philip sherburne: Blogging is not the be-all and end-all

I was going to dedicate this space to a brief photo essay of the "What I did over my summer vacation" variety—notable particularly because it was the first semblance of a vacation that I've had in about two years. (Don't believe the hype: my frequent-flyer miles say "jetsetter," but my worn-smooth computer keyboard says "miserable workaholic.") Then I realized that few would want to see my photos of Andalucian tapas or Kauai sunsets, and since, despite my (probably genetic) tendency to gloat, this blog is all about reader friendliness, I decided to spare one and all my tropical interludes.

Instead, I leave you with an image of the fireman inspecting a faulty airplane engine that nevertheless kindly declined to explode as we taxied out of Lihue. (Still, not fun, the whole experience: wing goes "bang," pilot slams on brakes, and you know from experience that only a few hundred meters remain before runway meets Pacific. Among the embarrassing things that go through one's mind in such moments: Would it be bad form to grab my laptop from the overhead bin if we had to evacuate? And how long would my editors stay mad at me for missing deadlines before they figured out that I was, how do you say, like forevermore permanently offline?)

In the absence of tragedy, I leave you with happy news. My record "Lumberjacking" (Lan Muzic) is finally out on vinyl--and since I've already confessed to being a gloater, I'll indulge myself and note that it seems to be selling briskly. (Retail downloads at Beatport etc. will be available in another two weeks or so.) A diverse array of DJs have been playing and charting the record, including Miss Kittin, Stefan Goldmann, Dave Mothersole (Ministry of Sound), Richard Carnage, sor-b.ch and Gamall (Demon Days), among others, and both Anja Schneider and Swazyak have gone so far as to include the tune in their Resident Advisor podcasts, leaving me with scads of conflicts of interests to fix up as I start juggling criticism with production. (Believe me: a good problem to have.)

While nothing could come close to the release party we threw at Berlin's hallowed Panorama Bar last month—in short, the most fun I've ever had behind decks, and possibly the most fun I've ever had, full stop—I'll do my damnedest to recreate the vibe at my upcoming gigs, so if you're in Portland, Seattle, New York, Barcelona, or Berlin, click on the ol' Myspace schedule to see where I'm playing next. (Hint: this weekend is New York's Minimoo all-nighter, and it should be a corker.)

And finally! A (long overdue) chart of records I'm particularly feeling this month, with links to download or purchase vinyl where I could find them handy:

September Top 10

Nsi., "Dual" (Non Standard Productions)

Pigon, "Promises" (Dial) [out September 29]

Animal Collective, "Peacebone (Pantha du Prince Remix)" (Domino)

Cio D'or, "Kimono" (Motoguzzi)

Chloé, "Suspended" (Kill the DJ)

Tadeo, "Reflection Nebula 056n" (Apnea) [Beatport]

Marcel Fengler, "Early Glow" (Ostgut Ton)

Norman Nodge, "NN8.0" (MDR) [Hardwax]

The Wombat, "Teflon" (Rebelone)

Jamie Lloyd, "What We Have (…Is a Zwicker Remix)" (Future Classic) [Beatport]

VINTAGE BONUS: