9 in 1 (55)

Hi, how are you?

Hiroshi Yoshimura - Creek

One day, I'll get around to buying Green. Yoshimura's 1986 album was mentioned in one of the later chapters in Everything We Do is Music: How 20th-Century Classical Music Shaped Pop by Elizabeth Alker, which I finished off the other day. Good read like.

Manchester String Quartet - Voodoo Ray

Is this a bit too Pete Tong Ibiza Classics? It's right on the line.

Felix Da Housecat - Silver Screen Shower Scene (Thin White Duke Mix by Jacques Lu Cont)

I rarely adore a remix as much as I do the original, but here we are. Georgous orchestral start before it starts jacking, incredible stuff.

The Black Madonna - Venus Requiem

Another one from Acker's book - the chapter focussed on Pauline Oliveros - from the DJ now known as The Blessed Madonna.

Slam - Positive Education (Slam Remix)

No nonsense, heads down techno from Glasgow from 2001. 

Llondon Actress - Country

As flagged on the No Tags pod's best of 2025 episode (and a subsequent Dan Hancox post) there is something interesting going on here, definitely hearing Clams Casino in there on the production.

Lily Allen - Ruminating

Look, I'm just as suprised as you are, but this really gets under the skin.

KW Griff - Bring in the Katz (feat. Pork Chop)

I could watch those Baltimore line dancing videos for hours. The comments section is also a joy.

Hadouken! - That Boy That Girl

2008 was a long long long time ago.

Original image: Rosa Bonheur, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Four Kings

I've been enjoying Four Kings on Channel 4, a "documentary series exploring the careers of great Black British boxers Frank Bruno, Lennox Lewis, Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn, featuring interviews with the men themselves."

Figured it would be good to roll out again that video of Benn entering the ring to We Are I.E. by Lennie De Ice, but it's got a copyright strike.

So, as identified by UK Rave Comments as the fight at which it happened, here's the full highlights of Benn's fight with Danny Perez from 1995, with the breakbeat hardcore banger kicking in at around 3 minutes. What a time.

Top 12 Tracks I Heard In 2025

Finger on the pulse, Sammo, here are the top 12 tracks I heard in 2025. Not stuff that came out in 2025, but stuff that I heard for the first time in 2025.

In no particular order...

• John Martyn - Please Fall in Love with Me [1981]

• Van Morrison - Dweller on the Threshold [1982]

• Il Quadro di Troisi - Non Ricordi [2020]

• Joshua Idehen - Mum Does The Washing [2024]

• LCD Soundsystem - Home (Tom Sharkett Edit) [2025]

• Capone - Music Love Song [1979]

• Robyn - Dopamine [2025]

• SOPHIE - Is It Cold in the Water? [2018]

• SOPHIE - Immaterial [2018]

• Snooper  - Pom Pom [2025]

• Earl Sweatshirt - 2010 [2021]

• Clipse - P.O.V. feat. Tyler, The Creator [2025] (this is also my music video of the year)

Mix of the year

Brava & Teki Latex on Rinse France - 30 October 2025.

Special shout-out to the Jam City XLR8R mix from 2011 that I found on an old pen drive too.

Gig of the year

The Futureheads at SWX, Bristol - February 2025.

Album of the year

Maybe the Polygon Window re-issue? Or the Metronomy greatest hits? Yeah, I didn't really listen to or buy many new albums over 2025.

Actually, I did get OIL OF EVERY PEARL'S UN-INSIDES, definitely listened to that more than anything else in 2025, so SOPHIE gets it.

Related post: Top 10 Things I Heard in 2024

9 in 1 (54)

This'll be the last 9 in 1 in 2025, I reckon. Better pack it with cutting-edge tracks and not a load of sad bangers from the 1980s... who am I kidding!

John Martyn - Please Fall in Love with Me

John Martyn is one of those artists that I've heard lots of interesting things about, no more so than this recounting of a festival dedicated to his music in The Fence. Yet I've never got around to listening to some.

Well, readers, that changed recently, with this beautiful, dreamy song from 1981.

Give it a minute, and it'll swallow you.

Percy Pavilion - Gower Power

Similar era and feel, but very different tone now. This is a homage to David Gower, the stylish left-handed batsman who was in his pomp in 1984 when this came out, and not that delightful peninsula to the west of Swansea.

Electronic - Getting Away With It

Ah, yes, the track that I always think is PSB or New Order and never 'Electronic'. Dipped into the 90s with this one, don't worry, normal service will resume shortly.

Charanjit Singh - Raga Bhairav

From an album called 'Synthesizing: Ten Ragas To A Disco Beat' from 1982, it's like if Black Devil Disco Club hailed from Pune rather than Paris. Heady chug from before chug was a thing.

Womack & Womack - Teardrops

Still not leaving the 80s. I swear I've posted this before, I've got a 'Womack + Womack' tag, but it's empty?? Also, 116m views on YouTube for Teardrops; you simply can't argue with numbers like that.

Richard X - Finest Dreams feat. Kelis

Fine, we'll go to the 21st century. 2003 is the best I can do. Somehow never posted about Kelis before, that's mad. 

Parliament - Flashlight

I've got Everything We Do is Music: How 20th-Century Classical Music Shaped Pop by Elizabeth Alker out of Llantwit Major Library ATM, and the chapter on Moog talks about this funk banger, so here it is, just like that.

Thundercat - Fair Chance (feat. Ty Dolla $ign & Lil B)

It is what it is, and it was what it was.

And look at that, we're in the 2020s. Be good to finish on something from this year, right?

Clipse - P.O.V. feat. Tyler, The Creator

Oh shit, waddup! Top video this. Is this Unc Rap? TBH, I only really know Grindin' by Clipse, but this measured flow sounds so much better than your mumblers... and *poof* we all become Uncs.

Original image: Musée Saint-Raymond, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Devo Doc

Finally watched the Devo documentary on Netflix last night.

Unsurprisingly, I loved it (this is the 20th post on this blog tagged Devo after all), even if it was a bit of a hagiography. It works especially well with the first couple of glasses of port of the season and a bag of chocolate coins.

Merry something to you!