:: Simon Says ::

Click to Play!

Let's go back to the 80's with this great online version of SIMON. When the original game came out, my school friends at the time enjoyed taking the mickey out of me for having the same name as this bleeping copycat toy. Kids are weird aren't they?

Kid: Err you've got the same name as this game!
Me: So what!
Kid: Yeah but your name is the same!
Me: (Sigh)
Kid: That means you're a 'SIMON'!
Me: (Double Sigh)

Well I guess that's why that individual is digging holes for a living and I'm sat in my luxury beachside apartment, blogging about retro-games, whilst waiting for the limo to take me to the airport, so I can fly to the Miami Winter Music Conference.

Dream on.

I never had a 'SIMON' myself, but I vividly remember playing with one at a party as a kid and completely nailing it. I'd love one now in my studio that I could use to trigger samples. If you're a techy-geek capabable of re-wiring a 'SIMON' to trigger 'midi' signals then drop me a line. I wouldn't mind a Speak 'n' Spell re-wired to say nothing but expletives as well. Ta.

:: Operation Nomenclature ::

Have you ever wondered who dreams up the silly names for Police investigations? You know, like Operation Ramsbottom, Operation Dangleberry or Operation Biffin-Bridge? No I haven't either, but I was very intrigued to find out that the coppers don't all sit in a room and think up the names themselves. Which is a real shame isn't it!?

Bobby 1: Right let's call it 'Operation We Are Gonna Nick You'.
Bobby 2: Nah mate, 'Operation Druggy Scumbag'!
Bobby 3: What about 'Operation Anyone Fancy A Pint'?

Instead, all of the titles come from a pre-approved list.

The list includes names of exotic birds and towns on the South Coast of the UK. Operation Boscombe anyone?


"You pick one off the list," said Bob Cox, the retired head of press with the Metropolitan Police, in a recent interview for the BBC. "The aim is to choose names that are completely neutral so they will hopefully be totally unrelated to the case."

This guy here has bizzarely compiled a list of the names and what that particular operation covered. A very strange thing to create, but quite an intersting read.

:: Bumblebee ::

I've not had much time to kick back and relax, due to a hectic home, work, studio, and show schedule. However, the other night I managed to sit back and enjoy a DVD that 'she who shall be obeyed' bought me for Christmas. Now don't laugh you lot, but it's 'Transformers'!

I never watched the cartoon as a kid and never saw the film at the cinema, so I was very surprsied that 'she who shall be obeyed' had chosen this as a gift to commemorate the birth of a sandal wearing bloke called J O Nazareth. But lucky old me, coz the film was brilliant!

A great performance from Shia LaBeouf, plus fantastic CGI and the best looking American muscle car to hit the silver screen since Steve McQueen's 1968 'Bullit' Mustang GT390 Fastback .

Bumblebee 2008 style: The new Chevy Camaro. Sweet!

By all accounts, Shia LaBeouf is set to be a 'big' future star in Hollywood. This statement is supported by the fact that he's got a lead role in the new Indiana Jones movie, set for release in May 2008.

Whilst I'm waiting for the new Indy film, I'll be daydreaming about cruising around town in a new bumblebee spec Camaro. The V8 burble, the cool tunes, sticky rubber on hot tarmac and a fuel bill the size of a small third world countries debts! Oh well, back to the V8 burble...

:: Revenge On Disco ::

Here's another quick gem: I'm going to play a very hot new track on tonight's radio show (Tue 18th Mar 08). The Freemasons have remixed the 90's classic Gusto 'Disco's Revenge', and it is absolutely spot on!

Be listening at 8pm tonight to hear the Brighton Boys do their best remix yet. Has anyone else played this yet? I seriously doubt it.

Get in.

:: Pryda's Pjanoo ::

Alright you lot. I know I keep going on about this track and that I've been battering it to death everywhere, but it is absolutely flippin' brilliant! The hugely talented Eric Prydz has at last released 'Pjanoo', a monsterous house tune that is pure piano perfection for the dancefloor.

"Oi Prydz! Compo wants his hat back!"

Released under his PRYDA name, on his own label, you can download it now and warm your soul with a tune that shows the rest of us how it's done. Props to Pryda.

Check it out here.

By blogging this momentus occasion, I now promise to stop mentioning how amazing this tune is.

Promise.

:: Mash It Up Grandma! ::

I am often asked to show people how to mix tunes. And more recently, people always want to know how to create mash-up's or remix a track into an electro-house stormer! Even though I love teaching people and can quite easily talk for hours about razor blading 1/4" Ampex tape, feedback looping on an EFX1000, or the wonderment of Logic Pro, it can get a little tiresome showing someone the basics of beat-matching vinyl!

But my saviour has arrived in the form of USA Grandma, Sue Teller. She has thankfully created this handy video tutorial demonstrating the basics of creating a mash-up on the wheels of steel. Hilarious!

Enjoy!