Ins & outs

VIDEO MADE THE CHART STAR The UK Singles Chart is changing its rules again: video streams will now count towards chart positions. Given that a lot of people discover new music on YouTube and the like, this makes sense, though an official video still has to chalk up 600 views to register just one ‘sale’.

MONOTRON MOD ROCKS If you thought the Korg Monotron was a limited synth, check out Harry Axten’s Monotron Keyboard, which contains two octaves’ worth of keys and sounds more than reasonable. More impressive is that he created the whole thing during his final year at university.

ON A ROLI Sony has a pretty good track record in the music listening field – remember the Walkman? – but now they’re taking an interest in music tech with an investment in ROLI. We’re not sure where this partnership could take them, but we’re watching with interest.

SHAPE OF LOO What do you do when caught short in the middle of a gig? If you’re Ed Sheeran, you nip off stage to relieve yourself. The looperloving scamp had to hit the urinals a couple of times during his recent Cardiff show, leaving fans to wait while he emptied his bladder.

VALE AWAY The BBC’s Maida Vale Studios have played host to some amazing sessions and the Radiophonic Workshop, but faced with high refurb costs, they’re set to close. However, they’ll be replaced by a new facility at London’s Olympic Park.

NO-GLASTO BLUES There was a Glastonbury-shaped hole in our schedules this year that no other festival quite managed to fill. Of course, we had the World Cup to distract us for a while, but we’re guessing England will have been knocked out by the time you read this…