“The furiously political British anarchist collective Crass lived their dogma with admirable rigor” – Rolling Stone “Arguably one of the most significant punk bands to ever exist” – Crack Magazine As part of their ambitious ‘The Feeding of the Five Thousand Remix Project’, punk pioneers Crass are returning with another exclusive remix from Youth, whose band, Killing Joke, remains a vibrant musical force, and has at the same time become one of the most sought-after record producers of today. 'Living Asylum (Youth Remix)' is a dynamic cut that draws from his post-punk and dub influences and reinforces the originals poignant message with an addictive beat. It also features Marc Collin & Beki Mari, members of French new-wave enthusiasts Nouvelle Vague and their blistering remix ‘Rox Off’.
In 2019 Crass took the step of making the original separate track stems of their seminal debut album ‘The Feeding of the Five Thousand’ available as a free download. With a call to take the original sixteen track recording in its pre-mix state, the intent was for people to create their own remixes and interpretations and breathe fresh life and ideas into this revolutionary music.
First released in 1978, ‘The Feeding of the Five Thousand’ pre-empted rap and grime in its hard-on-the-beat, fast fire, uncompromising lyrics and the iconic sounds and messages are ripe for reinterpretation. Crass encouraged people to rip apart the sound and ideas and create something new, then send the files to Crass Records for future releases and charitable projects. The message is DIY like it never was before. “Yours for the taking, yours for the making,” Crass said. “You do it, we’ll stew it. Mix it backwards, forwards and upside down. Turn up the heat and fix it with a downbeat, bring in the trumpets and let ‘em blow, let the piper call the tune to let us all know. It’s up to you to do what you like with it. The only limitation is your imagination.”
All monies raised from the project will go to the charity ‘Refuge’ who said; “We’re incredibly grateful to Crass and their team for helping raise vital funds for Refuge. Since the start of lockdown, Refuge has seen a 66% rise in demand for its Helpline, and a 950% rise in visits to its Helpline website. This shows the sheer extent of the need for specialist domestic abuse services – not just during lockdown but beyond. Every penny raised helps us to ensure that no woman or child is turned away from safety.
‘While lockdown itself doesn’t cause domestic abuse - abuse happens all year round - it does, of course, have the potential to aggravate pre-existing abusive behaviours – and the data we have shows us the increase in the need for our services during lockdown. Refuge worked incredibly hard at the beginning of the pandemic to make sure our services remained open and remained safe. The generous donations we have received, including those from Crass, mean we can continue to provide the life-saving and life-changing services that women experiencing domestic abuse need and deserve.”
On November 19th Penny Rimbaud and Youth will also present their collaboration album ‘Corpus Mei’ via One Little Independent Records, with limited edition vinyl available from January. In a series of epic, cinematic soundscapes, Penny spits tales of the grotesque and absurd. Gargantuan sermons delivered in counter to swelling, emotive orchestration where he and former bandmate Eve Libertine deliver a slew of anti-capitalist weaponised poetry. With their carefully constructed verse they arm the listener against corrupt institutional powers as well as the abstract. High concept and highly descriptive, these vivid and dramatic pictures are painted with artful, honest passion against a monstrous, post-apocalyptic backdrop.
About Youth
Youth is a highly respected and versatile producer and remixer, plus the former bass player from seminal post-punk band Killing Joke. He has produced or remixed for a diverse range of artists, including The Verve, Embrace, Crowded House, Pink Floyd, U2, the Orb, INXS, James, The Charlatans, Texas, and Tom Jones. He’s also a member of The Fireman, along with Paul McCartney.
Born Martin Glover in 1960, he began producing while still with Killing Joke and left the band in 1982 to pursue solo projects, the first of which was the band Brilliant (including contributions from Jimmy Cauty, later of the KLF). He then worked with the successful dance act Blue Pearl before producing and helping to write the Orb's first two albums. More dance-oriented productions followed in the form of work with Transglobal Underground and P.M. Dawn. In 1991, he also formed Butterfly and Dragonfly Records, ground-breaking labels for ambient and trance recordings. In 1994, Youth resumed work with Killing Joke, appearing on their well-received ‘Pandemonium’ and ‘Democracy’ collections. One of his most significant production credits was on The Verve's hugely successful ‘Urban Hymns’, which topped the British album charts for several weeks and included the U.K. number one single ‘The Drugs Don’t Work’ and the Top Ten hits ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ and ‘Lucky Man’. The album won the U.K.'s 1998 BRIT Award for Best Album, while Youth won the Producer of the Year award.
He announced a new record label in December 2020, The Youth Sounds imprint will unleash an innovative, exciting and varied array of artists. Youth has also announced his eagerly awaited debut solo album ‘Spinning Wheel’ on Youth Sounds / Cadiz Entertainment in November. | 
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