hear’s the news
New LP | 'Westray Variations'
Writing, Recording & Mixing
In March of 2023, I recorded a lot of piano music on Westray, one of the most northerly islands in the Orkneys. Nina and I visited Westray for the first time back in 2021, and were entranced by the peace and quiet, the scenery and the general vibe of the island. The place we stayed in was furnished with a Bluthner grand piano and so I spent most mornings recording my improvisations with a pro-recorder and a couple of mics. We really had the best time.
Upon our return and listening back to the recordings I’d made, I was quite honestly surprised – everything was pretty cohesive and well recorded. I started selecting and editing what I considered to be the best material, ending up with a compilation of around 50 minutes of piano music. I’d also recorded a stack of field recordings, which alongside the loose and ramshackle nature of the way I’d hung the music together, seemed to work well segued between each ‘piece’.
Some of the pieces suggested a little embellishment, so I spent the subsequent four months or so adding ambient treatments, guitars and electronics to a few of the tracks, roping in Nina to do some singing and a couple of friends to add other bits of sparse instrumentation.
Various people have been asking me when I’ll release a ‘piano’ album proper; this is it.
The album is now available to stream on all good streaming platforms.
But in all honesty, the vinyl and CD versions are the versions to have, as they’re segued with extra sound design, field recordings and dialogue, which all adds to the personal nature, individuality and ‘journey’ of this release.
The limited edition vinyl and compact disc can be ordered either here or here
New Single | 'Acapellas'
I released a new single earlier this year in March.
It’s my first single on limited edition 7″ vinyl, which I’m more than pretty chuffed with.
The vinyl sounds really sweet. 50 copies only!
I’ll freely admit to throwing my regular listeners a pretty big curveball – this is a radical departure from my usual output; these’re purely acapella re-imaginings of two iconic eighties tracks.
But hey, variety’s the spice of life and I really enjoyed putting these together.
Stream on Spotify here.
Or you can purchase the vinyl on my BandCamp or my Shopify.
I hope you enjoy them too!
scrapbook
The section of the site where I indulge my passion for writing. I try and cover a variety of subjects, but I suppose it’s primarily about the music.
Here are a few featured articles – dive in and find lots more witty and erudite writing in the scrapbook..
acapellas
7" single | alucidnation acapellasA | Golden BrownIt was 1982, and I was a rapturous fan of chart music. I look back at my extensive collection of singles and there’s a fair proportion hailing from that very year. Let’s face it, the early eighties were a glistening...
Glastonbury | Chilled Cider
It goes without saying that I was pretty chuffed to get a call back in April 2024 from Glastonbury Festival offering me a slot. After all, the last time I was booked to play on the Glade Stage was in 2004, so I suppose it says something about your longevity when...
Steinberg CC121
Steinberg CC121 Hardware Controller My recording facility is pretty retro, containing predominantly old-school analogue gear and, well, stuff that requires hands-on operation. Always a plus point if you ask me; I've always struggled to understand how musicians and...
Mellifluous
2022 | MellifluousThis album represents what is, to me, anyway, my eighth 'proper' release, the other seven being released either on other third party labels, or my own imprint. This tome is a diary of posts and details the timeline from conception through to eventual...
Neutron Modular Synth
Behringer Neutron Semi Modular Synth After many years of every studio, synth and programming nerd [in some cases, quite rightly] wetting their pants whilst discovering numerous soft-synth emulations within the digital domain, the majority of these folk are now...
Medications
2021 | Medications [Meditations Remixes]This album represents what is, to me, anyway, my seventh 'proper' release, the other seven being released either on other third party labels, or my own imprint. June 2021 Whilst it might appear as though I’ve been...
apparel
t-shirts, hoodies & other goodies
As of today [24th September 2025, to be exact], I’ve updated the range of clothing in my shop; so the updated range includes new logotype designs, logo lock-ups front and rear and a larger range of colour options to choose from.
All items are still made of the highest quality materials. I’ve attempted to price them as competitively as possible in US$, bearing in mind the current state of commercial flux we find ourselves mired in.
Other designs and products may appear over time. For the while though, if you’re happy being a subtle walking billboard for my audio imprint, then please – be my guest!
eclectronica
alucidnation on your radio.
My days of spinning records in clubs and DJing to large, mainly appreciative crowds appear to have vanished in the haze of middle age… thank christ. The bottom line is that it’s a young man’s game… and if I’m honest, I never really enjoyed playing in clubs much anyway.
But I’ve always loved radio; it’s the most intimate platform and the best thing is that as a broadcaster, you can do it all from the comfort of your home studio, indulge yourself and hopefully indulge your listeners at the same time.
My radio show, ‘Eclectronica’ has been running since 2008. For the first twelve years it aired as a two hour specialist show on Global’s legendary Chill DAB station with a 20K per week audience.
I now syndicate Eclectronica to a number of UK stations broadcasting on FM, DAB and online, worldwide.
discography
All audio commerce is available on the alucidnation BandCamp.
My back catalogue is available to stream & purchase here on the Discography page.
My latest releases are ‘Westray Variations‘, an album of sublime piano extemporisation and electronica. You can stream and purchase merch here.
My latest single ‘Acapellas‘ is also available to stream and purchase here.
It’s also available as a limited edition 7″ vinyl.
alucidnation for your yoga
Some of the alucidnation catalogue is signed to YogiTunes.
YogiTunes is designed with the yoga instructor forefront of mind.
The app enables you to find inspiration and save time with playlists curated by world class selectors.
Search by yoga type, see whatʼs trending, or browse by genre and other activities. Create a continuous flow with playlists built to keep your students atuned to a deeper, medatitive state.
