Gary Numan Hybrid (Jagged Halo) Rating: NNN
Rating: NNN
Who else can say they’ve influenced Fear Factory, radio traffic reports and Fischerspooner? Multinational corporations can, but so can Gary Numan. This new release is a double CD of remixes of his most famous songs as well as three brand new tracks. Somewhere, a 42-year-old woman dressed like Carrie-Ann Moss is tightly clutching a copy of this album as she weeps tears of glee behind her Oakley sunglasses. His three new songs all remind me of The Crow. For the neophyte Numan listener, this CD also reveals his sound’s surprising impact on rock. His influence on Trent Reznor is most evident – what is NIN but Numan’s Torn with angrier lyrics and a smaller penis? He’s brought in a wide variety of artists to remix his tunes: the talent includes Curve, metal band Sulphur and Flood, producer of Nick Cave and U2. My favourite is the Curve mix of Down In The Park, which works in a poncey way. Flood’s remix of Cars is neat, too. He slows it down and renders it funereally futuristic. Everybody should light up a huge phatty, log on to the Internet and jack themselves into a Gary Numan techno-lite vibe.
