On a daily basis, I find myself torn between that age-old question -- "Gangsta rap or Guillaume de Machaut?" -- so no, you aren't the only one. I'm not a genre snob, I like a lot of shit. I like a live performance better than a recorded one, and a spontaneous live performance even better. I also enjoy solitude and the absence of any music beyond what comes in through the window.

Here's what I listen to these days:

• Eels == my latest happy discovery
• early music, esp. madrigal and organ music, also anything by Alfred Deller (resurgence in countertenors hasn't lasted very long)
• the occasional pop hit
• Ravel, who would have liked perl
• Vaughn Williams, who would have preferred php
• lots of random techno mixed in with world music, eg Ancient Future (fave track = "Somaloka", get it while you can at mp3.com)

I like sitting down with a musical instrument and playing what I feel best of all.

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