Earlier today we heard Lily Allen and Mick Jones’ take on “Straight To Hell” from Warchild’s Heroes compilation. Hot Chip’s reinvention of Joy Division’s “Transmission” appears on that same collection. When they (and Peter Gabriel) covered Vampire Weekend they gave “Kwassa Kwassa” a more electronic bent and truly meta angle, but were faithful to the spirit (and “vibe”) of the song. Here, they go a step further intermingling a ghostly voice and droning synths with sparkling guitars noodles, steel drums, and Alexis Taylor, transforming Ian Curtis & Co’s claustrophobic and icy but danceable isolation into something a little sunnier while maintaining a somber and, yes, danceable feel. The result? More than a novelty.
Not to sound like a skipping 12″, but Heroes is out in the UK via Parlophone on 2/16 and in the US via EMI on 2/24. Canada sees it released on 3/3. More info here.
[Photo by Bevis Martin & Charlie Youle]
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what the…
question: will this comp be available as digital download?
never getting those 5 minutes back
i just really don’t like it.
Covering this song is like any band trying to cover Nirvana or some other untouchable musical entity. Should never have done it.
when i 1st heard of this, thats exactly how iFelt, tastless
New Order > Joy Division
Signed, sealed, and delivered.
To be clear, the album will be released by Parlophone in the UK on Feb 16, in the US on Astralwerks a week later and in Canada through Musicor on 3 March. And yes, it will be available as a download album on iTunes and all your favorite online sites. And I should add that the rest of the record is just as awesome. Just wait for the Beck track! Keep checking back here or on warchild.us, warchild.ca and warchild.org.uk (depending on where you live) for more sneak previews, video and much more. And follow on Twitter (Topsatwarchild) for something a bit special…
This is just wrong.
I was getting a big Kraftwerk vibe in the beginning…
Not terrible. Hell, steel drums always make me smile.
By the end, however, I felt this could have been a cover of any song ? why pick Joy Division? I don’t think there’s a decent answer to that question.
Well, other than that they were asked to by Peter Hook?
Did he now?
Well, that does explain the reason for doing so.
Thanks for the information.
This song sucks!
Oddly, I’m getting a lot of Grateful Dead vibes from this. Which is kind of cool.
this version blows
NOOOOOOO, Ian Curtis is rolling in his grave.
this is god awful. terrible. how does this maintain the spirit of the original??? its too sunny, to upbeat….whats with the friggin steel drum??? just terrible. i cant wait till The Beach Boys cover a Godspeed You Black Emperor song.
arty farty
This is atrocious. Does anyone really like this band? I saw them live and it was like watching my dad playing the keyboard on stage. AWKWARD!
I don’t mind Hot Chip, I really like Joy Division, this is a bum out.
Blown away! – non tropical steel drums reflecting Ian C’s fragile and taut emotional state. Vocoded voices hinting at the automated trances. The softer doubled up vocals introducing a childlike fragility. How good does a cover get. Different, repectfull and a total new take, just as brilliant and as awkward as the great JD.
The bass line reminds Madonna, Material Girl…
The quality of the music nowadays is substandard, this song absolutely kills a classic, it sounds as if its camp as christmas, disgusting remix, never rated hot chip before and certainly will not after slaughtering this anthem.
What the hell where thse guys thinking?!
It’s an excellent cover. The Killers ruin “Shadowplay,” though. THEY RUIN EVERYTHING.