Fat Roland
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fatroland.bsky.social
Fat Roland
@fatroland.bsky.social
🎵 Music writer for Electronic Sound, veteran blogger, short story author
🎤 Comedian (Title Fight, Glang Show, A Lovely Time)
🍊 Operations droog for Anthony Burgess Foundation
💢 Was a sentient tower (grrrrrr)
Read my blog: https://fatroland.blogspot.com.
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Hello, new followers. Good to see you here. I write about electronic music for my ancient blog and for Electronic Sound magazine. I perform comedy and run an events space. Oh and I'm a stroke survivor, which makes me cool. Please pop me a follow if you like and/or hate those kinds of things.
The single greatest line in movie history. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouFn...
Sometimes I Doubt Your Commitment to Sparkle Motion
Hilarious clip form the movie, Donnie Darko
www.youtube.com
November 18, 2025 at 5:31 PM
On the Fat Roland laser gramophone today: Modeselektion Vol.04 (DJ Kicks) from 2018. Superb sinister tunes ahoy. modeselektor.bandcamp.com/album/modese...
Modeselektion Vol.04, by Modeselektor
17 track album
modeselektor.bandcamp.com
November 18, 2025 at 4:19 PM
My transcription software is feeling sessional. It has just transcribed someone saying "Crystal Castles" as "Christmas hostels ". Ho ho ho.
November 15, 2025 at 12:28 PM
"My notes for the album contain phrases like "so very very dirty" and "the scuzz is mesmerising", and "gaaaawjeous" which may or may not be a word."

✍️ Read my new blog post: Bruise Blood cuts deep in Electronic Sound magazine fatroland.blogspot.com/2025/11/brui...
November 5, 2025 at 11:13 AM
"I could fill a book with things you don’t know about the science, history, culture, and community of transgender, intersex, and gender non-conforming people ." The Blessed Madonna lets rip about Roisin Murphy's anti-trans activism. www.attitude.co.uk/culture/the-...
The Blessed Madonna calls Roisin Murphy 'stupid' in a scathing critique of Irish singer's 'illiterate' anti-trans beliefs
The Blessed Madonna criticises Roisin Murphy over controversial trans remarks that led to her festival removal calling her "stupid" in a post.
www.attitude.co.uk
November 4, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Venetian Snares back in 2015 making spangly melodic gobbets from modular kit. Proves you can have trilling drum mayhem yet still stay ambient. www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbLt...
Venetian Snares - Magnificent Stumble V2
Venetian Snares - Traditional Synthesizer Music February 19, 2016 I made a live album in my house, recorded between July and December…
www.youtube.com
November 1, 2025 at 4:19 PM
The bestest fave thing I've seen in the past month is this. If you know, you know.
November 1, 2025 at 11:59 AM
"Before we discard October onto the laundry heap of forgotten month-pants (really need to work on those metaphors), let's listen to some music."

✍️ Read my new blog post: On the Fat Roland radar: a sunset, a head-spin and a marshmallowy James K fatroland.blogspot.com/2025/10/on-f...
October 31, 2025 at 10:40 AM
▶️ Jantra: Makhafi. Delightful Yamaha keyboard whimsy from the Al-Fashaga District of North/East Africa. From his 2023 album (deep breath...) Synthesized Sudan: Astro-Nubian Electronic Jaglara Dance Sounds from the Fashaga Underground. ostinatorecords.bandcamp.com/track/makhafi
Makhafi, by Jantra
from the album Synthesized Sudan: Astro-Nubian Electronic Jaglara Dance Sounds from the Fashaga Underground
ostinatorecords.bandcamp.com
October 24, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Sad to hear about the death of Dave Ball. He's best known for Soft Cell, but my connection was The Grid, his project with the lovely Richard Norris. A Beat Called Love was one of my entries into dance music, and 1993's Crystal Clear is an absolute top fave tune. RIP.
October 23, 2025 at 3:22 PM
▶️ Ross From Friends: Pale Blue Dot. Released in 2018, this feels like a stadium-sized banger swaddled in gauze and bathed in gentle sunlight. Good for the soul. rossfromfriends.bandcamp.com/track/pale-b...
Pale Blue Dot, by Ross From Friends
from the album Family Portrait
rossfromfriends.bandcamp.com
October 23, 2025 at 3:19 PM
▶️ Recommended: Blawan - NOS. Razor-bladed ASMR electro from Radiohead-remixing Yorkshire producer Blawan. Taken from his headphone-exploding new album SickElixir. blawan.bandcamp.com/track/nos
NOS, by Blawan
from the album SickElixir
blawan.bandcamp.com
October 12, 2025 at 7:47 AM
Internet killed the video star. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
MTV to axe its music TV channels in the UK
The broadcaster will stop showing music videos in December, but its main channel will remain on air.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 11, 2025 at 7:47 AM
New mag klaxon. Issue 130 of Electronik Sound magazine is out today. Gary Numan is the kover star, and there are the usual interviews, reviews and excellent kontent. And yes, it kontains my 130th kolumn – this one's all about your kranium. www.electronicsound.co.uk
October 9, 2025 at 11:28 AM
Kraftwerk are going on tour. Not to overstate things, but seeing them live is like listening to the origin of everything that matters. www.electronicsound.co.uk/news/kraftwe...
Kraftwerk UK Tour 2026 – Electronic Sound
After recently completing a hugely successful worldwide concert tour including a festival stealing appearance at Coachella, Kraftwerk legend Ralf Hütter is pleased to announce a new UK and Ireland…
www.electronicsound.co.uk
October 4, 2025 at 7:47 AM
"It's a miserable tune, all minor chord and morose. The lyrics depict corporate fat cats as predators to be avoided – indeed, to be run away from."

