Volcanic Tongue features the best of his reviews, interviews and think pieces, with exclusive in-depth conversations between Keenan and Nick Cave, members of legendary industrial bands Coil and Throbbing Gristle, krautrock legends like Faust, Shirley Collins, the first lady of English folk, Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine, German auto-destructives Einstürzende Neubauten, as well as discographical analysis of the back catalogues of groups like Sonic Youth and musicians like John Fahey, extensive writings on free jazz and obsessive in-depth digs into favourites like Pere Ubu, Metal Box-era Public Image Ltd, Sun Ra, guitarist and vocalist John Martyn and many more. It is an essential addition to any music fan’s bookshelf.

This first collection of his legendary criticism functions as an extended love letter to the revolutionary music of the 20th century and the incredible culture that sustained it.

From the illicit reggae blues dances and acid-rock free festivals of the 1970s, through the ecstasy-fuelled Second Summer of Love in 1988 to the increasingly corporate dance music culture of the post-Covid era, Party Lines is a groundbreaking new history of UK dance music from journalist and filmmaker Ed Gillett, exploring its pivotal role in the social, political and economic shifts on which modern Britain has been built.

Taking in the Victorian moralism of the Thatcher years, the far-reaching restrictions of the Criminal Justice Act in 1994, and the resurgence of illegal raves during the Covid-19 pandemic, Party Lines charts an ongoing conflict, fought in basement clubs, abandoned warehouses and sunlit fields, between the revolutionary potential of communal sound and the reactionary impulses of the British establishment. Brought to life with stunning clarity and depth, this is social and cultural history at its most immersive, vital and shocking.

Over the past three decades, Sacha has been in the eye of the storm of a musical and cultural revolution, from The Haçienda to The Warehouse Project. He has worked with the music industry’s most iconic acts including the Prodigy, New Order, Snoop Dogg, Fat Boy Slim, Skrillex, Calvin Harris, Four Tet, Fred again ? and has thrown some of the biggest parties that the UK has ever seen.

But it wasn’t an easy journey getting there.

Tales from the Dancefloor gives readers an all-access pass to the people, music and chaos behind the scenes. From being shot at in a drive-by shooting and dealing with gangs and the criminal underworld, to the excess and demands of some of music’s biggest names, launching the country’s largest urban festival, Parklife, and much more, Sacha reveals all the highs and lows for the very first time.

Tales from the Dancefloor, co-authored with bestselling author Luke Bainbridge, is a love letter to the city and the dance floor. This is an incredible story of resilience, creativity and innovation.

‘A fascinating tale of the interlinking lives of three legendary trailblazers.’
SALENA GODDEN

‘Re-sisters emanates an enthralling power.’
JUDE ROGERS, MOJO

‘Cosey Fanni Tutti has lived the life and has the stories to tell: not just hers, but those of two other still unheralded female pioneers.’
JON SAVAGE

Myself , Delia and Margery – a trinity of the sacred and profane , sinners and saints of a kind. Three defiant women with our individual, unconventional attitude to life. Untameable spirits, progressive thinkers living within the inherent societal constraints of our times.

In 2018, boundary-breaking visual and sonic artist Cosey Fanni Tutti received a commission to write the soundtrack to a film about Delia Derbyshire, the pioneering electronic composer who influenced the likes of Aphex Twin and the Chemical Brothers. While researching Delia’s life, Cosey became immersed in Derbyshire’s story and uncovered some fascinating parallels with her own life. At the same time Cosey began reading about Margery Kempe, the 15th century mystic visionary who wrote the first English language autobiography.

Re-sisters is the story of three women consumed by their passion for life, a passion they expressed through music, art and lifestyle; they were undaunted by the consequences they faced in pursuit of enriching their lives, and fiercely challenged the societal and cultural norms of their time.

