As part of their ambitious ‘The Feeding of the Five Thousand Remix Project’, punk pioneers Crass are returning with another exclusive coloured 12” single featuring remixes by legendary producer Steve Aoki and Japanese outsider musician Mikado Koko.

Late last year Crass took the step of making the original separate track stems of their seminal debut album ‘The Feeding of the Five Thousand’ available as a free download. With a call to take the original sixteen track recording in its pre-mix state, the intent was for people to create their own remixes and interpretations and breathe fresh life and ideas into this revolutionary music.

First released in 1978, ‘The Feeding of the Five Thousand’ pre-empted rap and grime in its hard- on-the-beat, fast fire, uncompromising lyrics and the iconic sounds and messages are ripe for reinterpretation. Crass encouraged people to rip apart the sound and ideas and create something new, then send the files to Crass Records for future releases and charitable projects. The message is DIY like it never was before. “Yours for the taking, yours for the making,” Crass said.

“You do it, we’ll stew it. Mix it backwards, forwards and upside down. Turn up the heat and fix it with a downbeat, bring in the trumpets and let ‘em blow, let the piper call the tune to let us all know. It’s up to you to do what you like with it. The only limitation is your imagination.”

In this latest release, the third in the series, ‘Banned From The Roxy’ is given a dirty, bass-heavy and anthemic turnaround by two-time Grammy-nominated Aoki with ‘Roxy (Unf*ck the World Steve Aoki Remix)’, one that pushes the crucial original lyrics to the front but gleefully plays with the fast-paced, maniacal beat. ‘Asylum (Mikado Koko Remix)’ preserves the antireligious spoken-word piece with a subtle but no less impactful twist. Both serve to inject even more intensity to already powerful tracks and are crystal clear reminders of why Crass were so important, and remain so vital today.

All monies raised from the project will go to the charity ‘Refuge’ who said;

“We’re incredibly grateful to Crass and their team for helping raise vital funds for Refuge. Since the start of lockdown, Refuge has seen a 66% rise in demand for its Helpline and a 950% rise in visits to its Helpline website. This shows the sheer extent of the need for specialist domestic abuse services – not just during lockdown but beyond. Every penny raised helps us to ensure that no woman or child is turned away from safety.