Matt Black and John More have been explaining that one of the reasons that the album has been so long in the making was that they wanted to do something different for them — songs. Not only that, the songs came about through a series of chance meetings with collaborators.

The first single, ‘Mr. Nichols’ featured independent hip hopper Mike Ladd and Blues Explosions’ Jon Spencer. Somewhat unusual choices, but Coldcut are in the happy position that they don’t need to comply with convention. With that in mind, we’re told that the Jon Spencer contribution was achieved via ‘transatlantic-e-mail-cassette-digital-file interaction’!

The second single is equally non-mainstream with the vocals, guitar and fiddle of John Matthias, who has been described as “folk&b”. Matthias is perhaps best known for his album Small Town Shining, which he released on Matthew Herbert’s Accidental Records label.

There’s a video of the ‘Man In A Garage’ album version on the graphically impressive Coldcut web site and it’s the usual tail of a beautiful and scantily clad female tempting a lost male motorist whose car breaks down in Epping Forest — only to find out, in the end, it’s all a dream. There’s also an audio feed of the Snap Ant remix version that is a right mix-up with the 70s glam-rock feel favoured by Ladytron.

On the 12” remix front, the Nick Franglen Lemon Jelly Mix is certainly a moody “string-soaked cry from the heart”. Whilse on the reverse, a couple of Ninjas, Bonobo (Simon Green) and genius Daedelus have a go.

These two are more like it as Bonobo ups the tempo with a stuttery folktronica shuffler whilst Daedelus takes us to the West Coast electronic surgery for some electro blips and beeps in a way only he can.

We’re promised tons of surprises at the Sound Mirrors Launch Party which is going to be held on 19th January 2006 at Cargo in London. Their live shows have been legendary since they started VJing back in the mid-nineties and now they have designed a whole new state-of-the-art-show set that promises to look as good as it sounds. Not only that, look out for Robert Owens, Mike Ladd and the voice of ‘Booty La La’ and friend of Fly, Mpho Skeef.

The Launch Party show is part of a European and North American tour so well worth checking out (see details below).

Coldcut - ‘Man In A Garage’ (Ninja Tune) Cat. No. ZEN12 176 12” Released: Dec 2005
Tracklisting:
A. Man In A Garage (Nick Franglen (Lemon Jelly) Remix)
B1 Man In A Garage (Bonobo Remix)
B2 Man In A Garage (Daedelus’ Hydraulic Remix)

Links:
Coldcut www.coldcut.net
Vic McGlynn BBC 6Music WEDNESDAY 04 JANUARY : Coldcut - ‘Man In A Garage’

Tour Details:
14/01/06 - AB Club, Brussels, Belgium - Coldcut, Live
16/01/06 - Icon, Berlin, Germany - Coldcut, Live
17/01/06 - Melkweg, Amsterdam, Netherlands - Coldcut, Live
18/01/06 - Nouveau Casino, Paris, France - Coldcut, Live
19/01/06 - Cargo, London, United Kingdom - Coldcut, Live (official “Sound Mirrors” album launch)
09/02/06 - Hangar 11, Tel Aviv, Israel - Coldcut, Live
17/02/06 - Zodiac, Oxford, United Kingdom - Coldcut, Live
18/02/06 - De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill, United Kingdom - Coldcut Live
19/02/06 - Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, United Kingdom - Coldcut, Live
22/02/06 - Academy 2, Manchester, United Kingdom - Coldcut, Live
23/02/06 - Medicine Bar at the Custard Factory, Birmingham, United Kingdom - Coldcut, Live
25/02/06 - Shepherds Bush Empire, London, United Kingdom - Coldcut, Live
02/03/06 - Aeronef, Lille, France - Coldcut, Live
03/03/06 - La Cigale, Paris, France - Coldcut, Live
04/03/06 - Montana Caprices Festival, Crans, Switzerland - Coldcut, Live
06/03/06 - Xtra, Zurich, Switzerland - Coldcut, Live
07/03/06 - Laiterie, Strasbourg, France - Coldcut, Live
08/03/06 - Fri-Son, Friborg, Switzerland - Coldcut, Live
09/03/06 - Magazzini Generali, Milan, Italy - Coldcut, Live
10/03/06 - Rockstore, Montpellier, France - Coldcut, Live
11/03/06 - Link, Bologna, Italy - Coldcut, Live
14/03/06 - SDF Ramonville, Toulouse, France - Coldcut, Live
15/03/06 - Cooperative de Mai, Clermont Ferrand, France - Coldcut, Live
16/03/06 - Bikini, Barcelona, Spain - Coldcut, Live
17/03/06 - Copernico, Madrid, Spain - Coldcut, Live
24/03/06 - Miami Winter Music Show, Miami, FL, United States of America - Coldcut, Live
14/04/06 - Nighttown, Rotterdam, Netherlands - Coldcut, Live
15/04/06 - Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, Belgium - Coldcut, Live
19/04/06 - Brighton Dome - Corn Exchange, Brighton, United Kingdom - Coldcut, Live - Bonobo, DJ Set
20/04/06 - Academy, Bristol, United Kingdom - Coldcut, Live
21/04/06 - Sage, Gateshead, United Kingdom - Coldcut, Live
25/04/06 - Sheffield Uni, Sheffield, United Kingdom - Coldcut, Live
26/04/06 - ABC, Glasgow, United Kingdom - Coldcut, Live
27/04/06 - Printemps de Bourges, Bourges, France - Coldcut, Live
28/04/06 - Printemps de Bourges, Bourges, France - Coldcut, Live
30/04/06 - Coachella Festival, Indio, United States of America - Coldcut, Live
02/05/06 - Mezzanine, San Francisco, United States of America - Coldcut, Live
03/05/06 - Berbatis Pan, Portland, Oregon, United States of America - Coldcut, Live
05/05/06 - Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, Canada - Coldcut, Live
06/05/06 - Neumos, Seattle, United States of America - Coldcut, Live
09/05/06 - First Avenue, Minneapolis, United States of America - Coldcut. Live
10/05/06 - Metro, Chicago, United States of America - Coldcut, Live
12/05/06 - Opera House, Toronto, Canada - Coldcut, Live
13/05/06 - Usine, Montreal, Canada - Coldcut, Live
15/05/06 - Paradise, Boston, United States of America - Coldcut, Live
16/05/06 - Irving Plaza, New York, United States of America - Coldcut, Live
26/05/06 - spring 6, Graz, Austria - Coldcut, Live
27/05/06 - les nuits sonores, Lyon, France - Coldcut, Live