Diversion Projects

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2008
- June
  - Games to get excited about
    06/03/08
    Part two of Update Tuesday, let's have a look at some games that look like they may have promise of something better than generic RPGs and war-'em-ups. List time!
    
    ****
    
    MadWorld (Wii)
    
    Release Date: 2009
    
    Clover are back! The studio behi
  - My New Favourite Song #02 - A New Day Begins
    06/03/08
    
    Where do you begin with the history of Parliament / Funkadelic? The history of both bands sprawls through over five decades of interchanging band members, copious drugs, swaps in musical styles, spin-off bands, recurring characters, and many, many costume changes. It's a
  - Update Tuesday!
    06/03/08
    Full-time work is over, and the site's been neglected for too long now. It's time for Update Tuesday!
- May
  - Who doesn't want to be a ninja?
    05/22/08
  - Gyakuten Kenji trailer and a rant
    05/14/08
    
    More Ace Attorney is always a good thing, except for Europe, where the final part of the Phoenix Wright trilogy, Trials and Tribulations, still hasn't received a release date. Even more worrying is that the company that handled the localisation of Apollo Justice doesn't have Tr
- April
  - Go on, make all the "Objection!" jokes you want...
    04/24/08
    
    ...but I doubt there's going to be much complaint about a new Ace Attorney game. Especially one starring Phoenix's occasional rival, Miles Edgeworth.
    
    **On a side note, I have a personal objection with the fact the site was frozen and I was sitting on this update for
  - Diversion: show 43 - 10/04/2008
    04/23/08
    Wondering why this playlist took so darn long to be posted? Well, I've gone and got myself a time-consuming job that means this is going to be the last Diversion in a while. Oh yeah, and there was a whole bunch of technical nonsense behind the scenes. On with the show - I've put together a
- March
  - Diversion: show 39 - Exotica Special! - 28/02/2008
    03/29/08
    
    "My music has always been like fiction, no authenticity; I didn't want to make African music--I only wanted to suggest how African music might sound." - Martin Denny, pioneer of Exotica music
    
    This was a fun show. I love Exotica music. The mythology it has
  - Diversion: show 42 - In the Lounge With Diversion... - 27/03/2008
    03/27/08
    
    Get your cocktail kits out and put on your one-piece nylon speed suits. Sit back in a retro-style pad and let the sound of lounge take you on a mid-tempo trip. Perfect for 60s spies, the apres-ski set and the retro jet set crowd.
    
    01. The Griots - Andrew Hill - The Blues
  - My New Favourite Song #01 - DND (Do Not Destroy)
    03/25/08
    Welcome to a new feature of Diversion. The title should explain it all, really.
    
    First up is a track from the excellent Wii slash-em-up No More Heroes. I recently spent a solid couple of days playing this game, getting immersed in the rather odd world of Travis To
  - More reasons to move to Japan...
    03/24/08
    
    On the 20th of April in Tokyo's Shinjuku Culture Centre, the Tokyo Philharmonic (the orchestra behind the excellent early 90's Orchestral Game Concerts) will be playing tunes from the Gyakuten Saiban (or Ace Attorney) series.
    
    The series' producer, Minae Matsukaw
  - The curse of Silent Hill... (cont.)
    03/19/08
    
    All the way back in show 25, I tried to play a track from the Silent Hill soundtrack only to have it mysteriously come out garbled when it had been fine on pre-fade.
    
    Anyway, many thanks to FUNGO of the awesome Silent Hill Media X who sent in an explanation:
    
    "In
  - Important news concerning this week's show...
    03/19/08
    ...there will be none. Working commitments have got in the way. Diversion will be back on the 27th of March, with another special!
    
    In the meantime, I'll finally get around to posting a load of stuff that's been sitting on my desktop and in bookmarks for a while.
    
    Kaise
  - Diversion: show 41 - Funky Flute - 13/03/2008
    03/18/08
    Flutey and Funky, this is the Funky Flute Special!
    
    01. Secrets - Count Basie - Count Basie And The Kansas City 7
    
    02. Deve Ser Amor - Herbie Mann - From Latin...To Jazz Dance Vol.3
    
    03. Latin Workout - Ray Ridera - Espresso Espresso
    
    04. Cantata F
  - Diversion: show 40 - 06/03/2008
    03/18/08
    A bit late for technical reasons, here's the playlist and links for show 40
    
    (01. Robot Portrait - Quincy Jones - The Quintessence)
    
    02. Lowdown Popcorn - James Brown - Sex Machine - Live
    
    03. Sticks and Stones - Boogaloo Joe Jones - The Mindbender
  - No More Holdups!
    03/17/08
    You may have noticed the site's been kind of sparse on updates recently. There's been trouble behind the scenes, the main problem being I couldn't even log in. Anyway, it's all fixed and dandy (thanks, Alan!), and we can continue Diversion as normal.
    
    Starting with this
  - Diversion: show 38 - Valentine's Special - 14/02/2008
    03/15/08
    Well, I couldn't have a show on Valentine's Day and not do a special! Enjoy this playlist of diverting love songs.
    
    01. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm - Mildred Bailey - Doin' the Uptown Lowdown
    
    02. Come In - Peter Wyngarde - When Sex Leer
  - Stuff on MY cat!
    03/03/08
    
    This a photo of my 19(!)-year old cat, Checker, that I sent in to stuffonmycat.com.
    
    Stuff On My Cat is a fun site, dedicated to piling stuff on top of cats. Some of the stacks (that's the term for a pile o'stuff) are inspired, especially when the cat has that kind of
  - Diversion: show 37 - 31/01/2008
    03/03/08
    A lively show, perfect for keeping the bad weather at bay...
    
