5. Pumped Up Kicks – Foster The People

Back in March, I described this as ‘music to wander around Shoreditch in the sunshine, mingling with hipsters’. I may as well have said ‘super-enormo big f**k off global hit in the making‘ as quite apart from it’s FIFTY-FIVE MILLION YouTube views, since Sept 2010 it’s moved stealthily from the blogs to the Grown Up Charts. Everywhere.

The convoluted stories behind some of these tracks often add something to the enjoyment of the tracks themselves (um, yes, I do remember that I have Rebecca Black at No. 6). Pumped Up Kicks was written by Mark Foster, who, while working as a jingle writer, churned the track out in five hours. The version you hear is his demo; he played/programmed everything and gave it away free online.

A few lucky breaks later (and some legal shenanigans) and the track snagged Foster (and recruits Mark Pontius and the wonderfully-monikered – and dishy – Cubbie Fink) a major label contract.

It appears that despite the jaunty Empire Of The Sun/MGMT sunshine indie feel, the lyrics are from the perspective of a psychotic youngster feeling homicidal. Back to my original one-line description of the track, it seems it’s ‘music to wander around in the sunshine, slaughtering hipsters’…

4. Foreign Correspondent – Joe Chester

It’s very immature, but this music lover still feels a little pinch of betrayal when a ‘discovery’ that one makes crosses over to the mainstream. ‘But I was into them before the stupid Apple ad and that’s not even their best song’; ‘I prefer their early, less commercial work’; or ‘they’d be nothing without people like me’.

However, despite my going on about singer/songwriter/producer Joe Chester for several million years, (most of) you people have not decided to wrest him out of my grubby mitts. Are you being kind to me? Allowing me to hang on to this exclusive, extraordinary secret?

You’re saying that only I can enjoy this perfectly-crafted, smart, elegant music? His three albums of just-the-right-side-of-glossy, exquisitely-written power pop are for me alone?

Fine, it’s your loss. Seriously.

3. Heaven – Emeli Sandé

Fun Fact No. 1: If Adele hadn’t been so successful, Adele Sandé would not have had to switch to her middle name for her pop career.

Fun Fact No. 2: Like other level-headed popsters such as Shakira, Ms Sandé thought it best to get some academic qualifications ‘to fal back on’. She has a degree in Medicine from University of Glasgow.

Fun Fact No. 3: She was three years old when Massive Attack released ‘Unfinished Sympathy‘, a track with a similarly devastating fusion of impassioned vocals over brooding strings as ‘Heaven’.

Fun Fact No. 4: She will be the recipient of the 2012 Brit Awards Critics’ Choice. Given the quality of ‘Heaven’, ‘Daddy’ and her no. 1 with Professor Green*, ‘Read All About It‘, as well as her songwriting credits for all sorts of types from Tinie Tempah to Cheryl Cole to Susan Boyle, she probably deserves it.

Fun Fact No. 5: She seems to be a rather good egg. After her gig in Dublin, she posed for pics and signed autographs for everyone who wanted. Here she is with my pal Aidan. Doesn’t she seem lovely?

Fun Fact No. 6: I feel a bit funny while listening to this track on headphones. It’s a bit epic.

2. Within You – GusGus

Here’s a further lesson in snobbery and being snottily dismissive.

Many of the acts that won acclaim in the late 90s from my peers were like Gus Gus (or GusGus as they are now). Gus Gus, Groove Armada, Morcheeba and Lemon fucking Jelly made to varying extents twee electronic music wearing their jazz musak influences like a badge of honour. It was ‘Chillout’: music for marketeers, the selfconsciously hip, those who would not give themselves permission to dance without checking the label. To my ears then, this was a dull, joyless genre and it much of that output remains forgettable and listless.

And while their flirtations with the music press came and went, and I remained aloof, many of these acts soldiered on and developed. Groove Armada’s 2010 Black Light is fraught, triumphant, electro pop. Lemon Jelly’s 2005 ’64-’95 was a reflection on the use of sampling MILES removed from that irksome, smug Ducks thing so beloved of comedown-avoiders and UK TV station idents alike.

