It’s a new year, 2025, or is it 1997 again? It is every Friday night in my house as I continue to follow the Top of the Pops repeats on BBC4. Some of you are probably fed up of my regular updates about who just made their debut on the show, or who was number one this week (but not this week ofc, that week).
I’ll be honest, you can expect to hear more from me on the matter in the coming months because 1997 was a significant year in music for me. I bought my first chart single, Hanson’s ‘I Will Come To You’ (no shame) from Falcon Records (RIP) in the Dolphin Centre, Poole, started reading music magazines and watching TOTP each week of my own accord.
Music has a unique ability to transport us back and forth in time from track to track. This space will continue to be a celebration of the old and the new. In the spirit of the here and now, I’ve posted the first edition of my mixtape for 2025. It’s an eclectic mix that goes some way to capture the duality of January as a month. The bright eyed optimism of a new year vs the crushing bleak mid winter. Dance and/or cry, let it all out.
Liam Toms 