Technology, Books and Other Neat Stuff

While shopping for more bits of Mary's birthday present at lunchtime I found myself in an HMV, perusing the compilation shelves. I'd seen a TV advert for a collection of early '80s electronic music that sounded interesting, and I wanted to see if it was any good.

It was hard to miss. Big fluorescent lettering "Electric" on a black background,.The track listing was promising. Actually, I tell a lie, it was excellent (apart for Axel F which I have interesting reasons for disliking intensely). Damn. This meant I was buying not just a TV advertised compilation, but a Telstar compilation...

Ah, but the sound of those Moogs, Rolands and Yamahas... And the odd early Fairlight... Vince Clarke's keyboards... David Sylvian's voice... Trevor Horn's production... Those freshers discos at Bath Uni in the mid '80s...

It's manufactured nostalgia at work...

As you can guess, I'm listening to it now...

Well, rasff is reporting that Damon Knight has died. I'm sorry to hear that. I remember reading his anthologies at the age of 7 or 8 in the Junior Library back home on Jersey. One I went back to again and again...

It's probably best to link here to Patrick Nielsen Hayden's blog