    (01. Minor Rama - Machito - Kenya)
    
    02. H.N.I.C. - Blue Mitchell
    
    03. Doin' The Uptown Lowdown - Mildred Bailey - Doin' the Uptown Lowdown
    
    04. Hello Nurse - The Animaniacs
- February
  - Ultra-dramatic events now unfolding!
    02/21/08
    Hi all,
    
    Well, it seems that show-stopping events happen fortnightly. After the iTunes debacle of 2 weeks ago, I'm cancelling this week's show due to a mild zombie infestation in my local area. I'm part of a clean-up squad that operates whenever the zombie threat level rises
  - $*@!@£$&@%&£@&*(@£!!!!!!!!!
    02/07/08
    
    Hi all,
    
    Well, I had my playlist for today's Exotica special all ready to go last night, but my iTunes decided to throw a wobbly and re-install an old library.
    
    This means I'm going to be spending the day re-importing my music, re-organising playlists, and r
- January
  - Diversion: show 36 - Beatles Covers Special - 24/01/2008
    01/25/08
    The first Diversion of 2008 - 2 hours of Beatles covers, ranging from the funky, jazzy, easy and downright strange. Enjoy!
    
    01. Get Back - Little Big Horns - On the Rocks Part 1 (an Ultra-Lounge compilation)
    
    02. Daytripper - Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66
  - Diversion 2008!
    01/23/08
    
    Hello there!
    
    Tomorrow (24th of January) marks the return of Diversion for what I'm calling its third series. There's going to be a few changes to the output, the major difference being specials are now happening every fortnight. I'm kicking things off tomorrow w
  - Hold it! What's this? An update?
    01/12/08
    Yeah, it's been a while...blame the festive period, the colds it brings, and (more recently) this...
    
    While I was happy to find a US version of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations (aka Phoenix Wright 3), I was worried that the game would suffer from the s
2007
- December
  - Diversion: show 35 - 13/12/2007
    12/22/07
    Over a week late (due to equal parts busy schedule and downright laziness), here is the final playlist of 2008! Expect to hear some changes when Diversion comes back on the 24th of January. In the meantime, here's some of my favourite tunes in one easy-to-listen-to show!
  - Diversion: show 34 - TV Cop / Funky Crimefighter - 06/12/2007
    12/07/07
    
    The show started well with me playing a song twice, then starting a record at the wrong speed - go me! I hope you enjoyed the TV Cop / Funky Crimefighter special nonetheless.
    
    Dedicated to the awesome guy in the record store in Las Vegas where I got so much fantastic music, in
  - Competition music for show 33 - 29/11/2007
    12/02/07
    Click on the 'Listen Again' image to hear this week's competition music:
    
    If you know which video game it's from, contact me!
    
    If you're the lucky winner, you'll get an amazing goodie bag full of stuff as a prize!
    
    ** This compe
- November
  - Diversion: show 33 - 29/11/2007
    11/30/07
    Ah, shame. Listen Again cut off a big rant I had with the guys on The Mixtape about the news which Subcity have asked us to play between shows. They were about to play the news when I said not to bother. I don't really see the point of having news on shows that are going to be archived for futu
  - Competition music for show 32 - 22/11/2007
    11/26/07
    Click on the 'Listen Again' image to hear this week's competition music:
    
    If you know which video game it's from, contact me!
    
    If you're the lucky winner, you'll get an amazing goodie bag full of stuff as a prize!
    
    **This compet
  - Diversion: show 32 - 22/11/2007
    11/23/07
    Another week, another show - enjoy!
    
    (01. Trey of Hearts - Count Basie - Count Basie and the Kansas City Seven)
    
    02. A Sangue Quente - Guilherme Vergueiro - Brazil Boogie
    
    03. Penguin's Umbrella - Sun Ra & The Blues Project - Batman & Robin
  - Silent Hill 5 wishlist
    11/21/07
    
    There now follows a joint entry from Richie (thatguys.co.uk) and Kaiser Tia (diversionprojects.org), regarding a favourite gaming franchise...
    
    As you may or may not know the Silent Hill series is getting a fifth instalment. Hurrah! However, this chapter in the series will NOT
  - Competition music for show 31 - 15/11/2007
    11/16/07
    Click on the 'Listen Again' image to hear this week's competition music:
    
    If you know which video game it's from, contact me!
    
    If you're the lucky winner, you'll get an amazing goodie bag full of stuff as a prize!
    
    **This compet
  - Diversion: show 31 - 15/11/2007
    11/16/07
    Not got much to say, except here's the playlist for this week...
    
    01. Daddy Grapes - Grant Green
    
    02. Sunny - The John Schroeder Orchestra - Sounds From the Lounge: Pop Covers, Lounge Style
    
    03. Charade - Henry Mancini
    
    04. Balinese Bongos - L
  - Rice for words
    11/12/07
    This is an interesting site - you play a thesaurus-y word game, and the advertisers donate rice for every correct answer you give. You don't have to log in, just click on the link and play. Etymological knowledge an advantage, although some of the alternative definitions are a bit questionable.
  - All about Enemy Zero...
    11/09/07
    
    All the way back in show 27, I mentioned this curiosity. About time I wrote about it...
    
    Enemy Zero was developed by WARP, the company headed by Kenji Eno, a maverick designer who had originally worked as a music producer. The company is probably best known for the FMV adventur
  - Competition music for show 30 - 08/11/2007
    11/08/07
    Click on the 'Listen Again' image to hear this week's competition music:
    
    If you know which video game it's from, contact me!
    
    If you're the lucky winner, you'll get an amazing goodie bag full of stuff as a prize!
    
    **This compet
  - Diversion: show 30 - 08/11/2007
    11/08/07
    Wow, 30 shows in! I'll have to do something special if I make it to 50...
    
    01. Christopher Colombus - Benny Goodman
    
    02. Classical Gas - Hugo Montenegro - Good Vibrations
    
    03. No More Water in the Well - The Temptations - With a Lot O' Soul
  - Competition update...
    11/06/07
    Hey guys,
    
    My internet troubles continue. I don't have a connection at the moment, and I've had nothing but trouble uploading the competition music for this week.
    
    If you want to hear the competition music, just listen to the show.
    
