Grabbed the golden hour for a walk.

DF-8 joins the Stylophone party. The most unexpected thing so far, it turning into a nutty drum machine when paired with its sibling the DS-2. #synthsky

Murky meander along the riverbank.

Three quid Kirkcudbright charity shop find. New specialist subject unlocked.

Awake at two in the morning. Gave up trying to get back to sleep at five. Waiting for daybreak to get out for a walk. I’ll probably be asleep by mid-afternoon. Sounds like a plan.

The view from Wednesday afternoon. Well, a bracing walk in the late autumn sunshine can have a destination in mind, can’t it?

Well, that was a splendid racket! The triumphant return of Cabaret Voltaire, absolutely pounding proto-techno. Only took me 45 years to see them live.

Shiny new iPad Air, my venerable 1st Gen Pro having given up the ghost (my positively ancient iPad3 still fires up, the little trooper!) Installing my favourite synth/sampler apps while taking the opportunity to tidy up and leave a whole bunch of also-rans behind.

Looking for a pink noise generator for your modular synth setup? Simply move to Scotland and build a room with a polycarbonate roof. #synthsky

Time to read a 2000AD classic for the umpteenth time.

Rainy Sunday Morning Music.

My CV. My other CV is +/- 5V.

Late afternoon walks getting kinda gloomy. Here comes winter.

Beautiful atmospheric drone album full of rich textures, very serene. Perfect listen for late at night. Higly recommend.

Mood.

The medical term for the human brain. Trust me, I’m a doctor.

Swapped the LP in my album frame and realised that I had painted my little studio cupboard the exact same shade of green as the first Furs album cover.

Sunday morning loop de loops to get a few miles in close to home.

Poster for a spot at an alternative cabaret night at Cumbernauld Theatre, early 80s. A blissfully short set of a guitarist pal playing through my Korg MS-20, I’m crouched on the floor twiddling knobs while another friend reads poetry. Completely unrehearsed. We were just as confused as the audience.

New passport photo.

I’m going for the hipster market, the next Alphabet Dust album will be a collection of 8-bit chiptunes only available on a data cassette for the ZX Spectrum.

Thinking about the olden days when I physically modded a cassette deck so I could play stuff backwards. Try telling kids today etc….

Crunchy.

I’ve been thinking about Cabaret Voltaire’s 50th anniversary and how influential they were for me. At Edinburgh Waverley yesterday I remembered the field recording I made of a train arriving on the same platform in 1981 (!) From the same year, here it is combined with that obvious Cabs influence.

Had a lovely 24 hours in Edinburgh. A few drinks, a meal and watching @robynhitchcock.bsky.social weave his magic once again. Thought about a late friend who attended umpteen RH gigs with us over the years and allowed myself the notion that he was by our side when our favourite songs were aired.

Say you’re staying in Edinburgh tonight without saying you’re staying in Edinburgh tonight. 😆

It might still be autumn but it felt like winter out there this morning. #cycling

Something worthwhile actually started emerging from a Friday night noodle. Nobody is more surprised than me after a protracted dry spell. #AmbientMusic #ElectronicMusic #Soundscapes #AmbientElectronica #Drone

A Walk Across the Rooftops.

From the archives.

Late afternoon walk. The still air and high tide making the River Forth as calm as a millpond.

Dog sitting today, so sharing rainy Sunday morning vibes with Haggis.

Who knew The Man With The Lightbulb Head’s real name was Dr N-R-GEE? @robynhitchcock.bsky.social

"Oh fiddlesticks!" I cheerfully exclaimed as I pulled over less than a mile out. 😐 #cycling

The view from Friday afternoon.

Wide awake at 4AM having dreamt about repurposing my old Roland digital multitrack as a performance mixer. Got up and scribbled what I had visualised (and audiated) while in a half-awake state. Yes, today I also learned that "audiate" is the aural equivalent of "visualise". So, hurrah for insomnia?

Music for Bedtimes.

From the archives, Plasma Flasks getting their shoegaze on with yours truly on vocals.

IT LIVES!

Sunday morning stravaig, up to the Castle esplanade and down the Back Walk.

Heading towards its twentieth anniversary next spring (!) this is the only time I’ve had an electroacoustic piece performed live by an ensemble. Theoretically there’s still time for me to write for the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, but it seems unlikely. 🤔

Saturday Morning Spin to The Kelpies. #cycling

I’m not a gamer, because stripping down and rebuilding a PlayStation is where the real action is. 😉

I thought I’d lost this, then remembered there’s a copy tucked away on Vimeo. A live Dust set from 2013, back when the whole thing was driven from AudioMulch. I dearly wish that a revamped AudioMulch would appear, but it’s been pretty much abandonware for a decade or so.

Just had the utterly pointless experience of trying to get presale Kraftwerk tickets. Chased them round the hall while each block turned unavailable every ten seconds or so. Three minutes after they went live, all gone. Bots funneling tickets to resale websites as per usual. What a scam.

My next door neighbour plays clarinet. "Pearly Jazz Pets" is an anagram of "Peter Plays Jazz" because it’s an ambient reworking of Peter playing Jazz. Because that’s the kind of thing that happens round our way.

Sunday morning spin. #cycling

Yay, Bandcamp Friday! (waves tiny Alphabet Dust flag).

It’s almost the 40th anniversary of this gem - the lo-fi recording of a chaotic, live and unrehearsed cover version of The Doors’ "The End" with yours truly on the ol’ Yamaha DX7. The audio equivalent of a faded photo that evokes fond, fuzzy memories of the time. Full story in the Bandcamp blurb.

Textures.