Motörhead’s «Orgasmatron» turns 40 this year and is being reissued on November 6 in an anniversary edition, with a brand-new mix by Cameron Webb — the producer of the band’s last six records.
It’s not a simple reprint. Webb worked from the original stems and made his own version, while the original record was remastered and cut at half speed from the original tapes. Along with the announcement came the lyric video for the new mix of the track «Orgasmatron».
What the anniversary edition includes
- Deluxe format: 3LP bookpack and 2CD set
- On both: the original mix, Webb’s new mix, rehearsals and outtakes from 1985, as well as the entire 1986 session for BBC Radio 1’s «Friday Rock Show»
- Separate edition: one LP on clear violet vinyl, with only the original record
«Orgasmatron» came out in 1986 on the band’s own label, GWR, and was the first record recorded by the four-piece of Lemmy, Phil Campbell, Würzel and drummer Pete Gill. Production was credited to Bill Laswell with engineer Jason Corsaro, and its sound divided both the audience and the band itself. Tracks like «Orgasmatron», «Deaf Forever» and «Built For Speed» became fixtures of their live sets.
Lemmy and Phil Campbell said the original mix had lost some of the record’s power and energy. Webb explained that he worked with that in mind — bringing the bass forward here, cleaning up the guitars there — without wanting to replace the original record, but to bring out more of what it hides.
Lemmy died in December 2015 and Motörhead ended with him. Würzel passed away in 2011 and Corsaro in 2017.
More on the same side of metal: Duff McKagan: How he became an honorary member of Motörhead and why he keeps Lemmy’s ashes at his home.
See also
City Kids & Dirty Deals: Motörhead & AC/DC · Phil Campbell’s Bastard Sons
See also: Motörhead: Phil Campbell’s cause of death confirmed
