PIG ‘Sinsation’ (JVC, 1995)

The love affair started with ‘Flaming Desire’. The single got played on the radio at least once, possibly more, and had me swooning with its propulsive rhythms, swirling synths and croonerish vocal – a weirder version of Blancmange, Yazoo on speed.

For some reason, at the tail end of last year, the song ‘So Alive’ got lodged in my head.

A proper best-kept secret, 1980s Edinburgh outfit WIN are the greatest band most people have never heard of

Born on a transatlantic flight layover in 1959, from the moment he took his first breath there was always going to be something a little different about Nick Nicely.

As a fledgling fanzine writer, it seemed implausible that anyone would send anything resembling decent music to an outpost on the Wirral.