‘Within You’ is another such astonishing, albeit welcome, change of direction from the Icelandic collective that once boasted a member called ‘Fuckmaster’. I now have to work backwards from the slick, complex, melancholy electro of Arabian Horse to the ..

Actually, I don’t. Let’s just stick with this and pretend that they are my new favourite discovery.

1. Gabriel – Joe Goddard feat. Valentina

The sum of all the parts that you have taken
Are a fraction of the parts that make me whole
He was stronger than I was, but it’s strength you can’t sustain.
Do not come to give me counsel; you should beg forgiveness of me, Gabriel

Hello again, Joe. We did enjoy your efforts as The 2 Bears (‘Bear Hug’ making my No. 32 this year). Your bandmate from Hot Chip, Alexis Taylor, gave good support to the wonderful Green Gartside and Scritti Politti too. And yet despite the imminent commercial success of 2 Bears and the existing success of Hot Chip, it’s this solo track that stands way out of all else on this list.

It’s a lengthy track as singles come. It’s not really a dance track nor is it a pop track (it’s too glitchy to be a Big Room floorfiller; it’s too weird to be pop). It’s got some very important sounding but undeveloped quasi-religious stuff going on. Bits sound like ‘Hold That Sucker Down’ but with none of the euphoria.

It’s like he wanted to make anxiety sound danceable. He succeeded.

How very 2011.

_____

Thank you to all the wonderful people (friends, followers and artists) on the various social media who have once again shared their enthusiasm for music with me.

It’s fun being part of our community.

x

The rest of the best:

10-6

40-11

The whole thing (almost) on Spotify.

Daddy or Chips? Top 40 of 2011

1.    Gabriel * Joe Goddard feat. Valentina
2.    Within You * GusGus
3.    Heaven * Emeli Sandé
4.    Foreign Correspondent * Joe Chester
5.    Pumped Up Kicks * Foster The People
6.    Video Games * Lana Del Rey
6.     Friday * Rebecca Black
8.    A Day Late And A Dollar Short * Scritti Politti
9.    Still Sound * Toro Y Moi
10.    Jar of Hearts * Christina Perri
11.    When the Thames Froze * Smith & Burrows
12.    The Bay * Metronomy
13.    Night Air * Jamie Woon
14.    Judas * Lady Gaga
15.    Human Condition * Joan As Police Woman
16.    The Last Dance * Clare Maguire
17.    Coming Home * Diddy – Dirty Money feat. Skylar Grey
18.    Someone Like You * Adele
19.    Finish Line * Yasmin
20.    I Wrote The Book * Beth Ditto
21.    Asthma Attack * CocknBullKid
22.    The Best Things In Life * The Silver Seas
23.    Will Do * TV On The Radio
24.    Run the World (Girls) * Beyoncé
25.    Higher * Taio Cruz feat. Kylie Minogue & Travie McCoy
26.    Ritual Union * Little Dragon
27.    Sun Of A Gun * Oh Land
28.    Popular * Eric Saade
29.    Fun * Sharam(feat. Anousheh Khalili
30.    Jealousy * Will Young
31.    Need You Now * Cut Copy
32.    Bear Hug * The 2 Bears
33.    The Bishop of New Hampshire * Fingersnap feat. London Gay Men’s Chorus
34.    Baby Says * The Kills
35.    Hello * Martin Solveig & Dragonette
36.    Stay Gold * Camille Jones
37.    Take Care * Drake feat. Rihanna
38.    Bright Lights Bigger City * Cee Lo Green feat. Wiz Khalifa
39.    On The Floor (feat. Pitbull) * Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull
40.    Eyes * Kaskade feat. Mindy Gledhill

Be gentle with me; I am but a music nerd…

10. Jar of Hearts – Christina Perri

An odd one this. Perri was unsigned when this big old angsty ballad was posted on her YouTube channel in June 2010 and quickly became a sizeable hit in the US. It wasn’t until a year later when the Glee kids did their version of it that it appeared in the UK radar. From there it began hovering around the lower regions of the chart before eventually becoming one of 2011′s bigger hits.

Again, maybe because I’m in a singing class now, I notice the deliberately flat note at the beginning (signifying her weariness, I presume) and then she gradually gets stronger and more defiant. It’s rather a good track to belt along to as a temporarily heartbroken teenage girl might.

