New Order: Music Complete (and the Tom Rowlands influence)

Well it's exactly two weeks until the release of New Order's Music Complete.
I felt it was worth it's own thread based on the fact that the band had a huge influence on the Chems, and now it seems Tom had a real influence on their music making process for the new album. Oh also all the reviews have been pretty good so far. The album has been garnering steady four star reviews, and the implication is that it's their best album since Technique. This despite (or because of?) Peter Hooks absence.

We know that Mr Rowlands was directly involved with Singularity and Unlearn This Hatred on the new album. There was a question mark over whether he was involved with their italo-disco experiment Tutti Frutti. It now seems that he was actually involved. At least in so far as finding the Italian guy who repatedly says' Tuuutti Fruuuutti' on the track.

There's a nice interview with New Order's Gillian Gilbert HERE.
Re Tutti Frutti she says: " It was somebody that Tom Rowland knew from Chemical Brothers. He got hold of the track and Bernard said "Oh wouldn't it be good if we had somebody speaking Italian on it." So Tom got this guy he knew. He played it for us and it was so good that we kept it on the record. We don't know who he is, I will be quite interested to see him."

And elsewhere, Gillian discusses their approach to making music this time round (and Tom):
"We tended to jam a lot. Now you can take it home, think about it, change chords, and present what you've done. I think it was Tom Rowland who got us all together, working like that. Because me and him had never worked together, so it was nice having him around at the start of the LP. "Singularity" he wrote with us and we really liked that track. There was also "Unlearn This Hatred" which he and Bernard had already started working on, they had the lyrics and vocals..."

I stuck some of these clips on facebook when we were forum-less. Maybe not everyone here saw them.
Singularity (featuring Mr Rowlands):


Unlearn This Hatred (featuring Mr Rowlands)


I think this is Superheated (could be wrong) Academic


I've already posted the video to Restless on the Now Playing thread. There are remixes from Agoria and RAC on youtube as well, and more remixes to come including an Andrew Weatherall remix. Although it isn't out I heard the Weatherall mix a while ago and it's better than the two remixes that are already on YT . Some of the reviews , such as this one from The Quietus suggest that Restless is by no means one of the stronger tracks on the album.

For those interested, formats will include double clear vinyl, or an Eight piece multi coloured vinyl box set with extended versions of each track.  More details HERE.

very curious about the full lenght and extended versions of the tracks. I really like 'Here to stay'

PLASTIC

I believe Americans can now buy this track on iTunes/Amazon. But I'm not American...

PLASTIC

I believe Americans can now buy this track on iTunes/Amazon. But I'm not American...

Loving this track.

been listening to this album on repeat this morning and it is damn fine!! its classic new order.

tutti fruitti

tutti fruitti

Yeah, I love this one the most !

Yes but I'm italian and when I've listen to Tutti Frutti it sounds a bit stupid the italian voice because the senteces doesn't have an apparently meaning
Anyway that's a beautiful song

It does indeed have a classic New Order feel. 

The tracks produced by Tom are definitely highlights, and I'm with you guys on Plastic and Tutti Frutti.

This album is so good, love Tutti Frutti

Well I reckon it's been a good month since I've posted on here (not that y'all care). And that's at least in part down to me being distracted by Music Complete. I'm not sure that Tutti Frutti is one of my personal faves but it's been growing on me.

Yes but I'm italian and when I've listen to Tutti Frutti it sounds a bit stupid the italian voice because the senteces doesn't have an apparently meaning
Anyway that's a beautiful song

If you're reading this Nick.DJ, I think the Italian lyrics are as follows:
Tutti Frutti
Amore mio
Tutti frutti
No
Non è ancora il momento di entrare.
Non è ancora il momento di…

And later on:
Non mi interessa il nome vero
Non mi interessa la vita reale
Quella canzone
E tu? Sei tutti frutti

WhichI think translates as:
Tutti Frutti
My love
Tutti Frutti
no
It is not yet time to enter (or, to go??)
It is not yet time to ...

I don't care about your real name
I don't care about real life
That song
And you? You are Tutti Frutti

Nick can you confirm, or correct this if I have anything wrong?

