New label Arís launches series of '90s/'00s Irish dance music reissues

Newly launched label Arís have announced their first official release, Bumble's West In Motion – the first in a series of '90s/early '00s Irish dance music reissues.

West In Motion, which will be available both digitally and as a 12" record on February 7, features remastered versions of Bumble's 1992 tracks 'West In Motion (Banana Mix)' and 'West In Motion (Hard Mix)', plus a brand new remix from Brame & Hamo, to celebrate the release's 30th anniversary.

Bumble were originally formed in Ireland in 1991, by Matt Early, Hugh Drumm and producer Fintan McDonald. Soon after, the trio entered Bow Lane Studios in Dublin with the aim of mixing the burgeoning rave sound with traditional Irish music.

McDonald also invited DJ duo Dave McDonnell and Mark Crumlish (aka The Banana Boys) into the studio – to guide the sessions into a more "club-focused direction."

The first tangible result was a self-released white label, ‘Up’ – an early version of what was soon to become 'West In Motion'. The record caught the attention of U2’s Mother imprint, who subsequently signed them to release their 1992 EP, West In Motion, on the label.

The EP featured five tracks – a Club Mix, a Haunted Mix (featuring Breda Mayock on vocals), a Banana Mix (courtesy of The Banana Boys), a Hard Mix, and an epic 12-minute remix from Andrew Weatherall – who received a white label copy of the original record at a Primal Scream gig in Dublin in ‘91.

The track went on to reach No.14 on the Irish Singles Chart. However, following a shelved debut album, amongst other contributing factor, the group soon disbanded.

"To honour this important record on its 30th anniversary, we have remastered 2 tracks from the original EP and invited one of West Ireland’s greatest exports Brame & Hamo to remix it; their pumping proggy take, a fitting complement to the spirit of that original era," Arís have stated. "Revisiting West In Motion after all these years helps highlight how crucial it is to the canon of modern Irish music, and will hopefully help introduce Bumble to a whole new generation as a result."

West In Motion is available to pre-order now from Bandcamp: