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What funny times we live in, eh readers?

Reader's Voice: Eh?

Well, remember only a couple of years ago the thought of paying for an mp3 file was just... well, ridiculous?

Reader's Voice:  Ulp! Lumee!

I mean, why pay for something we've been so accustomed to getting for free for so long right?

Reader's Voice: He's talking about Napster!

Too right I am!

Reader's Voice: Ulp! Lorks, he's for it. Wait till the teech gets wind of this mention of illegal downloads!!

Anyway something changed. I don't know what it was, or what it was, or even what it was -- and I certainly don't know WHAT it was.

Reader's Voice: Eh? 

All I know is that somewhere along the line, it became not just acceptable to pay for a download track, but to get excited about doing so. Collectively we have reached a point where the present writer sees there is a new Flowjob release on the Beatports; checks to see if there's an album on anyone's release schedule that might include the tracks later on; realises that he loves Flowjob anyway and will buy it; streams it on the Beatports; then goes to Juno where it's cheaper, scavenging around like a desperate stingeypants smart 21st century consumer to save 9p or whatever. 

Reader's Voice: He's right! Cor. The times they have a-changing'd

And then, weeks later, a cobbled-together review appears containing phrases like these:

• The title track is the freshest tune that wasn't on 2008's Zentertainment
• Return Of Jessica Lee is better than about 120% of other, lesser progressive acts [insert veiled reference to random prog producer]
• Remedy by their housey alter ago Justice Unlimited is tits boring
• Dickster's remix of Everland Airport is a bit "wearing a dress" although the second half is better than the first

All of which means we can conclude that Flowjob are still ace, Justice Unlimited are not, and where it comes to digital EPs it's best to buy the tracks you actually like rather than to buy all of them based on who they're by. My Neil Young collection agrees.

Next week: a free cut out n' keep Gnasher poster!