newly edited and almost available, the octobermass subscriber package is so excessively long that it has caused a rupture in the space-time continuum and is thought to curve light into attractive spiral shapes due to its gravitational pull. estimates vary but i have transferred the tracks onto 2 cd's and one lasts almost 74 minutes (which is already too long) and the other 53 which is just ever so slightly too short. in any case, even allowing for the 2 second gaps my software imposes between tracks that is more than twice as much as we were meant to make this month- more than 2 hours - and we still left out loads of stuff we were quite happy with and would have released at other times without the slightest tinge of embarrassment. the list: sand dancer has fat bass chords and a burbling keyboard which ghostly distortions float over. richard's major contribution when it arrives is extraordinary, sounding as though it was being extracted from another continuum. it all plays out with a mildly heroic melody. stumble develops a slightly african flavour - possibly yam, or cocoa powder - but begins with a solemn procession of organ chords before the bouncy drum parts and the delightful little guitar flourish drag us off. the saxophone restrains itself from outright violence with surprising delicacy and then returns as all join in a cheerful exit. thrickle (as featured at the festival of brown), has an absurdly funky rhythm part which started life as synthetic french horns but in this incarnation it starts with cellos. it's got some jolly bass parts too and the very attentive will notice the saxophone passing through the guitar's effects at one point. when the written sections suddenly stop were left with gentle sax, cello and guitar. flying low over water has the appearance of being a minor meshmass classic and features an hallucinatory keyboard part which seems to have someone gasping in it (but does not). there's a chugging continuo under it and some fat organ chords. when richard brings in the chorussy guitar and the flute-bass tune is added everything floats along nicely, just skimming the white crests of the waves. half a chance begins like an updated beat group but then a section of guitar chords combines with a violently distorted keyboard ushering in a couple of fat and chirpy basslines. the return of the chords gives way to harmonium and sax with a rumbling chewed up drone at the back of it. sax and guitar then begin the final section trading sharp rhythmic structures across the beat. melting mowbray an orchestra of ghostly flutes introduces this which is then hung across some electric piano chords. the sax enters squeaking but soon reverts to its october default of smoky charm, where it is eventually joined by tiny metallic tones amid the extended chordal overlays richard also provides. schwenk has one of those echoed piano lines we used to use a lot complemented by a little nudging guitar line and loads of softly distorted drums. it develops a sort of film noir atmosphere when the sax enters around 5:00 and drops away to leave the piano fading. scrub starts with a sweet and clean guitar introduction with gentle plucked chords and quickly hits the brick wall of rhythm, fat chords from string/organ and there we are into the guitar and sax melody which is positively soppy. slow tide is a three part series of duets, very relaxed and even beautiful. into land plays sustained single notes from alto and guitar against each other, producing some actual harmonies. in the end richard plays chords and it all resoves into a soft tune that makes you suspect that they know what they are doing. and hanging out based on richard's playing of a tuned percussion simalucrum, this is a phone duet. it is truly an embarrassment of riches (only increased by the fact that rich thought we hadn't done much good work this month) and has brought forth a commitment that we should "do less and do it worse" in future. you have been told.