Laika Come Home

Re-editing and producing a dub version of an album might sound like a pretty self-indulgent affair and to a certain extent Laika is. Whilst Gorillaz sounded original, it was a pop project with all the constraints that went with it - can you imagine the 6 minute remixed version of "Clint Eastwood" making it onto MTV?. But that's exactly what makes Laika so good. Listen to the "De-Punked" version of "Punk" with its meandering, decayed trumpet and computerised tweaks-- hardly recognisable as the original--or the swinging old-school ska that crops ups on "5/4". The two-tone skank of "M1/A1" (with Terry Hall) sounds like it should have been the original version, while the real killer tracks are those injected with dancehall vibes by DJ U Brown and Earl 16. Who says "you don't get paid for doing what you love"? Not Damon Albarn. --Caroline Butler