I finally have a use for my old hairbrush.

09. Still Sound – Toro y Moi

Having been a fan of music since my formative 80s, I can’t help but draw parallels between current popsters and those that introduced me to pop to begin with. Although he’s all kinds of hipster, I’d love to think that Chaz Bundick, who is Toro Y Moi, is the alternative heir to Luther Vandross and Alexander O’Neal (ok, very experimental Vandross and O’Neal). In 2011 he moved on to his second album and it’s a delight: a woozy, futuristic soul/pop thing that moves tentatively away from the dreadful ‘chillwave’ genre he got chucked into.

He opened his set in Cargo in London in 2011 with this track and the crowd went a bit wild. It sounds like a soul track from about 10 years into the future and it grooves like a mutha. He went on to cover O’Neal’s ‘Saturday Love’ on the Freaking Out EP as if to spell it out, but I suspect most listeners had already made the connection.

08: A Day Late And A Dollar Short – Scritti Politti

“Scritti Politti? They are the ones who had to give back their award for not singing on their records, right?” my classmate in singing class said. The sad fact is that Scritti, despite having mid-table chart success since the 80s, has not entered popular consciousness at all. Their relative success means little to anyone other than those (like me) who adored them at at some  point. Yet despite the lure (I’m presuming) of US 80s circuits, Green carries on exploring and expanding and remaining vital.

This is one of two new tracks done for the inevitable Best Of, Absolute, and Green sounds invigorated and engaged. ‘A Day Late’ reunited Green with David Gamson, who in the interim has gone on to be involved with super glossy chart fodder including Ke$ha. This track is no 80s throwback; it’s slick, relevant and catchier than many a contemporary has produced this year.   We expect nothing less – Green is one pretty clued in dude..

On a side note, I see that my shoddy upload of the track on YouTube has been viewed more than the official version. Here’s my account of that process – and the comments are pretty interesting from a marketing point of view.

06 = Video Games  – Lana Del Rey / Friday – Rebecca Black

Young American lass comes to sudden prominence via the web. The world pays attention with most of the blogerati in agreement about the quality of her work. Much discussion of varying quality about notions of ‘authenticity in rock’ ensues. Ultimately the mainstream just goes with the consensus ignoring a small, but significant, dissenting voice.

Lana Del Rey or Rebecca Black?

‘Friday’ was a vanity recording paid for by Rebecca Black’s parents as a birthday gift. For $4000, she got a song written for her and a video (while crucially retaining the full rights). Unlike many of her contemporaries who did the same thing, Black’s video was picked up by influential blogs as an example of an utterly horrific pop song, so bad were its banal lyrics and dreadful video. Black – a  14-year-old girl, lest we forget – received death threats for recording such a terrible song.

‘Video Games’ however was a different thing. Lana Del Rey is actually Lizzie Grant,  a New Yorker whose daddy is a millionaire. After an abortive attempt at music in 2010, she renamed herself and managed to score a big label contract. So, ‘Lana Del Rey’, the “gangsta Nancy Sinatra” was (re)born. The track, a lush, melancholy things with ambiguous lyrics, quickly generated buzz on the blogs and then beyond, ultimately becoming a major hit.

Then the backlash. While critics began attacking Del Rey for being manufactured (‘she’s had her lips done!’), others began to rethink Black. I think both are fascinating.

It’s very difficult to dispute the quality of ‘Video Games’; it’s beautifully produced, sung well and the lyrics are fascinating. However the whiff of inauthenticity looms large and knowing that she has the radio plugging team behind Adele in her employ (hi Brad!) does seem to suggest that her internet chops might just be a tad engineered. It doesn’t really matter because the track is so good.

I just can’t discount ‘Friday’ though: it hasn’t left my head since I first heard it. Plenty of utter crap has become (in)famous via the web, but few have really captured mainstream imagination. The track itself is harmless teen pop which in a very sweet way manages to capture the carefree delights of being a kid. Yes, it’s stupid but it’s melodic and catchy as hell – who amongst you cannot recall the hooks? Admit it.

When one considers the amount of dollars spent to make Del Rey look authentic, it’s startling to think of how little Black paid to get her celebration of exuberant youth financed.