    Normal service will be resu
  - Diversion: show 29 - 01/11/2007
    11/02/07
    Ignore the first few minutes of this show - I haven't gone all R'n'B, though do have a listen to the guy who is reading out the news - where's his accent from?
    
    Thanks to my flatmate Paul, who helped make this a chattier Diversion than usual. Remember - call centre wor
- October
  - For posterity...
    10/30/07
    I was in a bit of a rush yesterday, so thanks to Richie from thatguys for taking a snap of the eBay page with Ray's pic on it.
    
    Not the best quality, I know, but you can cleary see Ray and his amazing fake moustache!
  - Double wow...
    10/29/07
    
    ...I was doing my usual check for Ray McVay LPs on eBay - imagine my surprise when I saw one of the sellers has used my picture of Ray from the back of the Roadshow album to illustrate the sale.
    
    It's obviously mine, because I doubt anyone else in the world has stuck a fak
  - Wow...
    10/29/07
    
    ...Mullets Galore has updated!
    
    If you've never checked out this site, then do! It's brilliant and after over a year of nothing happening, there's finally been an update!
    
    I seriously thought the guy who ran it had died or something.
  - Competiton music for show 28 - 25/10/2007
    10/29/07
    Apologies for the lateness in posting this. I'm without internet at home at the moment, which obviously complicates updating a site!
    
    Click on the 'Listen Again' image to hear this week's competition music:
    
    If you know which video game it's f
  - Diversion: show 24 - 27/09/2007
    10/27/07
    Playlist time!
    
    (Mexican Flyer (Big Band Perfect Version) - Kenichi Tokoi - Space Channel 5 Part 2 OST: Chu!)
    
    01. Batucada - Roberto Delgado - Espresso Espresso
    
    02. Cochise - Ed Lincoln - Ed Lincoln
    
    03. (Hep Hep) The Jumpin' Jive - Cab Call
  - Diversion: show 28 - 25/10/2007
    10/26/07
    Sorry about the delay in getting this playlist out, lots of boring complications involving phone lines and whatnot. On with the list!
    
    01. La Bamba - Los Machucambos - Los Machucambos in Phase 4
    
    02. At The Hop - Danny and the Juniors
    
    03. CC Rider - Donald
  - An introduction to Manga
    10/25/07
    For those that wonder what this manga thing is all about, wired.com has produced an excellent beginner's guide to. It's obviously US-biased, but it's a good primer for the Manga novice. Remember, read right to left!
    
    How Manga conquered the US
  - Dance Ulala, Dance!
    10/24/07
    Here's a video of Ulala's motion capture dancer, Nazu Nahoko (who in her time has been a backing dancer for Michael Jackson) doing her thing at what looks like either the Space Channel 5 Part 2 launch or the best SEGA party ever. So you CAN pull those moves off in reality!
  - Great Boss Battles: Evila
    10/23/07
    
    Created by Space Channel 5 CEO Chief Blank, Evila is modelled on Ulala and was created to be the perfect reporter. She appears in the final stage of the game in an awe-inspiring dance-off with Ulala. This boss battle isn't particuarly hard, but it's a lot of fun. when Ulala say
  - I can has Jill sammich?
    10/22/07
    
    Thatguys have recently started a new series called icanhasjillsammich, a Resident Evil spin-off of the icanhascheezburger craze. Have a look, and if you're feeling inspired, then put your pictures through the cheezburgerfactory and submit them to: icanhasjillsammich@thatguys.co.uk
  - All about Panzer Dragoon...
    10/21/07
    
    I talked a fair bit about Panzer Dragoon in show 27, so it's only fair that I do a post on what is an excellent series.
    
    The first Panzer Dragoon was one of the launch titles for the Sega Saturn, and laid the foundations for the series' style with its unique Panzer la
  - Competition music for show 27 - 18/10/2007
    10/20/07
    Click on the 'Listen Again' image to hear this week's competition music:
    
    If you know which video game it's from, contact me!
    
    If you're the lucky winner, you'll get an amazing goodie bag full of stuff as a prize!
    
    **This compet
  - Okami on the Wii!
    10/19/07
    
    That's right, people! The Golden Age of Videogames continues with the announcement of Okami for the Wii. It's just a port, but it means Wii owners without a PS2 will get the chance to play Clover's utterly beautiful and engrossing RPG, with the brush technique gameplay per
  - Diversion: show 27 - Big Bad Boss Music - 18/10/2007
    10/19/07
    Bwahahahaha...here's the playlist for what I hope was a nostalgic listen for some. I certainly had fun putting this show together (and recording Space Channel 5).
    
    (01. Almighty Boss Devil Is Challenged - Koichi Sugiyama - Orchestral Game Concert 3)
    
    02. Gannon&#
  - Ulala makes appearance in Sega Superstar Tennis!
    10/19/07
    
    Ulala takes a break from her Swingin' Report Show to play a bit of tennis against Sonic, Tails and the monkey from Samba De Amigo.
    
    Unlike her cameos in other games like Sonic Riders and Beach Spikers, it looks like Ulala is going to be a playable character from the start.
  - Wanted: Big Bad Boss Music suggestions
    10/14/07
    
    This week's show is going to be two hours of video game boss music. I obviously have tracks that I want to play, but are there any pieces of boss music that you would like to hear? It doesn't have to be a final boss, it can be an end-of-level boss, a sub-boss, a mini-boss - as
  - Thirteen-odd years on, he still remembers all the words...
    10/13/07
    I played this Animaniacs song in show 26 - here are the videos for those who haven't seen them or want to feel really old...
    
    The original 'Yakko's World'
    
    Rob Paulson at Comic Con 2006
  - Competition music for show 26 - 11/10/2007
    10/12/07
    Click on the 'Listen Again' image to hear this week's competition music:
    
    If you know which video game it's from, contact me!
    
    If you're the lucky winner, you'll get an amazing goodie bag full of stuff as a prize!
    
