The Grid: Older News

"Music for Dancing", a collection of remixes of some classic Grid tracks, came out September 25, 1995 from Deconstruction U.K. See the Albums section of the discography for details. Reviews of the album appeared in Melody Maker (Sept. 30, 1995), Mixmag (Oct. 1995), Select (Nov. 1995), and most music magazines that cover techno and dance music.
"Diablo" was released as a single September 11, 1995 in the U.K. See the Singles section of the discography for details. In the September 9th issue of Billboard, the Dance Trax column referred to "Diablo", with its spanish guitars and sleek house beats, as another essential release from Deconstruction U.K

The Grid toured in 1994 and 1995 with three other fellows in support of their third album, "Evolver", to rave reviews.

The official Grid Network, put together by Mu Media, went online the week of January 15, 1996. Its homebase is Hotel Deconstruction, founded December 1995, the page for the recording label Deconstruction U.K. The Grid pages remain on the DeConstruction site but The Grid are not currently considered active artists on that label's roster.

The single for Rainer's "Nod to N2O" has been re-released on X-Records in the U.K., September 1996. Remixes are credited respectively to David Ball (with Ingo Vauk?) and Richard Norris. See Remixes and Production section of discography for more details and a review from DJ Magazine. The first release for this single had been credited to Rainer vs. The Grid.
The 'Halaal Rock' E.P. by Black Star Liner contains "Duggie Dhol Caffrey Stretch Out",an extended version of "Duggie Dhol" mixed by David Ball (with Ingo Vauk?). "Duggie Dhol" was voted Single of the Week by Melody Maker in it's August 10, 1996 issue and Ball's mix was singled out as the best by the reviewer. A sample of "Duggie Dhol Caffrey Stretch Out" is available at the Black Star Liner homepage. See listing for Black Star Liner in Other Projects section of discography.
Richard Norris has worked with Stephen Hague to produce and mix the first single for Robbie Williams (after his departure from Take That). Released August 1996, it's a cover of "Freedom" by George Michael.
The single for "England's Irie" by Black Grape featuring Joe Strummer and Keith Allen came out June 1996. It includes two remixes by Richard Norris, the Pass the Duzarac Mix and the Suedehead Dub. This track is taken from "The Beautiful Game" (the official album of UEFA Euro 96 - England), which celebrates football (soccer).
David Ball and Ingo Vauk produced the single "That's Nice!" for Minty on Sugar Records in the U.K. and may have done some mixes as well - April 1996.
David Ball and Ingo Vauk have remixed the Pet Shop Boys' reproduced and remixed version of David Bowie's "Hallo Spaceboy". Two promotional only 12" vinyl releases came out in the U.K. in March 1996 or earlier. Virgin Records issued a 12" vinyl promo in the U.S. in April 1996. See the listing for Bowie in Other Projects section of discography.
Richard Norris of The Grid, along with Choque of Black Star Liner, have remixed the Cornershop single "Jullandar Shere", released on 12" and CD in the U.K., February 26, 1996. That single is from the album "Woman Gotta Have It". Cornershop are on the Wiiija label in the U.K. and on David Byrne's Luaka Bop label distributed by Warner Bros. in the U.S.
Gavin Friday's second U.K. single from his album "Shag Tobacco" is called "You Me and World War Three". It came out January 29, 1996 and features two remixes by The Grid.

In Richard Norris' email of May 5, 1996, he mentions the latest plans for himself, David Ball, and The Grid. Thanks, Richard!
In David Ball's email of July 19, 1996, he details his ongoing work with Ingo Vauk. Thanks, David!

In Details magazine, September 1996, p.257, there is a mention of The Grid under heading of "Decks Maniacs - remixers: a buyer's guide to the people who can make you dance to anything". It's a subsection to dance music section feature article on Everything But The Girl. The text: "THE GRID / Sound: Crispy pop-techno with a psychedelic edge. Hit mix: 'Your Loving Arms' by Billie Ray Martin." There is a small picture also. Others mentioned include Todd Terry, Paul Oakenfold, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Dave Clarke, David Morales, Alex Reece, Global Communication, and Roger Sanchez.

Richard Norris in the studio with Joe Strummer


An excerpt from short notice in NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS, December 2, 1995,
p. 3:  "Strummer has been working with Richard Norris of The Grid on
his new project called Strummerville."

