Damned And To Hell With It - The Foreign Resort & Then Comes Silence

I'm popping down to London this very day, a spot of shopping before my birthday and a gig tonight with two of my very favourite bands. I can't actually take all three of you with me, but as I am a kind and sharing kinda guy/gurl (mysteries of the flesh) it seemed that I should re-up this dark and melodic file brimmed full with the two bands that I'm going to be drinking with later. So, as we’re all going to hell anyways, I thought (it's going to be a very stressful day) that I would share some quieter moments with the collected stinking mass of humanity who happen upon this small oasis on a regular basis. By quieter, I actually mean noisier, but sitting alone in a darkened room, headphones (because pods just ain’t gonna cut it) at the ready, volume at 11 and that familiar crackle as the needle touches down. You slide the ‘phones down over your ears, eager to listen, and with baited breath, ready to sing along.

Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier!

Fuck Yeah! I know how to live my best life.

Hot Dark And Moist - Darker Matter (Vol 10)

I’ll just google ‘Hot Dark And Moist’ and see what comes up…

Its midday on Monday and it’s a day for warm salted caramel brownies. A little comfort food while a wild wind blows across the country causing more havoc and death as the day grows old. If you’ve been out this morning and the wind has cut through you like a hot knife through butter, you’ll know what I mean (if you’re reading this in another country than the UK, you probably have your own weather issues). Even being dragged up as a child in the wild north east of Scotland, I've never enjoyed being out in a howling gale, fucking hateful weather.

 

Cutting Through To The Facts

The facts are that this is the final hurrah (for the moment) where I squeeze together some of the current (or otherwise new to me) releases that are playing in my Shed. Some of you will be thinking that I spend a lot of time alone, reading and listening to music that lived and breathed around 40 years ago, and yes you’d be correct. My wife works full-time and since May 2021 I have been medically retired (garden leave you might call it) with 10 years until I can ‘officially’ retire. I have the luxury of time to sit down and really listen to some of the albums and bands that I missed or have been recommended to me by friends and family. They vary between bearable to outstanding as you would expect. The last collection represents just that ethos of you might like, you might not but who cares really, after all it’s a personal thing between you and the artist and their music. The artists today hail from Australia, Greece, Germany, Manchester, England and, I’m not sure. Here’s hoping that you enjoy them all.

The Final Thrust Into The West

Today is Thursday the 24^th of February 2022, the time is now and the shit is really about to hit the fan. I’ve pre-posted this missive for you to salivate over during the weekend. My heart goes out to all those citizens of Ukraine who are going to be caught up in the following weeks, days and hours to come.

When I started the Darker Matter series I had hoped to smash the posts out in quick fire succession, but that went somewhat astray with life getting its spoon into stir the pot up a little. I want to finish the 18 posts tomorrow (Sunday) with as little fuss as possible, getting back to a somewhat irregular schedule from Monday. With that said, I want to bring your attention (for it does wander) back to the contents of Vol 17. Five albums of Post-Punk / Synth-Pop / Goth Rock and Indie goodness that you’re likely to enjoy just before your bedtime. Expanding on that statement you have a 1984 synth-pop, minimal wave album that was reissued in 2020, a blinding Goth Rock opus also released in 2020 that has a link to Leeds finest RLYL, a stomping Industrial Synth compilation of noise covering 1981-1991, an Indie Rock expanded album from 2021 and finally, a 2021 special kind of Post-Punk debut that has some great influences.

