Let's Get Killed - David Holmes

...first album, 'This Film's Crap, Let's Slash the Seats' brought to the forefront his other escapist passion being the silver screen with reviewers at the time describing the album as a "dry run" for film sound-tracking; It transpired that such comments weren't off the mark with 'No Mans Land' being influenced heavily by Holmes' passion for the Daniel Day-Lewis fronted "In the Name of the Father." After its release, the albums suitability ...
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3. Let's Get Killed (7.28)
The background to the 448 second title track hangs around a highly explicit and testosterone infused machismo style presented narrative of a personally experienced fight scene where the innocent victim and eventual victor of the fracas goes out on a limb to extricate every morsel of detail to validate who he is and what he is capable of. Heavy intense back beat with dark industrial synth layers presents ... more

~ Setting my Scene ~

Deciding on the greatest Irish influence on modern day music is a task of a truly daunting nature when you take into consideration the Emerald Isle's multiplicity of contributions to date. Such notable ones include Mary "the tin whistle master" Bergin, Paul "Bono" Hewson, Kevin "the fiddler" Burke, Vivian "pour some sugar on me" Campbell, Phil "of the mighty chin" Lynott, Bob "give us your firkin money...NOW" Geldof, James "you fill up my senses" Galway, Boy- "are you really gay?...what a surprise" - zone, B*Witched, The "which one is which" Corrs, the beautiful man that continues (somehow) to be Shane MacGowan, Eurovision's own Dana and one hit wonder group…The Hothouse Flowers…and I could go on, go on, go on…but I wont for fear of falling into the Father Ted trap and leaving you all wanting "just a wee piece of cake."

One mighty player though in this field of Gaelic musical mismatches is an often over-looked character who has had gargantuan influences in a range of musical backdrops…this man is David Holmes.

~ The Man~

David Holmes, was born the "washbelly" of 10 children in a city that was on the verge of outright civil war in the year that witnessed the 'The Battle of Bogside' and the start of what is today often termed as "The Troubles"; the city was Belfast, the year was 1969 and, rather ironically, Holmes was born on Valentines Day. It comes as no surprise then, when considering the political, religious and socially divisive environment that was an 'everyday matter-of-fact' for Holmes, that in his early youth Punk Rock was the preferred genre with its "smash the system" attitude to all that epitomised and embodied the ongoing control of the capitalist epoch being manifested through bloody violence on an all too regular basis.

~The Music ~

Holmes furthered his love of musical expression, from the age of 15 by integrating into the fast rising DJ scene finding his escapism through a love of music eclectic in style and fervour including mod rock, Northern Soul as well as disco. Holmes also sought solace in the underground concert scene of the time gaining a name for himself as concert promoter and writer of an acclaimed fanzine. Still a teenager, Holmes was perfectly positioned to take full advantage of the late 80's boom in techno and house and was soon recognised as a significant DJ with an élan for the symbiosis of the new and the old school sets.

By the early 90's Holmes' style had been cemented into the cities dance music scene reinforced further through the success of his Belfast based club night events 'Sugar Sweet' and 'Shake Yer Brain.' Holmes then got noticed with remixing for bands including 'St. Etienne' and 'Therapy?' and by the mid 90's had signed with the highly reputed off the wall record label 'Go! Discs' along with the hotly tipped Trip-Hop band 'Portishead.'

Holmes' first album, 'This Film's Crap, Let's Slash the Seats' brought to the forefront his other escapist passion being the silver screen with reviewers at the time describing the album as a "dry run" for film sound-tracking; It transpired that such comments weren't off the mark with 'No Mans Land' being influenced heavily by Holmes' passion for the Daniel Day-Lewis fronted "In the Name of the Father." After its release, the albums suitability for application within the world of TV and movie was further demonstrated with tracks being used for both the Lynda La Plante series "Supply and Demand" and the Sean Penn/Michael Douglas fronted film, "The Game."

The catalyst that thrust Holmes into the limelight, both being recognised at an International level as a modern day 'techno,' 'trip-hop,' 'dance' and 'trance' mixer of maestro proportions as well as a potential modern day movie soundtrack producer of his generation comparative to the likes of Lalo Schifrin, John Barry and Ennio Morricone, was the release of his 1997 album (proper) being 'Let's Get Killed.'

