From React 2 Rhythm's 'Intoxication'
to David Bowie's 'Jump They Say', Leftfield's remixes are
stamped with a unique, compulsive groove. When legal wrangles
with Outer Rhythm - the label that released their debut single
'Not Forgotten' - prevented the band from recording under
their own name, Paul and Neil turned their talents towards
making other people's records sound better. As Paul explains,
"We fell into it by accident at a time when remixing
was still in its infancy. It was an exciting time. And it
gave us a chance to hone our style."
Their first remix was for William Orbit's Guerilla label.
Leftfield's take on React 2 Rhythm's 'Intoxication' established
Guerilla as the leading progressive house label of the early
1990s. Remixes for ICP's 'Free and Easy' and Ultra Nate's
'Deeper Love' soon followed. As the Melody Maker put it at
the time, 'Rather than toying with the odd choice break or
dazzling vocal, Leftfield ride the rhythm. They get their
kicks from juggling with house pyrotechnics, building tension
and shifting gears just at the right moment.' And the their
reputation was growing. "From originally doing really
underground things, six or seven months later we were turning
down U2," explains Paul. "We were pretty much flavour
of the month at the time." Receiving remix offers across
the board, Leftfield remained selective in their choice of
tracks. "We were always careful about what we did, turning
down more than we chose to do," says Neil. "We'd
do really long sessions in the studio - maybe two or three
days. And then we'd do the mix, with dubs and different versions.
That's how we started to get into a different kind of style."
In 1992, their mixing abilities were paid the ultimate industry
compliment when they were asked to remix David Bowie's 'Jump
They Say'. The period represented a turning point, however,
in their attitude towards remixing. "In the early days
of blending dance and rock, it was exciting," says Paul.
"But later we felt that the whole remixing thing had
become one big marketing tool. That's why we stopped doing
them, because it was turning into the Leftfield remix factory."
Soon, Leftfield began to concentrate purely on the tracks
that would come together as 'Leftism'. They wouldn't be transposing
their ideas to other artists for years to come. Apart from
working with John Lydon in 1997, the band have actually done
no remixing since 1995. But now, at the dawn of the millennium,
they feel the time is right once more. As Neil says: "We
want to push the boundaries of sound back that little bit
further".
