An introduction to my music recommendations

After my last article it struck me that I don't post music recommendations on this blog. Instead they've all been dumped on Facebook where they become part of that mushy landscape, receding into the past almost immediately, never to be seen again. Given that I take quite a lot of time to listen and advise, this seems somehow inappropriate. Music does not have an expiry date.

Recommendations for Bandcamp Friday (May 2026)

It's Bandcamp Friday, a day when all proceeds go to the artists. If you are like me, you bookmark your favourites through the preceding month and then make one grouped purchase to optimise the lives of artists.

Read on for five recommendations. And please post your own, so I can prepare for next month.

Günther Berkus and I

It would be presumptuous for me to call Günther Berkus a friend, but he was sometimes a collaborator (in live improvisations) and our paths crossed regularly. On meeting we'd talked passionately about various music technologies. Indeed, for several years our techniques ran in parallel, for example our explorations of Max/MSP. 

When Berkus (as he preferred to be called) began work using the voice of W.S. Burroughs (released in 2014 as Pay Back Your Stolen Colours), I referred back to my own generative exercises using Burroughs texts, conducted in the nineties. And by coincidence I was simultaneously revisiting the voice as sonic material for The Absence of Baudrillard. In such ways our interests threaded.

The best free audio plugins (Robin Edition)

It's been a while since I wrote an article in this series. Perhaps because I don't obsess over tools and am happy with what I have. Or perhaps it's more accurate to say that I don't always obsess over tools... but when I do, I like to share with you!

Recently I've been asked what plugins I would recommend, assuming that you have no cash on hand. The problem is not finding plugins, as there are so many. The problem is finding tools worth using. 

Scritti Politti answers the Situationists

Inspired by the Sex Pistols, Green Gartside formed the band Scritti Politti while studying art at Leeds Polytechnic. Moving to a squat in Camden Town, the band released their first single “Skank Bloc Bologna” in 1978. Before transitioning the group to a pure pop outfit with several chart hits, Green produced a number of songs referencing leftist political theory and post-structural thought.

One of the finest of these is “The 'Sweetest Girl'”, released October 1981 on Rough Trade. I have just made a discovery that perhaps has gone unnoticed. This song is an answer record. But who asked the question?

Piano plugins: an overview of inexpensive options (part two)

If you haven't done so already, please read the first part of this article for the necessary context and terminology. Then, read this article to accompany the video on YouTube. There you will get to listen to all 23 pianos. 

Piano plugins: an overview of inexpensive options (part one)

Sooner or later, everyone needs a piano. Whether you are making pop music, composing for soundtracks, scoring a game, or simply looking for wonderful tones to manipulate into crazy shapes, a piano is the most versatile and timbrally-rich instrument you can find. A classically-trained pianist will prefer a "proper" physical grand piano. A jobbing musician will own a portable electronic instrument of high quality. But this article is directed to everyone else: music-makers who need a software solution and don't have a fortune to spend.

This is the first of two articles on the subject. Here I will discuss approaches to creating digital instruments, popular software samplers, and how to judge a sample library. In the second article I present capsule reviews of no fewer than 23 piano plugins, so that you can find those that suit you best. A companion YouTube video is now available, so you can listen to all the instruments. 

Three amazing audio plugins: SketchCassette, ShapeShifter, Digitalis

Let me introduce you to Abberant DSP, a company consisting of Ben (developer and customer support), Dan (GUI designer and marketing), and Jon (resident kitty and help centre). This small team produces three of the best plugins I've encountered. They sound great, are cheap as chips, and have quirky interfaces that nonetheless are well-designed.

Read on for my take on SketchCassette, ShapeShifter, and Digitalis.

Review: Peter Hook and The Light

Peter Hook and The Light
The Big Top, Limerick, Ireland 
10 November 2022

The revenant is that which returns. 

This thought is foremost after hearing Peter Hook and The Light, who tour the catalogue of Joy Division, keeping alive songs that otherwise can only be appreciated in recorded form. The group animates these tunes through exaggeration, adding metal guitar flourishes, over-pronounced dynamics, and fist-pumping choruses to songs ("Love Will Tear Us Apart", "Transmission") which don't deserve the fate of such normative interpretations. Could these sensations make me feel the pleasures of a normal man? In part, yes.