And It’s A No From Me

The debate I was having in my last post regarding the Louise Patricia Crane debut album in Crimson Red vinyl has been resolved, and it’s a no from me. I already purchased the digital a while ago and it’s not really featured in my playlists or random listening on iTunes, so I’ve passed on it. Today’s Darker Matter is Vol 16 and it contains two cracking albums featuring Rozz Williams (yea, him of that Christian Death) and Gitane Demone (yea, her of that other Christian Death) collaborating for the greater good of Death Rock in general. It’s a seriously underappreciated sub-genre that I can’t say I have really dived into, maybe I should one day. Obviously there are other albums in Vol 16, I just haven’t got around to mentioning them, so in no particular order, we have The Danse Society with a double CD celebrating 40 years (filling nearly half of the folder alone) with some of their extended mixes. This is a pretty comprehensive compilation of The Danse Society’s output over the decades so expect musings from the current and not so current line ups mixed in with the original band’s recordings. Finally I have one of those bands that were great, but got lost between their origins and their final incarnation. Rising from the demise of Southern Death Cult, the three amigos who were left out in the cold, found a new vocalist, secured a new recording contract, and promptly released their only single before the label lost interest and dropped them. Reeling from their second kick in the guts the band separated before finally becoming a duo calling themselves Into A Circle. History lesson over, get this album…it’s brilliant.

Bringing It Home

I’m busy debating with me and myself whether or not to purchase the latest edition of Patricia Louise Crane’s debut opus Deep Blue on Crimson Red vinyl (100 copies). It is a difficult album for me as it’s the closest thing to The Eden House since they went their separate ways; it’s just missing that delightful bass that Tony Pettitt brought to the mix (you can make up your own mind later when I post Vol 18). Today however is Vol 15 which has set aside space for two groups, Clan Of Xymox and a new band to me, Double Echo. Now you all should know of Clan Of Xymox (or just plain old Xymox), from previous history lessons hosted on this blog, who have two releases from 2021 that you should enjoy here. Double Echo have been around since 2012 hailing from Liverpool and New York dealing in Electronic Rock. Their most recent 2021 album ☾and their 2019 release are just enough to whet your appetite…

Thank You

Well that wasn’t much fun, three week have passed since my official Heart Attack. I want to thank everyone who took time to post, you’re all excellent!! Everyone here is in agreement that it was what it was, and I’m now fully rested and looking forward to enjoying my life. With that thought in mind I have upped Darker Matter Vol 14 for you to drool over which features three classic old skool groups, two of which have released new product and the other one with an album I thought I had lost, and three awesome recent releases from goth, new wave, electro-synth and darkwave influenced bands that I know you’re gonna love.

Enough from me get thee down to the good bit below.

We Care A Lot

Coming up today (Friday), we introduce the world of science fiction fantasy, ultra-violence, Dinosaurs and a reinvigorated super hero from the past. Yes folks, it’s the beginning of 1977 (February) and 2000AD was launched. I missed the first edition (Prog 1) but from the second one onwards for nearly 4 years I religiously bought and stored every copy (I only stopped when my collection was destroyed in a fire). Judge Dredd, who would cruse around on his monster machine motorbike all dressed in black, dishing out law enforcement in his futuristic Mega City of Judge, Jury and when necessary, Executioner. Battling giant killer robots in Call Me Kenneth and creatures from another dimension where life is outlawed in Dark Justice featuring Judge Death and his fellow dark Judges (Based on The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse). There was Dan Dare, reborn from his early days in the 60’s comic Eagle fighting alien space creatures in orbit around Jupiter, then being sent to the outer reaches of the galaxy, with a crew of desperate prisoners, to fight aliens and bring peace (we come in peace…shoot to kill) to the wild and dangerous outer worlds. Finally we have the dinosaurs of Flesh being farmed for their meat, destined for the hungry world of the 23^rd century. Herded up by cowboy ranchers, slaughtered and delivered to the future population via time-travel, one massive female T-Rex named ‘Old One Eye’ takes the fight back to the cowboys slaughtering and eating her way through their ranks. Obviously this is the real reason why the dinosaurs became extinct…the asteroid is just a cover story.