‘An impeccably researched meditation on womanhood as viewed through the lives of three firebrands.’
FIONA STURGES, GUARDIAN

‘Awe-inspiring. Read these revelatory portraits: this book is for anybody who wants to discover the work of three women who, without fanfare, have enriched our world.’
ROBERT WYATT

‘Passionate, original and fiercely defiant.’
RUPERT THOMSON

From the illicit reggae blues dances and acid-rock free festivals of the 1970s, through the ecstasy-fuelled Second Summer of Love in 1988, to the increasingly corporate dance music culture of the post-Covid era, Party Lines is a groundbreaking new history of UK dance music, exploring its pivotal role in the social, political and economic shifts on which modern Britain has been built.

Taking in the Victorian moralism of the Thatcher years, the far-reaching restrictions of the Criminal Justice Act in 1994, and the resurgence of illegal raves during the Covid-19 pandemic, Party Lines charts an ongoing conflict, fought in basement clubs, abandoned warehouses and sunlit fields, between the revolutionary potential of communal sound and the reactionary impulses of the British establishment. Brought to life with stunning clarity and depth, this is social and cultural history at its most immersive, vital and shocking.

The Human League and Heaven 17 were among some of the most pioneering bands of the 1980s, with Ware having played an integral role in each of their numerous successes. A young lad from the heart of post-war Sheffield, Ware formed The Human League a few years out of school in his early twenties. Described by David Bowie as ‘the future of music’, it wasn’t long before the band become known for their innovative and infectiously catchy singles such as ‘Being Boiled’, touring with the likes of Siouxsie and the Banshees and Iggy Pop before Ware’s departure. Heaven 17 followed suit, with their soon-to-be classic albums, Penthouse & Pavement and The Luxury Gap, featuring several colossal hits. Ground-breaking icons in new wave and synth pop, both groups remain some of the biggest-selling bands across the UK and worldwide.

In Electronically Yours, Martyn takes us through his incredible route to stardom; from his austere upbringing in various council houses and close teenage friendship with former-bandmate Phil Oakey, to the white-hot experimentation in the ‘Synth Britannia’ era and his production career, which allowed him to work with some of the world’s greatest singers, including Tina Turner. But it’s not just his life inside the industry which is compelling; a proud socialist, Martyn writes poignantly about politics – how it can be a soulful, personal, moral duty – and its role in his music creation and Britain today. With charming meditations on culture, humour, travel and sport, Martyn also shares his love of 60s films, explains why Venice is the most beautiful city in the world, and reveals how Sheffield Wednesday has forever been his first and eternal passion.

A huge page-turner and always warmly told, Electronically Yours sees Martyn talk candidly for the very first time about his extraordinary journey. Discover amusing anecdotes, raw confessions, and moving reflections of a life well and truly lived at the height of the music industry.

The Human League and Heaven 17 were among some of the most pioneering bands of the 1980s, with Ware having played an integral role in each of their numerous successes. A young lad from the heart of post-war Sheffield, Ware formed The Human League a few years out of school in his early twenties. Described by David Bowie as ‘the future of music’, it wasn’t long before the band become known for their innovative and infectiously catchy singles such as ‘Being Boiled’, touring with the likes of Siouxsie and the Banshees and Iggy Pop before Ware’s departure. Heaven 17 followed suit, with their soon-to-be classic albums, Penthouse & Pavement and The Luxury Gap, featuring several colossal hits. Ground-breaking icons in new wave and synth pop, both groups remain some of the biggest-selling bands across the UK and worldwide.

In Electronically Yours, Martyn takes us through his incredible route to stardom; from his austere upbringing in various council houses and close teenage friendship with former-bandmate Phil Oakey, to the white-hot experimentation in the ‘Synth Britannia’ era and his production career, which allowed him to work with some of the world’s greatest singers, including Tina Turner. But it’s not just his life inside the industry which is compelling; a proud socialist, Martyn writes poignantly about politics – how it can be a soulful, personal, moral duty – and its role in his music creation and Britain today. With charming meditations on culture, humour, travel and sport, Martyn also shares his love of 60s films, explains why Venice is the most beautiful city in the world, and reveals how Sheffield Wednesday has forever been his first and eternal passion.

A huge page-turner and always warmly told, Electronically Yours sees Martyn talk candidly for the very first time about his extraordinary journey. Discover amusing anecdotes, raw confessions, and moving reflections of a life well and truly lived at the height of the music industry.