Darren Hemmings

The people have spoken! Calling all publishers, agents & literary movers/shakers, I must write the ultimate WEEN book. The #BoognishBiddingWar begins. #booksky #writersky @fabermusic.bsky.social @whiterabbitbks.bsky.social @newmodernbooks.bsky.social @peteselby.bsky.social @omnibuspress.bsky.social

Given Network Notes is generally (recorded) music industry focused, I thought I’d post a longer piece over on Every Spoil Is A Style, about all the firmware modding that’s going on with music hardware at the mo. Have a read:

ANOTHER guide now up on Soundtrack The Page: "Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult" by Dayal Patterson soundtrackthepage.com/blackmetal/i... Probably the only guide to reference songs by Necrocock. You're welcome.

Another guide now up on Soundtrack The Page: 'Inner City Pressure: The Story of Grime' by Dan Hancox I rather love the radio beacon animation at the top even if I do say so myself, heheh...

Can @spinal-bap.bsky.social just write the Ween book the world needs already. Come on world (read: publishers) you know it makes sense. And yes, I'm 100% buying this box set. HAIL BOOGNISH.

Another new Guide up on Soundtrack The Page: Simon Reynolds' "Still In A Dream: shoegaze, slackers and the reinvention of rock, 1984–1994" soundtrackthepage.com/dream/index....

I’ve finally taken the plunge and launched my own site/blog, just to share all the other things I find interesting and notable across the web. There’s also a weekly digest email you can sign up for too, which just gives you a lazy way to follow what I’ve been posting. Hope you like!

Another guide now up at Soundtrack The Page: Martin James' brilliant book on the French Touch scene, "French Connections" soundtrackthepage.com/french/index... 713 releases to explore in total. Enjoy!

New guide now up on Soundtrack The Page: Rob Young's brilliant "Electric Eden" soundtrackthepage.com/eden/index.h... Dive in below!

New guide now up on Soundtrack The Page: Season of the Witch, the definitive guide to Goth by Cathi Unsworth. If Siouxsie, Nick Cave, Sisters of Mercy and more are your thing, this is full of gems. Dive in! soundtrackthepage.com/goth/index.h...

Latest update to Soundtrack The Page: a fully searchable artist index. Search an artist name and see all the places they crop up across all the guides: soundtrackthepage.com/artists.html

Another guide has gone up on Soundtrack the Page: Michael Azzerad's mighty "Our Band Could Be Your Life". One of my favourite music books, almost worth the asking price for the Butthole Surfers chapter alone. Dive in!! soundtrackthepage.com/ourband/inde...

Latest Network Notes just went up, looking at how labels and artists are starting to panic as socials demonstrably deliver less back. Personally, I think it's a good development. Read on below to learn why... open.substack.com/pub/networkn...

ICYMI the 17th Guide went up on Soundtrack the Page this weekend: Dan Charnas' "The Big Payback": soundtrackthepage.com/bigpayback/i... If that's not your bag, there's 16 other guides covering all manner of AMAZING books. Dive in below!

Another guide is now up on Soundtrack The Page - this time, Dan Charnas's incredible "The Big Payback". 360 songs in total, all of which are stone cold classics. Dive in! soundtrackthepage.com/bigpayback/i...

With both Miro & Airtable being the latest SaaS businesses to sell for far less than they were once valued at, I wrote a few thoughts about how this might have a knock-on effect with the music industry & the tech platforms and startups that live within it: open.substack.com/pub/networkn...

Another new guide up on Soundtrack The Page - this time, @questlove.bsky.social's amazing “Music Is History”. 797 works are detailed, chapter by chapter. Dive in! Oh and remember: there’s now a mailing list so you can be notified as soon as new guides go up. soundtrackthepage.com/musicishisto...

And here's to the next 18 years. Without The Quietus we would be sooooo much worse off. tQ is like the ravens in the Tower: if that bugger vanishes, we're all doomed, heheh...

Great non-profit site created by @mrtrick.bsky.social – provides companion guides to music books, listing every song/album mentioned, in the order of appearance in the book. The page on David Toop's Ocean of Sound is my favourite so far. www.soundtrackthepage.com/ocean/index....

As rumours continue that a well-known indie is potentially heading for a sale to a major, I wrote a few thoughts on indie sales in general, and how we're going to see more and more of it. Read on below...

I wrote a few thoughts about how we now need action more than just words if we are to prevent the majors swallowing the music industry whole. But there are companies out there bringing options, and so there are options. It's not all bad, I promise!! Read on below...

I wrote a few words about how the Universal/Downtown situation is getting personal, but that it really misses one pretty fundamental point. Read on below!

This didn't come as a shock; more of an "I knew it!" kind of sentiment, but hats off to London Centric for confirming what I think Londoners sensed was the case.

Let's make sure we never forget this moment.

Inspired by a JonWayne video I watched, I wrote a few words about how we in the music industry might be focusing on the wrong places to build audiences that might actually drive sales and revenue. Dive in below...

A rare exclusive today, detailing how NTS has taken out a loan with Universal that, if defaulted on, will see the major taking ownership of the entire NTS business: properties, IP, the lot. Not a great development for the indie music landscape.

I wrote a few thoughts about how I feel Universal is, if anything, battling to remain relevant amid changing times and a fundamental shift in where the power sits in the music space - that is, solely with the artists. More below…👇🏻

Essential reading. Make time for it. open.substack.com/pub/littledo...

Here's a sentence I never saw myself typing today: that new Hawkwind album is magnificent. Absolutely loving it. album.link/gb/i/1799083...

I wrote a few words about the music industry and AI. And whilst I think some people would rather stick a fork in their eye than read another post about AI, I'd argue that this piece is recognising that, and calling for a bit of calm amid the constant doom-mongering. Read on below...

Think you don't need an official artist website in 2025? Think again...

These people sound like AWESOME fun to be around. Proper "tell me you fall for every TikTok trend going without actually saying so" vibes. Anyways, BRB: just off o 'biohack' myself into relaxation with 4 pints of Moretti. #OKthanks

Good uses of AI? OK - how about having it create an image of Brian Blessed as an 80s rapper? You're welcome.

I have long held a theory that the quality of Ministry's albums has risen and fallen in direct correlation to the shittiness of whoever the US president is. So it's not a shock at all to see that their new one is a belter, LOL

God I love this clip. The comments are great too.

Man this free acid/303 synth from Crow Hill is far too much fun. In no time at all you're laying off mad sqwonking acieeeed action and it's bloody marvellous thecrowhillcompany.com/vaults/

Goddamn - did the London date sell out already @bugpressure.bsky.social? Went to grab my tix and everywhere seems to have sold out! Congrats on that - not so good for me though LOL!