Banco de Gaia
» Big Men Cry : 20th Anniversary Edition
Reviewed by Pete M
/ Submitted 29-06-17 16:06
Label: Disco Gecko Records
Format: 2 x CD
Genre: Ambient / Trance
What with Leftism getting a big anniversary collection, with two discs, it is time for Banco de Gaia to join the fray with a 20th anniversary of his own. Now this isn't the first Banco album to get the treatment, mind you. "Last Train To Lhasa" got a bumper 4-disc edition in 2015. Now, "Big Men Cry" becomes the main focus. Here's the deal.
All seven tracks have been remastered so they sound beautifully pristine. This comes through especially on "Celestine", the dub-reggae-sounding track and the epic "Drunk As A Monk". My favourite track on the album is the closer, "Starstation Earth", which is a 19-minute symphony of sound; wonderful synths and tingling bits. Lovely.
On to the second disc and this is where the 20th anniversary edition shines. What you have here are 10 remixes, some already released, some brand new, and a live rendition of "Celestine", recorded at Banco's local haunt. Lovely to hear Rabbit In The Moon's take on Drunk As A Monk again and to hear it in such clear clarity is just a dream. There's also a radio re-run of "Celestine", as well as a "remix", if you can call it that, of "Gates Does Windows", which was already pretty short at 30-odd seconds long. Its now been extended to 42, the meaning of life as it were. The live version of Celestine is also pretty stunning.
As a spectacle, Big Men Cry is a worthy addition to the re-masters section of the Banco de Gaia arsenal of albums. With new remixes and b-sides, you're getting more bang for your buck. Also, on a side note, this re-mastered version, as with all previous ones, is only available on CD. It is not available as a download or a stream. I think the reason for this is to keep the medium of the compact disc alive. Plus it sounds better on a physical format.
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