Struggle for Pleasure / Café del Mar
May 18, 2022 1:09 AM Subscribe
Struggle for Pleasure, by Wim Mertens (Antwerp, 2005) (Tenerife Symphony Orchestra, 2008) (Brussels, 2015) was originally released in 1983. The piece influenced 1993's Café Del Mar by Energy 52 (original) (higher quality radio version) which has undergone numerous remixes e.g. Paul Oakenfield's remix, Paul van Dyk's SHINE remix, Michael Woods remix.
It was a part of the soundtrack to Belly of an Architect, Peter Greenaway's first non-Nyman film (which I really should watch again, as I'm now the right age to actually empathise with the hero). I was a huge Nyman fan at the time, so the different music struck me oddly, but I've been following Mertens from a comfortable distance ever since.
Maximizing the Audience, Close Cover, The Belly, Apatride
posted by Grangousier at 2:22 AM on May 18, 2022 [2 favorites]
Maximizing the Audience, Close Cover, The Belly, Apatride
posted by Grangousier at 2:22 AM on May 18, 2022 [2 favorites]
There was also a straight trance cover version released in 2001 - Minimalistix - Struggle for Pleasure
posted by protorp at 2:59 AM on May 18, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by protorp at 2:59 AM on May 18, 2022 [3 favorites]
... another really good, quite different (breakbeat) remix of Café del Mar that's worth highlighting is by Hybrid - Café del Mar - Time Traveller remix.
It was released on the fantastic album Remix and Additional Production By... which also features great versions of tracks by FSOL and BT. Plus, continuing the genre fusion theme of the original post, a remix of Andreas Johnson - Glorious which is much less bad than one might think.
posted by protorp at 3:13 AM on May 18, 2022 [4 favorites]
It was released on the fantastic album Remix and Additional Production By... which also features great versions of tracks by FSOL and BT. Plus, continuing the genre fusion theme of the original post, a remix of Andreas Johnson - Glorious which is much less bad than one might think.
posted by protorp at 3:13 AM on May 18, 2022 [4 favorites]
Is it just me or were there lots of dance music videos that involved nondescript blokes wandering around with suitcases? I can remember at least two others, but can't find them. I suppose the people who were supposed to be in the video didn't really do anything else and were too self-conscious to dance.
posted by Grangousier at 3:22 AM on May 18, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by Grangousier at 3:22 AM on May 18, 2022 [3 favorites]
nondescript blokes wandering around with suitcases
Vague recollection of a radio show discussing this back in the day, with some kind of running joke that the bloke with a suitcase was meant to resemble a drug dealer bringing enough e to supply the whole rave, but at the end of the video it turns out to be the DJ bringing his turntables.
posted by Wordshore at 3:33 AM on May 18, 2022 [3 favorites]
Vague recollection of a radio show discussing this back in the day, with some kind of running joke that the bloke with a suitcase was meant to resemble a drug dealer bringing enough e to supply the whole rave, but at the end of the video it turns out to be the DJ bringing his turntables.
posted by Wordshore at 3:33 AM on May 18, 2022 [3 favorites]
And one 12" single. With an entire suitcase to itself.
("I cannot fail to notice that, despite the fact that we're supposed to be equal partners in this ravular venture, I have to lug an extremely heavy and delicate piece of machinery across a hot desert landscape in a coat better suited to Oslo in February, whereas you effectively seem to be carrying an empty aluminium briefcase. Is there any way that the labour could be more fairly apportioned in future?")
posted by Grangousier at 3:41 AM on May 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
("I cannot fail to notice that, despite the fact that we're supposed to be equal partners in this ravular venture, I have to lug an extremely heavy and delicate piece of machinery across a hot desert landscape in a coat better suited to Oslo in February, whereas you effectively seem to be carrying an empty aluminium briefcase. Is there any way that the labour could be more fairly apportioned in future?")
posted by Grangousier at 3:41 AM on May 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
Everyone had cool sunglasses, a briefcase, and was fleeing from enemies. Why?
ATB - 9PM (Till I Come) is one of the weirder examples.
posted by protorp at 3:45 AM on May 18, 2022 [2 favorites]
ATB - 9PM (Till I Come) is one of the weirder examples.
posted by protorp at 3:45 AM on May 18, 2022 [2 favorites]
Been a fan of his since I heard a man of no fortune, and with a name to come in 1993. Never understood why he never got the recognition of a Michael Nyman or Philip Glass.
posted by dobbs at 5:08 AM on May 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by dobbs at 5:08 AM on May 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
Thank you for this! I didn't know about Wim Mertens or the connection between him and one of my favorite dance tracks. I love the three-in-one mix, but I suspect there might be a bit of (ahem) operant conditioning involved. IMO their 2002 update mix is the same thing with better production.
But wow the video is bad. It makes me wonder what the people making this stuff think their target market is.
posted by overhauser at 8:03 AM on May 18, 2022
But wow the video is bad. It makes me wonder what the people making this stuff think their target market is.
posted by overhauser at 8:03 AM on May 18, 2022
I rarely/never get an opportunity to link to my own personal favorite Wim Mertens piece, so thank you for this thread.
posted by mykescipark at 8:57 AM on May 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by mykescipark at 8:57 AM on May 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
Many years ago, I used to tune in to a truly terrible Canadian cable access TV show in Calgary called 'The Chrom-A-Key Kids', ineptly hosted by the manager of the local Sam the Record Man - they would regularly have this weird English guy as a guest who would invariably play music by Wim Mertens... that music was the only truly good thing about that show, although the general chaotic mise-en-scene was certainly a major source of laffs for me and my buddies at that time.
posted by aeshnid at 10:02 AM on May 18, 2022
posted by aeshnid at 10:02 AM on May 18, 2022
And one 12" single. With an entire suitcase to itself.
It's a really heavy tune.
posted by solarion at 3:53 PM on May 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
It's a really heavy tune.
posted by solarion at 3:53 PM on May 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
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