✍️ Read my new blog post: Raves against the machine – Mr C (and Octo Octa) lead the way fatroland.blogspot.com/2025/10/rave...
October 3, 2025 at 8:44 PM
"It's basically him impersonating a late-career Michael Jackson ballad, with a bit of falsetto and some washboard abs thrown in for good measure. Meh."

✍️ Read my new blog post: Ultimate 90s Number One – Baby Spice, Baby D and a bunch of terrible Brothers fatroland.blogspot.com/2025/09/ulti...
September 28, 2025 at 8:03 PM
The Daily Mash reports on "Brian Eno and other chancers who masquerade as experimental geniuses". Uh-oh...
Brian Eno, and other chancers who masquerade as experimental geniuses
IF you don't 'get' an artist, it's not because they're too clever for you but because, like these guys, they're purveyors of pseudo-intellectual bollocks.
www.thedailymash.co.uk
September 26, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Who’s in the magazine this month so I can write about them?” Fat Roland asked. Interesting we thought. “It’s Delia Derbyshire,” we said. What could possibly go wrong…

🗓️ Posted 14 November 2019: Fat Roland column on Delia Derbyshire for Electronic Sound. www.electronicsound.co.uk/columns/bang...
Delia Derbyshire – Electronic Sound
I envy Delia Derbyshire and all the music she magically made from toasters and wooden spoons and fart cushions. When I faff around all day, smearing my belly with guacamole to add texture to my…
www.electronicsound.co.uk
September 24, 2025 at 12:23 PM
"I grew up without the internet... I relied on the radio to learn about all the cool new bops. Mainstream radio was pretty tofu, with ballads, AOR and pop factory piffle. Allan's riotous shows on Key 103 felt like a portal into something subversive..." fatroland.blogspot.com/2025/09/set-...
Set for take-off: remembering Stu Allan
There have been many famous radio DJs. There was John Peel, there was that Moyles one, and, er, someone called Dave probably. But for us Man...
fatroland.blogspot.com
September 23, 2025 at 11:28 AM
"Allan's riotous shows on Key 103 felt like a portal into something subversive, as if it was a private broadcast of all the stuff you weren't allowed to listen to."

✍️ Read my new blog post: Set for take-off – remembering Stu Allan fatroland.blogspot.com/2025/09/set-...
September 22, 2025 at 10:48 AM
A real coup for Co-op arena. First the BRIT Awards and now the MOBO Awards. Soon they'll be hosting Fat Roland's Smallest Marrow Competition. www.musicweek.com/media/read/m...
MOBO Awards joins the BRITs at Co-Op Live in Manchester
It will be the first time for the MOBOs in Manchester, and the event will form part of the MOBO Organisation’s 30th anniversary celebrations.
www.musicweek.com
September 15, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Craftworks. Kraftwerk. Craftworks. Kraftwerk. Yes? Craft? Kraft?! Oh suit yerself. Here is my latest column for Electronic Sound magazine (requires subscription). www.electronicsound.co.uk/columns/bang...
Terrible Guest Ales – Electronic Sound
More random musings from Fat Roland. On his mind this month (as far as we can tell): Craftworks’ jukebox
www.electronicsound.co.uk
September 12, 2025 at 5:25 PM
I've just typed "Burgess Foundation" as "Burgess Fecundation". Should this be our new name?
September 11, 2025 at 3:19 PM
"I pressed the little circle next to my post because I didn't know what the circle was, and suddenly Grok whirred into life."

✍️ My new blog post about X and AI. Oh dear. Back with another one of those Grok-rockin' tweets fatroland.blogspot.com/2025/09/grok...
fatroland.blogspot.com
September 11, 2025 at 11:28 AM