(Photo credit: Beta Photographie)
FACT: Calibre has never been remixed.
Over 15+ years of sonic soul conjurations have given us well over 60 singles and 10 albums. Yet not one of these original productions has been under the knife of any other artist.
Can you think of any other artist as high profile or prolific who’s never been remixed? We can’t.
“That’s happened pretty naturally and without any preconceived thought,” he explains. “I just realised after a few years that I’d never been remixed. So I decided to keep it that way.”
He’s not even sure if there are any cheeky illicit bootlegs of his material…
“I don’t think that’s ever happened. But I wouldn’t be too bothered if I heard a bootleg,” he considers. “I’m not sacrosanct about these things. I’d probably find it amusing or entertaining for a while and then I’d move on. I don’t get hung up on stuff like that.”
Thankfully his (albeit open minded) no-remix rule doesn’t work both ways. He’s been on the flip side so many times he reckons he’s had a “gut full” of remixes in the last year. And UKF Drum&Bass has been home to two of the best in the last month. Chase & Status’s Blk & Blu and David Boomah. Let’s refresh our ears…
Further back he’s also given these two beautiful reversions of T.E.E.D and Breach…
To many a Calibre remix simply stands as a by-word for quality. We thought we’d ask him what stands as a by-word for quality in Calibre’s eyes….
Calibre’s Top 3 Remixes
4Hero – Star Chasers (Photek Remix)
(Photek’s remix has somehow managed to by-pass YouTube users’ encyclopaedic upload behaviour so we’ll have to settle for the original)
“From the album when they went all jazzy and sophisticated. They commissioned a whole bunch of great remixes from the album and this one really impressed me. It’s the very remix that sprang to mind when you asked me, so it’s obviously left an impression on me!”
Basement Jaxx – Fly Life (Roni Size Remix)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGqd8ItcYhM
“What a fantastic job Roni did here! I actually thought about drawing for this for my recent six hour set at Fabric. I considered playing a lot of older drum & bass in the set but it turns out I never had time. I still love this remix.”
Jaheim – Put That Woman First (Calibre Remix)
“I’m going to be a lazy bastard and pick one of my own remixes if that’s okay? I’m still really pleased with this particular remix. I can play this anywhere in the world. I have very romantic memories of playing this in Brazil with everyone signing along. There’s a great culture of singing along to people live over there… It happens in other countries but perhaps not quite as emphatically or with such unity. Those memories have really stuck with me.”