In a quiet corner of the West Midlands, in the bustling metropolis that is Birmingham, resides a man who walks the fine line between genius and insanity. The self proclaimed ‘Peter Pan of Coleshill’ known to his friends as Andy Panty, Andy Smart is the composite incarnation known as….. Colatron
By day, a mild mannered Telecommunications Expert (with a Bachelors Degree in Astrophysics). Armed with a capacious intellect, a quick wit and a twinkle in his eye, he endeavours to solve the day to day problems that arise in quick succession, stopping only at lunchtime for tea and hobnobs (our sources tell us that he is also partial to a bacon sarnie, although this is unconfirmed)
By night, He is a roving Casanova with an eye for the ladies, a connoisseur of good food & fine wines. He is a man about town, accompanied by a constant bevy of beauties at his side, who are known locally as ‘Smartie’s Angels’. Each one with a factor five ‘fwoor’ rating, their leader, a mysterious figure known only as Patsy Stricks (our sources tell us that she wears no knicks, although this is also unconfirmed)
But in the darkness of the early hours, his alter ego persona comes alive. Colatron, armed with his PC and his message of peace and love, has resolved to using his powers for the benefit of humanity. He is faster than a spinning CD, more powerful than a fender stratocaster turned up to 11 and is able to leap a tall wine bottle in a single bound. Some say he’s insane, but he’s actually a Scorpio.
A regular of the RamdomThoughts Mashup Podcasts since May 2007 (premièring on show #56 with Six Day War), Colatron (sometimes abbreviated to the acronym CLT) is a man’s man, with a love of music, birds, booze, smokes and wrestling, yet feels quite comfortable in a nice figure hugging dress or even barbecuing au naturel (this has been confirmed)
Andy was born 10th November 1978 (whereas Colatron was ‘the product of time and space, coming into existence in a cacophony of light and sound’ – direct quote – A. Smart) The year before Andy was born, a famous incident happened where the I.T.V. transmitter at Hannington in Hampshire was hijacked by a rogue broadcast transmission (5.10pm – 26 Nov 1977) when a voice claiming to be a representative of the Ashtar Galactic Command warned of man’s impending doom by his own actions. When he was older, Andy researched this incident, along with others, creating a fascination with Ufology in later life. This would be the basis foundation for what has become known as not only his best work to date, but one of the most intriguing and ethereal mashups ever made. I refer, of course, to E.V.P. – Electronic Voice Phenomenon. Fuelled only with a manic need to create, red wine and cigarettes, this modern day masterpiece was born.
He went to work, scouring for material of a similar nature, mixing and blending tracks, acapellas and instrumentals with broadcasts, quotes and newsreel recordings, some humorous, some disturbing. Should it just be purely UFO themed? Should the message be expanded to point out the futility of war and human tyranny? Ideas came and went, some dismissed, some discarded, some left for later. Movie quotes were added to entice the listener, creating mood and atmosphere, splicing sounds and cuts from previous tracks and allowing them to flow into one another. The atmosphere, mood and beat constantly changing throughout the track spices things up only to finish on a serious note, a cliffhanger if you will.
EVP starts with the original recording of the Ashtar broadcast with an introduction from Colatron. This is where the ride begins, flowing into part one, mixing Burial with Danny Tenaglia, Bassheads and the Close encounters theme. UNKLE, Aaliyah and Paul Hardcastle set the pace for the first half of EVP, leading into Once upon a time and Six Day War Pt2, flowing like a river, mixing Ian Brown, Aaliyah, Christina and Alisha Keys, creating ebb and flow. My favourite part is the use of DJ Shadow & Six Day War by the band Colonel Bagshot released in 1971, this along with the Art Bell show towards the end have become the identifying markers of this track. The anti-war theme continues throughout the piece, with an uplifting cameo appearance from the Streets and Katie Nash, with accompaniment of some old school beats, and just a dash of Scarface to season the mix, ending with the original broadcast of the Ashtar Galactic Command to bring us full circle.
Pieces of the track danced between Acid pro and Adobe Audition, with most finally resting in Ableton for those final tweaks.
Like the gourmet chef who takes the raw ingredients and creates a sumptuous meal, E.V.P. Is more than the sum of it’s parts. A one hour, thirteen minute & twenty nine second ride through the mind of Colatron. Like the glister of gold, this track truly is a gem, a timeless classic. This could only have been possible with a true love of music and creativity.
EVP is one of those tracks that you can listen to over and over again, and each time you will hear something that you missed the last time. Beautifully mixed, lovingly rendered and professionally mashed. I absolutely adored this fantastic work of art.
Please visit Colatron’s site. He has over seventy tracks to his credit as a solo producer and he is also a member of the now famed 1086 Productions, a collaboration of mashup producers from around the globe. The collective consists of The Reborn Identity, Wax Audio, Linus & Colatron, and their combined skills have produced a tribute to David Lynch in the form of ‘Mashed in Plastic’
If you like EVP, then I urge you to listen to Colatron’s ‘Welcome to my world’. This can also be found on his website .
So for now, close your eyes, lay thee down to sleep, for tomorrow is another day. As Andy rests, I’ll leave Colatron with the last word, for there is a light in the night sky, a voice from beyond the far reaches of time and space, beyond the Ashtar province, and it is the whispering voice of Colatron, saying ‘be still now, for your chance may never come again. May you be blessed by the supreme love and truth of the cosmos.’
E.V.P --- https://archive.org/details/ElectronicVoicePhenomena
Ashtar Galactic Command --- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vrillon
Colatron on Youtube --- http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=colatron&search_filter=0
Colatron on Facebook --- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Colatron/22900897712
1086 Productions --- http://www.mashedinplastic.co.uk/
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