaver (#47)

Effective therapy (LTD #2)


Sim.

[Si the Sigh]

Lots of people say "The one last one" is one of the best releases on the label. I think the "Dig your own grave EP" was the best LP on the label by far. Every tracks quality! :clap:

[sim]

It was an ace EP. Particularly liked batting practice as well, but I always struggle to mix it, as there's so many breaks & odd bits, & I always want to play it for as long as possible (think there's a break right towards the end, cutting down the mixing out time?)....

Personally, I rather liked #44 (the funky B-side). Wasn't took taken with the Buzzsaw ltd (was it 3?), or LTD #4 or 6, i think.

Back in the day, when I was new to swapping records, i foolishly, stupidly, swapped my copies of smt 1, SRX 1 for some old routemasters, still regretting that as I haven't found another copy of SRX 1 for a reasonable price :oops: :doh: :roll:

[Si the Sigh]

Neither have I mate! :lol: It's the hardest Smitten to find that Remix 1. One day I will own it...one day :roll:

[jonnyspeed]

Firstly anlybody got a vinyl copy of LP6 Rowland - What to do in Devon...? that I can buy. Dollar waiting.

Back to the topic...

SMT 06 Lochi - "Paroxysm" (12")
SMT 09 Immersion - "Slut ****" (12")
SMT 10 Chris Liberator - "System Test EP" (12")
SMT 12 Punk Floyd - "Can't Breathe" (12")
SMT 16 Geezer - "The Long And Short Of It" (12")
SMT 19 Chris Liberator & The Geezer - "303 Power" (12")
SMT 21 Audio Pancake - "**** Goa" (12")
SMT 22 Balloonheads - "Jaw To The Floor" (12")
SMT 25 Rowland The Bastard - "Richy Harris Used My Daughter" (12")
SMT 33 Chris Liberator & The Geezer - "Our Shit Is Out There" (12")
SMT 45 Punk Floyd - "3 Day Illegal Rave Party From Hell" (12")
SMT 51 Rasmus vs Speaker Pimps - "Men Of The 303" (12")
SMT 55 Scratch N Sniff - "Smell The Glove" (12")
SRX 2 Geezer - "Prozac Remixes" (12")
SRX 6 D.A.V.E. The Drummer - "Implant Remixes" (12")
SRX 9 Hibernate - "The Tank Theme" (12")

:clap:

[davethedrummer]

great label!

my personal favorite:

smit 17 implant.

it's by me ( of course)

also

bad day at black frog creek

(an undiscovered classic!)

[jonnyspeed]

great label!
bad day at black frog creek


...which just happens to be on re-release on SID at the moment :oops:

[sim]

Firstly anlybody got a vinyl copy of LP6 Rowland - What to do in Devon...? that I can buy. Dollar waiting.



If the price is right, i might let mine go...

However, I would say that the only tune worth having is Bang The Beat, a nice acid beast, which was re-released on the curved pressings yellow thingy (can't remember what was on the flip, but i'll check when I get home - would rather sell this than the album).

I do have the album on CD as well, bit of a waste tho, since i have 'em all on vinyl, hmm.

Sim.

[Si the Sigh]

I dunno what it is about that Things to do in Devon when your dead LP, but I really didn't think it was that good. I've heard Rowland produce much better stuff on Smitten.

[Paul Zykotik]

I thought it was okay, nothing outstanding but solid acid techno fare really. I always thought Rowland's best stuff was on Bionic Orange anyway - 14 Trips To Kansas anyone? :twisted:

[sim]

14 trips was top, as was 'Out of Control' on FU2 & Freakshow on Abstraction, my personal faves....

Mind Games had wicked acid too.

Sim.

[Si the Sigh]

I thought it was okay, nothing outstanding but solid acid techno fare really. I always thought Rowland's best stuff was on Bionic Orange anyway - 14 Trips To Kansas anyone? :twisted:

TUNE!! :clap:

[basslinejunkie]

great label!
bad day at black frog creek


...which just happens to be on re-release on SID at the moment :oops:

yeah its on bangingtunes.i was 2 late 2 pick it up though unfortunately :cry:

[Si the Sigh]

Mate, you really wanna be getting a copy of the remix! Its quality! :clap:

[jonnyspeed]

I dunno what it is about that Things to do in Devon when your dead LP, but I really didn't think it was that good. I've heard Rowland produce much better stuff on Smitten.

I used think think that then one day I got home from a party and listened to the CD in the dark, really loud and totally spazzed - I now just think its one of the most amazing things I've heard - okay not typical bouncy acid techno but well warehouse, imo. word!

