Pet

Spent the day doing this and that with varying degrees of success.

Spent the evening scouring the suburbs of Edinburgh for gerbils. In pet stores mind, not just willy nilly on-the-street scouring. Happy to report, with complete success.

On with the countdown, tension mounts...

Album #2:
Sandwell District - Sandwell District

Sometimes there doesn't have to be a reason. But, in the way of explanation, here goes. There simply is for me an intangible greatness to be found in the music of both Sandwell District the artists and all of the other artists that release music on the record label of the same name. Indeed, the lines blur constantly, some of the re-edits, versions and remixes to be found on this album are by some of the musicians themseleves under different names. This intangible greatness is something that sets this music apart from other techno-based music, it's something in the way that there are all sorts of subtle shifts within the rhythms and gradual twists that turn the tracks one way and then the other. The only info on this CD-only album (which is itself a companion piece to a vinyl-only album from last year) is the small catalogue number FFCD01. No band name, no track titles, no nowt. Sample track: Falling The Same Way (Version)


Film #2:
Black Swan

The most ridiculously entertaining movie of the year no contest. A movie that left me giddy and delirious at the sheer genre gung ho-ness of it all. I remember leaving with cinema with my two pals, the three of us grinning away at the sheer cinematic spectacle we'd just witnessed. There's no real arthouse pretensions to this one at all, it's a good old twisted thriller with nods to the Italian 'Giallo' horror movies and lurid 70s expolitation. All set, of course, against this backdrop of the ballet world with it's bitching, in-fighting and ultra-competitiveness. Great performances, great direction and enough of those moments that make you jump out of your seat only to wonder to yourself seconds later how it was you didn't see that coming,it was so obvious, groan... boy, this is a fun one alright.