Another play through of the new DarWin album ‘Distorted Mirror’ (CD). Stunning and some of Greg’s solo work here is just god tier 🤩👌

With every release they seriously just get better and better. Grandbrothers and their latest, released today, ‘Elsewhere’ (Bandcamp). Mixing some beautiful piano based music, fused with beats and wider electronic textures, never swamped, and never losing the beautiful melodies at its heart 🤩👌

Mrs H and I just chilling out this evening, Bill Laurance and new release ‘Lumen’ is just the way to go. Absolutely superb, just awaiting the disc to arrive now 😎

The weekend is here, Beat is here too. I think the weekend is now formally sorted ✔️😎🤩 thanks @burningshed.com

Just arrived, DarWin and ‘Distorted Mirror’ (2025, CD). Already getting into the groove of this one, similar quality to their last release. No surprises then with the astonishingly good playing and compositions 😎👌

Just managed time for disc 1, Miles Davis, ‘The Official Bootleg Series, vol 7, That’s What Happened, 1982-1985’ (2022, CD x3). Great package placing some emphasis back on this interesting period and along with ‘We Want Miles’, brings some sparkle to it too! 😎👍

Time for me to be making some moves, Mogwai, ‘Special Moves’ (2011, CD/DVD), and only just realised that there’s a download card slotted in the package that’s finally fallen out! Doh 😣 something to explore tomorrow I think though ✅

List 3 things you can talk about for 3 hours without preparation. 1. Music, and generally my passion; BOC, Jazz/Fusion, Miles, Electronic/Ambience 2. Art in general but 20th and 21st C 3. Science Fiction (book and film)

Tremendous album, agree with Phil youtu.be/r96BW4gnPiI?...

Time for The Anchoress, this time her excellent collection of cover versions, called .... 'Versions' (2023, CD). Coming up for 2 years since this release. Don't know where the time goes!

John McLaughlin Trio, 'Que Alegria' (1992, CD). Remember vividly buying this one then, a total jazz head, and this just hit the spot. Haven't played this album for ages, and it still holds that same allure. Trilok Gurtu, Dominique Di Piazza with Kai Eckhardt with some fretless bass. Lovely 👌😎

Back from the land of the spatial mix and now to Colosseum II and ‘War Dance’ (1977, 2021 Remaster) from the BGO double issue set. Just brilliant, really. Its a band effort, but Hiseman on drums, my goodness 🤩

Another wonderful immersive atmos mix with Brandee Younger’s latest, ‘Gadabout Season’ (2025). Wonderful spiritual #jazz that needs a bit more recognition 😎

Now listening to the Atmos mix, rather lovely, Sarah McLachlan, ‘Better Broken’ (2025). Definitely one worth exploring, very immersive indeed 😎

Time for sone pre dinner tunes, Colosseum II and ‘Electric Savage’ (1977, 2021 Remaster) nicely packaged with its close sibling ‘War Dance’ (1977). Love this era of Colosseum too, got such a lovely 70s production vibe to it all 😎😍

Firm fave in these parts, Gavin Harrison, Nick Johnston, 'Early Mercy' (2025, CD). Just.simply.amazing. 😎

Porcupine Tree, 'Fear of a Blank Planet' (2007, CD), fantastic album, but I do love the live version of this which came out shortly after, with a certain additional edge to the sound. This is in the nice media-book presentation which I really like 😎

Electric Warrior, the second studio album by T.Rex was released #OTD 1971 by Fly Records. #Bolan

💫Released on this day 1982💥 #musicsky #recordingsky #recordingstudiosky #musicmoments #musicthread #musicproduction #onthisday

Way home music tonight, late, Nils Petter Molvaer and ‘Stitches’ (2021). Another good listen, been digging into his catalogue this last week, really enjoying what I have found over and above those already known 😎

Something for the rail journey in today which took longer than usual. Nils Petter Molvaer and 'NPM Re-vision' (2008). This is nice, the often melancholic sounds from Molvaer off-set against some modern and sometimes upbeat backgrounds, makes for interesting listening 😎

Aja, the sixth studio album by Steely Dan, was released #OTD 1977 by ABC Records.

An incredible pair, some of the best this century has to offer, Sufjan Stevens masterpiece and (outtakes) masterpiece ‘(Come on feel the) … Illinois(e)’ (2005, CD) and ‘The Avalanche’ (shameless complied by Sufjan Stevens). Levels of artistry and sheer creative abandon you don’t see too often 👌😎

Going back a year, this time to 1973 and Santana, 'Welcome' (CD). Again nice expressive fusion, with a very soulful element throughout. 😎👌

Me and the daft dugs out on the sunny beach this morning. Nippy wind, but nothing stops the ritual of 'fetch' being played no matter the conditions!

Having some withdrawals, so time to fire up some Santana, and here with 'Borboletta' (1974, CD), a quite excellent release following neat on the back of the previous releases. Just lovely 😎😍

Well, here it is, full performance BBC Proms 2015, 'Atomos', A Winged Victory for the Sullen, with Nils Frahm and Wayne McGregor's 'Random Dance'. Quite stunning 🤩 youtu.be/e1mHyj3lubQ?...

