The "Smitten is Dead" label. Your thoughts please.

Is it just me, or is anyone else not really that happy with the Smitten is Dead label?

I was speaking to Steve (Smitten) before he moved to Australia, as I was buying tunes off of him, and we got talking about Smitten is Dead. Now at the time, I thought to myself "what a wicked idea!" It would be good for people who were after some of the hard to find original tunes & great to hear some updates.

Smitten was (still is IMO) one of the best acid techno labels EVER! So when Steve said the plan was to release 10 tracks over 2 years, the original one side & a really wicked bang on it, up to date remix the other I was really excited.

The plan was from what I was told, with 2 years to do the 10 remixes, there was time to make them on par with, nore amazing than, or even blow away the originals.

Trailer Trash was the first to be remixed. Steve was NOT happy with the remix, and it got put out on Stay Up Forever Remix as the track was finished. I bought the SUFR release & I have to say it was ok IMO (worked well on the dancefloor), but I did agree with Steve in the fact that it was not really that amazing. Nothing really new or fresh.

Now Steve has gone, I take it that SUF are 100% in control of the Smitten is Dead label, and I take it (I may be wrong, so don't quote me, but I will try and find out) Steve is no longer involved.

Every Smitten is Dead release so far has been standard issue acid techno, ok, but more filler than killer IMO, bar one release. I loved the Bad Day at Blackfrog Creek remix. That was a killer track!

The others have been the same old same old, and are no where near as good as the originals. Don't get me wrong, I am willing to give the label a chance, I listen to every release to see whats going on, but the S.I.D releases are not making me want to get my hard earned cash out to purchase them. I'm glad I have the originals.

I really hope Ant works his magic on Techno Purists. He is on fire at the moment as I am sure you will all agree & I hope he delivers the goods. I will be one of the first in line to check that remix out, belive it.

Sorry if I seem to be going off on one here, but I feel quite strongly that this label should be so much better than it is. More killers, less fillers. Maybe I should shut up, maybe you guys really like the label. Who knows? I just think it's a bit of a let down after listening to all the original Smittens.

I'd like to hear your thoughts...

(Feel free to tell me to fu*k off if you like... :lol: )

I have to agree with you there Si.

I haven't actually bought any of these releases. I have, in fact, struggled to find them in Manchester. I wanted to listen to the bad day remix, but couldn't find it... I did listen to Trailer Trash, Mad Cows & 3 Day.. remixes, but I was very unimpressed & uninspired as they were Geezer tunes, & might as well have been on Skank or Wah Wah, they didn't seem to do anything new.

Was really looking forward to this label, as there have been so many wicked tunes on Smitten, but I was hoping for a wider representation of the London producers, was really hoping for a DDR remix, maybe an Immersion one, but it seems to be mainly Geezer. Also, IMHO, its been a weird selection of tunes - Mad cows has already been done & the remix wasn't a patch on the original or on the other mixes. Techno Purists.. never did it for me, tho, i guess it would be easy to improve it on the remix :oops: ......

I would have liked to see new versions of tracks like 'Mardy Alan' & 'Effective Therapy' :love: or 'The Beast', etc, maybe that Balloonheads track? Does anyone know which other tunes will be done?

Sim. :neutral:

I think what I would like to see is completely different producers getting their teeth into the original Smitten releases that were a little bit weak the first time round. I'd love to hear Lawrie Immersion do a remix of something, or even someone away from the London acid scene completely. Now that would be interesting!

The less well known tunes would be the one's I would want to remix & give a new lease of life, not try and milk the classics, especially the ones that have already been done on Smitten Remix.

also why remix mad cows - just repress the rozzers dog mix! (it would sell big units imo)

but yeah the chewns are classics - so i think they have no plan to top them... just average remixs...

maybe suf never wanted to do it? as its dead...

i agree si with such a legendry label the remixes deserve more effort as they all just been throw away efforts so far (aside from bad day)

f**k goa and black frog were mint. the others are toss.

I really liked smitten is dead 01, 02 and 04...

And bought 03 because I didnt have the original one...

05 is WICKED!!!! Chris played it here and it's fantastic!!!!

I like this idea... and the best thing is that the original track is repressed...

"Smitten was (still is IMO) one of the best acid techno labels EVER! "

amen brotha!

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Originally Posted by Rog

also why remix mad cows - just repress the rozzers dog mix! (it would sell big units imo)

but yeah the chewns are classics - so i think they have no plan to top them... just average remixs...

maybe suf never wanted to do it? as its dead...

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Agree with you there, especially as it had already had a 'remix' a few years ago that was in many peoples opinion better than the original.

Must add that I haven't been too impressed with Smitten Is Dead so never bought any of them. I cannot see the point of remixing tunes that are years old unless there has been a big demand for them. Smitten has had it's time so bring in the new. The only one that has really interested me is Bad Day but I love the original & that's good enough for me.

someone should get the fabulous23s to remix them shouldnt they?! :nono:

I want a Havok is Dead label. That was proper label!!

I have Strip 01 & 02 and.. its all, i dont need next releases cus i think they never gettin me satisfy like the orginal versions, still w8ing for Techno Purists remixes...
I hope that i`ll never see Quartz remixes (from SMT 20) on smitten is dead.. why ? cus it PERFECT track, one one my the best track ever so the Remix on 100% would be worse than orginal...