    **This compet
  - Diversion: show 26 - 11/10/2007
    10/11/07
    Gah - I'll admit I wasn't exactly in the zone for this show. Too much playing Okami and not enough putting the playlist together. Ah well, hope you enjoyed it anyway...
    
    01. Departure of the King of Pirates - One Piece
    
    02. Central Park Sunday - Sim City 300
  - The curse of Silent Hill...
    10/09/07
    
    I made an MP3 of the Silent Hill Music that messed up in show 25 and have also uploaded the song as it should be so you can hear how different they are. The really odd part of it is that the song played fine when I was pre-fading it, but went weird only when it went live. It might be som
  - My record collection confessions (part 3)
    10/08/07
    
    Tony Christie is probably best known for the song 'Is This the Way to Amarillo?', which had a resurgence in popularity in the UK when it was covered by comedian Peter Kay.
    
    I first heard of Tony Christie through a TV theme tunes compilation that had 'Avenues and
  - The Chop Chop Master Onion trilogy and more!
    10/07/07
    
    I played the Chop Chop Master Onion songs from all the Parappa games in show 25. Here are videos of the songs in action. It's hard to find You Tube videos where players HAVEN'T recorded themselves showing off, so the songs sound a little different to the versions I played on th
  - One Piece music clips from show 25
    10/06/07
    I played a couple of One Piece tracks on my last show - here are the You Tube clips of the episodes where I originally heard them.
    
    First up, the infamous Sogeking theme - a parody of many an anime opening, done with the usual One Piece charm.
    
    ****
    
    Now he
  - *NEW* Update Log
    10/06/07
    If you look at the 'Links' section under the RSS boxes, you'll see a new page called Update Log. This is where I'll make notes of any behind-the-scenes changes I make to the site (for example, Yasushi Ishii now has a MySpace page so I've fixed all his links in previous playl
  - Competition Music for Show 25 - 04/10/2007
    10/04/07
    Click on the 'Listen Again' image to hear this week's competition music:
    
    If you know which video game it's from, contact me!
    
    If you're the lucky winner, you'll get an amazing goodie bag full of stuff as a prize!
    
    **This compet
  - Diversion: show 25 - 04/10/2007
    10/04/07
    I was just in the mood for playing cheesy, energetic (mostly) Japanese anime and video game music. Everyone has to geek out once in a while, yeah?
    
    Oh, and I fully expected the Listen Again rant at the start of the show not to get included - what irony, eh?
    
    This was quite an eve
- September
  - Competition Music for Show 24 - 27/09/2007
    09/27/07
    Click on the 'Listen Again' image to hear this week's competition music:
    
    If you know which video game it's from, contact me!
    
    If you're the lucky winner, you'll get an amazing goodie bag full of stuff as a prize!
    
    **This compet
  - Diversion: Show 24 - 27/09/2007
    09/27/07
    Playlist time!
    
    (Mexican Flyer (Big Band Perfect Version) - Kenichi Tokoi - Space Channel 5 Part 2 OST: Chu!)
    
    01. Batucada - Roberto Delgado - Espresso Espresso
    
    02. Cochise - Ed Lincoln - Ed Lincoln
    
    03. (Hep Hep) The Jumpin' Jive - Cab Call
  - Subcity schedule
    09/26/07
    
    Hello all,
    
    Just to let you know that Diversion will be on Subcity's online broadcast every Thursday, 15:00 - 17:00 (that's 3PM-5PM for the non 24 clock-savvy).
    
    This will be the schedule for the next three weeks. After then, there's the possibility I m
  - Hyperstyles beatboxing gigs
    09/24/07
    Ken, aka Hyperstyles is playing a couple of live shows in Glasgow soon, here are the details:
    
    Tuesday, 25th September - The 13th Note, with Tom Snowball
    
    Friday, 28th September - The Art School (as part of the JumbleSales Sounds night)
    
    And here's the video of Ken
  - Diversion FM Broadcast - 21/09/2007
    09/21/07
    Diversion is back! Whoo! For more details on Ken the amazing beatboxer, go here.
    
    Good to be back, here's to another year of music!
    
    (Katamari on the Swing - Matsuzaki Shigeru - We Love Katamari)
    
    01. The Earthmen - Paddy Kingsland - The Sound Gallery v
  - The return of Diversion!
    09/20/07
    
    Just a quick reminder that Diversion will be on Subcity tomorrow, 14:00-16:00, 106.6FM.
    
    The FM show marks the start of a new broadcast year, and therefore weekly Diversion programmes. It also looks like I've got 2-hour shows this year, which is both scary and exciting.
  - Ahoy!, etc
    09/19/07
    
    Today be International Talk Like a Pirate Day, yarr!
    
    There be more information here, me hearties.
  - Flute beatboxing
    09/17/07
    Do you want to hear a mighty combination of funky flute, beatboxing and video game music? The internet has it all!
    
    Greg Pattillo's MySpace page
  - My record collection confessions (part 2)
    09/03/07
    The Transformed Man, William Shatner (1968)
    
    Where do you start with this one? This is the album that now serves as a standard-bearer for terrible celebrity albums, when pomposity and a lack of singing talent combine to make something beyond the boundaries of normal music.
- August
  - My record collection confessions (part 1)
    08/31/07
    When Sex Leers its Inquisitive Head, Peter Wyngarde (1970)
    
    I recently bought this album, recorded in 1970 by Peter Wyngarde, the man who played the fabulous novelist/detective Jason King in the British TV series of the same name (the character started out in the late 60's
  - Yay!
    08/24/07
    
    Good news, Diversion fans! There will be a 2-hour show on Friday the 21st of September, from 14:00 - 16:00. This is part of Subcity's FM broadcast, the frequency being 106.6. I'm sure the show will be on Listen Again as well, so expect the usual playlist and links when the show
  - Diversion: the huge invisible update
    08/17/07
    
    Hello all,
    
    You may not notice it, but I've just finished a very long and boring update on the site. All my Subcity shows are now coming from the 123-drive server, which is a lot more stable than whatever Subcity is using to stream its shows from.
    
