Working on British Aisles, a multi media installation for an art show in 2019, I was initially concerned with the way in which British identity was presented in the British food section of the international aisles of supermarkets in the United States. I knew I wanted a musical element to the work. Brexit squirmed its way to centre stage as I developed ideas for the piece, and it became important for me to speak to this ongoing scenario with the work.

As the Brexit continued to roll on in slow-motion-car-crash fashion over the course of 2019, it hit me. My first official job as a 15/16 year old boy in my home town of Chertsey (a small town in Middlesex) was at the local Sainsbury's, just a short walk from my family home. On Sunday mornings, it was my job to unload the produce for weekend shoppers. Prior to opening hours, my supervisors (essentially children, probably around 18) would switch on the PA announcement microphone ("can a supervisor please come to check-out number 3 please" etc.) and lean a cassette player up against it, so they could listen to their latest favorite tunes in glorious low-fidelity sound across the whole store. It was the mid-1990s, the glory days of Euro-Dance pop in the UK, and I would hear these tunes again and again and again every week.

It occurs to me that despite the current and historical antipathy/hostility towards Europe shown by many British people, we have nonetheless made good use of their cultural products for our own pleasures. European pop music is one very good example than spans all class divisions in the UK. How hypocritical of us! It puts me in mind of the famous "what have the Romans ever done for us" Python sketch.

To make this long story short, I took a few of the 'last night of the proms' British nationalist smash hits of the past few centuries, and gave them a swift Euro-Dance makeover, inspired by the likes of Alice Deejay, Darude and DJ Quicksilver.

In the installation, these songs were played along with quotes I pilfered from a range of media- TV, radio, youtube videos, etc. Regarding attitudes towards Britishness, Brexit and whatnot. This full soundtrack is included here as a 'megamix' should you wish to check it out.