So PM my if anybody wants to sell the vinyl copy - wicked!

[dirty_bass]

The ecstacy is working remix. I ****in love that.
And 70mph/disturbance.
And well actually, I love smitten. It was my favourite acid techno label by far.
And steve smitten looks a bit like me :shock:

[gary_human]

[quote="dirty_bass"]
And well actually, I love smitten. It was my favourite acid techno label by far.
quote]

Let me 2nd that Mr Bass - was my fave label n'all!!!

I even had a sweatshirt (lost now though, just like the ballonheads vinyl) and slipmatts I loved it that much :love:

[the_psychologist]

yeah, this was my fave label for a few years. i'm so sad that i have slipmats, a knit hat, and a t-shirt, as well as all the releases except #1 (my payment was "lost" in the post, and i gave up).

i always respected that the label was as much about techno as it was about acid. it started out strong, and stayed that way until late in the catalogue (excepting the odd crappe record).

my faves are:

#3 the Lawrie rmx (love to hear that early acid trance)
#6 the whole Ballistic record, esp the B sides
#7 by Geezer, both sides (esp the percussion on "Prozac")
#8 "BSE" :twisted:
#12 "Can't Breathe" (another of my early loves)
#16 "The Long & Short Of It" :shock:
#18 A-side ("Mardy Alan"? that acid line is very wicked)
#20 double pack :love: :love: (only weak tune is "The Beast", never liked the kickdrum)
#24 both sides (Henry bangs out the techno)
#25 both sides :shock:
#27 both sides
#28 both sides
#30-36 ("Our Shit" is a bit pisstake-y, and i think "Brown Nun goes too long, but it's all good)
#38 both sides (great Henry techno, still love "Proper")
#39 good Geezer acid
#43 both sides (two good cuts of Rowland/Geezer acid techno)
#46 all tunes have merit (love "One Last One" and "We Aren't..")
#47 "Splinter" (oh, how i love this tune. great, stripped-down acid techno by DDR, very tasteful)
**then label goes bit...hm...off-track**

as for the remixes, love #1 Rozzer's rmx, #2 Rowland rmx, #4 Balloonheads rmx, and #5 both sides.

as far as the LTDs go, i like "The Gift" (though mixing it sucks) and "Marbled". not too sure about the rest...

ahh, Smitten.

[Si the Sigh]

Deffo the best label!

[dan the acid man]

great label, bloody great label!!!!!!!!!!!!! i felt like crying when it all ended
:cry:
anyway, some favourites that spring to mind are:

fat arse by D.A.V.E the drummer
i just **** up by Geezer
had it with blondes ( i think its that side, the 303 side anyway) by Rowland the bastard
brown nunn by the vibe bar rejects
ritchy harris stole my daughter by rowland
shut up by the geezer
but theres loads more aswell!!!!!!!! :love: :love:

does anyone know if you can still buy the smitten slipmat's anywhere :eh:

[dan the acid man]

did i get it right this time :oops: :lol:

[Si the Sigh]

Yes!! :lol:

[Rog]

what you want - by Dave the Drummer "chewn!!!"

punk floyd - oi you noisy.... :doh:

and yep rozzers dog rmx of mad cows... :love:

[shannon]

i know its not a "smitten" release, but 'its ****ing dark' - fab 23's is f@cking wicked!!

[lunatrick]

My personal faves on this this label were both by henry - dig your own grave and my favourite acid tune of all time 'proper' - proper by name proper my nature - played it last night as it goes - you just can't beat that fat twisted bassline....nice.

[maily]

My personal faves on this this label were both by henry - dig your own grave and my favourite acid tune of all time 'proper' - proper by name proper my nature - played it last night as it goes - you just can't beat that fat twisted bassline....nice.

those are my favs aswell!
proper is driving percussive acid techno at its best,
and buried alive is one of the hardest n darkest tunes i know, makes me jump around any time i hear it :twisted:

[dirty_bass]

Dug out smitten 30 at the weekend.

DDR: Your Eyes.


Phoooook!!!

What a tune!!!

[dirty_bass]

Cor and SMt 15 Baron Felch: Acilod

One of my fave Acid Tunes.

Man

Smitten Rocked!!!

[dirty_bass]

But Disturbance, By the Vibe Bar Rejects on Smt 31 is the one for me.

Henry and Steve together made some damn fine stuff. And this is pure class.

[Si the Sigh]

Yea, I liked the Vibe Bar Rejects stuff. Quality! :clap: