The quote comes from the gaming blog site and describes Aldious as they release their first overseas album Radiant A. It has been around for a couple of years on the Japanese market, but prices have been high. Now you can get it through JPU Records or Amazon here in UK. It arrived today having been released yesterday so will join the earlier material I have that has made its way here from JapanCD. The great advantage of being able to order nationally is that I will avoid the £8.00 handling charge that Royal Mail hits me with each time a CD arrives from Japan and there is VAT to pay.

It would have been great if the quote referred to Metallica or Slipknot, but I think they never went through a heels and bows phase.

Over the years I have added to my collection through the World Music Network, subscribing annually and picking up a selection of albums over the year. Two years ago I mistakenly selected digital download as my choice of delivery and went for a couple of months wondering why my selection had failed to arrive. On querying they sent a patient reply explaining my situation. So having paid for hard albums I forgot all about it, so imagine my joy last night when I discovered half a dozen albums that were still waiting to be downloaded! I noticed that I still had a good number of selections available and they still work. So ten downloaded albums and Radiant A will give me plenty of listening for this week.

By the way the girls in heels and bows are rocking!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQkhio7glys

My Chinese birth sign is that of the snake and I put it down to this that I have never manged to visit the Emerald Isle. I am blessed with some excellent Irish friends and acquaintances who universally can be relied upon for their generosity. Each month one of the small pleasures is to studio manage at Frome FM for John Forde who presents the Rambling House; which provides me with a window on the best of Irish Folk Music.

Looking through the CD collection there are some Irish music compilations, The Dubliners and Cara Dillon little else, so when I complete the Silk Road project perhaps Ireland beckons.

My contribution to the Saint’s Day will be a drop of the dark stuff with supper. Happy Saint Patrick’s Day, enjoy it and be safe.

This morning, I travelled to Devizes in Wiltshire to visit Discovery Records. Headline not a wasted journey. Kieran Moore my host, gave me the five bob guided tour – look don’t touch – around their set up. Can only say an impressive organisation. The functional administration office opens into the warehouse wall to wall to near ceiling cds, Folk, Classical, World Music and I think some pop. Of course as a distributor when you look at the racks it is lots of the same as they deal in bulk. I didn’t take pictures but it looks impressive.

Kieran lead me across the yard to the jewel in the crown of their site, rather like a young boy with a dirty secret he opened the door and guided me upstairs, not only a distributor, but a producer too. A team press, assemble and pack cds. So they are able to support smaller producers and artists who require smaller numbers, so your local garage band who is moving from the handful of home pressed EPs can move to the lower hundreds. I was shown the packaging and assembly line where the sleeves and inserts are added, good quality and they should be rightly proud of their set up. They even have a machine that applies that annoying film wrap which is so hard to get off.  You will hear move of Discovery Records as they are good, local and need recognition.

That annoying film wrap was was I got home to with today’s mail delivery. In amongst the daily junk mail delivery our post lady handed Jun a package from JapanCD, which is early than I was expecting so a welcome surprise. The latest offering from Rami, formerly vocalist with Aldious, her solo album Aspiration. That blend that Japan is mastering so well at the moment, pretty girl with a sweet voice fronting heavy metal. The use of orchestral backing and an opening overture puts it more in the melodic end of heavy metal, but it makes for pleasant listening as I write. The bonus was a dvd of Jimi Hendrix, but I shall have to wait until later to watch that.

Well a beautiful spring day. After a slow start my wife, Jun, and I went to Wells to walk around the Wednesday Market. A pleasant excursion with Jun buying some exquisite rose flavoured marshmallow, so a good find. Under strict orders I only pressed my nose to the window of the Cookshop and did not enter!  The remainder of the day has seen me plugged into my computer listening to the latest batch of albums. So far Deadzone Dread Times    and Band Maid Just Bring it, Michael Kiwanuka Love and Hate. I also have purchased Yo Yo Ma, The Music of Strangers, this will form the backdrop, musically to my programme project on the  music from the Silk Road.

Tomorrow promises some new music and Friday sees the release in UK of Aldious Radiant A, and there is a package en route from Japan with Rami so much music.