Black is pretty punk in comparison to Del Rey’s calculated trajectory.

Ultimately, both women have captured the imagination of popular culture. Video Games is beautiful, but “Friday’ is exuberant and  unwittingly anarchic. It’s a teenager having some very innocent fun; the awkwardness of it all is a refreshing tonic when compared to the military PR/Promotional planning behind so many contemporary pop acts. Unlike Del Rey, there is very little doubt that Black actually is sincere. It’s amateurish, careless, the antithesis of slick and, crucially, catchy as hell. Del Rey’s campaign on the other hand is slick as bedamned and were it not for the quality of the music, it would be difficult (for me) to take her as seriously as her enthusiastic Facebook and Twitter fans do..

The critics will continue to debate the authenticity of Lana Del Rey, but the really interesting conversation about pop culture concerns Rebecca Black. ‘Friday’ is the most punk thing to capture popular imagination in many a year I think. It’s for real. The sincerity of this teen giving it her all not having a clue that it would blow up is, well, charming. ‘Video Games’ transcends this and weirdly I reckon as Del Rey’s career unfolds, she will be embraced even more by the mainstream.

Either way, we all win. But I do hope that Black gets a career.

I love that stupid song.

The top five is on it’s way….

The usual rules apply. Should be a single or album track in 2011 and only one track from any one act.

Here’s 11-40

11. When the Thames Froze* Smith & Burrows

An utterly contemporary and lovely Christmas song which makes even more sense when one is living here this year.

12. The Bay * Metronomy

Oh look, he found the tunes! And all the blinking better for it. A completely cohesive album that grows and grows with its understated elegance.

13. Night Air * Jamie Woon

He ‘s probably heartily sick of the James Blake comparisons, but really they have little in common. Night Air is a slick piece of 21st Century Soul. (James Blake is a bit of a moan *gasp*)

14. Judas * Lady Gaga

I’m just going to shrug my shoulders and just go with it. It’s the least earnest, least straightforward, most off Gaga track yet.  It seems to have about 6 chorus. Admittedly, i’m down with that.

15. Human Condition * Joan As Police Woman

Three albums in and she still whispering truths into one’s head. Damn, she’s good.

16. The Last Dance * Clare Maguire

Extraordinary voice and an almost-ran in 2011. This track deserves it’s spot not only because her sophisticated delivery and those extraordinary stylings of the ‘oh-ho_hoo_a -whoah_ha!’ kind. Keep going, lass. You have something.

17. Coming Home * Diddy – Dirty Money feat. Skylar Grey

We may as well pretend Diddy isn’t really on this. The whole show has been stolen by Skylar Grey. And good for her.

18. Someone Like You * Adele

What is there to say? It’s a huge, huge song that will exist long after Adele (and us) exist. Yes, it’s that big.

19. Finish Line * Yasmin

Pretty girl, a bit hipster, called Yasmin? It should be forgettable and instead it’s a sharply-observed end of a relationship track.

20. I Wrote The Book * Beth Ditto

This is such a stomper that surprisingly it wasn’t a massive hit in the pop charts. I suspect it’s the ‘Someone Like You’ of some Hoxton parallel universe.

21. Asthma Attack * CocknBullKid
More spikiness tricked out in superb pop hookery.

22. The Best Things In Life * The Silver Seas
‘No champagne, moonlight/ Diamond days, golden nights
I lived in gray and black and white’

Bah, he’ll be fine as long as he remembers he’s a fine purveyor of lovely melodies and not to get too put out about relationship breakdown.

23. Will Do * TV On The Radio
The whole album is wonderful, but this is almost transcendent (and that’s despite the impressive facial hair in the video). And then their year was marred by the death of bass/keyboardist Gerald Smith from cancer.

24. Run the World (Girls) * Beyoncé
Or, the unrepresentative thing that will make everyone sit back and take notice. Alas, it didn’t quite work out. Still it’s pretty freaking out there for a major act to come back with.

25. Higher * Taio Cruz (feat. Kylie Minogue & Travie McCoy)
OR: How to take America with a super-glossy exciting-sounding pop record all the way from London. Cruz went without Minogue for the US version, but had an enormo hit both sides of the Atlantic nonetheless.

