I'm really hoping the forthcoming moon mission gets lots of coverage in the media. I have a hope that seeing it will inspire people to think more globally - in terms of humankind rather than nationality. I want to see what todays technology can do to the coverage compared to the early missions.

My current feeling is that despite the pessimism and "broken Britain" rhetoric, the UK is gradually starting to mend after the Tories reign of destruction. Labour may be boring, but it is refreshing not to have childish morons in charge for a change. Don't believe the far right.

Stir fried broccoli, carrot and smoked tofu with toasted cashews, kimchi and rice. This was very tasty!

First Record of The Weekend is @oneohtrix.bsky.social (Oneohtrix Point Never) with Tranquilizer. I gave this a listen after reading a review in @electronicsound.bsky.social. Went to Record Corner to order it, only to find they already had it in stock - excellent! Indies only transparent edition too.

A Christmas present to myself from Signal Sounds - Patch Deck. A deck of cards with "tips, tricks and strategies for modular synthesis". Looking forward to giving these a go. With free Signal Sounds lollipop!

First Record of The Weekend is Pere Ubu's The Art of Walking from 1980. I sometimes wonder if this is my favourite Ubu album (it isn't, that's the Modern Dance). I love the everydayness of the lyrics that nonetheless add to the surreality of it all. "Sad but true..."

This year's Yuletide number from Black Tempest is now available, the 4th year we have done this - it's becoming a tradition! All proceeds from this track go to Psych Against Cancer - please give generously. Yuletide Greetings all! weirdbeardrecs.bandcamp.com/track/solsti...

First Record of The Weekend is The Sentinel from Dead Otter on @riotseasonrecords.bsky.social Had this a couple of weeks now and it is never far from the turntable. It rocks it rolls it psychs. Great album!

Current reading matter and accompanying listening... @rocketrecordings.bsky.social @heycolossus.bsky.social

First Record of The Weekend is Mother Give Your Children Sanity from Codex Serafini on @riotseasonrecords.bsky.social. This is a total blast - in places like some mutant child of Siouxsie & the Banshees and Hawkwind. Definitely a case to play VERY LOUD.

Today is Bandcamp Friday when artists pay no fees on sales, so if you were considering purchasing Black tempest's Folding Space album at it's new knock-down price, today would be a splendid day to do so. blacktempest.bandcamp.com/album/foldin...

Jane paints such gorgeous pictures!

First Record of The Weekend is Mono Live in Tokyo with Orchestra Pitreza - Forever Home. This is massive in scale, gorgeous and awe-inspiring, like planets colliding. I can't stop listening to it. An absolutely splendid package too - a gold triple vinyl with double gatefold and booklet.

Special offer for Black Tempest Friday! Folding Space reduced to £17 - get stuck in folks... blacktempest.bandcamp.com/album/foldin... "A rousing, immersive album that makes space rock less a genre, and more a destination" Electronic Sound magazine (@electronicsound.bsky.social )

The starter that knows how to have a good time, and stays up late.

No bum, no sideboob, just #hedgehog. LAST DAY TO BID on my #hogdoodle to raise money for #HopeForHedgehogs charity. Lot 11 - child-/Auntie Gwen-friendly art could be hanging in your house. www.jumblebee.co.uk/auction/deta...

First Record of The Weekend is Gong with Unending Ascending from 2023 - preparation for going to see them at the Boileroom in Guildford tomorrow night. Looking forward to this very much, I love this incarnation of the band.

Oi Keir Starmer - tell the Orange Fascist to f*ck off and stop trying to intefere with the UK media. Defend the BBC now, along with our sovereignty.

Lovely review of Folding Space on Terrascope by the estimable Ian Fraser... www.terrascope.co.uk/Reviews/Revi...

First Record of The Weekend is @thetubes.bsky.social with Remote Control from 1979. I nabbed this 2nd hand on spec because it is produced by @toddrundgren.bsky.social, and it turns out it sounds like a lost Utopia album! As I saw Todd live this week it seems appropriate...

This looks great!

First Record of The Weekend is the self-titled Nitro Cosmetic on the Cardinal Fuzz label, featuring the talents of Milo Smee and Demian Castellanos. For some reason this passed me by when I first got it, then I put it on the other day and it blew my head off. Fuzzy and fabulous!

Great review of Black Tempest's Folding Space album, this time from The Third Eye: "...a bad-ass deep-space voyage, a narrative of sound where every pulse, sweep, and shimmer carries you further from the known world into the mysteries of the cosmic beyond." thirdeyepsychrock.blog/2025/10/10/f...

First Record of The Weekend is Songs From the Free House by Smote on @rocketrecordings.bsky.social. The new album from my favourite live band of the year so far (and I've seen a LOT of great bands this year), and it isn't disappointing. It sounds massive - looming and doomy and brilliant.

