The Sons Of Silence v Ronnie & Clyde by Ronnie & Clyde v The Sons Of Silence
Formats: 12" EP (DOCK 15)
Release Date: 13 April 1998
The first of Leaf's continuing series of soundclashes: four exclusive spankers from the heppest cats in town. Squaring up for a soundclash mightier than Godzilla vs The Welsh Miners: in the Turquoise corner it's those masters of the machine and the haircut, The Sons Of Silence. And in the Round corner, the men who invented the lip smack, Ronnie & Clyde. Four Rounds, no biting, no pinching.
At the end of 1997 The Sons Of Silence and Ronnie & Clyde played at London's Blue Note club on the same night - what followed was a meeting of minds and record labels for the benefit of all. Both recorded a track and then gave it to the other to remix. So what comes out is two sides of 12" vinyl crammed with the sounds of pow! - not exactly a fight, more of a kick around the park, or perhaps the ice rink.
The Sons Of Silence lay the first punch with 'Vibra Slap' - a seething, sweating mass of beat happenings, followed swiftly by their remix of Ronnie & Clyde's 'Fire In The Hold'. Then Ronnie & Clyde get up, get into it and get involved with 'Fire In The Hold', a tune so catchy it's already a postman's favourite. Things come to an insane and very frazzled-looking head with Ronnie & Clyde's remix of 'Vibra Slap' - strap yourself in and hide the pets, or alternatively just strap yourself to the pets.
The Sons Of Silence (described by Muzik as "one of the best new bands of 1997" - predictable, but fair) have have brought dancefloors to their feet around the UK and Europe with their combination of spiralling breakbeats, howling mad saxophone, turntable craziness and even a sense of humour. Future plans include more records and less work. For everyone.
Ronnie & Clyde released their debut album In Glorious Black And Blue on the Swim~ label to great critical acclaim. Norwegian Vogue described them as "lithe-limbed lovelies, with a potent, musky hum". Except they didn't. They have remixed Bim Sherman and King Kooba while inflicting an alarming re-spray on the new US Vapourspace single. Lawks!
Ronnie & Clyde have just returned from a fact-finding mission in Poland. Worryingly, the fact they found was so potentially devastating that it is now being held under 24-hour guard at the University of Steeple-Bumstead.
Forthcoming live shows will rock. Future plans spin woozily around a cache of rare pelts and a heavy-bottomed frying pan.
The Sons Of Silence v Ronnie & Clyde EP was released simultaneously in by Leaf in the UK and Derailed in the US (as MDMA-1002), and we have copies of both versions available for mail order.
1. Vibra Slap by The Sons Of Silence
2. Fire In The Hold (South Park Strut) by Ronnie & Clyde
3. Fire In The Hold by Ronnie & Clyde
4. Vibra Slap (65 Elements) by The Sons Of Silence