VOLT 2023: A Volition Archive

In today’s mail I received a CD copy of Itch-E & Scratch-E’s magnum opus “Itch-E Kitch-E Koo” that I bought on eBay a few days ago. Only 31 years late to the party, but I’m stoked!

This is the album that birthed “Sweetness and Light”, the duo’s (though more of a trio on this album with the input of Sheriff Lindo aka Anthony Maher) beautiful rave monster that just keeps living and giving. 

“Sweetness and Light” was released as a CD single (voltcd86) in 1994, and reached number 65 on Australia’s ARIA singles chart. A more telling sign of its cultural currency is that it was voted in at number 21 in Triple J’s Hottest 100 the same year.

Also in 1994, UK DJ/producer Justin Robertson (Deadstock 33’s, The Prankster, Lionrock) licensed four Itch-E & Scratch-E tracks from Volition: “Interference”, “The Point Of No Return”, and “Sweetness and Light” from the “Itch-E Kitch-E Koo” album, and “Rush” from the 1992 mini-album “Irritable”. Robertson released the four tracks as a 12″ single on his UK based label Pandephonium with “Interference” as the lead track (Catalogue # pan 007).

1995 saw the addition of Best Dance Release at the ARIA (Australia Recording Industry Association) Awards, and Itch-E & Scratch-E won for “Sweetness and Light”. As Paul and Anthony took to the stage to collect the award, Paul shook the event up a little by giving a shout out to Sydney’s ecstasy dealers in his thankyou speech.

In 2012 Australian label 4-4-2 Music released a digital download collection of seven remixes of “Sweetness and Light”, the selection culled from submissions by anybody who wanted to have a crack, as the track’s original stems were made available for download as MP3 files.

In 2015 “Sweetness and Light” was (deservedly, in my opinion) voted number 1 on In The Mix’s “100 Greatest Australian Dance Tracks of All Time”, the selection based on an industry and public poll held by what was Australia’s most popular dance music related website at the time.

2017 saw a new vinyl 12″ reissue of “Sweetness and Light” (catalogue # mtkxtcnrg003) by Australian techno label Motorik!, featuring the original on the A-side and a new remix by producer Adam Bozzetto (For Life) on the B-side.

I think there’s still plenty of life in this timeless track, and in the “Itch-E Kitch-E Koo” album. What are your thoughts?