I remember when I first heard ‘Higher Than The Sun’ vividly. It was like an unearthly broadcast from some unexplored netherworld of sound. A heady evocation of celestial lysergic sound that perfectly encapsulated the ecstasy filled wonderland of the period, exploring bold musical landscapes never previously ventured upon and then unleashed upon an ecstatic gobsmacked listening audience in that heady Summer of 1990. For once the NME were right in its proclamations of its unparelled genius. The artists were Primal Scream. The architect of the masterpiece Andrew Weatherall
‘Higher Than The Sun’ was a perfect embodiment of the pioneering spirit of Weatherall. He was a maverick of sound that began in the underground clubs of London right at the early stages of the Acid House scene DJing in now legendary clubs such as Shoom with other pioneers such as Danny Rampling and Paul Oakenfold. With these he formed Boys Own Recordings.
Soon he would enter into remix work with glaringly ground breaking results that would affect the alternative musical landscape forever when working with Oakenfold on Happy Monday‘s ‘Hallelujah‘, and a struggling bunch of Scottish guys named Primal Scream. He took a b side of their new largely ignored single release and with ‘Loaded‘ shifted the consciousness of a generation of club goers and avid music lovers alike.
What set Andrew Weatherall apart from his peers was an untrammelled dedication to exploring the outer reaches of musical experimentalism. With a firm grounding in post punk and underground psychedelia fused to a particular interest in the 70’s German Kraut Rock movement. This allowed him a fearless spirit to dive in where others feared to tread and it was with this attitude in mind he carved out his most famous and revered masterpiece for the aforementioned Primal Scream with Screamadelica. A monument to its period and an eternal foundation for all future music from thereon. All of its sonic invention can be laid at the feet of its real creator, its producer. Within it, Weatherall carved out a journey into the Technicolor dream of the surrounding subculture and to this day it is held up as one of the all time Greatest Albums in countless publications.
From here Andy Weathersll was sought out by every sonic explorer of the period wanting his maverick guiding hand to take their releases into the uncharted stratosphere from My Bloody Valentine to Bjork through to artists as disparate as Meat Beat Manifesto and Saint Etienne and beyond, all looked to him to add his singular masterly dynamic stamp on their work
As a recording artist he released uncompromising explorations into the outer reaches of the underground Dance/electronic/dub scenes under the guises of Two Lone Swordsman with the classic Tiny Reminders and the eclectic dub and post punk vistas of the seminal Sabres Of Paradise album Haunted Ballroom. Weatherall remained on the outer reaches of all fellow electronic explorers deep into his career with his projects reaching a high watermarked on his Asphodells anthem A Love From Outer Space.
He might have passed away today at the age of 56 but I will always remember him as genius in his field. A high jovial forever exploring fearless king in his own gloriously bold universe. I will miss him and his untethered passionate brilliance. Goodnight Lord Sabre. Your work will reverberate forever.
