The cyclic nature of my listening habits has resulted in this year so far being dominated by the world of faceless techno. After being immersed in whatever Pete from Second Layer Records had thrust upon me for most of 2010. I just didn't have it in me to listen to anything that made the meters continously peak into red, emitted frequencies that caused sonic distress to Louis (the cat) or just simply didn't contain a recognisable rhythm anymore.

Luckily for me, I seem to have chosen a fertile time for the genre. And Sandwell District currently represent the quality threshold. Both a label and a collective consisting of Karl O'Connor (aka Regis) and David Sumner (aka Function), they've been at it on the format of choice, the 12", since 2002. But it wasn't until the release of the full length album 'Feed Forward' that things took a different turn. A genuinely dark, epic, drugged-up canvas of futurist, pointillist techno. Washes of dub, dark ambient, industrial, beige drum machines and film-inspired sound permeate the album. But it takes those genre references and creates a narrative thats breathless in scope. And since its release over the Christmas period last year, numerous repeats have yielded numerous pleasures.

Controversially they must have pressed up like 25 copies or something because it sold out way before the release date and the only options immediately available were via overpriced dealers on eBay or Discogs. Luckily I managed to get mine from an online French distributor, and I still ended up paying €50. No chance of getting a copy now though at a reasonable price. All of which seems a real shame as this is one of the best techno long players I've heard in recent years - this coming from someone who's endured his fair share of terrible dance albums - and it deserves to be heard by a wider audience. Not just the preserve of the converted.

Until its repressed, get it by any means necessary and in the meantime I shall leave you with their astonishing remix of Octave One's 'I Believe'….

Whilst Im sure the overall picture still looks bleak for the humble independent UK record store. It's never really affected me, primarily because I stick to clutch of reliable shops in Soho for all my music needs. But its always nice to hear of someone new trying their hand at this old profession. It was Karl from Sounds of the Universe who informed me that a new store had opened up in the hipster-ridden commune of Stoke Newington.

Kristina Records started up in June of this year by three guys who previously worked at Soho's Reckless Records. And judging from the spiel spewing forth from an interview, their website and Facebook, their intentions seem entirely honourable.

Sticking to vinyl and presenting it via an appealing log cabin / sauna aesthetic, this obviously is a labour of love for the owners. And whilst I am suspect that the immediate doorstep audience don't actually buy vinyl, Im sure it'll be a hit with the ever-so-slightly wizened demographic.

Took a decent month long break to sunnier climes - namely Italy & Turkey. The recent reports from the BBC that this summer has been one of the coolest since the mid-90's only fuelled my desire to escape N10. No matter what the cost.

Anyway, got a stack of music to hype up as well flexing my shite mixing skills for another FailCast. I've also succumbed to writing about non-music stuff and started up another blog which will run in parallel to this one. It's called Randomised and will probably be as erratic as this one.

I try though....you can't ask for more.