I've been listening to a lot of noise recently. Don't know why exactly - it's undoubtedly cathartic in a way, although as I play it very quietly (One and a half on my stereo volume knob, sleeping kids upstairs) that's not the main thing. I just want to hear something new, and away from the chords and tunes that I enjoy most of the time. This has lead me to enjoying music by Boris, Merzbow, Alvin Lucier, Peter Rehberg and various free MP3 loony stuff on the internet (further recommendations always welcome)

And now I feel I want to get back to the world of free improv, which I inhabited some 10 years ago. Thing is, I'm not interested in playing toys anymore. Two kids incessantly banging away on on kids instruments and other sound making devices, although enjoyable, has rather taken the fun out of doing it myself. And, anyway, I'll never be as good as Martin Klapper.

These days I play the melodeon (diatonic button accordion), and it's time to find a way to incorporate this into my renewed interests. I'm looking at my discarded first melodeon, and a project is shaping in my mind- to get a few contact mikes, wires, volume controls etc from Maplins and make my old melodeon into an amplifiable, electric melodeon with bells and whistles....ambitious huh?

My Hohner Pokerwork will remain untouched by screwdrivers for morris and trad duty.