    I haven't
  - Happy International Left-handers Day!
    08/13/07
    
    Big up to all my fellow lefties out there. Go and buy a special can-opener or something (yes, there's even left-handed clothing, seriously). Personally, I've never felt the need for left-handed equipment or special treatment, but I do feel relieved that I don't live during
  - Send me to prison!
    08/07/07
    
    It looks like a good deal - the prison is in the Philippines, so there'll be sun. Then there's the orange outfits and synchronised dancing to funky music. I wonder if they would let me keep my Space Channel 5 costume?
    
    CPDRC inmates - Thrilling!
  - I wish I'd written that!
    08/06/07
    Margaret Robertson, one time editor of elitist twat video game magazine Edge, has written a fantastic piece on the BBC website about the highs, lows, and brain-numbing dullness of video games. It's worth a read.
    
    State of Play: Why I Play Games
    
    She's also got a blog fo
  - Wanted: summer
    08/06/07
    Okay, it rained all day yesterday. All day. Non stop. Anyone is Britain will know that this has been a dire summer, with the wettest July since records began. Not long now until Seasonal Affective Disorder is endemic. Does anyone remember just how good that bright warm thing in the sky feels like? H
- July
  - Reasons to go to the toilet in Japan...
    07/13/07
    
    That's toilet, not restroom - bloody Americanisms making image searches more complicated, grumble, grumble.
    
    Anyway, you'll be relieved to hear that toilets in Japan are no longer going up in flames, instead, there's a mystery man leaving money in them now!
  - Great news!
    07/13/07
    
    Silent Hill 5 has been announced!
    
    Here's the teaser trailer...looks like there's going to be even more of a Jacob's Ladder influence in this one.
    
    And yes, Akira Yamaoka is doing the music - hurrah!
    
    On a side note, I came across
  - Diversion: show 23 - 04/06/2007
    07/05/07
    Hooray!
    
    Good news - the final Subcity show has been archived. Just click Listen Again and enjoy.
    
    01. Shango - Peter King - Nigeria 70
    
    02. (I Know) I'm Losing You - The Temptations - With a Lot O' Soul
    
    03. SOUL Kyu
- June
  - It's finally over...
    06/30/07
    
    Well, it's been quite a ride. The final episode of Death Note is out and well, I'm not going to start dropping spoilers now, am I?
    
    No Cease and Desist fansubs, but we've got Ruberia to thank for a good sub of the final episode:
    
    Death Note episode 37 -
  - Video game dads
    06/27/07
    Wasn't it Father's Day recently? Oh well, I don't need much excuses for a massive post - enjoy!
    
    Harry Mason (Silent Hill, PS)
    
    After finding his daughter Cheryl abandoned as a baby by a roadside, Harry and his wife raised the child as their own. After
  - The old Manhunt 2 debate...
    06/22/07
    
    Wow, look it's an update that's not about Death Note!
    
    If you're a gamer and use the internet, you should know about the whole Manhunt 2 kerfuffle.
    
    Me and Richie over at thatguys have been having a little debate about the situation. You can read my op
  - Moving to Japan...NOW! (A necessary Death Note update...)
    06/21/07
    
    Well, not just yet, but pictures like that really make me wish there was more of an appreciation of manga and anime in the UK, or at least the US, so we could import English subs and dubs of series.
    
    Speaking of which, Viz seem to have done a pretty shoddy job of their English
  - Death Note update...
    06/14/07
    
    Ah boo...Animanda fansubs have dropped their subs of Death Note after getting a Cease and Desist notice from Viz Media (owners of the American license).
    
    I could go off on a rant about the sad loss of a quality fansub (with only a couple of episodes to go until the end of the s
  - Drull days... (update #2)
    06/12/07
    
    I'm trying to get a new word about the weather into general use. The word is drull, which is already in the urban dictionary describing a situation that is "boring and full of nothingness".
    
    I would like to extend this word to describe days that are overcast to t
  - Ahoy! (Update #1)
    06/12/07
    
    Taken during Glasgow's West End Festival. If you're not from Glasgow, I wouldn't really recommend it - it's mostly an excuse for locals to drink on the street, and the weather is so unpredictable that it could be rained off in an instant. Fortunately, it remained over
  - We are, we are on the cruuuuuuise!
    06/06/07
    
    It's about time I raved about One Piece. Alongside Death Note, this is one of my favourite animes. It's all about Monkey D. Luffy, and his quest to become Pirate King by fiding the legendary treasure One Piece. On his travels, he gathers a crew (the Japanese term is 'nakam
  - Diversion: Show 23 - 04/06/2007
    06/05/07
    Hooray!
    
    Good news - the final Subcity show has been archived. Just click Listen Again and enjoy.
    
    01. Shango - Peter King - Nigeria 70
    
    02. (I Know) I'm Losing You - The Temptations - With a Lot O' Soul
    
    03. SOUL Kyu
  - Diversion: Show 23 (booooooo)
    06/04/07
    Yep, Subcity's servers have done their thing again, and show 23 wasn't archived.
    
    What's worse is that since Subcity stops broadcast this week, it was my last show with them.
    
    Ho hum.
    
    In other news, I'm going to be working on new projects over the n
- May
  - Ren and Stimpy music
    05/31/07
    
    If, like me, you loved the background music used on Ren and Stimpy, you'll be overjoyed to know that a whole bunch of tracks are up on torrents. I found out about it here:
    
    Secret fun spot blog
    
    And the show's creator, John Kricfalusi has a very interesting
  - Diversion: show 18 - 30/04/2007
    05/30/07
    A vitamin D - infused Diversion. Isn't the sun great? Incidentally, Listen Again didn't cut off any songs! Enjoy the first full-length Diversion in a long time!
    