I'll  do a seperate post on Tom Rowlands involvement with this track (and the other two MC tracks), but for now New Order are releasing this as a single. Supposedly this is out tomorrow as per THIS.  And possibly today in some territories.
It will also be released on 12" with an extended version of the original, and weirdly a "vinyl edit" of the Hot Chip remix. I'm not sure why they can't fit the full 11.43 of that remix on one side of a 12"...
Anyway the Hot Chip remix is damn fine IMO. Perhaps better than the original. See what you think:
https://soundcloud.com/neworderofficial/new-order-tutti-frutti-hot-chip-remix

So the night before Music Complete was released, Bernard Sumner did a track by-track interview/playback thing with John Kennedy of Radio X (The now re-branded Xfm). In fact it was the same night as the Chems Roundhouse gig, so most you wouldn't have heard it (and neither did I). I understand they actually ran out of time to broadcast the whole interview. But you can listen to the full 1hr25min interview on an itunes podcast here: Episode 159

Tom Rowlands gets mentioned:
Around 9 mins in. Discussing Singularity: "Tom likes sounds so sharp you could shave with them."
Around 24 mins. Discussing Tutti Frutti: "I could hear an Italian voice...Tom said: I know just the guy.  His name is Giacomo... I think he works in Tom's favourite sandwich shop".
1.01 to 1.04. Unlearn this Hatred. Both Tom and Steve Dub get a mention for their work on the track.

New Order also did one of those 6 Music performances recently  (as did Leftfield, Mercury Rev and a couple of other acts). The same as the Underworld one from last year, which many of you will remember.  Later on, Bernard was still hanging around Maida Vale and he did a brief interview on the Radcliffe & Maconie show. Listen HERE on 43 minutes.

He talks about Tutti Frutti again, and mentions how he wanted to take the track in a disco diection whilst Tom wanted to take it in a harder direction. "We're still hoping that Tom will do a mix of it...we're just waiting for him to do it but he's on tour...". So despite the fact that Tutti Frutti has already been released as a single, we may yet get a Rowlands version of the track.  Fingers crossed...

just had a chance to finally listen to all this......... all i can say is wow. This is GOOD. Especially Tutti Fruitti and Plastic.   Also being a bass player the bass playing and tone in Singularity is absolutely genius.

PEOPLE ON THE HIGH LINE. jesus...........

FINALLY picked this up, listening now.  3 tracks in, liking. 

Just listened to it recently. Tom produced tracks are very regonizable.
I like a good chunk of it. Plastic and tutti frutti aren't amongst that. Although I listened to New Order first I have more love for Joy Division. All the 'electronic dance' music New Order have made sound so forced.
I wonder what the difference is between a Tom produced track and a Tom remixed track. Does Tom produced track sounds very Tomlike, more "through me EP" than New Order.

Does anyone have the 8 color vinyl version with the extended versions? Is it available digital somewhere? I'm very curious for that one.

All the 'electronic dance' music New Order have made sound so forced.

Blue Monday, Confusion, Shellshock? I quite like those.

Does anyone have the 8 color vinyl version with the extended versions? Is it available digital somewhere? I'm very curious for that one.

Try HERE for Academic. If you click STEM (when you play the track) at the bottom of the page, you can play about on that Beatport page, playing the Drums, vocals, bass and melody in isolation. For the 8-vinyl version of Tutti Frutti go HERE. You may also wish to read this: STEMS
As for the rest of the tracks, well the guy who runs this New Order Radio station has put all the extended mixes into the playlist, but they're interspersed with every other New Order track in existence so you could be waiting a while to hear them all.
I understand that a downoad card did come with the 8-piece vinyl, so the tracks are out there. I hear that the words Soul and Seek might be of use. I've actually never used SS, and am a bit wary about downloading some sort of connection and allowing people to access files on my computer.  Perhaps someone with a bit more knowledge could PM me to put my mind at rest...

One final piece of news: Singularity will be the next single, due out in March. Mixes (on the 12") will be:
Extended Mix (I don't know if that'll be the same one on the 8-piece vinyl)
Mark Reeder Duality remix
Erol Alkan's Extended Mix (Whoop!  Looking forward to this)
ZS Zeiter Dub.

Massive!

American tour dates go on sale on Friday.

There is a Chicago show!