Back with A Winged Victory for the Sullen and the incredible ballet score 'Atomos' (2014, CD). Composed for Wayne McGregor, the live rendition at the Royal Albert Hall with Nils Frahm guesting is just magnificent, blissful 👌 and this from someone not interested in contemporary dance prior.

Some very early morning listening, full on with Nils Petter Molvaer and 'Khmer' (1998), 'Buoyancy' (2016) and 'Switch' (2014). As the new 'Khmer Live' album has me immersed, timely to go back to the original release and these other beauties. Buoyancy is particularly excellent 😎

50th Anniversary edition (deluxe) ‘The Lamb …’ (1974, 2025). Have to say not convinced. There’s some corners cut with both package(ing) and price not clever either. Then there’s the super deluxe …

Last night’s listen, the incredible ambience of A Winged Victory for the Sullen, and self-titled debut (2011, CD). Likely this will get hooked for ‘explicit’ content etc as per usual. Stunning debut, and everything that comes after is also rather splendid 😎

Oldest discs I have in my collection, 1984 editions, and still playing just fine Dire Straits 'Alchemy Live' (1984, 2 CD)

John McLaughlin, 'The Montreux Years' (2022, CD). Lovely package. Covers some interesting 80s Mahavishnu performances 80s and then into 90s and a 2016 track. Wonderful for me as I fell in love with this era 👌😍

Shakti, 'Mind Explosion' (50th Anniversary Tour Live), 2025, CD. New disc just arrived as previous one had a continuity error between tracks. Very good of Abstract Logix to correct this quickly. This is a wonderful swan song of a release for Shakti, album dedicated in memory of Zakir Hussain 🙏

Stripping away the old debris ... original (and first ever) CD. Since have 30th and 40th anniversary edns, with the 30th being a favourite for audio quality, though the live set with the 40th is the biz. Haven't played the original for a while and testing 'read' function on CD player - it works!

Out next week, and based on previews, ordered now. Bill Laurance, 'Lumen' (2025, CD) on the ACT label.

Time to give a bit more of a test to the mini CD player, Massive Attack, 'Mezzanine' (1998, CD). Remember playing this through those (rather tinny) headphones in Virgin records. Still blew my mind, and always knew it would sound way way better once safely home 😍😎

Made it to the Oregon Coast. And these colors were just stunning. And before it was so dark, you could see so many whales spouting..

The Covid Contracts: Follow the Money 10.15pm, ITV1 Lots of people did very well out of Covid. Many connected to the Conservative party. A story of greed, in which established PPE providers were sidelined while unknown companies got rich.An essential record of a national scandal

Sunday morning ease in, just perfect, Amaro Freitas and ‘Sankofa’ (2021, Bandcamp), exploring Brazilian/African roots via piano trio. Really lovely 😎

An astoundingly good release, playing, audio quality, set, just magnificent. Soft Machine managing to release just before COVID 😷, ‘Live at the Baked Potato’ (2020, CD) 😎

Sucker for the sound of a Rhodes, lovely 🥰 Amaro Freitas youtu.be/tWtK8NumTpw?...

More incredible musicianship from Bill, ‘Live at Union Chapel’ (2016) released as CD/DVD. Kind of overlooked this one as fixated on a few of his other releases, but this is quite superb to be fair 😎👍

Oh how I love Argent, the exciting sound of growing up! Argent ‘Greatest Hits, the Singles Collection’, God gave Rock n Roll to me for sure. Russ Ballard what a great voice - underrated

Finally going in … Soft Works and the recently released ‘Abracadabra Live in Tokyo’ (2025, Bandcamp Hi-Res). So far sounds magnificent. Audio excellent

Still feels early, but some Album of the Year Contender’s Mogwai, The Bad Fire Steven W, The Overview Harrison/Johnson, ‘Early Mercy’ Mark Guiliana, Questions (vol1) Sarah McLachlan Better Broken Vega Trails, Sierra Tracks Yazz Ahmed, Paradise in the Hold Bioscope, Gento CIRCU5, ‘Clockwork Tulpa’

Broughton Brewery’s ‘Wee Jock’, lovely 80 shilling experience from a place I seemed to grow up with. They owned the Burns Bar in Falkirk, so rock music and decent ale always on offer. My Dad used to deliver there and got to know a few folk. We both loved the beers 🤩

New to me Mestis and ‘Eikasia’ (2018), some proggy metal vibes but a release that’s not trying to bludgeon you with massive heavy chords. Lots of nice complex interplay and contrasts, with some really nice melodic threads running throughout. Enjoyable 😎

Played again today. Stunning album, think I will be playing this a bit more now … 👌

Full listen today out with the dogs and fair enjoyed it. Steve Hillage with ‘For to next’ ‘And not or’ (1983). Had this on tape after a mate played it for me. Steve exercising his synth pop influences, but sometimes folk overlook the excellent guitar playing from ‘And not or’. 😎