    01. Escape From Piz Gloria - John Barry & His Orchestra - On Her Majesty's Secret Service
  - For your safety...
    05/30/07
    
    I recently re-watched this DVD I got a while back of Public Information Films (PIFs). The films themselves range from good common sense advice on how to cross the road, and terrifying scenarios where children playing near lakes are stalked by the grim reaper.
    
    The films are o
  - Diversion: show 22 - 28/05/2007
    05/28/07
    Well, this is a situtation...
    
    Subcity's servers went down for a while during my show, and Listen Again has only archived 9 minutes(!). You can listen to the last three songs of my show if you want...
    
    And for what it's worth, here's the tracklist...
  - I love Tomb Raider glitches!
    05/25/07
    
    Okay, quick rant first: let's face it, the original Tomb Raider was an absolute classic, and the series has been ruined by sequels that even the developers were reluctant to make, though the fact the series was a money-printing machine for so long probably helped in their decision-m
  - Hoots, etc..
    05/23/07
    Here are the results of a recent charity shop trip. the mission? Find some of the worst album covers by Scottish artists. Yep, while hippies were enjoying the Summer of Love in the 60's, and punks were being very angry in the 70's, there was still room for twee shortbread 'n' tar
  - Diversion: show 17 - 23/04/2007
    05/23/07
    For once Subcity's Listen Again didn't do too badly - just a little bit got snipped off Senor Coconut, but you can still hear the best part of his Oxygene (Part II) cover in all its glory...
    
    (01. Oxygene (Part II) - Senor Coconut - Fiesta Songs)
    
    02. Updow
  - Diversion: show 21 - Jet Set Radio Broadcast - 21/05/2007
    05/21/07
    
    It's about time Sega restarted the Jet Set Radio franchise, especially with the possibilities that the Wiimote controls and online aspects offer. Wishful thinking I know, but if they're remaking Nights of all games, then surely JSR can't be too far behind. In the meantime,
  - Diversion: Show 21 preview
    05/20/07
    
    Oh yeah.
  - The melancholy of Herb Alpert
    05/18/07
    Yup, Herb's staring into the middle distance yet again for these album covers...
    
    From the back of a generic 'Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass' album, here's Herb trying out the classic 'silhouette by the sea' pose. Is he thinking of a lost love or whic
  - Eurovision afterthoughts...
    05/16/07
    This year's Eurovision certainly marked a bit of a turning point where the quality control of songs filtered out a lot of the downright awful acts, resulting in a blandly professional show, and even - horror of horrors - some likeable tunes. I especially liked Bulgaria's entry because it r
  - Diversion: show 16 - An Orchestral Game and Anime Concert - 16/04/2007
    05/16/07
    Another Orchestral special, this time with more of a focus on in-game music and anime background music. There's a lot more that I wanted to say about the music played in this show (especially since Listen Again cut off things I had to say about One Piece), but then, that's what this site i
  - Diversion: show 20 - 14/05/2007
    05/14/07
    Don't be confused, this isn't show 5. I was wanting to play Playground Love in full, but it got cut off (AGAIN!). The end song is also clipped. Stupid Listen Again.
    
    (01. Highschool Prom - Rob's Playground Mix - Playground Love EP)
    
    02. Born to be Bone
  - Eurovision drinking games
    05/12/07
    
    Yeah, it's that time of year when the gaudy spectacle of Eurovision rolls into action. Viewers in Britain are lucky to have Terry Wogan commentating, because at least he's on in the joke. Even Terry needs a drink or ten to get through the twenty-four(!) inevitably awful e
  - Brillianty bad...
    05/11/07
    Honestly, where do you start with this cover?
    
    First, there's the cheesy posing, second, the costumes. Then there's the names badges on the uniforms (and the scarves, oh the scarves), the chest hair, the medallion, the middle-distance stares, not forgetting the sacch
  - 70's album sleeves
    05/09/07
    See what I did there? Gotta love puns. Doctor Kawashima says they're good for your brain. Anyway, there now follows some examples of a fashion trend of 70's album covers...
    
    First up, here's minor funksters L.T.D. (that stands for Love, Togetherness, Devotion), and the cover
  - Diversion: show 15 - 09/04/2007
    05/09/07
    I was just glad to finally find a Jurassic 5 track without swearing in it, plus mixing it with Frank Sinatra was a lot of fun...
    
    (01. Greetings - Joni Haastrup - Nigeria 70)
    
    02. Sum of Us - Jurassic 5 - Power in Numbers
    
    03. Drinking Water - Frank Sinatra
  - Silent Hill bits and pieces
    05/07/07
    
    Here's the link to the cool site I mentioned in show 19. The work that's gone into recording every single piece of background music (and every variant of it) is impressive, and very handy for completists like me....
    
    Silent Hill Media
    
    ****
    
    There&
  - Diversion: show 19 - Mellow - 07/05/2007
    05/07/07
    A deliberately mellow Diversion - amost enough to soothe my annoyance at three songs getting cut off...
    
    (01. Get Thy Bearings - Donovan - The Mood Mosaic 10: Retro Active)
    
    02. Exodus - Quincy Jones - The Many Faces of Quincy Jones
    
    03. Ice Pick Mike - Lalo
  - New Hilary Knight illustrations
    05/05/07
    A couple of non-Eloise illustrations that I've found recently...
    
    From a 60's cook book.
    
    ****
    
    Another Enoch Light album cover (well, 'Enoch Light Presents'). Obviously done around the same time as Film Fame (my goodness, is
  - An awful Dutch cover (and an excuse to link to Eurotrash)...
    05/03/07
    Again, I just bought this album for the terrible cover.
    
    I can't read Dutch, but it looks like they're pretty popular in the Netherlands. It seems that the old guy on the left (the only one not wearing the hideous yellow suit but with the slightly yellow face) is Vade
  - Oh boo...
    05/02/07
    Game buys Gamestation?
    
