In the real world wall may have come tumbling down but the systems remain intact. How much ever really changes? Musically, 1990 saw a number of highspots. Dance in particular dominated the charts to the point where it began to seem like we were being fed an endless stream of interchangeable images. At the other end of the scale Country Music, with which I’ve been renewing an old acquaintance, polarised my thinking much as it had done before: The good is great – real emotion, stories and lives are being revealed – while Nashville Mainstream, despite lots of quality playing and singing, seldom transcend a morass of mediocre safeness.

Gigwise ones that stick in the memory include K.D. Lang. Steve Earle and Buck Owens at the Stadium and An Emotional Fish at Malahide Festival – just one aspect of a thriving mix of home talent that made the year an especially interesting one for Irish music. Electronic music highlights were provided by KLF and ‘What Time Is Love?’ (in all its variations!), Hoodlum Priest, Urban Dance Squad, Bassomatic and the Shamen. Also excellent were Geoffrey Orycha’s ‘Exile’, Mouth Music and Dead Can Dance to name but a few. Finally, personally it was a great buzz to receive the Hot Press/Smithwicks design award – it’s always nice to know somebody out there appreciates what you’re doing. Take care.