This is the thread where you each pick one record that Nick Southall cannot live without...

camron f ma$e - horse and carriage

foxy brown f blackstreet - get me home

I'll say Hem - Rabbit Songs, but not because I imagine it'll fit nicely with your tastes. It's because it's impossible not to like.

How many of the things on My big list. did you get in the end and what did you think of them?

augustus Pablo ***
kitchens of distinction ***
king tubby ****
Remain in light – talking heads ****
dexys midnight runners ***
Future days – can *****
curtis Mayfield ***
Fields and waves - .o.rang (this is arriving today or tomorrow)
Sunshine hit me – the bees ***1/2
Turn on the bright lights – Interpol ***1/2
The shape of jazz to come – ornette coleman (nt really listened to enough to judge)
wire (first three LPs) ****
A little deeper – ms dynamite **
Electric warrior – t rex **
Sunflower / surf’s up – the beach boys **
kate bush (first LP, HoL, and Sensual World) **** (***** for HoL)
Tango n’vectif – mu-ziq ***
basement jaxx - **
autechre ***
The orb’s adventures beyond the ultraworld – the orb ***
Music for airports – brian eno **** (plus got WEarm Jets [***] and Another Green World[*****])
Independency – bark psychosis (still waiting! - but Hex gets *****)
El-p – fantastic damage **** (also got Cold Vein by Can OX - ****)
Nerd – in search of ****
Skylarking – xtc ***
Daydream nation – sonic youth (unlistened as of yet!)
Dub come save me – roots manuva **
No protection – massive attack vs mad proffessor ***
Echo dek – primal scream **
Liquid swords - genius/gza ****1/2
Ironman - ghostface killah ***
Only built 4 cuban linx – raekwon ****
Phaedra – tangerine dream ***
todd edwards (full on v1 - ***)

I am currently very much being rocked by Four Tet and Manitoba (as if you did not know), that !!! single, the new Radiohead, Cornelius, Susumu Yokota, Loose Fur, Mouse On Mars, Medicine8, Gillian Welch and Tilt by Scott Walker.

Perrenial faves include Talk Talk's later stuff, The Stone Roses, Orbital, The Clash, In A Silent Way by Miles Davis, A Northern Soul by The Verve, Spiritualized, Nixon & Is A Woman by Lambchop, Dig Your Owbn Hole by The Chemical Brothers, Grace by Jeff Buckley, 3ft High And Rising, If You're Ready (Come Go With Me) by The Staple Singers, What's Going On?, Paul's Boutique, Dismemberment Plan.

I am currently waiting on recieving the O.Rang album mentioned above, DI Go Pop by Disco Inferno and Independancy as mentioned above. I am thinking about getting some Man Or Astroman. I am intrigued by and want to know more about / listen to David Sylvain, American Analogue Set, Out Hud, New Pornographers, Aspera, The Rapture, Neil Michael Hagerty, The Ruts, Mountain Goats...

I guess I'm looking for stuff that's either from before my time (I am 24) or else that I might've missed or that might be in a totally different area to what I generally like but that I'd still think was amazing. Recommend away!

Have you tried Faust or Neu! yet?

"Remain in light – talking heads ****"
"Music for airports – brian eno **** (plus got WEarm Jets [***] and Another Green World[*****])"

Would it be too obvious to suggest My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts; Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy; or Before And After Science?

As for David Sylvian, he has a comprehensive anthology, Everything or nothing which covers most aspects of his work between 1980 and 2000. I will think about some more suggestions later.

Oh well, in that case the answer's simple: Trout Mask Replica

The Fall - Early Singles, Live At The Witch Trials, Totally Wired
Magazine - Real Life, The Correct Use Of Soap, Rays & Hail / Where The Power Is
Pere Ubu - Terminal Tower, The Modern Dance
The Slits - Cut

(not always easy to find over here but easily orderable from http://www.subversemusic.com/)

Oh and although I think "In the plane over the sea ? neutral milk hotel" is a superb album myself, somehow I can't see you giving it more than a "***"!

I'd be interested to know what you think of Flaming Lips / Mercury Rev / Super Furry Animals 'though.

and then flip it and reverse it!

Adrian Belew - Desire Of The Rhino King
David Bowie - Low, Heroes

Trumpet player. One of the very best these days. Songs for Wandering Souls and/or Charms of the Night Sky, both on Winter&Winter, both lusciously lyrical and very well played, could be a good place to start.

How many stars do they get?

I can almost guarantee you'll like the Adrian Belew, Byrne / Eno, Eno and King Crimson suggestions then.

I'd also recommend Talking Heads' Fear Of Music if you haven't got that one.

and "my life in the bush of ghosts" (byrne & eno)

also if you haven't bought any stereolab yet, do so - anything from 1995 onwards

That's a solid recommendation for anyone, really, since they're not very well known. (I got the CD free with my Magnet subscription two years ago.) Take some of the organic instrumentation from Four Tet's Pause and turn it into a full-on hippie-jazz groove.

I just got DI Go Pop (Disco Inferno), Herd Of Instinct (O.Rang) and Tilt by Scott Walker and all three are very much rocking my world at the moment, as is Hex by BP (Amazon just emailed to say they can't get Independancy and I can't find it on Netsounds, *grumble*).

Thank you very mcuh to everyone for all the thoughtful and thought-provoking suggestions, btw!

Oh, and what on earth are you doing up at this time? Isn't it like 4am or something where you are?

I'd never heard the Gabriel album mentioned in that context before and I've never heard it - but I think I'll be getting a copy now, many thanks Anthony - maybe I can return the favour...?

Also very firmly in this category are the first three solo albums by Adrian Belew, who was the guitarist (originally / previously with Frank Zappa) who played on Stage, Lodger, Remain In Light, The Name Of This Band Is..., Tom Tom Club and Catherine Wheel amongst many others, before becoming a member of King Crimson from Discipline and Beat onwards.

Sadly these are all oop at present but there is a great comp. of the best bits of the three called Desire Of The Rhino King which I can highly recommend.

Also, the two Harmonia albums - s/t and Deluxe - seem up yr alley if you haven't heard 'em.

(I've also ordered copies of Independancy from Amazon [again] and HMV [what the hell] just to see if both of them pestering the label/stocker/whoever will result in it suddenly becomming available again - it worked with Laughing Stock so you never know...)

(and heads-up for the Doom/Madlib collaboration released later this year! :-)

Essentially since I've been here 2 years and a bit, on and off) I've just extended my interest in blippy electronic stuff, woozy dreamy odd pop, jazz, reggae, postrock, hip hop and, well, everything... It's like before I had my toe in the water of all these things, and now I'm learning to swim. I have no shame whatsoever in repeatedly using this place as a recommendation forum, because there are some great people with great passion and great taste around!

oh man! this is sick mouthy bait if ever i saw it...

http://pitchfork.com/news/41709-caribou-and-four-tet-plan-split-release

Four Tet and Caribou Plan Split Release

Listen to both artists' contributions to the release on Hebden's Text Records

Four Tet: "Pinnacles"

Daphni (Caribou's Dan Snaith): "Ye Ye"

Nialler9 informs us that Four Tet and Caribou's Dan Snaith are readying a split vinyl release through Four Tet main man Kieran Hebden's Text Records imprint. Above, you can stream a radio rip of Four Tet's shuffling, groove-heavy contribution, "Pinnacles", that was played on BBC Radio host Giles Peterson's show recently (via Consequence of Sound); you can also check out Snaith's contribution under his new alias Daphni, the dark, driving "Ye Ye". According to Caribou's Soundcloud page, the split is "soon to be released".