    Just great. Does that mean Gamestation are going to start defacing second-hand games with permanent markers like Game? I stopped buying games from there when I noticed that they had marked a copy of Ico not only on the box and disk, but also the collector's pos
  - Diversion: show 14 - 02/04/2007
    05/02/07
    I'm not sure if I'll ever get the timing right for the Listen Again cut-off. Ah well, all the more music to play in full in future shows. At least Sanji doesn't get cut off at the end. That wouldn't be right.
    
    (01. No Caminho Do Bem - Tim Maia - City of God
  - Pope John Paul II Sings!
    05/02/07
    Another charity shop find...
    
    Sadly, at no point during this record does the pope give up the funk. Notice that the record is published by Utopia. This is pretty funny, as Utopia is a Greek concept, and not exclusively connected to Christianity. Read about it here.
    
    T
- April
  - Diversion: Show 18 - 30/04/2007
    04/30/07
    A vitamin D - infused Diversion. Isn't the sun great? Incidentally, Listen Again didn't cut off any songs! Enjoy the first full-length Diversion in a long time!
    
    01. Escape From Piz Gloria - John Barry & His Orchestra - On Her Majesty's Secret Service
  - The bonds that tie...
    04/30/07
    That Guys have been kind enough to post a link to this site on their blog, and are keeping up the hunt for gimps in video games. It's a worthwhile hobby.
    
    If you're looking for dinosaurs in video games, you're at the wrong blog. You want to go here.
  - Gimps in video games...
    04/29/07
    Voldo (Soul Blade / Edge, Soul Calibur)
    
    Voldo is an excellent gimp - his story in the Soul Edge / Calibur series follows his devotion to protecting his long-dead master's treasure. His moveset in the games is suitably freaky, his victory quote simply a gagged hiss. He
  - A quick plug for the 5%...
    04/27/07
    My friend Sam and his friend Kat are launching an English-language magazine called the 5% in Berlin. The first edition has gone to press, but the magazine is always going to be looking for submissions either written or drawn. Check out what they're about through their Myspace page.
    
    H
  - Diversion: Sampler CD 01 - Tracklist
    04/25/07
    
    I've started to distribute some sampler CDs both locally and through friends in other parts of the country / world. If you've got one of these CDs, here's the tracklist for you, in order of song / artist / album. Follow the links for more info on the artists. Most importan
  - Na-naaaaaa Na Na Na Na Na Na Na KATAMARI DAMACY!!!!
    04/23/07
    
    It's official. Go here for the beautiful website. It's in Japanese, but easily navigated. Check out the King's new clothes! Dandy as ever.
    
    Now all I have to do is buy a 360...
  - Diversion: Show 17 - 23/04/2007
    04/23/07
    For once Subcity's Listen Again didn't do too badly - just a little bit got snipped off Senor Coconut, but you can still hear the best part of his Oxygene (Part II) cover in all its glory...
    
    (01. Oxygene (Part II) - Senor Coconut - Fiesta Songs)
    
    02. Updow
  - More Ray McVay albums!
    04/20/07
    Diversion Projects: the world's number one Ray McVay resource! Here's the latest additions to my Ray McVay collection. They're not nearly as good as the albums I used for the special, but it's worth logging them for the sake of completion, and to provide info for other collectors
  - Three games characters you wish would just SHUT UP
    04/18/07
    Doctor Kawashima - Doctor Kawashima's Brain Training
    
    If you play Brain Training solidly for about a month, you'll hear everything Doctor Kawashima has to say, and since this is a game that you're meant to play every day, Kawashima's limited conversation soon gets irrit
  - Shadow of the Colossus in Concert
    04/16/07
    
    As promised, here's the video of the Eminence Orchestra, and their performance of "The Opened Way".
    
    For those who have played the game, here's a funky little site full of oddities and exploration:
    
    Shadow of the Colossus Sightse
  - Diversion: Show 16 - An Orchestral Game and Anime Concert - 16/04/2007
    04/16/07
    Another Orchestral special, this time with more of a focus on in-game music and anime background music. There's a lot more that I wanted to say about the music played in this show (especially since Listen Again cut off things I had to say about One Piece), but then, that's what this site i
  - Groovy album artwork!
    04/13/07
    Again, I just bought this album for the cover. To be fair, Enoch Light is pretty cool, but this isn't one of his best albums...
    
    One day I WILL print this on a T-shirt, for now, it's my desktop, and possibly the new site banner.
    
    Gotta love the
  - 60 French Girls Can't Be Wrong!
    04/13/07
    I bought this album a few years ago in a charity shop...
    
    The album itself isn't great - but how can you resist the cover?
    
    It's a perfect cover in so many ways; bold, eye-catching, and very, very wrong. Although, djinn is another word for genie.
  - Diversion: Show 15 - 09/04/2007
    04/09/07
    I was just glad to finally find a Jurassic 5 track without swearing in it, plus mixing it with Frank Sinatra was a lot of fun...
    
    (01. Greetings - Joni Haastrup - Nigeria 70)
    
    02. Sum of Us - Jurassic 5 - Power in Numbers
    
    03. Drinking Water - Frank Sinatra
  - Worst store display ever?
    04/08/07
    This picture was taken in my local supermarket during the 2006 World Cup...
    
    ...well, it's eye-catching, at least. Points for effort and unintended surrealism.
  - My criminal career so far...
    04/05/07
    I was in Woolworths one day, and saw this sign:
    
    Funnily enough, it's the only thing I've ever stolen from there.
  - Is everybody watching Death Note yet?
    04/03/07
    You should be...
    
    ...it's an anime/manga about a Japanese high school student who finds a notebook. Whoever has their name written in the notebook dies. If I say anything else, it would be against the rule of spoiler etiquette, especially for this show.
    
    All I ca
  - Diversion: Show 14 - 02/04/2007
    04/02/07
    I'm not sure if I'll ever get the timing right for the Listen Again cut-off. Ah well, all the more music to play in full in future shows. At least Sanji doesn't get cut off at the end. That wouldn't be right.
    
