Name: Bastard
Brand: Colin Newman

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

WM03CD

Colour

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

With Second CD or Rare and Unreleased Tracks.

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2024-01-26

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Cargo

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

5063176019325

Total Cap

CDx2

WM03LP

Black

5063176019318

Black LP

Artist

Colin Newman

Genre GB

New Wave / Post Punk

Label GB

Swim

Colin Newman is an English musician, record producer, and record label owner. Born on September 16, 1954 in Salisbury, Wiltshire, he is best known as the co-founder of the band *Wire*. With a career spanning several decades, Newman has made significant contributions to the post-punk and new wave genres.
In addition to his work with *Wire*, Colin Newman has also collaborated with various artists and bands such as *Eyeless In Gaza*, *The Wolfgang Press*, and *Section 25*. His unique sound and innovative approach to music have influenced many other artists in the industry.
As a solo artist, Colin Newman has released several albums that showcase his diverse musical abilities. He continues to experiment with different styles and push boundaries within the music scene. With his extensive discography and impressive body of work, it's no wonder that he is highly regarded as a pioneer in alternative music.

Innovative electronica-label Swim was launched in 1993 with Malka Spigel's first solo album "Rosh Ballata". The label is run by Malka Spigel and her partner Colin Newman (the Wire man) and has established itself as the premier "Post Everything" label. Swim combines genuinely innovative electronica, genre-crunching outrock, and sheer sonic invention with strong melodic content. The label cultivates a deeply cool aesthetic while maintaining surprising accessibility.

Swim has been at the forefront of pushing boundaries in electronic music since its inception. With a focus on innovation and experimentation, the label has consistently released groundbreaking albums that defy traditional genre classifications. From ambient soundscapes to glitchy beats, Swim artists are constantly pushing the limits of what is possible in electronic music.

The *label* has also fostered a strong sense of community within the electronic music scene. By collaborating with like-minded artists and supporting emerging talent, Swim has become a hub for forward-thinking musicians looking to explore new sonic territories. With an impressive roster of diverse artists such as *Malka Spigel*, *Colin Newman*, and many others, Swim continues to be a driving force in shaping the future of electronic music.

It was four years into the swim ~ label’s history before Bastard arrived. Like my previous albums, it was another collaboration – although this time only with my partner in life and crime, Malka Spigel.

There was a point in the ’90s when British music journalists basically didn’t get dance music and would refer to it as “facelesstechno bollocks”. It was that very attribute that Malka and I felt most attracted to. In instrumental music, you could be anyone fromanywhere. The only thing that mattered was how good your tunes were. In fact, for the first Immersion album, we pretended to befrom Germany and were photographed in wigs and masks. This had the unexpected result of the album selling more copies in Germany than anywhere else!

With Bastard, it took a while to get to the concept, which was essentially this: What if we subverted the whole ‘bloke from Wire’thing and had a Colin Newman album without any actual songs on it? These days, this is not such a big thing, but it was hugelytransgressive at the time. The language of Bastard is house, techno, breakbeat, drum and bass, and doubtless post-rock. The onlysinging is a one-line Malka sample on ‘Turn’. Not only did the album not play by the rules of what would these days be called musicby a ‘heritage’ artist, but it didn’t play by the rules of dance music either. Back then, dance music artists didn’t mix up styles as theydo today. This is one of the reasons the album’s called Bastard.

Upon release, Bastard was modestly successful in comparison to the label’s other releases, although widely misunderstood. The title is intentionally multifaceted, referring to several ways in which the album is a misfit – a cuckoo in the nest. But it never meant ‘Colin Newman is a bastard’ – even if Malka’s toy finger gesture on the cover tempted fate on that!

Malka and I have done more work together on swim ~ – and, of course, there has been plenty of Wire activity after its second hiatus during the 1990s – but I never felt the need to do another solo album. I don’t crave attention and certainly don’t feel I lackways to express myself. In many ways, it’s more creative to collaborate with others.

There is joy and beauty in collaboration. And collaborating with Malka has become so effortless that we almost don’t know whodoes what in the work we create. This has led us to throwing open our partnership via Nanocluster events and albums where webuild musical bridges and make partnerships that transcend the art. Maybe that’s the point? Surely, art should be about human connection and diversity of expression?

Colin Newman, Brighton, 2023 (edited from album sleeve notes)

Bastard

Music GB

Discover Bastard by Colin Newman. A groundbreaking album on Swim label, featuring house, techno, breakbeat, and drum and bass. No actual songs, just pure experimentation.