With less than shocking predictability, the boiler, which has been flawless and fault free for years, decided to break as soon as it got a bit cold outside. What a vibe.

Tonight, the door/security guy at a venue I occasionally frequent made a point of coming over and telling me I “carry myaelf well” and am always very polite to staff. How it should be, surely? Basically, don’t be a dickhead.

Made the mistake last night of watching two documentaries about Trump aligned silicon valley tech bros back to back. The resulting sense of dread was almost overwhelming. Crooked Man’s cover of this sweary Jarvis gem fits the mood and moment youtu.be/Q6buNGDoYUY?...

Happy Halloween to those who celebrate. Here’s a little something I did alongside my Bedmo Diaxo partner a couple of years back - our “spell of love” version of Zenana’s ‘Witches’. Well, this is the night for it! youtu.be/sQgIpAsXXMY?...

Back in Glasgow for the fourth time this year. Each time I return I get under the city’s skin a little more, and my love of it grows. Suspect I’ll be up a fair bit in 2026 too. No complaints about that!

Back on the virtual wireless (via noodsradio dot com) at 15:00 BST today with the latest episode of #JoinTheFuture. This one features excerpts from recent interviews with Glenn Underground and Freeform Five, plus lots of ace music

Looks like I picked a good day to have other plans and pay zero attention to #NCFC. Instead, I was in Neath on media manager duty for the Combined Southern Regions rugby league team. They beat Wales’ community/amateur national side, the Dragonhearts, 30-16 (a bit of a surprise)

I’ve managed to squeeze in a fair bit of niche music into the pages of the Guardian over the years, but especially chuffed with getting to cover the waltzer sound system wars of Hull Fair. www.theguardian.com/music/2025/o...

Excited for you all to hear the next #JoinTheFuture show next week. Lots of ace music, some thoughts on the great JD Twitch, and bits from recent interviews with Glenn Undeground and Anu Pillai AKA Freeform Five. Airs on Wednesday 22nd at 15:00 BST via Noodsradio dot com

Saw “OpenAI Ethics” trending and my first thought was “what ethics?” Altman and co appear to have none

Cat versus Lego: a story in two parts

On the centenary of Thatcher's birth, there have been predictable calls for a memorial to her memory. But Britain's 2300 food banks serve that purpose already.

Last week I spoke to Elle Clark for a special episode of her Curved Track show on Rinse FM devoted to JD Twitch. Nice to share some memories and select a couple of tunes www.rinse.fm/episodes/ell...

That Kemi Badenoch Tory conference speech in full: nothing is our fault, even though we crashed the economy; rich people should pay less tax; hate is fine when it is aimed at the “woke”; here’s a load of unaffordable electoral bribes aimed at people that are already wealthy and need zero help.

On the latest instalment of the ‘Reapptaised’ series, I’ve revisited Paul McCartney and Youth’s second album as The Fireman, an overlooked 90s ambient gem that I picked up on wax way back in 1998 jointhefuture.net/2025/10/07/r...

In a huff about not being fed on demand, the cat has confiscated my office chair again. Good excuse to go and do some reading elsewhere in the house!

Paging @samcoatessky.bsky.social , Chris Mason, Beth Rigby etc. This is who you are cheerleading for - a bunch of corrupt Russian assets and Putin cheerleaders. Your viewers need to know this stuff!

Since @petshopboys.co.uk have announced a new volume of their Disco series, it gives me an excuse to re-up this 2024 @thequietus.com article of mine about their relationship with dance music thequietus.com/opinion-and-...

I wrote a little about Optimo's JD Twitch futurismrestated.substack.com/p/mixes-dige...

Who knew that a man renowned for talking complete bollocks, a tactic he borrowed from the world’s leading goof cheat (and occasional US president), would talk complete bollocks. Note to UK media: call out his drivel and easily disprovable lies more

I’ve spent quite a bit of time in recent months thinking about Keith McIvor AKA JD Twitch, who passed sway on Friday. There is much more to come, but here’s a first, raw tribute. Rest in power Keith - we’ll miss you x www.juno.co.uk/junodaily/20...

JD Twitch, esteemed Scottish DJ in duo Optimo, dies aged 57

Heartbreaking, but not unexpected news. Words can’t express how much inspiration and support Keith (JD Twitch) provided me and countless others over the years. I was lucky to visit him last month and made him a promise I intend to keep. Godspeed Keith - I’ll miss you x

Not amongst his greatest faults, but Trump really is terrible at reading out pre-prepared speeches. It’s like listening to a seven year-old reading aloud in class. Actually, it’s worse than that - my seven year old nephew can do better

Have just been done like a kipper by the cat in a classic “move your feet, lose your seat” move over possession of the office chair. She delivered a great distraction to get me up, before sneakily moving into position while my back was turned.

Perhaps to celebrate this they could commission some proper histories of dance rather than that appalling Pete Tong fronted one that isn’t really history at all: jointhefuture.net/2025/01/17/t...

