Steve Mason

'Planet Sizes' is the first taster from 'Meet the Humans', the new LP from Steve Mason, which is due for release at the end of February. The striking graphics in the video for the song were created by artist and film maker Anna Ginsburg. The album is available to pre-order over at Domino HQ. There might even be some signed copies left if you hurry.

Since it's the weekend, here's a bonus - 'All Come Down' from 2011's 'Boys Outside'. For my money, one of the finest songs of the 21st Century.

The Aliens

Two gentlemen on a small boat out at sea. Chatting, reminiscing on old times. Perhaps they served together in the Second World War. So what year would that make this photo? Late 1960s? Early 1970s? What if I were to tell you that these men, if they are indeed the age they appear, were probably too old to have served in the First World War and that the start of World War Two was still 13 months in the future? The photo is scanned from a glass slide dated August 1938. A timeless image isn't it? I picked up around 150 glass slides at a car-boot sale last week, all housed in 4 long wooden boxes. I've only gone through a quarter of them so far, but the quality of the best is outstanding. More to come, I'm sure.

Gordon Anderson (brother of Kenny, a.k.a. King Creosote) was a founding member of The Beta Band, writing the magnificent 'Dry the Rain' from their debut EP, among others. Anderson left The Beta Band in 1997 after a period of ill health, going on to produce a series of wonderfully adventurous releases under the Lone Pigeon moniker. Following The Beta Band's demise in 2004, Anderson reunited with two former members, John Maclean and Robin Jones, to become The Aliens, who issued two fine albums, before dropping off the map in 2009. 'Boats', originally a stripped down, solo Lone Pigeon tune, was re-recorded by The Aliens to glorious effect and issued on LP number two, 'Luna'.

Speedy Wunderground

Speedy Wunderground is a new label, created and curated by producer Dan Carey, knob-twiddler for such artists as Django Django, Yeasayer, Hot Chip, and Bat for Lashes. The label's aim is to record a series of 7" singles in sessions lasting no longer than one day (with no lunch breaks) and release the results in limited editions of 250, in the shortest possible time. At the end of the year a compilation album of these recordings will be made available.

If this first release is any indication of what's to come, Speedy Wunderground is a label to keep an eye on. 'I Go Out', an utterly inspired collaboration between Steve Mason, Emiliana Torrini and Toy, is nothing short of epic in it's duration and ambition - and all put together in one day. A seven minute sonic assault, as one review accurately described it.



Check out Steve Mason's latest 'official' single amongst the other goodies on offer over at Tune Doctor.