You and I need to talk. I've been gone for two months and I owe you an explanation about where I've been.

The last week of August I took my first vacation in something like seven or eight years. It's been the first time in ages that I've been able to unwind and completely relax. But something unexpected happened: I found I couldn't get back on the saddle.

Let me explain it this way. I've been producing an episode of solipsistic NATION nearly every single weekend for the last five years. That's 290 shows and sure, here and there I took a week off but otherwise I've been working on this show constantly.

Every day I spend a few hours sending out emails, making the rounds on Twitter and Facebook and reading electronic music blogs for ideas for future shows or just to take the pulse of the scene. And if I'm not doing that I'm either interviewing people for future shows or doing research for upcoming interviews.

And for the first time in five years I had a week where I didn't have to hustle. And after that week I realized how big solipsistic NATION had become and how much work goes into making each episode. It was paralyzing. Each week that went by without producing an episode of solipsistic NATION made the following weekend that much more difficult to face.

It's not that I don't enjoy doing solipsistic NATION, because I do. In fact, I've got some big plans in store for the show. But I can't go on like this. Something needs to change and I've got some exciting ideas I want to tell you about on a metacast I'll put out later this month.

In the meantime, I'm back, and I'm back with a bang! On today's show we'll talk with Raoul Sinier and hear a recording of him performing in Toulouse in 2009.

Like so many artists I really like, Ad Noiseam's Nicolas Chevreux introduced me to Raoul when I showcased his label way back in 2008. I was immediately smitten with his deft weaving of staccato glitches, chopped vocals and shattered vocals. After going offline for so long I figured I'd better deliver the good when I came back. Speak Onion let me know on Twitter that he's looking forward to today's show and that he digs Raoul's music.

I'm particularly sentimental about today's show because I interviewed Raoul on my birthday. Granted, I had to wake up at 4:30 am in the morning to accommodate the time difference between me in San Diego and Raoul in Paris. Nonetheless, I was pretty alert and had a good time talking with Raoul. It was a good start to one of the best birthdays I've had the pleasure of experiencing.

Enjoy Raoul's live set in Toulouse! Join us again next week when we'll showcase Dope Records.

See you then!

1. Raoul Sinier "Listen Close"
2. Raoul Sinier "The Incredible Spitting Machine"
3. Raoul Sinier "Huge Samurai Radish (Video Edit)"
4. Raoul Sinier "Green Lights"
5. Raoul Sinier "We Fly Part 2"
6. Raoul Sinier "Listen Close"
7. Raoul Sinier "Ants Mayhem"
8. Raoul Sinier "Live (Toulouse, April 24, 2009)"