Excellent day so far in Glasgow discussing a forthcoming book project (more details soon) but I am now feeling the 4am start to get up and head to the airport for the flight here. I may be asleep before the flight to Bristol later 😂

A wet Sunday evening means revisiting some of the ambient albums I bought on wax back in the 90s. Currently on New London School of Electronics ‘the deepest cut’ on Rising High. Suitably deep and trippy, ultraviolet lit chill out room style

What an astonishing T20 innings that was from England! Getting over 300 is absurd, even on a road of a pitch. Salt a masterclass of sustained biffing. Think I need a line down after that #ENGvSA

Appointing Mqndelson in the first place was a stupid decision. It’s further proof that Starmer has zero political instincts or nous and is over reliant on that toxic cretin McSweeney. This would be a good excuse to get rid of the latter, which means Starmer won’t

Delighted to share this one, as it has been on the cards for ages: a conversation with Holly Dicker about hardcore dance music movements and her essential new book on the subject, Dance Or Die: A History of Hardcore. Listen to the conversation via the article below jointhefuture.net/2025/09/09/l...

Calling all Leicester/East Midlands crew! I’ll be at LCB Depot on Thursday talking all things bleep & bass with host Steve Vibronics, Mark Iration (always entertaining) and local DJ legend Mastersafe. Details and “pay what you feel” ticket link via this story: jointhefuture.net/2025/09/08/e...

Toad went to Frog’s house in Clacton - the one his wife bought to get round stamp duty. He found a note on the door. The note said, “Dear Toad, I am not at home. I went to America. I want to be with Donald.” “Donald?” said Toad. “Frog has me as a friend. Why does he want to be with Donald?”

Mad that Reform are so set on abolishing the BBC - all u seem to have heard on 5 Live all summer is Farage, Tice, and Essex accented white van man type phone in callers with a boner for the frog-faced Putin enthusiast and Trump fluffer

Have spent much of today (so far) going through data from my PhD survey, looking at my participants favourite East Anglia rave memories. Some brilliant stories in there - two people (so far) have mentioned Squarepusher turning up and accidentally blowing an amp/a Soundsystem in Thetford Forest.

Very little beats the panic that ensues when a phone with a sketchy charging port runs out of battery. Happened to me earlier and I genuinely had no idea whether the phone was charging when plugged in. Genuinely stressful!

Turned on the radio in the kitchen (5 live), heard 3 seconds of Farage speaking to a room full of clapping old seals and pasty-faced cretins, and promptly turned it off again.

What’s great about this (aside from the fact that it was live) is how Bonneville makes it almost impossible to edit out his Gaza comments, leaving no space between them and his promotional spiel

‘RedZone’ is trending. Disappointed to discover that people weren’t chatting about old David Morales rubs, but American football. Meh.

Decided to check in on the cricket in between bouts of music reviewing. Oh dear. England 119-8 and in a massive hole. The ODI woes continue. Anyone told them they have far more than 100 balls to play with in this innings?!

Late to the party, but a most pleasing #NCFC away win yesterday. Sure, lots to work on still but trending in the right direction - away from home at least. Signs that a few of the summer signings are slowly getting up to speed. Think it helped that Kenny started and organised the midfield

Legendary and pivotal London ambient party Telepathic Fish is back in the headlines thanks to a new comp and event this weekend. So here’s a re-up of a vintage RBMA era long read of mine in which it features heavily jointhefuture.net/2020/09/10/l...

This is…. Worrying to say the least. Yarmouth has enough issues (the repulsive Rupert Lowe as local MP isn’t one of them), but it doesn’t need an invasion of neo-Nazis.

Sweepstake on which #NCFC player will be sent off for a two-footed lunge on Nunez in the Derby? My money is on Fisher or McClean (with the TV cameras then cutting to Onel in the crowd bellowing abuse at the prone Marcelino)

Back on the airwaves via Noods Radio later (15:00 BST) with the latest episode of #JoinTheFuture. Mix of ambient, acid, dub, weirdness, twisted UKG and IDM goodness. Will be available to stream on demand via the Noods website and app afterwards

Ny main “health fear” is that the bronzer-loving narcissist doesn’t keel over and snuff it. However bad Vance may be, I’m not sure he can worse than this senile Douchebag

Dug aomething out earlier for the radio show earlier, a double album of ambient goodness from 1998 I’ve not listened to in about 20 years. Decided to check it on discogs. Last copy sold went for 700 quid 😳

Just complimented a local dad on his car packing for a family camping trip. He was chuffed to get the compliment and most proud of his efforts 😁 I moved on before he explained his methods in detail though - it was surely coming 😂

The #JoinTheFuture Reappraised series returns, with yours truly looking at and contextualising Clausell’s 1986 formative garage-house jam ‘Don’t Let It Be Crack’ - a record made in response to NYC’s crack cocaine epidemic jointhefuture.net/2025/08/22/r... #raveyardshift

It took decades, but the guy behind the deeply odd and cult like Sheffield “rave church” the Nine O’Clock Service has finally been convicted of multiple sexual assaults, dating from early to mid 90s www.bbc.com/news/article...