Good Album: I'm luvin' this new Vibert shit. Possibly his best since Throbbing Pouch. More overtly electronic than his usual sampladelic constructions. The acid theme is no surprise, he's been hinting at it for a while now. It's great to hear these fruity 303 lines at slower tempo's again. That sparse, spacious sound is the best way to appreciate acid, I think. Luke's found a way produce choons that hark back to the classic Chicago '88 vibe, whilst adding his own distinctive signature. There's a freedom and playfulness here that's generally lacking in the more aggressive, locked-down grind of most European acid. Blame Hardfloor for that. And it's just so pleasurable to listen to. Much as I admire the headphuck acid overkill of Squarepusher and Aphex, you have to be in a certain kind of mood to deal with that kind of intensity. Vibert makes nice squelchy noises that can work in various 'normal' situations (doing the washing up, driving, fucking - background or foreground). But there's another influence at work here and it doesn't take a genius to figure it out. The shadow of Moogmeister Jean Jacques Perrey looms large over this collection. Vibert's love of cheesy Moog music from the 60's & 70's is well known - check out his 'Nuggets' compilations for confirmation. Also, on the track 'I Love Acid', Vibert samples some sonics from JJP's Moog funk classic 'E.V.A.' (bit of an obvious choice though, Luke - everyone from Gang Starr to Fat Boy Slim have fucked around with that choon). Then there's the hello to JJP on the sleeve. And apparently he's made an album with JJP that due for release next year. Overall this album reminds me of JJP's lesser known French library LP's like 'Moog Sensations' and 'Moog Generation'. Retrofuturism is nothing new I suppose, but this concept - essentially "if you put JJ Perrey and Phuture in a studio together, what would it sound like?" - sounds pretty fresh to these ears.

Good TV: I'm getting sucked into this new ITV drama 'Family', starring Martin Kemp. It a mini-series set in the world of organized crime; the threat of violence lurks around ever corner. It gets me really uptight. Top marks to all concerned.

Good Book: Neil Gaiman. He wrote those fucking amazing 'Sandman' comics. Well, turns out he writes 'proper' novels too, as I inadvertently discovered in the library this week. This ones called "American Gods" and has all the ingredients that made Sandman so engrossing. All these strange supernatural characters spinning a web of intrigue that builds up to feelings of impending doom of biblical proportions. Masterful writing. The Devil's in the details....