Joanna - Gardeners’ World / If You Don't Want Me (Remixes)
Admittedly, I wasn't around for the iconic Madchester era. It's a time fondly remembered by chin-stroking music aficionados and fellas who wear parkas in the summer, and its influence can be heard long after its end. Still, with the recent release of two remixes off Joanna's 2025 reissue of their 1989 album Hello Flower, 'Gardeners World' and 'If You Don't Want Me' by Ddwy and Andras, respectively, there's a clear nod to Manchester's famous Hacienda and a revitalisation of the sound, if only in spirit.
These two remixes embody that aspirational energy the UK's north had in abundance in the late 80s and 90s. It was a time when kids felt they could pick up a guitar and strum their way into stardom, and for many of the bands, that's precisely what they did. Obviously, a lot of credit has to go to the band Joanna for some stellar source material, but it's really where both Ddwy and Andras took these tracks that stand out. The Remixes embody the iconic psychedelia that was abundant during the Hacienda heyday. They draw clear inspiration from legends like Primal Scream, the Stone Roses, and, of course, the Happy Mondays, but this inspiration is ideological rather than purely musical. The tracks feel freeing, innocent, and lawless, which complements a real sense of twangy humanity in every limp-wristed guitar strum or head-bobbing beat.
With popular music becoming a flat landscape, it's quite exciting to see early remnants of British culture being explored again, and thank god it isn't that Unite the Right stuff. If anything, this could be signalling a return of Britpop. Pop music for the people, and a little bit more interesting than generic dance-pop tunes that have become filler at this point. Now that young people are statistically less likely to drink, turning to other substances such as psychedelics, the population is primed for a return to the nonconformist oddballs. I think you're gonna be seeing a lot of skinny blokes with mop tops in the next few years.
The question is, do people really want a second wave of this electronic, confused Britpop? The first wave was fun, and much of its fun came from its chaotic, damaging, yet real personalities. The old grade weren't exactly the type to idolise in hindsight, but they never claimed to be. What they did know how to do was stand on business, as the kids say. Anyway, jokes aside, the Manchester crew embodied a zero-tolerance approach to the establishment. In the current climate, the reintroduction of the Manchester sound is telling. There is an appetite for change, both socially and, I think, musically. We're currently going through a pop renaissance, with ultra-high-quality releases not only smashing chart records and being applauded for featuring some absolutely insane deep cuts. Just look up Lily Allen, Charlie XCX and Addison Ray, all of whom have embodied this new wave of pop royalty. The question looming over everything is, when does the hype fade, and we start looking to the rawer side of guitar music? While these remixes are enjoyable, I don't see them hitting the heights of Primal Scream, a product of being ahead of the curve, but it's a sign of things to come.
Label: New Feelings (2025)
Joanna - Gardeners’ World / If You Don't Want Me (Remixes)