Coming Down

For Thursday it’s time to talk about graphic novels or comics if you like. Being a child born in the 60’s I was an avid reader of all things comic in the 70’s in the UK. I had Battle / Action with my favourite strips in Battle being Major Easy and Rat Pack. There was also a strip in Action about a shark with a gaff hook sticking out of its lower jaw, ironically title Hook Jaw. Please comment if you also remember any of the early to mid 70’s UK comics. It was a different style of storytelling in the UK comics that Marvel and DC didn’t capture for me. I wasn’t interested in fantasy heroes; I wanted gritty violent gore and more down to earth stories that Battle and Action offered separately and less so when joined together. Graphic ultra-violence, edgy war stories, and cool assed characters floated my youthful pre-teen boat. In 1977 everything changed with the 37^th edition of Action being withdrawn and pulped due to the ultra-violence and anarchy depicted within. One month later Action returned noticeably tamed down, eventually being merged with Battle. By that time I had lost interest with them and had picked up the new kid on the block, 2000AD.

Heaven Smiles Above Me

It’s a mystery, no one knows but me what’s coming next. I am undecided on the nature of this post, I feel that there should be something arousing and bold, but still artistic and with merit within this awesome folder. Does that even exist in this lame world of woke correctness? Smugly smiling down from my seat set up high in the clouds, I’m travelling to far off lands and distant shores with mischief on my mind. The land of tomorrow has yet to arrive, always just out of reach of my aeroplane. The land of today is still all fucked up with variants and strains of the original virus. Tomorrow beckons with yet a new version, and as tomorrow becomes today, we stand at a crossroads where as a population we must decide how to live with an ever more unwritten future. I like the chaos that begins with the realisation that the future cannot be forecast, that as a race we could all be erased within hours, and that Yuri Gellar could indeed be right about aliens coming over to say Hey! (Let’s see if the aliens have read the script before arriving and start negotiations for our unconditional surrender, slavery and eventual execution with the leaders of the largest land mass on the planet…)

Musclebound

Coming down from the weekend is always less fun than you expect, but it is Monday morning and, well, I’m feeling accomplished. Catastrophe on Sunday, the washing machine finally gave up its struggle for life, and silently (it was making an awful noise beforehand) passed away. If you’ve ever had to pull a washing machine out from its hole in the kitchen, full of washing and water, you’ll understand how heavy the damn things are. I had to force the door lock, empty the drum and hand wring all the washing. Thankfully eldest daughter came to the rescue and took the soaking wet garments to her house and washed them for me. Wrangling the now totally inert machine out of the kitchen door while Mrs AJ sourced a last minute replacement from the local selling pages on Facebook, I huffed and puffed and strained my incredibly weakened MS body to move the machine out of the house and onto the back step. This morning, just after 09.00 hours a second-hand Bosch turned up at the back door and is now in-place and running smooth as you like. Panic averted and apart from having to clean and anti-bac the inside of the machine, I have to reluctantly praise the local Facebook community…Fuck

It's Important To Follow These Steps

In order to ensure a comfortable and safe prostate massage experience…

1)     Be Prepared; If you're trying prostate massage by yourself, make sure your hands are clean and your nails are clipped short. If you're trying it with a partner, check their digits for any hangnails. Perhaps most importantly, "always use lube, as the anus does not self-lubricate. If putting something in your rectum hurts, slow down and add more lube," says Chris.

2)     What About Poop? There’s always one big question newbies have when it comes to anal exploration: What about poop? Valid question! After all, expelling faeces is the primary purpose of the anus and rectum. But here’s a little anatomy lesson: The rectum does not store faeces. Faeces transfers from the intestines and is pushed out through your rectum and then anus. This is important to remember, because a lot of folks have this idea that your poop is just sitting right inside your butthole. Untrue! You’re not going to “hit” a piece of poop if you start poking around up there. That said, you may still feel more comfortable doing a quick wash beforehand. “Anal preparation is very personal, and folks have different opinions on it,” Chris says. There are two main ways you can clean out your rear end: douching using a little bulb, where you squeeze clean water into your behind, and using a hose that you can connect to your shower head and insert into your butt (often referred to as a shower enema).

3)     Take Baby Steps, Staring With The Perineum. Before going in, start with a gentle external massage on your perineum (also known as your grundle or taint), which is located between the testicles and anus. The perineum is a highly sensitive yet often overlooked erogenous zone. "Take some time on your own to get to know your body. Lay on your back with your butt under a pillow, tilting your hips up for easy access. Start with massaging your perineum with your hand or fingers. Apply lube to your finger and rub your anus externally to stimulate the nerve endings," says Chris.

4)     Explore Internal Stimulation. If the external massage feels good, curve your (at this point, lubed-up) finger into your rectum towards your belly button. "Two or so inches in, you should be able to feel your prostate," says Chris. It's important to note that you really don't have to go much further than that, particularly on your first try. "People think you need to shove a whole hand up there, but that's not how it works," says Susan Milstein, Ph.D. "Insert one finger a few inches into your anus and push up toward the rear. Wiggle it around a bit, tap the inner walls, and apply different amounts of pressure to see what feels good to you." If you’re worried about getting “messy,” so to speak, then go ahead and try it in the shower. Still, you’ll want to use plenty of lube. "Silicone lube is one of the best lubes for anal because it contains dimethicone, dimethiconol, and cyclomethicone," Alicia Sinclair, founder of the sex toy brand b-Vibe, previously told Men’s Health. "This creates a consistency that is thicker and more 'buttery' than water-based lubes. Most people find that they prefer a thicker lubricant for anal play because it gives some extra cushion to protect delicate body parts." The additional thickness means you won’t have to reapply it constantly, the way you’ll likely have to with a water-based lube.

5)     Make Sure You're Turned On! It’s not going to be comfortable if you attempt prostate stimulation without being turned on. When you’re turned on, your body will work with you, as opposed to against you. You’ll be more relaxed or “looser” and less likely to clench. That’s why it’s good to pull up your favourite porn site, and maybe even masturbate regularly a little before you go ahead and stick a finger up your behind.

6)     Remember You Can Stop Whenever You Want. Just like how you walk before you run, you insert fingers before inserting anything else of substantial size up your or your partner’s bum. Slow and steady wins the race here. There is absolutely no reason to rush, and it’s not a competition, either. Take only what you can take. This isn’t a “push through the pain” situation. This is an “if it hurts, stop, slow down, and go back to something tinier” situation.

7)     Breathe. “Breathing is foundational for anal, prostate, and pelvic floor play,” explains Dr. Uchenna “UC” Ossai, Pelvic PT, certified sexuality counsellor and founder of YouSeeLogic. If you hold your breath the entire time, a few things can happen, Dr. UC warns. First, your body is tricked into the "fight or flight" response. “Basically, it thinks you are being chased by a bear, and that is not the physiological response you want to have during anal play,” she says. You don’t want to clench your anus when your prostate is being stimulated; you want it relaxed so you can easily “take” what’s being inserted inside of you. “Second, your muscles hold way more tension when you hold your breath, which isn't the goal because you want your pelvic floor to move with ease,” Dr. UC says. Thus, she recommends experimenting with your breath. “Start with slow and intentional diaphragmatic breathing (inhale as you allow your belly and pelvic floor to expand while keeping your chest still; then exhale and everything returns back to baseline),” she says. Take three seconds to inhale and three seconds to exhale. Do this on your side, back, hands and knees, and reclined. “If you pay attention, you will notice your pelvic floor behave in different ways with your breath,” she says.

8)     Try A Prostate Massager. Before exploring prostate massagers, you might want to start with a butt plug to get used to the ideas, such as the Nu Sensuelle Remote Control 15-function Vibrating Mini Butt Plug. Proper prostate massagers are designed differently in order to reach the male G-spot—the prostate. "You always want to buy one with a tail or a wide base that it doesn't get lost up there. You don't want to end up in the 'Butt Bin' at the ER where they keep objects found in people's rectums," jokes Milstein. That said, if you're interested, here are 5 surprisingly common penis injuries that can land you in the ER. (Note: When you’re using a toy, it’s necessary to use water-based lubes, otherwise you can permanently damage or destroy the toy.)

9)     Have A Partner Help You. Unless you’re extremely flexible, it’s a little bit awkward stimulating yourself. It’s by no means impossible, but it can be tough to relax while you're bent like a pretzel. That’s why it’s a good idea to have your partner help you out. It also feels much better! When someone else is doing the work for you, you can focus on your breathing, the sensation, and everything else happening to your body.

