MES: Collaborations & Guest Appearances (Part 2: 2000 onwards)

 

Following on from the first instalment, which dealt with MES's guest appearances and collaborations up to 1999, we move into the 21st century...

Mild Man Jan - Fistful Of Credits (2000)

This atmospheric piece of downbeat electronica was recorded with Mild Man Jan aka Spencer Marsden, who co-wrote 'Mad.Men-Eng.Dog'. Like several other MES collaborations, it appeared on the 2001 compilation A World Bewitched (apparently without Marsden being asked).

Mouse On Mars - Cut The Gain / Sound City (2004)

Before Von Südenfed (see below) Smith first worked with German electronica duo Mouse On Mars (Jan St. Werner and Andi Toma) in 2004. These two tracks appeared on their EP Wipe That Sound. 

Ghostigital - Not Clean (2005)

Einar Örn is best known as a member of The Sugarcubes. He also organised The Fall's trip to Iceland in September 1981, where they recorded 'Look, Know', 'Hip Priest' and 'Iceland'. Ghostigital was his solo project, and this wonderfully bonkers track originally appeared on the various artists compilation Iceland Airwaves '05.

Von Südenfed - Tromatic Reflexxions (2007)

Smith's second collaboration with Jan St. Werner and Andi Toma, this time under the name Von Südenfed, is one of his best known and most highly regarded pieces of work outside of The Fall. The NME enjoyed the 'claustrophobic dance music that frightens and fascinates in equal measure, but never bores.' The Guardian's Dorian Lynskey found the duo's abrasive beats and Smith's role as 'surreal and belligerent master of ceremonies' to be a 'snug fit'.

 Two singles were released from the album: the surprisingly tuneful 'The Rhinohead' and the excellent 'Fledermaus Can't Get It':

Smith And Blaney (2008)

Ed Blaney was a long-standing friend of MES who acted as manager, guitarist and backing vocalist at various point's in The Fall's history. He also played in Trigger Happy with Jim Watts and Dave Milner.

The album that Smith and Blaney recorded together has more than a whiff of 'recorded after we got back from the pub' about it - the less said about their cover of the Velvet Underground's 'We're Gonna Have A Real Good Time Together' the better - but it does have a few moments of mild interest. In particular, 'Ludite' is a sparsely angular take on 'Shake-Off' and 'When We Were Young' is a more traditionally structured version of 'Job Search'.

'Real Good Time Together' and 'Transfusion' were both released as singles.

Smith And Blaney - The Train Part 3 (2009)

Parts 1 and 2 of 'The Train' (which appeared on the Smith and Blaney album) were fairly aimless acoustic strums. Part 3 extended the same approach over 40 (yes, 40) minutes, including, apparently, field recordings made in Blackpool, Salford, Yorkshire and the train from Sophia-Karnobat in Bulgaria. Probably more fun to record than to listen to.

Shuttleworth - England's Heartbeat (2010)

Shuttleworth were Jenny Shuttleworth (aka Girl Peculiar) and Ed Blaney. 'England's Heartbeat' was an unofficial World Cup 2010 anthem, apparently. Although not quite as soul-crushingly depressing as 'Vindaloo', it's still a bit grim. Lyrical highlights include 'In 2010 / going to African land / socks up at last / or Brazilian breakfast' and 'There was something in the score / I'd seen somewhere before / on the shirt number ten / it's worn by many men'.

Gorillaz - Glitter Freeze (2010)

Amongst the best of Smith's guest appearances, it featured on the album Plastic Beach. His cameo at 2010's Glastonbury Festival is even better; being a guest doesn't stop him from a spot of amp-fiddling (3:27).

Mutation - Mutations / Relentless Confliction (2013)

Error 500 was an album by Ginger Wildheart's 'supergroup' Mutation that featured members of Napalm Death, The Sisters Of Mercy and The Cardiacs. MES contributed to 'Mutations' and 'Relentless Confliction'. The most memorable aspect of this collaboration was Smith's conversation with hapless studio engineer Kevin.

Smith And Blaney - The Train Part 4 (2019)

A posthumous collection of remixes of that train song that the pair of them seem to have been obsessed with. Not exactly essential.

The A-Z of The Fall begins next week - see you then!

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