March 4, 2017 – A History of Dubious Taste

Late Night Stargazing

If it’s late night stargazing, contemplation, or just plain relaxing that you’re after, with maybe the opportunity to tap your toes and occasionally go full on mental to, whichever – to just immerse yourself in sound, then you can’t go far wrong with a bit of Orbital.

Brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll hail from Sevenoaks in Kent, and released their first record, the absolute, stone cold classic “Chime” in 1989. Since then there’s been break-ups, make-ups and reformations (the duo have just announced they’re back together again for what I think is the third time), with the occasional life affirming headline set at Glastonbury thrown into the mix for good measure.

One of my favourite tracks by them is “Halcyon”, but this extended version, from their Orbital II album is just simply majestically glacial.

Enjoy all nine and a half minutes, why don’t you?

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Orbital – Halcyon + On + On

More soon.

Mummy’s Brave Little Soldier

Hello. Been a bit quiet around here lately, hasn’t it?

Sorry about that, been a bit under the weather all week. I’ll not bore you with the details, but last weekend I got struck down by what some might call flu, others might rather disparagingly call Man Flu, but which I’m going to call a really heavy cold (mostly to neatly side-step any unkind messages advising me to man up).

I battled on with normal life, spending the last week alternating between sitting at my desk at work, coughing with a veracity and vibrato that knocks Storm Doris’ efforts into a cocked hat, and my bed, pausing only to quaff a Lemsip or a Hot Toddy or two along the way. Frankly, sitting down and writing stuff here fell off my list of priorities.

Anyway, although I’m still not feeling 100%, hopefully normal service – and yes, that includes The Chain – will now be resumed.

In the meantime, allow me to wheel out one of my catchphrases. These records seem appropriate:

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