AcidTrash: Your idea with Havok is dead its GREAT, just try influence someone to do it :clap:

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Originally Posted by AcidTrash

I want a Havok is Dead label. That was proper label!!

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not many of Havok's did it for me unfortunately. Henry's & Dirty Blonde's two releases were the pick of the bunch IMO & I wouldn't want to see them remixed.

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Originally Posted by Dabble

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Originally Posted by AcidTrash

I want a Havok is Dead label. That was proper label!!

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not many of Havok's did it for me unfortunately. Henry's & Dirty Blonde's two releases were the pick of the bunch IMO & I wouldn't want to see them remixed.

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I cant agree.. and what you thinking about havok 13.3 (Acid Ted) or Havok 02 :love: ???

I think that if you pick away and analyse a piece of music every time you listen to something new your taking the fun out of it, teknos party music, not bedroom dj with a pen note pad and poster of Chris liberator on your wall music!




Techno anoraks are killing the scene!

im not really happy with any of it, none of the tracks have been up to par, with either the remix lable of smitten or the origional lable itself.

that being said, i really think they should have left smitten, dead. To be honest i would rather remember it as the great lable it was, and not the sub par remixes that were done, trying to revive it...

now its only half way through (only 10 smittens are dead or something?) so it could still be good. but honestly, its my opinion that smitten should have stayed dead, and remembered as the great lable it was.

but i'll still buy them if they are good. so far i havnt bought any....

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Originally Posted by ollie303

I think that if you pick away and analyse a piece of music every time you listen to something new your taking the fun out of it, teknos party music, not bedroom dj with a pen note pad and poster of Chris liberator on your wall music!




Techno anoraks are killing the scene!

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no ones forcing you to read the messages are they? This is an acid techno forum. Do you understand that???? A place where people like to chat about acid techno.

Techno is whatever people want to make of it & I enjoy playing it & listeining to it at parties as I do at home on my decks which are not in my bedroom. You do like making lots of generalisations about people on this board don't you!

If you dont like it, you know what to do ;)

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Originally Posted by ollie303

I think that if you pick away and analyse a piece of music every time you listen to something new your taking the fun out of it, teknos party music, not bedroom dj with a pen note pad and poster of Chris liberator on your wall music!

Techno anoraks are killing the scene!

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No Ollie, you are very very wrong. The poeple that post here love the acid techno scene, and love the music with a passion. This forum is for people to talk about and express their feelings towards everything acid. There's nothing wrong with picking a track to pieces in my opinion. It's not an "anoraks" thing to do, its people caring about the music.

Read Lawrie Immersion's words in the interviews section about his feelings on todays "dance music". I think he's hit the nail on the head with his comments.

Acid techno is party music, but its a shit party when the tunes are not as good as they should be, or could be. There's nothing wrong with the party goers wanting more from the party music.

If something doesn't sound good, or isn't hitting the spot, then I believe whoever created that piece of music should be given an honest opinion, and if that means saying its not up to scratch then so be it.

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Originally Posted by Si the Sigh

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Originally Posted by ollie303

I think that if you pick away and analyse a piece of music every time you listen to something new your taking the fun out of it, teknos party music, not bedroom dj with a pen note pad and poster of Chris liberator on your wall music!

Techno anoraks are killing the scene!

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No Ollie, you are very very wrong. The poeple that post here love the acid techno scene, and love the music with a passion. This forum is for people to talk about and express their feelings towards everything acid. There's nothing wrong with picking a track to pieces in my opinion. It's not an "anoraks" thing to do, its people caring about the music.

Read Lawrie Immersion's words in the interviews section about his feelings on todays "dance music". I think he's hit the nail on the head with his comments.

Acid techno is party music, but its a shit party when the tunes are not as good as they should be, or could be. There's nothing wrong with the party goers wanting more from the party music.

If something doesn't sound good, or isn't hitting the spot, then I believe whoever created that piece of music should be given an honest opinion, and if that means saying its not up to scratch then so be it.

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:clap: :clap: :clap: Well said Si!!!

...& just to add, it's the 'anoracks' who are just about keeping the scene alive. It's the 'anoraks' who buy the tunes & without them the scene would be dead.

If you do not know your music then how the f**k can you be a DJ????

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Originally Posted by ollie303

I think that if you pick away and analyse a piece of music every time you listen to something new your taking the fun out of it, teknos party music, not bedroom dj with a pen note pad and poster of Chris liberator on your wall music!




Techno anoraks are killing the scene!

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so does that mean if somethings a piece of shit you just deal with it and pretend to like it?

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Originally Posted by ollie303

I think that if you pick away and analyse a piece of music every time you listen to something new your taking the fun out of it, teknos party music, not bedroom dj with a pen note pad and poster of Chris liberator on your wall music!




Techno anoraks are killing the scene!

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Its a annoyance reading your opinion :cry:

I sitting in acid techno scene about 6 years and all my free time and all my heart give back what i love. Its a acid techno. I try what i can do to develop my local polish scene. Now im fell dissapointed, why you thinking like that ?

Sorry i cant understand you, but i accept your opinion.