If a band can lay claim to making the 12-inch their own it’s the magnificent New Order. There are few things in musical life that can fill your heart with joy quite like one of their multitude of remixes.

When ‘Round & Round’ – the second single from the ‘Technique’ album – was released in 1989 anything went in a bid to land an artist a big hit. First stop was releasing stuff on as many formats as possible – three 12-inches and two CD singles in this case.

I was working in an independent record shop at the time and as a chart return shop we saw a constant stream of sales reps and their bounty through our doors. Formatting was but just one tool in their arsenal. We’d be swamped with promo caps, t-shirts, sweats, hoodies, cigarette lighters… you name it, we got it. And if their records were hits, it was boxes of wine, watches, spirits, band-branded jackets.

The Detroit Mix, pictured above, comes from, trainspotters, Fac263rA with Motor City grandmaster Kevin Saunderson at the controls. You can’t help but smile at the trademark New Order sound getting all Detroit. It wasn’t a huge leap. It sounds like you’d imagine a car being made sounds. Gives me goosebumps every single time.

Download lowdown
- Go on the hunt for rare NO remixes at this rather fine discog site. If you’re missing anything, just ask and I’ll see what I can do!