The twist in the tale of this story of underground notoriety to universal acclaim in relation to the world of movies is that Holmes' almost organic leaning to the world of the soundtrack was not picked up by the Producers and Directors noted for their 'off the wall' films but by none other than the 'womble-esque' in stature Danny DeVito with the score being requested for the movie 'Out of Sight' (1998). Holmes' work continued to be in demand and hit the Hollywood major big time with soundtracks for 'Oceans Eleven' (2002), including 2 tracks from 'Lets Get Killed' (directed again by Soderbergh), its poorly received sequel 'Oceans Twelve' (2004) and the 'hit-man', therapist reunion film of De Niro and Crystal in 'Analyze That' (2003).

~ The Album ~

'Let's Get Killed,' I believe, represents the point at which Holmes truly realised his potential for musically encapsulating modern day frenetic life being cleverly epitomised by touching base with the residents of New York.

Presented on the back of a milieu of DAT captured first hand accounts of life in the 'Big Apple' in all its hardened bare knuckle and gritted teeth glory, the symbiotically presented instrumental offerings rain down hypnotic bass lines alongside pure adrenalin inducing high tempo beats that gets even the most lackadaisical of us tapping our feet in time before hitting the pause button due to the volume having been tanked up to such a degree that the children couldn't have avoided overhearing the New York accent tinged expletives emitting mercilessly throughout the home.

~ The Tracks ~

1. Listen (0:50)
Initial commentary by a male New York resident on what the city has to offer against a backdrop of street din and a high tempo rolling drum beat. He states… "it's the bomb, it's the best place in the world you know…you got whores, fine women to hook up with, we got beer, we got drugs man, all kinds of imported beer, we got good record stalls, we got clubs…anything you want" - its sounds a bit like the patter a Club 18-30's rep would use if he was selling the Big Apple to students at their inaugural "Freshers week" or alternatively, a young Conservative Club membership in Selly Oak…either way, if clean living's your preferred choice you'd steer clear of N.Y. after this emotive monologue.

2. My Mate Paul (5:13)
Born from a sample of 'Smoky Joe's La La' by Googie Rene, this track was both the influential foundation for the whole feel behind 'Let's Get Killed' as well as achieving the honour of being the first single making it to No. 39 in 1998. In addition, the track was also heavily featured as the theme music to the Sony Playstation game "Psybadek." Heavy droning bass line with quirky piano breaks and industrial "bang on a dustbin" backing beat. Jazz/Funk 70's Guitar melodramatic fusion keeps the listener in attendance throughout. Love it!

3. Let's Get Killed (7.28)
The background to the 448 second title track hangs around a highly explicit and testosterone infused machismo style presented narrative of a personally experienced fight scene where the innocent victim and eventual victor of the fracas goes out on a limb to extricate every morsel of detail to validate who he is and what he is capable of. Heavy intense back beat with dark industrial synth layers presents a perfect yet slightly disorientating backdrop for the narrator's presentation of the events that passed. The track dips into an almost Bauhaus style of self-presentation becoming increasingly manic and further concentrated as the track progresses. If there had been space set aside in "Assault on Precinct 13", a strong contender would sit here.

4. Gritty Shaker (6.40)
This is sublime track, stylish, up-tempo, suave and sophisticated to the point that it almost demands the listener to up sticks and show the colour of their money in Stateside Pool Halls…at the same time though the track intermittently shows its bare bones with what sounds like, at its most rudimentary basic level, what can only be described as a Bontempi backbeat before being enveloped once again in all its glorious 'bling.' A soundtrack most befitting the Oceans Eleven film for which it strongly featured alongside Pitt and Clooney's attempt to rekindle the Rat-Pack phenomenon…an attempt that highlighted what a film may lack in acting substance, may be partially made up for by gloss and stylish cinematography.

5. Head Rush On Lafayette (1.20)
Delfon Sallahr, contributes the short rap to this track via answering machine…the city in succinct terminology in its rawest sense.

6. Rodney Yates (6.24)
Both Steve McQueen as Bullitt and Paul Newman as Harper would have pricked up their ears and danced an Irish Jig if this track had been offered up to them in the 60's…a super cool, smooth as you like mix of lounge pastiche thrown like a reliable clay mix on a high rpm wheel of acid stylisation brings about a product that Claris Cliffe would have stated was worth two shillings of anyone's hard earned money. Rodney Yates was yet another track utilised in a key scene from Oceans 11 with Clooney stepping in time out of the prison gates in the opening sequence of the film…and yet strange enough does not feature on the motion picture soundtrack…a real oversight of absolute moronic stupidity me thinks. A Bossa Nova rooted beat with a copasetic string melody of mesmerising character leaves the listener with no choice but to pick up the phone, call your mates over for game of poker, dust down the cocktail shaker and light up the lava lamp.

7. Radio 7" (5.49)
Kicking in with dialogue from two opposing silver screen commentators of the stateside Big Apple brand, we hear the arguments for and against as to who would kick the most criminal ass…John Shaft or James Bond. This completely pointless narrative must have been felt as applicable as a forerunner to this track for it is indeed a rendition of John Barry and Monty Norman's James Bond Theme with NY style hectic back beats and unexpected acid deviation sewn throughout…and unfortunately…after the first couple of enthusiastic listens with an instantaneous relationship being born out of the archetypal unstoppable association, the track starts to grate on your nerves like the sadistic secondary school teacher with talon-like nails on the traditional blackboard who you still have fantasies about past middle-age (allegedly). For the record…A poor one.

8. The Parcus and Madder Show (0.51)
Narrative on NY and its influence on Hip-Hop's four key elements being DJ, MC, Graffiti and Breaking.

9. Slashers Revenge (4.46)
Used on the soundtrack for Gregor Jordans' 'Buffalo Soldiers', Slashers Revenge reverberates with dark, haunting and ominous atmospherics casting asunder a relenting dub reggae style rhythm and base-line that pins together the somewhat Romany style melody played on what sounds like a Punji (or Bin) as preferred by your more atypical snake charmer who lives just down the road and does telesales and Ann Summers parties in his spare time (though not at the same time). Slashers Revenge is mesmerising on many levels but is definitely a big "no-no" if you've had too much Gin for it "brings the party down" to a virtual halt with a musical undertow that makes you think "what's the point?"

10. Freaknik (6.45)
In the early 80's the term Freaknik was adopted to define an annual event in which African-American students came together to party in Atlanta Georgia. The relationship between this track and music of an African-American nature is tenuous to say the least, but what we do discover is a track of a high tempo, high fevered nature which hits the floor hard and keeps on running being bombarded with a miriad of lead breaks from a wide range of musical influences including high pitched synths, pipes, the hammond organ, chanting and more besides.

11. Caddell Returns (5.42)
"Right now I'm loaded on 3 kinds of speed and a few barbituates…..and today? I couldn't even tell you what day it is" is the monologue that introduces you to this track before being thrown into a musical experience that can only be seen as a modern day version of The Beatles "Revolution No. 9" track from their ever heralded White Album…the styles come thick and fast as if the senses are heightened to an ever increasing set of musical influences which find a home within one offering…rock guitar breaks, pan pipes, 1950's offerings of a Julie London stylisation, resurrections reminisent of Pink Floyd and Bowie, "2001: A Space Oddysey", Miles Davis and the list goes on…not one to dance to (unless you are completely mashed in all respects) nor one to affirm as being one of the best on the album…but it does make you stop and think…if only briefly...and if only about what you think you just heard.

12. Don't Die Just Yet (6.33)
Love this track! Screeching brakes, acceleration, "get the frig out of here" demands of you…reels in with a deep sultry bass line inter-cut with a slow and sultry bluesy style guitar with reverb set to the highest level…Route 66 beckoning…yet juxtaposed we hear a high shrill electro alarm screaming that we steer clear…simplistic snare snap carries the listener through background harmonies and chants usually equated with the Gothic genre as upheld by the likes of The Sisters of Mercy and The Mission….then the orchestral strings do nothing more than fully interrupt the 'taken for granted approach' of this track- first through the violin and then through the Cello…you are clawing at the system looking for the replay button…knowing once is not enough…but isn't that always the case?

13. For You (0.59)
Live sounds of the musician leaving the city via taxi…and with it leaving all the madness behind. For now.

~ Conclusion ~It appears that what Holmes has presented through 'Lets Get Killed' is that regardless of whether we live in Belfast in the 1970's, or New York in late 1990's…social commentary of the time has more relation than polarity…society is still existing in a culture that demands a live and let die attitude to hold court with everybody jostling to get one up on their neighbour whatever the longer term ramifications for us all.

The degree to which this album, and more specifically the tracks held within, defy the ravages of time and pigeon-holing are highlighted in the continued regular sampling of the album by both mainstream media channels and Radio 1's Chris Moyles thus continuing to show the populist value of David Holmes through continued audio referencing.

~ Discography ~

Albums
This Films Crap Lets Slash the Seats
Let's Get Killed (1997)
Essential Mix (1998 previously broadcast on BBC Radio 1)
Bow Down to the Exit Sign (2000)
Come Get It I Got It (2002 mix album)
David Holmes Presents 'The Free Association' (2003).

Film soundtracks
Resurrection Man (1998)
Out of Sight (1998)
Buffalo Soldiers (2001)
Ocean's Eleven (2002)
Analyze That (2003)
Code 46 (2003)
Stander (2003)
Ocean's Twelve (2004) 

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