Back from Radlett with Tom E, mixing the first few songs for the new Fosca album. One lesson learned: it’s all very well putting down 47 separate instruments on a song (I’ve Agreed To Something I Shouldn’t Have), but mixing the thing takes about 47 times longer. By the time you’ve finalised the correct treatment of Hank Marviny Guitar #3, you’ve forgotten all about Kevin Shieldsy Guitar or Jimi Hendrixy Guitar or Juno 6 Synth Pretending To Be A Glockenspiel #9.

The simplest song of the batch, Kim, contains more or less the same amount of instruments as the version we’ve been playing live, albeit with Tom playing my guitar parts due to my – as Mr Bowie says on the back cover of Hunky Dory – inability. Kim was the fastest to mix and, strangely, sounds the most impressive. It must be that we’ve given the song room to breathe.

It doesn’t help that some days I turn up to the studio telling Tom “make it sound like Phil Spector”, while on other days I say, “make it sound like Nico’s solo albums.”

Nico produced by Spector? Hmm. I suppose that’s more or less the Spector-produced Leonard Cohen album, Death Of A Ladies’ Man. Which Mr S and Mr C all but disowned.

I, however, rather like it.