 

Yes, There's A Male G-Spot!

The prostate, a.k.a. the "male G-spot," is supposedly the source of mind-blowing orgasms. You just have to be brave enough to go looking for it. For many cisgender men, the idea of someone touching their prostate—you know that walnut-sized gland between the bladder and the penis—sounds about as appealing as getting a root canal. But if you can open your mind to the world of anal exploration, you might find that stimulating the prostate can bring new heights of sexual excitement and pleasure. That's because the prostate contains a ton of nerve endings (in fact, there are almost as many nerve endings in the prostate as there are in the clitoris). There’s nothing inherently feminine about receiving anal stimulation and penetration. You get to decide what anal play means to you and how you feel about it. And when you can let go of the idea that a sexual act has to be done by a specific gender, you’ll discover some amazing opportunities.

Men can even have prostate orgasms without stimulation to the penis. "The orgasm from your prostate is a full body orgasm, and you feel a tingly sensation all over," says Chris* (last name has been withheld for privacy reasons), a sex educator at The Pleasure Chest in Los Angeles. "This is opposed to the more isolated and direct pleasure from a regular orgasm through masturbation or penetration. In general, a prostate orgasm requires more time to warm up and more energy. But it's totally worth it."

The Fifth Colum Is Coming

It sometimes gets a little soul destroying when you read about scientists who, in 1972, claimed that life as we know it would end around the middle of the 21^st century, 2040ish. Total twaddle you’d think, but you’d be wrong. The MIT study predicted the end of civilisation as we know it and earlier in 2020 sustainability researcher Gaya Herrington found that the original study is indeed on track.

Well, will it be business as usual then? An approach that has worsened global climate change and largely failed to mitigate the resulting weather disasters…that’s likely to lead towards economic and societal collapse, oh fuck it, why not?

 

Christmas Bonus Drop

It’s 15:00 (3PM) here in Blighty, the Queen is delivering her Christmas message, looking back on the past year, and looking forward to 2022.

I guess that there’s nothing left to do or say, except Happy Christmas one and all.

Hopefully this missive finds you as well as can be expected, with wrapping paper strewn across the floor, Food and Drink being consumed by all, except for the one Black Sheep sitting in a corner feeling really out of place. This Christmas post is really for you

It’s Christmas Eve, Sinners

There may not be much to celebrate this Christmas for those who have lost loved ones, for those who are isolating from their family and friends, and those who trapped between the lines with no way up and no way down. With all that is going on in our crazy fucked up world, there needs to be a common place where like-minded souls can gather their thoughts, relax from the stresses of daily life and slip on a comfy pair of slippers. In that moment a light in the distance flickers into life…Sadly for you the light belongs to the Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse, and yes, you’re so very, very fucked.

And just before you die…you’re on your knees, Praying

Second Coming

 

Baby Steps Into Darker Matter

Ladies and Gentlemen, Lurkers and Contributors,

It’s been a while since I sat down in front of a PC and started typing, copying and pasting write-ups for the music I have shared over the years. Over two million views and climbing isn’t to be sniffed at, and the comments from everyone who have taken the time to say Thank You, you’re so very welcome.

If I could have the past couple of months back again to re-live, I doubt that anything would have changed. I needed time away.

Now, just because I’m writing this jibberish does not mean that I’m coming back with the same format. For the two of you who have read this far, some things will be different in 2022. The great music that you can find below won’t stop, but there will not be reviews.

There is an old saying that goes a little like this, “When you’re feeling down, buy more records!” and that is exactly what I’ve been doing. Record Store Day and Bandcamp Fridays have been hard on my wallet; second hand records stores, record fairs and the odd charity shop have all been rummaged through with varying levels of success.

With the Yule, Winter Solstice (Summer Solstice if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere), Saturnalia feasting and festivals upon us, I decided to share some of my cosmic finds.

You should probably click the link to Read More