Pendle Coven: Marriage of Convenience (Modern Love) - 12" originally released September 2005

Since they released this, the Mancunian duo of Miles Whittaker and Gary Howell have built up a consistent and impressive body of work. Their debut album dropped in February of this year and from what I've heard it sounds half decent. Underlying euphoria proves to be the foundation for all sorts of outernational dance influences. The melancholy associated with Cologne-derived dub, off-centre emotions that Detroit can deliver and the playful tones of Northern Bleep can all be heard amongst the 3 tracks on offer.

Analog~1: B-Line EP (MCMLXV) - 12" originally released April 2005

Since this was released, both Analog~1 and the label have ceased activity. Which is a shame because its certainly accomplished, likeable and really rather good. All four tracks have an expansive, cinematic retro-ist thing going on; this easily could have come out at the height of the whole 'intelligent techno' period. The title track is a languid, unhurried piece of Detroit rhythmatics - smotheringly warm basslines hum along hover biege-box drumbeats. 'Octave' is reminiscent of Aphex at his most prettiest, but best of all is 'Reduced' where circuit-board ambience holds dominion over slow-burn acid. I'm an arse for not giving this the props at the time of release, nevertheless this is highly recommended.

Dusk & Blackdown: Drenched / Submerged (Keysound) - 12" originally released July 2005

Later on down the line, they'd go on to impress with the sonically interesting 'Margins Music' album. There they fused East London street-level ethnic influences with South London's low end theory. But these two tracks are more concerned with mood and murkiness than identifying any global references. 'Drenched' reverberates with an industrial hum, like the sound of car engine; this engulfs the rather pedestrian collection of atonal melodies and snippets of cliched dub talk. 'Submerged' flips the script, eases off the darkness and adds an effective layer of strings to the mix.

Here's another attempt at my so-called "monthly" podcast, only six bloody months after I delivered the last one. I've given up trying to make excuses, so there. But I will apologise to all those who e-mailed saying nicey things and trying to convince me to do another one. What can I say, I'm old and crap.

You can download the podcast: failcast006_130609.mp3
(90.1Mb / 1hr, 38mins, 22secs / 128Kbps)

Or if you still believe in the idea that subscribing will somehow make me deliver another one on time. Then shove this in your iTunes / Podcast program: http://www.failme.net/failcast/index.xml. You can also view the tracklisting.

You can also stream the podcast straight off the blog via SoundCloud:

To make some sort of amends, here is a picture of Louis looking incredibly cute....

Venetian Snares: Filth (Planet Mu) - CD

It's a seasonal thing for me, but during a certain time in the year, for about a month, I can cope with listening to the genre known as 'breakcore'. Actually that's wrong, I dont really bother listening to everything, just Venetian Snares. Over the course of 10 years and 23 albums. He's pretty much rendered all other practitioners in the genre obsolete.

'Filth' is a porn-obsessed homage to hi-speed acid techno. The ubiquitous Roland 303 Bassline runs riot throughout the ten tracks, but jostles for space amongst the kinetic breakbeats, rave yelps and inward-collapsing euphoria. Suspicious track titles aside - 'Chainsaw Fellatio', 'Splooz Guzzlers' and 'Pussy Skull' are just some of the delights - the breathless razor-sharp precision and attuned production still astonishes.

Jus Wan: Action Potential (Apple Pips) - 12" - Originally released November 2008
T++: Audio1995#8 / Audio1995#8_2 (Apple Pips) - 12" - Originally released December 2008
Ramadanman: Humber (Apple Pips) - 12"

Appleblim's new label continues it's beautifully packaged crusade of fully merging the worlds of dubstep and techno. Actually I got ahead of myself there as the Jus Wan release is probably the weakest thing they're released to date; perfunctory and totally forgettable.

T++ (or Torsten Profrock to his mum) is one half of Monolake and whilst I've always found their output a tad too dry, his solo work is always interesting. So he offers up what is Apple Pip's weirdest release so far. The A-side is an echo-chamber drenched exercise in precise loops. It doesn't seem to do much, but totally engages for the duration. But the Ramadanman release is nothing short of impressive. The lead track ('Humber') seems to glide and cruise along motorik highways at a sedate pace. The Sven Weisseman remix goes one better and allows reflection and spatial awareness to smother everything. Berlin sounds stapled to a South London shuffle.

Thought I'd better start embedding my video content from Vimeo on here. I'll get a thorough review up soon, but for the meantime, enjoy my little 10 minute short of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop live at the Camden Roundhouse. Similarly enjoyable moments from Touch (Not a Record Label) and Can's Holger Czukay will also start to worm their way out of my iMovie....

The fifth edition of SonicRecycler series of events curated by the ever-so-lovely Sprawl folk runs on Saturday 9th May at Brentford Watermans Centre. There'll be performers, musicians, films, installations and interactive presentations. I recommmend you catch Bill Wells Trio and Steve Beresford. I'll also be there in a DJ capacity. Having suggested to them that I'll doing an off-the-cuff mix of acid house and arabic music, they've decided to partner me up with Deborah who'll be belly dancing. Live stuff starts at 7.30pm but I'm on at 5.30pm.

You can get more information here: http://www.last.fm/event/1011526

A belly dancer....yesterday.

I've already mentioned this before, but you all have very busy lives (probably on bloody Twitter) so here it is again. I'll be playing on the Touch night as part of the excellent Short Circuit Festival on Saturday 16th May. Playing live will be Norway's Biosphere; who's recent 'Wireless' live album plays out like a greatest hits collection. BJ Nilsen and Hildur Gudnadóttir; Hildur's latest album 'Without Sinking' is fucking amazing. Full Stop. Philip Jeck & Gavin Byars; Jeck rules, his 'Sand' album still knocks me for six.

Chris Watson (he's mates with Bill Oddie don't you know), is doing some installation thing that will probably be all nature-like and ambient. And there'll be me who'll probably ruin it all by playing Enya or something totally ill-judged.

You can get more guff here: http://www.last.fm/event/898929

Also the rest of the festival looks seriously spiffing. I mean look....Holger Czukay from Can (ask your Dad), Jeff Mills, Plaid, Tim Exile and and and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop!!! Link? Yes. Here: http://www.roundhouse.org.uk/whats-on/series/short-circuit