26. Ritual Union * Little Dragon
It just oozes class.

27. Sun Of A Gun * Oh Land
It just oozes Scandinavian class.

28. Popular * Eric Saade
This utterly deranged 3 mins did not in fact win the Eurovision. THAT’s how good Eurovision was this year.

29. Fun * Sharam feat. Anousheh Khalili
Despite everything this isn’t fun at all. It’s a total blubfest! THAT YOU CAN DANCE TO. Cruel.

30. Jealousy * Will Young
Being wrapped up in warm Richard X production suits him, and the UK public agreed, giving Will a deservedly massive hit.

31. Need You Now * Cut Copy
Imagine if OMD announced their comeback with this as the lead-off single? *sigh*

32. Bear Hug * The 2 Bears
Do they play this in XXL? They should. More from Man of the Year, Joe Goddard.

33. The Bishop of New Hampshire * Fingersnap feat. London Gay Men’s Chorus)
I had the honour of seeing this performed live. It brought tears to my eyes and tingles to my spine. A beautiful realisation of Gay Davies’ melodic nous and David McAlmont’s increasing emergence as a lyricist of some great skill.

34. Baby Says * The Kills

The Kills aren’t really my bag, but having been coerced into seeing them live TWICE this year, I must acknowledge that a) they have tunes and b) they rock.

35. Hello * Martin Solveig & Dragonette

One of those stupidly catchy tracks will be on every Best of the … 10s? compilation forever.
36. Stay Gold * Camille Jones

The woman behind The Creeps comes back with a largely ignored but delicious slice of urgent-house-pop. It’s a stormer.
37. Take Care * Drake feat Rihanna

OK, this samples the Jamie XX rework of Gil Scott-Heron’s Take Care of You. Therefore, it’s a pretty unexpected mainstream rap hit. It’s quite weird, really.
38. Bright Lights Bigger City * Cee Lo Green feat. Wiz Khalifa
When Green ditches the pastiche soul and goes for a proper 2011 pop track, he pulls it off admirably.

39. On The Floor * Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull

I think it was Popjustice who said it, but the glorious pop moment here is when towards the end, she gives up on lyrics and just surrenders to the la la la’s.

40. Eyes * Kaskade feat. Mindy Gleadhill
More blubsome progressive house. I’m a sucker for this shit.

The Top Ten is imminent…

December again and so far this winter in London, we haven’t really needed to rummage for the scarves and gloves. It’s unseasonably delightful – as I type I’m looking out at blue skies and glorious winter sunshine.

Despite that, let’s have a listen to the latest installment in the Scarves & Gloves series – a mixtape of festive melancholia that paradoxically might warm your cockles. Nothing like a bit of wistful nostalgia to brighten the spirits on these ever-chillier and darker evenings.

As ever, there’s some old (16th century choral should do it), quite a bit of new (the quite lovely Smith & Burrows take on Christmas of 2011 London) and both (Kaskade do a typically classy re-rub of Ol’ Blue Eyes).

There’s a global feel too with languid Americana, Irish indie and Anglo-Asian beats covered.

Have a listen to it on Mixcloud now or download it  (mp3 78MB) and let it accompany you on your frosty morning walk.

Tracklist

1. When the Thames Froze     – Smith & Burrows
2. Gaudete – Steeleye Span
3. Purple Snowflakes – Marvin Gaye
4. Walking In The Winter – The Coral
5. Song For A Future Love – The Frank and Walters
6. Mistletoe And Holly (Kaskade Mix) – Frank Sinatra
7. Once There Was A Wintertime – Cornershop feat. Bubbley Kaur
8.  Christmas Day – She & Him
9.  Boots – The Killers
10.  My Christmas Prayer – Saint Etienne
11.  Feliz Navidad – Sea Of Bees
12.  Winter Wonderland – Bent feat. Cathy Davey

Previous Scarves & Gloves mixtapes are available too:

Parts 1 & 2

Part 3

Part 4

The lovely image of Oxford above is by pcgn7 on flickr and is called Randolph Hotel and Martyrs’ Memorial with ten hipster snowmen.

