Mandalay作为短命的「后Trip-hop」时代的干将，拥有一个声线如同被低压电流加载的女主唱Nicola Hitchcock，当年身负「Madonna最爱的团」称号，并且1998年专辑《Empathy》在互联网不甚发达的时代一度被误传为当时蛰伏无息的Portishead的三专（标题伪为《Pearl》），各种花边。
这首《Flowers Bloom》是他们在indie时代的首单，发表于Organic旗下，旋即被Melody Maker推为「Single of the Week」，并被当时新创的V2签下，引来Guy Sigsworth这样的名制作人为他们做了上面提到的那张误作Portishead的处女专辑。
Organic时代的1996年此单已经有数个格式的版本，到了V2自然也不能落下。惟独1998年的这版末尾，找来看似毫无瓜葛的Robin Guthrie，搞出这首听来居然合作无缝的remix。
我只能说，效果真的比后来Robin自搞的Violet Indiana好。开首是花开，末尾花散去……
当然不能不提《Empathy》及其周边EP单曲的设计是4AD的v23（以Chris Bigg为主），在他们的平设作品里，也是排得上号的优美。
Sometimes
The reflection I see
Bears no
Resemblance to meSometimes
I look around the place I live
And wonder
How I came to choose the things I didIn the morning
He smiles
At the start of another day
He smilesKisses my shoulder
Cradles his body
Behind mine
Shin to toe to thigh to mind
Shin to toe to thigh to mind
Shin to toe to thigh to mind
Shin to toe to thigh to mind
Shin to toe to thigh to mindSometimes
I wake and know the time will come
The day unfolds
Someday
That everything will resonate
Flowers bloom
In desolate placesIn the morning
He smiles
At the start of another day
He smilesKisses my shoulder
Cradles his body
Behind mineShin to toe to thigh to mind
Shin to toe to thigh to mind
Shin to toe to thigh to mind
Shin to toe to thigh to mind
Shin to toe to thigh to mind to mineSometimes it seems
All the birds are flying south
While I am groundedOne day I’ll wake
And everything will resonate
Flowers bloom
In desolate placesIn the morning
He smiles
At the start of another day
He smilesKisses my shoulder
Cradles his body
Behind mineShin to toe to thigh to mind
Shin to toe to thigh to mind
Shin to toe to thigh to mind
Shin to toe to thigh to mind
Shin to toe to thigh to mind to mine
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