colin.cymru

Here’s the thing. Nobody tells you that you’re retro, and you never quite know when it happens. I spent my early working life writing computer games for the ZX Spectrum, C64 and Commodore Amiga. I had some success, writing and programming Slightly Magic, Rock Star Ate my Hamster, both released by Codemasters. I also programmed versions of the ground-breaking Deus Ex Machina for Mel Croucher and Automata. The computer games industry in the UK contracted dramatically just when I was at my zenith, and I found myself becoming a tutor and writer. Time passed. It hit me when Retro Gamer Magazine contacted me for the second time to do a second article on one of my games – Ah, I get it. I’m now officially retro. You can’t change that, you’re no longer hip, cool, or even vaguely cutting edge. That kind of hurts. But then, another realisation hits like a careering mobility scooter on a dark pavement – You might be retro, but there’s one thing worse than being retro, and that’s being forgot

I've already written this post, but I thought it was a little unhip to release two blog posts on the same day, in the same timeslot, so I've held this back for the Blogger robots to release. However, a small delight should always be shared, and I am slightly delighted to have found most of my old Blogger posts and resurrected some of the less embarassing ones on this growing new blog device.  Things I have learnt during the past two years, part thirteen; Coffee is better freshly ground, by one's own hand (in a grinder, obvs) Just because a year sounds like an optician's diagnosis (20-20) doesn't mean it will be a good one Take a moment, see how you feel, and if what you're doing now doesn't make you either happy or richer, it might be time to move on Don't take my advice

It only seems right that I should mention my latest artistic endeavour - let's be honest, no one else is going to. Hold on to your hats, and set your alarm early for Wednesday, 1st of June. From 8.10 in the morning (don't ask), the world's music streaming services will echo to the silence of people not playing my new EP. Nôl is a 3 track EP from Sŵn Colin Jones - The Colin Jones Sound, featuring two traditional Welsh melodies (Ar Lan y Môr and Suo Gân) together with my new composition Nôl. I'm very happy with it. If you do have an idle fifteen minutes I'd say it's worth a listen. 

Here we go, getting busy again now. Here's an animation I made for the Cadw Sŵn Welsh course. Funnily enough it's in 4k, although I haven't actually seen it in that resolution yet. If you like it, please like it!

You'll have to excuse me, but this sort of thing doesn't happen that often, and I do get a little excited. My second Welsh-language novel, 'Coed y Brenin' has just reached number one in Amazon Uk's Welsh-language ebook charts. Woohoo!

Ooh look, it's Cwm Gwrachod - my new novel for Welsh learners. Bois bach!