stuff this

folks.

the pile hasn't been sorted due to real life pressures.

so here's a quick rundown on how to soundtrack the return of the sun :

king biscuit time : black gold - despite the fact that steve mason has pulled the plug on this new project following the demise of the best alt.pop band ever (the beta band in case you hadn't noticed), the label are still going to release the album. so if you've ever enjoyed pop music at its most interesting in which machine noises and proper instruments are blended together while steve does his trademarked layered vocal tricks. basically a damn fine album full of lovely twists and turns. let's just hope he's ok : link

hernan cattaneo : sequential - double cd of fairly stand house-techno music. beautiful packaging, some gorgeous grooves mixed to perfection, but a little too clean for my tastes.  out now on renaissance

national forest : one million - second album from this bedroom boffin of sweet and delicate electronica with some proper instruments added to the mix. did someone say that folktronica was dead. not going to make end of year lists, but one that will make people feel all cozy and warm. several tracks feature welcome vocals by such folks as the lead singer from morning runner, matthew greener, manda rin and jacob fletcher. summary : a nice album for nice people. link

statik presents grindie (vol 1). oh yes grindie. grime + indie innit. this is a mad 75 minute mash mix by scene leader, statik. features such clashes between franz ferdinand, maximo park, bloc party etc etc, and the grime beat masters such as lethal bizzle, and a lot of statik touchups. so, having read up on this buzz for a while now, do i actually like it? well apart from the name (which is awful) i guess i do. it's often a wild and dynamic noise, and if in the wrong mood will induce headaches aplenty. but it's an interesting direction for all concerned, and may even surprise us over the next few months if the experiment actually clicks and generates some proper crush collision songs. apparently this 64 track mash is going to be available for free from certain record shops. so eyes sharp, or check out statiks myspace page : link

anyway, best start packing the suitcase.

crack'on

mark e

ireallylovemusic