01/23/09

 

Heroes Update: Hot Chip Transmit Joy To The World!

 

We keep our promises here at War Child. Yes we do. And last week we promised you a sneak preview or two of the tunes from our really quite special Heroes album.


Once upon a time, in a rainy English town called Manchester, there was an extraordinary record company called Factory. The first band they signed was originally called Warsaw, possibly named after a particularly moody track off a particularly moody David Bowie album called Low. This is significant for two reasons. Firstly, the next album the Thin White Duke recorded was, ahem, Heroes. More of that next week. The more important detail is that Warsaw soon became the magnificent, majestic Joy Division.


Joy Division only lasted for two mind-blowing records before singer Ian Curtis ended his own life. A tragic loss. Joy Division went on to become New Order and the rest, as they say, is still sort of going on.


Anyway, as true legends, we asked the surviving members what song they would like reworking and by who. The answer they gave was surprising in some ways but not if you think about it.


And so we give you Hot Chip and a post-post-Krautrock version of the staggering Transmission. With steel drums. Dance, dance, dance to the radio indeed.


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And before we go, and so you can wonder at the lack of steel drums, here's a little taste of Joy Division at the peak of their powers.




By the way, we're starting a blog next week so you can let us know what you think of the record as we tease you with more tantalizing revelations.