{"id":12279,"date":"2025-04-23T08:44:14","date_gmt":"2025-04-23T13:44:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/?p=12279"},"modified":"2025-04-23T08:44:16","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T13:44:16","slug":"phil-western-afterflash-a-remixed-tribute-remixed-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/?p=12279","title":{"rendered":"Phil Western – \u201cAfterflash: A Remixed Tribute Remixed\u201d Review"},"content":{"rendered":"
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review by Ellen the Felon for MK ULTRA Magazine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bandcamp: www.mapmusic2.bandcamp.com\/album\/afterflash-a-remixed-tribute<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am admittedly new to Canadian West Coast Electroniculture, but I can\u2019t think of a more perfect album to start with and lose my \u201cvirginity\u201d to. This very recently released album via Map Music on Bandcamp (which debuted on 4\/20, how fitting) is a posthumous collaboration of remixed tracks, that takes you on a richly layered journey through a wonderland of dynamic electronica. techno acid, ambient and atmospheric landscapes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The collaborating artists read like a \u201cWho\u2019s Who\u201d of the Canadian electronic music scene and each track on the album takes you deeper into a magical world of incredible electronic sounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of my favorite tracks called \u201cAsleep\/Awake (Vuemorph Collage)\u201d, produced by Dan Handrabur, is described as being \u201cset up more like a collage rather than a remix, the track is evocative of Phil’s love for spacious sound and chromatic melodies, perhaps a soundtrack to lucid dreaming.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another of my favorite tracks is \u201cDementhol (FaxLtd\u2019s Fingerpie mix)\u201d, originally released on Dementhol in 2013, remixed by Harrison Chase, is described as \u201cAn amalgamation of audio machine interfaces and organic neural-circuitry whose origins are uncertain and future is open to question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phil\u2019s songs are often densely layered, but in a way that doesn\u2019t sound too cluttered. The various little bits forming a cohesive whole. The many layers of Dementhol made it fun to work on, pulling them apart, and rearranging them in ways to let them shine on their own. While exporting the stems from his original DAW sessions, I got a peek into some of Phil\u2019s process, which inspired me to try some new things in my process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phil was an emotionally complex, curious and thoughtful person whose unique spirit shines through his multifaceted musical explorations. I\u2019m deeply grateful to have known him.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My absolute favorite track is \u201cDream Death (Hashmoder remix), which could be straight out of the 80\u2019s, is described in great detail by its producer, \u201cThe original version of Dream Death is incredible! How the hell was I going to remix it \u2014so richly perfect, wrapped in Phil\u2019s genius\u2014 and not lose the pure essence of the original track\u2019s story, flow, emotions, and feelings? Where do I start?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many draft remix sessions were scrapped. None of them became faithful to the original. I studied closely Dream Death\u2019s arrangements, and music composition, in order to get clearer direction(s). I needed to produce a remix that must contain my sound-&-style but, yet, remain 100% faithful to the original.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a painful long time, the end result: a remix with almost an identical structure\/arrangement blocks; completely different sounding elements; a middle section breakdown with Phil\u2019s very emotional vocals in solo; layered build-up; and an accentuated drop of Phil\u2019s vocal phrase \u201cturn around\u201d stuttering in a technique from the 1980s \u2014 my child\/teenhood decade of which I love & cherish. And finally\u2026a remix made with passion, packed with sentimental love and reminiscence of him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Remixers (Worldwide) go on to describe the album as follows, \u201cWhat Phil created in his time on earth makes our world a better place. He was the kind of person everyone needs to know or at least know about. He was full of unexpected surprises. He held the land speed record for the demolition of food and on tour would go to sleep fully clothed, often with his shoes on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phil was everything: a rogue, a maverick, an explorer. He suffered his demons but did so with courage and an unflinching painful honesty. Phil was easy to talk with. He was always engaging, interesting, and interested. He had a mane of dark, dark hair and a smile to melt hearts. His eyes told his entire life story, if one dared to gaze long enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phil loved wholly, without caution, and with the deepest sincerity. His unquenchable curiosity doubled as an altruistic way of disarmament and evoked harmony when met with a different perspective. Phil was relentlessly gentle and understanding even when it was undeserved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phil was a veteran psychonaut whose deep inner journeys, life experiences, and struggles imparted him with a degree of insight, wisdom, humility, and humor that is all too rare. His expression of these qualities in his music infused it with a melancholic understanding of the beauty, joy, frailty, tragedy, and absurdity of the human condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phil was a true artist in every fiber of his being. His incredible talent and infectious energy left a lasting impression on the world, and his music will always hold the top spot in our hearts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phil continues to inspire us all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another collaborator, Seth Branum, of Bainbridge Island WA, had this to say about how the album came together, \u201cThe idea for this project came from having a few remix packs that Phil had given me ages ago for some releases I\u2019d curated, and inspired by Dave King\u2019s (Longwalkshortdock) yearly tribute songs that he\u2019d been posting since Phil\u2019s passing. I had already remixed one of Phil\u2019s songs almost a decade earlier, and had just decided to start on another near the beginning of 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a conversation later that year with Jaime Dunkle (Love Above Will), I mentioned I was working on another remix. During that conversation, I came upon the idea of putting together a bunch of remixes from Phil\u2019s friends\/collaborators as a tribute album, which she enthusiastically encouraged me to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After receiving the blessings from Phil\u2019s family to move forward and reaching out to all the potential remixers, the pool of available songs for remixing was soon expanded with the invaluable assistance of Tim Hill (Rim). Not long after that, a couple more artists came on board, including Omar Hashmoder who revealed that he had the files for the last song Phil had been working on right up to the night before he left us. That song, \u201cDream Death,\u201d is now finally being released, as well as a remix by Omar who also contributed some sounds to the original version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This project was not without its share of delays and complications, one of which was Bandcamp refusing to give access to Phil\u2019s artist page to his mother so this album could live there with the rest of his discography. Thankfully, Robert Shea\u2019s Map Music has given it a fitting home considering that some of Phil\u2019s earliest solo works originated from that seminal record label.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It has been a profound honor to work with all the artists and fellow lovers of Phil throughout this project. More than anything, I hope this album inspires people to continue exploring Phil\u2019s vast catalog of music in all his solo and collaborative guises.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sadly, Phil Western died of fentanyl poisoning in 2019 at the age of 47, but his music lives on through this gorgeous remix album, made with love by Phil\u2019s collaborators and friends. It should also be noted that the majority of proceeds from \u201cAfterflash: A Remixed Tribute Remixed\u201d will be donated to Phil\u2019s daughter Mora.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

review by Ellen the Felon for MK ULTRA Magazine Bandcamp: www.mapmusic2.bandcamp.com\/album\/afterflash-a-remixed-tribute I am admittedly new to Canadian West Coast Electroniculture, but I can\u2019t think of a more perfect album to start with and lose my \u201cvirginity\u201d to. This very recently released album via Map Music on Bandcamp (which debuted on 4\/20, how fitting) is a… Read More »Phil Western – \u201cAfterflash: A Remixed Tribute Remixed\u201d Review<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12280,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12279","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-reviewz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12279","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12279"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12279\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12281,"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12279\/revisions\/12281"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12280"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12279"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12279"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12279"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}