9th of February 2007

Trainee Storm Troopers

I feel like I am gradually being integrated back into society. Life is so different to how it was about two months ago. 18 months on the road now seems like a bizarre and wonderful dream that happened to some other guy. It suits me though, for now. I've been ingesting all London has to offer for the first time - gigs, movies, theatre, raves and general city-dwelling antics. I've also rediscovered how to plant my lazy ass on the sofa and watch a wide variety of *** tv. I also managed to work out how my washing machine works again.

Also, for the first time in a while, I have fallen in love with the piano all over again. I know that sounds bizarre but it has been so long since I have sat and played for no other reason than because I want to. I set up some nice microphones over my piano and have been playing and recording long, winding improvisations in my house and slowly getting a clear idea of where my next musical moves are gonna take me. It is exciting and I've never felt more powerful as a musician.

I get invited to all sorts of weird and wonderful parties all the time but rarely do I get the chance to go cos I'm normally away. Currently of course my diary is wide open so I've been experiencing the wide world of free, fancypants parties. I attended the South Bank Show awards which turned out to be a fairly epic day of hardcore consumption - they made the dubious choice of beginning the party at 12:15pm. I met some amazing people although I particularly enjoyed meeting Ken Russell who insisted on continually congratulating me on receiving various mythical awards. Suitably well oiled, I went along with it and thanked him graciously. Tracey Emin miaowed at me (apparently a high accolade) and asked me how old I was (I don't think my truthful answer pleased her as she soon left to miaow at someone else). I love her. The party continued though all i really learnt that day is that if you wanna have unsophisticated fun - don't try it in the Savoy bar.

I've been making some interesting mixes of tunes at home. With all my records, cds and decks around me I have had the chance to try and piece some things together mainly to see how I might "join the dots" on my next record. I'll hopefully let you hear some of these templates of my musical brain. This time last year I was busy co-writing and organising what was to become Catching Tales. I find myself now at a much less crowded time, surrounded but not engulfed by music - listening, playing, dancing, flirting. I hope to keep you all a lot more in touch with this process this time. As the actual "album" ceases to become the main focus of the musical world I look forward to sharing with you the genesis of what will be my next project.

I went skiing last week. I am so rubbish. I managed to trip a twelve year old boy down an entire mountain. Does anyone else think that those teams of four year olds at ski school look like trainee storm troopers. Very sinister - they will take over some day.

Yours comfortably,

with love

jc

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