Occupy Musically

Inspired by those dreamers that have set up camp nearby and shook things up in the City, I’ve put together a mix that is abrim with hot new things. If I may say, the first five tracks constitute one of the more thrilling openings in any of my mixes*.

We’ve got Coldplay’s already-anthemic ‘Paradise’ getting the euphoric Fedde Le Grand treatment; Mr Fingers making ‘Internet sensation’ Lana Del Rey even slinkier; and Chris Rea once more being Balearic’d by Ministry of Funk.

Tracklist

1. Room for Happiness * Kaskade feat. Skylar Grey
2. Paradise (Fedde Le Grand Remix) * Coldplay
3. I Still Love You * Switch & Andrea Martin
4. Mark Me Down (ReOrder Deep Mix) * Michael S.
5. All My Love * Ministry of Funk
6. Circles (Jeremy Olander Remix) * Digitalism
7. Aankhon Ke Saagar * Jay Dabhi
8. Video Games (Mr Fingers Remix) * Lana Del Rey
9. Don’t Give Up (Mike Candys & Kwan Hendry Remix) * Kwan Hendry feat. Soulcream
10. When Angels Sing * Donae’o
11. Somebody That I Used To Know (Dan Aux Remix) * Gotye feat. Kimbra
12. A Storm (Jono Buchanon Mix) * Anka-I-Rain
13. Crazy Love (Dada Remix) * Rui Da Silva feat. One

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*A few dodgy ones a bit later, but by then we’ve committed, right?

1955-2011

When the iPod came out in 2001, it made immediate sense to me. Here was a beautiful little box the size of pack of cigarettes and it could ‘put 1,000 songs in your pocket’. I wanted 1,000 songs – and more – in my pocket.

A first-generation iPod on display at Macworld in 2002. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

I had come late to CDs, leaped enthusiastically into minidisc but when I saw this, I knew that it was the future. This gizmo was going to give me the control over my rolling Life Soundtrack more than the others could.

Alas it was crazy expensive and it wasn’t until the following year that I was given my first iPod as a gift. (The first of very many  – to date I’ve only ever bought one iPod – the original Shuffle in 2005 – my friends know me very well.)

The original Shuffle from 2005. I still have it and it still works.

In the ten years since, Apple product enrich my life hugely. From the gorgeous photo book I had printed for Andrew’s 40th; the wedding videos edited on iMovie; the mashup made on Garageband; the presentations I’ve given using Keynote; the half-remembered one-hit wonder rediscovered on iTunes; the mobility of the MacBook that let me work and live in two countries at the same time; the statsfreakery indulged as my Nano Nike+ records my runs; my book that was designed on an old Classic II; the ‘discussions’ with the university’s patient Computer Centre as I insisted on Apple stuff; to the joy of connectivity that the latest addition to the family, the iPad, brings.

Of course, the extraordinary work that went into the creation and execution of those tools can’t be credited to one person alone: they represent the talents of thousands of individuals.

But talent needs to be harnessed and directed by someone with a vision. Despite the silly Windows vs Mac ‘debates’, the marketing and the expense, Steve Jobs’ vision has made life better for me.

iThank you.

Steve Jobs 1955-2011

Worth 15 minutes of anyone’s time. ‘How To Live Before You Die’ – Jobs’ speech at Stanford in 2005

Profound, eh?

And my 10,000th

I am using this, my 10,000th Tweet, to tell @Babzzarella that, yes, I like @leahkardos stuff esp. Feather Hammer.—
Enda Guinan (@endaguinan) September 27, 2011

I want a pony!

I’ll just let the music do the talking….

Tracklist

1. Helena Beat (Suxx Edit) * Foster The People
2. Magic (Tom Staar Remix) * The Sound of Arrows
3. I’ll Take You There (Director’s Cut Classic Signature Mix) * Frankie Knuckles presents Director’s Cut feat. Jamie Principle
4. I Need to Love Me (Sandy Rivera’s Club Mix) * Kings of Tomorrow feat. April
5. Heaven (Mojam Remix) * Emeli Sandé
6. Bear Hug * The 2 Bears
7. Tonight (Haji & Emanuel Vocal Mix) * Sonique
8. Could Just Be the Bassline (Artful & Ridney Classic Club Mix) * Artful feat. Kal Lavelle
9. Eyes (Extended Mix) * Kaskade feat. Mindy Gledhill
10. Little Angel * Mason feat. Aqualung
11. Gabriel * Joe Goddard feat. Valentina
12. Stronger (Stronger Club Mix) * Erick Morillo & Eddie Thoneik feat. Shawnee Taylor
13. Collide (Afrojack Festival Remix) * Leona Lewis & Avicii

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Never mind all that: it’s mix time.