An excerpt from Tower Records' PULSE! magazine, December 1995, p. 16
(first of three paragraphs):  "Joe Strummer is working on a new
musical project.  The former CLASH singer has recorded a number of
dance tracks with techno musicians Richard Norris from the GRID and
Gary from trance act AZUKZ.  Although the group has yet to settle on a
name, two under consideration are TECHNORGANICS and, erm,
STRUMMERSVILLE.  The band is also shopping for a record deal.  The
three musicians originally met at Peter Gabriel's Real World studios
last July, when the ex-Genesis singer held his not-quite annual
musician's summit/running session, Recording Week (covered in this
space last issue)."

According to SELECT magazine, November 1995, p. 106:  "The Grid have
been messing about with Joe Strummer [formerly of The Clash] in the
studio.  The collaboration may possibly lead to a full release."

Tribal Gathering Ireland 95 on Sept. 30, 1995 - CANCELED!


The Grid, along with The Orb and The Prodigy, were among the many groups
to perform at Tribal Gathering Ireland 95 on September 30 at the Cavan
Equestrian Centre, County Cavan, Eire.  Unfortunately, this event was 
canceled, according to reports in N.M.E. and The Melody Maker, the
Sept. 23, 1995 issues.  The proper permits could not be secured or
were revoked at short notice after local officials determined the
event was not suitable for the venue.  Someone was quoted as having
said the event would have gone forward if it had been country/western
music, meaning probably that someone got scared of the type or size of
crowd that the event would have attracted.  The Tribal Gathering had
originally been planned as a large outdoor festival and had been
transferred to a much smaller indoor venue at Cavan.

'Nod to N2O' by Rainer vs. The Grid


'Nod to N20' is a track credited to Rainer vs. The Grid.  The track is
The Grid's ambient remix of Rainer's 'Ode to N2O'.  The original track
and the remix are both on the Rainer album, "Nocturnes (The
Instrumentals)", from the German label Glitterhouse.  Rainer Ptacek
is a blues guitarist and singer who lives in Arizona.  On the
"Nocturnes" album, he plays his 1933 National steel guitar and puts
the sound through two tape loops and an amp, so he can play along with
his own sampled guitar, according to review in THE MELODY MAKER, July
29, 1995.  There is also a positive review in MOJO, July 1995.

If there was a single release for 'Nod to N20', it may only have been
available as a promotional item.  It was listed as 'Nod to H2O' in a
DJ chart in either NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS or THE MELODY MAKER, June 24,
1995.  [N2O stands for nitrogen monoxide, a.k.a. nitrous oxide, a.k.a.
laughing gas.  Nodding is what folks do when they do nitrous oxide, 
I guess.]

[See the Remixes & Production section for more details.]

Old News


From the booklet accompanying "Wasted", Volume's May 1995 compilation
of dance music:  "This year, The Grid embarked on their 'The Other
Side of World Tour', taking in Japan, Thailand, Singapore, New
Zealand, and Australia.  June will see the release of a new single,
'Do What You Wanna Do', and the band will be back in the studio
recording LP number four, set for an autumn release.  The Grid will
make a two-week tour of the UK to promote the release."

[The September 1995 release of the single 'Diablo' appears to have
supplanted the 'Do What You Wanna Do' single mentioned above.  See
the Singles and Albums sections for more information.]

Touring Around in Early 1995


The Grid performed on March 24, 1995, 9-10pm at the Zouk Club in
Singapore.  There was an ad and short article in the March 1995
issue of BIG O, an english language music magazine for Asia.
According to the ad, it would be "an exclusive one-hour show by the
world's leading techno act", "a full concert featuring 16 video
monitors for a full audio-visual assault".  The Grid were supported
at Zouk by Transendental Experience, a techno band that includes Zouk's
resident DJ, DJ Cher.  React Records' page for Zouk also has
information on Transendental Experience.

The Grid were to perform at the Billboard Dance Summit in San
Francisco in January 1995.  They were to be part of a showcase by
their U.S. label, DeConstruction America, that included a performance
by the The Dust Brothers (now known as The Chemical Brothers).  The
Grid supposedly got an offer to perform or work in Japan that they
pursued instead of the Summit.