Swim / UK / RE 2024, Bioplastic
Originally released in 1997, Bastard marks a pivotal moment in the solo career of Wire frontman Colin Newman. For this 2024 reissue, the album has been remastered and made available on vinyl for the very first time, specifically on limited edition Bio Vinyl.
Produced in collaboration with his partner Malka Spigel (Immersion), Bastard was a transgressive move away from the "heritage artist" expectations. Newman traded traditional songwriting for a fluid, almost entirely instrumental language of house, techno, breakbeat, and post-rock. The album captures a mid-90s fascination with "faceless" electronic music, blending whirring synths, aggressive guitar loops, and intricate drum machine patterns.
The title itself reflects the album’s nature as a "misfit"—a hybrid work that refused to play by the rules of either the indie-rock establishment or the rigid dance music scene of the time.