This time round, we get a bit less bright n bubbly and bit more crunchy and minor key. It’s Bon Iver vs Wolfgang Gartner; Skrillex vs The Blue Nile (yes!). Funky House fans need not despair, Adele, Morgan Page et al and Aeroplane keep proceedings from going too far into the darkness.

OK, next mix at the end of August. How will a trip to San Francisco, Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon inspire it? More REO Speedwagon?

Tracklist: Space Dust

1. Summer Of Love (She Said) (Angger Dimas Remix) * The Immigrant
2. In The Air * Morgan Page, Sultan & Ned Shepard & BT feat. Angela McCluskey
3. Tinseltown In The Rain (Big Rhythm Mix) * The Blue Nile
4. Set Fire To The Rain (Thomas Gold Remix) * Adele
5. Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites (Kaskade Remix) * Skrillex
6. Pumped Up Kicks (The Hood Internet Remix) * Foster The People feat. Hollywood Holt
7. My Enemy (Rex The Dog Remix) * Aeroplane
8. Ritual Union (Maya Jane Coles Remix) * Little Dragon
9. Fall Away From Love * Danny Daze
10. Calgary (Flip & Rodsten Remix) * Bon Iver
11. Conscious Of My Conscience (Henrik Schwarz Remix) * Freaks & 012
12. What You Know (Religion Remix) * Two Door Cinema Club
13. Space Junk (OVERWERK Remix) * Wolfgang Gartner

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“Where else can you get a box of 10 mangoes for 3 pounds?” asks Sean D in his enthusiastic review of East London’s Whitechapel Market.

This was a question I failed to consider as I chose to run through it last Thursday afternoon as part of my final training for tomorrow’s British 10K London Run.

As I weaved deftly through the hoards of those in pursuit of inexpensive mangoes, I thought only of the ticking pedometer in my bum pocket, adding milliseconds to my run time.I had already covered 4K to get this far -only two left!

I dodged; I squeezed; I zigzagged.

I f**ked up my ankle.

“Don’t run through pain”, I heard a sensible voice in my head, so I walked. I walked past the nice old Queen Mary University, and the shiny new bit, and the bit that didn’t seem familiar or that or… where the hell was I?

I attempted another little gallop and stopped just as quickly. Oh look, a familiar address, Victoria Park!

Quite how I ended up on the far side of Victoria Park was somewhat bewildering, but being without phone, money or a Boris Bike location meant I had no alternative but to hobble home.

All NINE kilometres. (I traced it on my return almost two hours later.)

9K Walk 5.5 miles / 8.851392 km

Created 07.07.11 by eguinan

When I stopped walking, I found that I could no longer walk at all.  My first attempt to move from couch to foot resulted in my going white and the most excruciating pain in my ankle.

The FPO arrived home and was soon on the case with ice, elevation, tea and sympathy; I was looking up local hospitals (funny how they have ‘Walk-in‘ centres for this type of thing).

Friday came and there was no walking.

I sat on the kitchen floor to have breakfast, but later developed amazing one-legged hopping skills to get around. My Florence Nightingale delivered drugs and squeezy bandages at lunchtime. Merci.

Thank you Nurse @Babzzarella for including me on your rounds of mercy this afternoon. —
Enda Guinan (@endaguinan) July 08, 2011

So, dear readers and sponsors, race day is tomorrow. I can just about walk again after a day of PRICE and my sexy new ankle support.

My lovely ankle brace.

I’ve trained. I was ready. You’ve given me loads of lovely sponsorship money for Tacade. I really want to do it.

Something tells me that I may have to sit this one out.

Maybe I can have a muse about some important life questions

What the flip would anyone do with 10 mangoes anyway?