60 Voices: A mixtape to open your ears

It's year-end, a time when music lovers are besieged with lists and charts. These rankings rankle for several reasons. First, I refuse to view music as a contest. Yes, a "top ten" can be a way of highlighting new music. But I've been seeing too many, especially those of a historic nature, that serve only to confirm an existing canon. Read on, and you'll hear what I did about it: 60 carefully-chosen tracks mixed for your listening pleasure!

Launch of "Tides: An ISSTA Anthology"

This Friday, ISSTA celebrates a rich history with the launch of Tides: An ISSTA Anthology. This collection of twenty-four artists represents a cross-section of activity in electronic and acousmatic music, soundscape composition, live performance, and sound installation. 

"The Regression of Musical Innovation" reconsidered

I recently encountered Rick Beato's video "Why Today's Music Is So BORING. The Regression of Musical Innovation." This rant is worth a rebuttal, especially since the emotive aspect of the claim will have immediate appeal to so many.

All my music is now free

I have been pondering a question of economics for some time. Until now I have been pricing my albums at around 8 Euros. This is far less than many labels, so it's always been a "good deal."

I began by releasing music for free. If I can accurately recall my thought processes, I switched to paid albums in order to be "taken seriously" as an artist. This had something to do with setting up my label, Stolen Mirror.

David Bowie: Five Years

It's been five years since Bowie passed away. I had never considered that there wouldn't be a year without him, when I wouldn't have the joy of wondering if he'd release any music, and if it would be any good.

2020: Releases and Productions

Everything considered, 2020 was a productive year for me. I released two albums of compositions, one long improvisation, two music videos, and contributions to several compilations. This post summarises these nine releases, with listening/watching links.

On Releasing Music: My Advice As Label Owner

I have a "record label," if that's what they are still called. As curator of Stolen Mirror, I consult with artistists on what to release and how best to do this. Many times, nothing gets released at all, but perhaps the process is still useful.

When an album does result, it's because I've creating graphics, written marketing material, created a unified image, and performed the tedious tasks of uploading files and submitting publishing information.

There is no way to make money from distributing music. Instead, I treat my label as an act of friendship with my artists. I release music after a significant investment of time, with no hope of returns, because I want to see their sounds get more exposure.

I also give advice, hard-worn from the many years I've been on the strange peripheries of radio, live music, and production. Let me share this advice here.

Support great music.... now!

In this time of isolation, artists are suffering. Their consulting work is put on hold; their day jobs vanish; their gigs are cancelled. This post contains music from friends and accomplices. Please open your wallets along with your hearts. Donate to help keep music alive.

There's no better place to start than today on Bandcamp. This site is waiving their fees for 24 hours, so all the money collected goes directly into artists' hands. This offer starts Friday at midnight Pacific Time. While this is an ambiguous timestamp, I think, that means it kicked off already at 7am this morning (Friday) GMT.

Here are some of my favourites, in no special order. I will be buying too, so see you on Bandcamp!

Also I will continue highlighting artists in the future, since it's not only today you could be helping them. Besides, there's no way you can listen to all of this in a few hours!

Talk Talk cover versions

Here's another post in the wake of Mark Hollis' passing. Four cover versions I found that might intrigue you.

Mark Hollis and Talk Talk rarities

This article compiles the extant rarities from the career of Hark Hollis (1955-2019).

First, if you are unaware of this music, you are in for a rare treat. I am not going to repeat here the story of how a synth-pop group with rare sensibilities morphed into one of the most incredible expressions of pure music imaginable. Instead, just obtain the following catalogue. I've even indicated my suggested purchase order, which defers the first rather slick albums until after you've heard the masterworks.

5. Talk Talk: The Party's Over (EMI, 1982)
6. Talk Talk: It's My Life (EMI, 1984)
1. Talk Talk: The Colour of Spring (EMI, 1986)
2. Talk Talk: Spirit of Eden (Parlophone, 1988)
3. Talk Talk: Laughing Stock (Verve, 1991)
4. Mark Hollis: Mark Hollis (Polydor, 1998)

Mark Hollis (1955-2019)

I happened across Talk Talk as they released their first EP, Talk Talk, which included the single "Talk Talk" (their second). I wasn't expecting much from the linguistic paucity displayed in these titles. But the band's brand of synthpop had a lush core, anchored by Paul Webb's roving bass. Lee Harris' drums were more inventive than most. Hollis contributed a lot to the melange, his mellifluous singing molding the presentation into something worth returning to.