San Pedro

Rikki Turner, former Paris Angel, ex-New Southern Elektrik and The Hurt, is a restless soul who just keeps moving- when one project ends another begins. His latest group is San Pedro Collective, named after the town in California that was home to Rikki’s favourite writer Charles Bukowski (and also home to Bagging Area favourites Minutemen). San Pedro are preparing for a release in July, an e.p. called The Demon Sessions, which will include this song (appearing here in a brief snippet and remixed by The Winachi Tribe).

The Things You See is a collaboration between Rikki and Suddi Raval, with a thundering acid house bassline, plenty of late night, dancefloor vibes and a sultry vocal from Millie MacBean. Also involved are Simon Wolstencroft (ex- Fall drummer), Antnee Egerton of The Winachi Tribe and Manc poet Karl Hildebrandt. The e.p. will feature the original mix of The Things You See and two further songs, San Pedro and A View From The Drowning Pool- the latter is a moody, electronic beast, bleeps and sirens over an 808 and Rikki’s street poetics, spoken word vocal.

Suddi Raval was one half of Together who made two records I hold dear. The first was 1990 rave anthem Hardcore Uproar, piano house, a Star Wars sample and the crowd sounds from a rave in a warehouse at the Sett End in Blackburn.

The second was an unfinished remix Together did of Durutti Column’s Contra-Indications. In 1990 Vini Reilly was experimenting with samplers and drum machines and his Obey The Time album chimed perfectly with the times. Together’s remix was unfinished due to the tragic death of Suddi’s partner in Together, Jon Donaghy, in a road accident in Ibiza. I’ve been coming back to The Together Mix for almost thirty years now and always get chills when I play it. Despite being unfinished Tony Wilson declared it magnificent and released it as a single anyway.

The Together Mix

Rikki’s former bands have all released songs that I’ve raved about here. In 2016 The Hurt released Berlin, a moody Scott Walker via Bowie, collar turned up against the falling Manchester rain.

Paris Angels were from Guide Bridge, near Ashton under Lyne, east of Manchester. Their first single is a legendary slice of 1990 Manchester, a marriage of acid house bass, jangly guitar lines and rattling machine drum with Rikki and Jane Gill’s dual vocals. I once bumped into Jane at the Boardwalk- literally- and she told me to fuck off. Which was probably fair enough- I wasn’t looking where I was going.

Perfume (All On You)

Perfume came out on indie label Sheer Joy and widely played and praised. They followed it with two 12″ singles- Scope and I Understand- before signing to Virgin (who re-released Perfume) and then put out an album called Sundew. Virgin was sold to EMI and a cull saw various bands removed from the label, Paris Angels among them (and PiL too). Which shows what major record labels know.

The Hurt

Rikki Turner has walked a long road from Manchester to Berlin via Paris (Angels). His new group The Hurt have their debut single Berlin out on Valentine’s Day on Play And Record Records. Berlin is the sound of a gathering storm, a walk through the city at night- mirrors crack, lovers are lost, touches are cold. Electronics and riving guitars, doomy bass, gothic touches and Rikki’s urgent baritone vocal but shot through with a touch of pop, 70s Bowie/Eno style. Tremendous, powerful stuff.

The single’s B-Side The Dead has been remixed by Suddi Raval, formerly one half of Together who were responsible for Hardcore Uproar and a blindingly good remix of The Durutti Column. It’s a dark, dangerous acid house version with 808 squiggles and washes of backing vocals before the Hacienda groove kicks in. Rikki’s echo-laden vocal hovers over the breakdown and then the bleeps and kickdrums return. I can’t share it at the moment but you’ll want to hear it when the single comes out.

Rikki was lead singer in Paris Angels whose Perfume (All On You) is a big Bagging Area favourite. In The Hurt he’s joined by former Paris Angel and former Black Grape Wags, Jack Scraggs and Keith Higgins. Before parting company with The New Southern Electrikk the group recorded Rikki’s song Brown Eyes which I loved and posted.