    (01. No Caminho Do Bem - Tim Maia - City of God
- March
  - The intriguing world of Number Stations...
    03/31/07
    
    Most of BBC Radio 4's output can be terribly dull; plays about tortured academics rejuvenated by a chip shop girl's simple wisdom, programmes about money and mortgages, and The Archers. It's worth listening, however, for gems like this, a fascinating program that investiga
  - Herb Alpert - master of the melancholy gaze!
    03/28/07
    Converting vinyl to MP3 is a long and boring process (unless the vinyl skips, in which case it also becomes painstaking), and while I was preparing for the Herb Alpert special (show 8), I had a lot of time to check out the album covers. Turns out Herb is quite adept at glancing into the middle dista
  - Diversion: show 13 - 26/03/2007
    03/26/07
    Spring is in the air! It looks like there's a new Katamari rolling this way! Life is good...
    
    (01. The Gonk - H Chappell - Unreleased Music from George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead)
    
    02. More Today Than Yesterday - Andy Williams
    
    03. Hi Shinkeishou
  - No Parking at the GoMA
    03/23/07
    Here's a random Photoshop project that I made years ago...
    
    This is the first, and so far only piece of Photoshopping I have ever done in my life, but apart from the odd mistake, I'm kind of proud of it. I still think it would be awesome if someone actually did this..
  - Ray McVay Albums
    03/19/07
    Here are pictures and details of the Ray McVay albums I used in the special.
    
    This is definitely one the best Ray McVay albums out there. No duff tracks whatsoever. It's also a rare picture of Ray without his moustache (more on that later).
    
    Showcase Ray Mc
  - Diversion: show 12: A Ray McVay Special! - 19/03/2007
    03/19/07
    Ray McVay was born in Gourock, Scotland, and started playing clarinet and sax at the age of 15. After a stint of National service in the Royal Tank Regiment, Ray's musical career started in the 50's when he became the Musical Director for Larry Parnes, through which he worked with stars i
  - Diversion: show 11 - 12/03/2007
    03/17/07
    Playlist time!
    
    (01. Listen My Children and You Shall Hear - Count Basie - Exposure)
    
    02. Wanna Do My Thing - Matata - Afro Beat
    
    03. Uptight (Everything's Alright) - Charlie Palmieri - Latin Bugalu
    
    04. Refund Game - Guitar Vader - From Dusk<
  - Diversion: show 10 - 05/03/2007
    03/17/07
    Okay, I'm finaly getting better at timing the songs, at least it's just one song that's cut short this show rather than three!
    
    (01. Everything Goes - Duke Ellington)
    
    02. Needle in a Haystack - The Velvettes - Mod Fave Raves vol.1
    
    03. Cugi&#
  - Diversion: show 09 - 26/02/2007
    03/17/07
    Transcending history and the world...
    
    The Listen Again monster struck again, cutting The Edge of Soul off in its prime. Don't worry, I'll rectify the truncation situation very soon!
    
    01. The Edge of Soul - Khan - Soul Edge / Blade
    
    02. Gakuon Yuug
  - Diversion: show 08: A Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass Special - 19/02/2007
    03/17/07
    Check your cholesterol levels, as this is the cheesiest Diversion yet!
    
    01. Mexican Road Race - S.R.O. (1966)
    
    02. A Banda - Herb Alpert's Ninth (1967)
    
    03. Spanish Flea - Going Places (1965)
    
    04. Bean Bag - S.R.O. (1966)
    
    05. With A
  - Diversion: show 07 - 12/02/2007
    03/17/07
    A show that erred on the side of funky, so to speak...
    
    (01. Mahlalela - Letta Mbulu - Club Africa 2)
    
    02. Karate Funk - Masaya Matsura - Parappa the Rapper 2 OST
    
    03. Jungle Boogie - Kool & the Gang - Wild and Peaceful
    
    04. Harlem Clavinette -
  - Diversion: show 06 - 05/02/2007
    03/17/07
    Another truncated start...
    
    (01. My Babe - Donald Byrd - Up With Donald Byrd)
    
    03. Comin' Home Baby - Quincy Jones - The Many Faces of...
    
    04. KNIVES - Tsuneo Imahori - Trigun OST 1: The First Donuts
    
    05. Para Los Rumberos - Tito Puente - Undi
  - Diversion: show 05 - 29/01/2007
    03/17/07
    This is my favourite show that I've done so far. Everything just fell into place with no hassle, yay!
    
    (01. Highschool Prom - Rob's Playground Mix - Playground Love EP)
    
    02. Gerdundula - Status Quo - Down the Dustpipe
    
    03. Tell Me How Do You Feel
  - Diversion: show 04: An Orchestral Game Concert - 22/01/2007
    03/17/07
    The first Diversion special was a focus on Orchestral Game music (almost a genre of its own, really). Again, the first song has been cut off.
    
    (01. The Legend of Zelda - Tokyo City Philharmonic - Orchestral Game Concert 1 (1991))
    
    02. Main Title (Orchestra Complete) Y
  - Diversion: show 03 - 15/01/2007
    03/17/07
    And so begins the reign of the Listen Again monster! Subcity's Listen Again feature is in the bad habit of clipping songs, so until they fix the problem, archived shows often start mid-song (or in this case, mid-sentence). Ah well...
    
    01. Nitty Gritty - Ricardo Ray - Nuyor
  - Diversion: show 02 - 08/01/2007
    03/17/07
    The second show is special for its own reasons:
    
    01. Sanji's Theme - One Piece
    
    02. You Are My Sunshine - Andy Williams - In The Lounge With...
    
    03. Get A Job - The Silhouettes
    
    04. Boom, Boom - Donald Byrd
    
    05. Eighth of January - M
  - Diversion: show 01 - 18/12/2006
    03/17/07
    The very first playlist from the very first show on Subcity - takes a couple of songs before my show starts. Once you hear the distinctive brass of Mexican Flyer, that's me! (wow, I sound so nervous...)
    
    01. Mexican Flyer - Ken Woodman and His Picadilly Brass - Space Chann