Speedy J :: Ginger (Remaster/Reissue) (Warp)

The ten tracks on offer have been meticulously remastered, breathing new life into the rich range of elements Paap originally employed. This dusting down accentuates the influence of Detroit on the record.

Tales from the past with something to tell the present

“That’s it, never again.”

“Same.”

A conversation. The subject? Purchases I and my brother had made, he based in London and me in Madrid. What had we bought? Him; jeans. Me; a record (or two.) And why were we determined never to repeat our experiences? Brexit. The decision to leave Europe put paid to the easy transfer of goods and services from the continent from the U.K. and vice versa; the exorbitant taxes and long delays in shipping has killed many the business. More importantly, it has created a barrier to the arts with culture, and the free movement of labor, being restricted. My familial situation came to mind with the late arrival of a seminal album and one that characterized progression and symbiosis between Britain and the mainland, Speedy J’s Ginger on Warp Record’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) series.

By the early 90s, Paap was making waves. The Dutchman had already been picked up by Richie Hawtin and John Acquaviva’s Plus 8 label (Hawtin being the only other non-British musician on the AI series.) The style pursued then was more dancefloor focused, clever works of machine music that reshaped club expectations with Transatlantic connections coming to the fore in EPs like Intercontinental (Plus 8, 1990) and Rise (Plus 8, 1991). The finale of the Ginger is, arguably, Speedy J’s most famous and acted as an introduction to his evolving style. Licensed from Plus 8 and released on Artificial Intelligence Vol 1, “De:Orbit” is slow and spatial to the point that some first listeners jacked it up to 45rpm. Bleep satellites and floating choral lines are rained upon by cracked percussion as elements of funk and scratch collide. Speedy J had made his mark and an album was agreed with the guys in Sheffield.

Fast forward three decades and Warp Records are celebrating birthdays. Many of the Artificial Intelligence series are being reissued for their anniversaries. Ginger, released in 1993, was the first and only in the series to be produced by a European artist, Jochem George Paap. First appearing on his own Beam Me Up!, the sound was part of the Eevo Lute sphere; the combination of Detroit influences with a unique touch. For those new to it, or those coming back to it, this collection of ten tracks are tales from the past with something to tell the present.

An album of explorative introspection ::

The title piece is low-slung, a chugging bass glistens with hi-hats as whimsical flourishes pop and swirl, a mystical otherworldly break leading the listener down a totally new path in this seven-minute odyssey. Percussion gives way to delicate instrumentation in “Fill 4,” an elegant reprise of subtle strings before the springtime droplets, warming rays and hi-tech jazz of “Beam Me Up!” lands. Change is central to Ginger. Paap crosses genre boundaries throughout. Industrial currents open “R2D2,” sci-fi sideswipes ruffling the most fragile of melodies. An astral angle permeates the entire 2LP, dawning in glowing brilliance of “Fill 14” or the off-world landscape of “Pitch Perfect” with its cold blasts and rumbling tempos shrouded in an undulating acidic fog.

The ten tracks on offer have been meticulously remastered, breathing new life into the rich range of elements Paap originally employed. This dusting down accentuates the influence of Detroit on the record. The pulsating, motorized groove of “Basic Design” and the clean curves of “Flashback” call to mind the melodic machinations of Carl Craig. Despite said similarities, what is being done on Ginger is neither homage nor pastiche; this was, and continues to be, a unique expression of idea and sound, a linking of music with machine in a totally new way. “Pepper,” which enjoyed its own EP after the album’s release, is the most floor centric work of the record. A throbbing kick gives way to intricate beats, spiraling keys soaring skyward to bring a different energy to this diverse 2LP.

Britain will go to the ballots next week. In fact, we’re in an election year across the globe with the right on the rise; the Conservatives dominated the U.K. for near two decades, The Netherlands opting for their own severities. The world is enduring a period of internalization of outlook, national interest assuming all and more. Cooperation is seen through a narrowing lens.

In spite of such tumultuous times, the past has lessons. The pan-continental collaboration that took place in the 1990s created some of the most timeless electronics known; Ginger is proof in point. An album of explorative introspection, one where human warmth still shines with hope, where open-minded expanses reach horizons is one of promise and opportunity. A record whose sheer quality continues to resonate, whose deeper message is more pertinent than ever.

Emerging from the Rotterdam DJ underground, Speedy J balanced manic energy and a lush sound palette on Ginger, with the clear intention “to take music out of the rave and into a home-listening environment”.

Remastered in 2021, the reissue contains the original design by longtime Warp collaborators The Designers Republic.