Going into the New Year it looks as if the Teutonic stranglehold on electro-music is threatened. Best sellers include records from France, Japan and U.S.A. according to distributors and mail order companies. Could any talent emerge from the U.K. in 1982 — in the serious electro-music field that is? Through the YHR cassette scheme run by David Elliott, a few fine British talents have already been uncovered. Perhaps to ensure recognition they should change their names to Klaus... Wolfgang or Eberhard!

Rumour has it that Bernard Szagner is discussing his future with Virgin Records. With the obvious signs of trouble in the Branson empire and with legions of Virgin musicians (past and present) lamenting their royalty situation... maybe he should think hard. In the meantime Virgin are still trying to recoup the advance they paid Mute's Daniel Miller for DAF. For his part Miller was only too pleased to get rid of the idiosyncratic German band.

A bombshell for many of the European Indie distributors handling K. Schulze's I.C. label. After promoting, and in some cases advertising the new I.C. releases, the distributors were shattered by the news that they were going to be licensed through a major. Quite a volte face for the avowed major company haters.

Recent visit to New York proved that synthesisers are selling as fast as MacDonalds! Packed shops with virtual conveyor belt systems meting out instruments to thousands of punters. No wonder good sounds are beginning to be heard from the other side of the Big Pond.

The Kuckuck label with its beautiful sounds is becoming a power in the land — a Kitaro double LP has followed "Silence Is The Answer" into the best sellers.

Program makers' favourite band Jade Warrior are apparently contemplating a Fairlight CMI. The Beeb's Radiophonic Workshop has just bought one too. Doyen of the CMI, David Vorhaus, is reportedly taking the opportunity of an enforced convalescence, following a hang glider accident, to produce THE definitive CMI album. An intriguing prospect.

Congratulations to many of the Our Price shops in the London area for introducing synthesiser sections into their stores. Each month we want to feature shops throughout the country stocking electro-music; please drop me a line if your shop merits a mention.