Spooks on the BBC: “We have to climb onto the roof, through a skylight and plug this thumb drive into the Chinese server.” Spooks on Chinese TV: “We’ve just bought the British data centre. Job done.”

My friend Sascha is a professional musician and he's lost a viola bow on the way to Heathrow. Please signal boost to help him get it back.

If you're in Manchester, here's a great night out for you!

Well this is exciting! A great article and a fantastic review in @electronicsound.bsky.social magazine this month... Copies of the album still available here: blacktempest.bandcamp.com/album/foldin...

First Record of The Weekend is the Psychedelic Furs' classic first album from 1980. Guess why I've chosen this one? I've just booked a trip to India for March! Any excuse to play this brilliant record.

First Record of The Weekend is the fantastic Noise Meditations from Bike. This Brazilian band were one of the highlights of the OSP Psych Weekender at the Strongroom Bar last weekend. This is a brilliant album - noisy psychedelic and otherworldly. Love it!

So, yet again the BBC News acts as a Reform mouthpiece. Chris "Fascist" Mason criticises Ed Davey for accusing the beeb of Reform bias, which is followed by a other 10 minute love-in of Reform's awful deportation announcement. Disgusting propaganda.

Here is another taster for the Folding Space album, one more great video vidded by all round top human Nick Raybould! youtu.be/UNhnRTL7n2Y You can hear the rest of the album and purchase a copy on Deep Space Black from the Black Tempest Bandcamp site: blacktempest.bandcamp.com/album/foldin...

First Record of The Weekend is Folding Space, the new album from Black Tempest. Self-indulgent I know, but it is released today and I'm really rather pleased with it. Thanks to @nickraybould.bsky.social for bashing things. Play loud. Available here: blacktempest.bandcamp.com/album/foldin...

Exciting news! The new Black Tempest album, Folding Space, is now available from Bandcamp. blacktempest.bandcamp.com/album/foldin...

Tomorrow morning sees the release of the new Black Tempest album, Folding Space. It will be available from the Black Tempest Bandcamp site. As a taster, here is a video of Manifest Space from the album. All hail to @nickraybould.bsky.social for putting the vid together. youtu.be/v6mp03Z66XI

Tonight (actually, if my calculations are correct, about 5:00am UK time), Black Tempest feature on Bushwick Garage, Radio Free Brooklyn. www.radiofreebrooklyn.org

Water Damage were ace last night at @cafeotodalston.bsky.social. One song, one riff (sort of), and total intensity. Amazing! It was about ten minutes in before I realised there was a sax player behind that pillar on the right!

The new Black Tempest album, Folding Space, is due out in the next couple of weeks! Joining the crew of the starship Tempest is the multi-talented @nickraybould.bsky.social on drums & percussion. Here's the 1st video (made by Nick) of a track from the album - Star Drive No 5. youtu.be/MPS85_lUmhI

First Record of The Weekend is @sklossduo.bsky.social (Skloss) with The Pattern Speaks on Fuzz Club - what a great record! Proper full on fuzzed up psych out of Austin TX /Glasgow (of course!). Wish I'd seen them in London on Wednesday. Turn it up, blast the neighbours into next week.

Come on down - roll up roll up! Be lovely to see you x Tickets here… www.universe.com/events/sciss...

First Record of The Weekend is Kombynat Robotron with AANK on Fuzz Club - this is a pulsating, throbbing beast of record, the sound of a band really hitting their stride. Turn it on, turn it up, blast off. kombynatrobotron.bandcamp.com/album/aank

Ack. I won't be using WeTransfer any more then. Shame, its a useful service. Can't have the greedy gits scraping artists work for AI though.

Toasted cashews, broccoli and tofu stir fried with ginger and garlic, with kimchi. Tasty recipe from Feast mag in the Gruaniad a week or two back.

+B L A C K T E M P E S T+ +F O L D I N G S P A C E+

The doorbell rang just now. I opened the door and there was no-one there. I looked down and Ozzy the cat was sat there. He stood up and marched in, for all the world as though he had just summoned me to open the door for him!

Black Tempest Folding Space 👩‍🚀The sound of infinity eating itself 👩‍🚀 News soon.

First Record of The Weekend is the wonderful Laini Tani from Nadah El Shazly - what an amazing album. Mostly featuring just vocals, harp, percussion and electronics, this is a heavy/heady sultry heatwave of a record, and I love it. As usual high volume is recommended.

New summer titfer...

First Record of The Weekend is the very beautiful Kin from Sharron Kraus (@evergreensister.bsky.social) on Cardinal Fuzz. Like a weird contemporary Sandy Denny, it's a beguiling, intruiging record. Gorgeous on a hot summer's evening.

First Record of The Weekend is the best live band in the land Smote with Clyppan on @rocketrecordings.bsky.social. This features the live line up although recorded in the studio, and it rocks big granite chunks. I love this band. Play so loud you get complaints from the next street.