Blimey O'Riley, folks, is it really December again already? The lack-of-sleep-induced haze I write this in tells me it must be so, and let me tell you, this years 12 Tracks got off to a rocky start.

After 2014's massive undertaking, I made a point to try and keep a track ahead and make sure I'm prepared well before December 2nd. A couple of factors kinda mitigated that this time, with the most major being one entirely out of my control; early morning on November 28th, my uncle passed away in his sleep completely out of nowhere. To say it's hit the family hard is an understatement, and likewise it's going to hang over this Christmas season like a shadow. As you can imagine, I stress about coming up with song ideas or fearing whether I will or won't be able to make it through all 12 tracks without stumbling on the calmest of Decembers, so one fraught with personal tragedy only ramps up the stakes. But I know I'd never forgive myself if I threw in the towel before I even started and let grief wash over me; these albums have become a tradition over the last few years, and now more then ever I feel compelled to use my talents to spread joy and love and all that sort of business. Even as I slaved over this track for hours on end, frustrated beyond belief at points, I resolved not to give up. This years 12 tracks is going to Bang™ and absolutely nothing is going to stop me.

I kept ahold of elements from Humble Bumble with the intent of remixing somewhere down the line, even considering putting a remix release together with a few other artists. By self admission, however, I was a bit stuck for a starting point for this years album- not helped by the fact I'd not even settled on a theme until, like, today (and even then, a very loose one)- so when ideas for stuff I could do with Humble Bumble came to mind, I jumped at them. I had a few hiccups- that chopped break was the second one I attempted to use, as the first one I tried just did not want to flow smoothly no matter how I chopped it, and the simple act of building the main section's wonky bassline was an absolute goddamn nightmare- but ultimately I was blessed by the Gods Of No Program Crashes today, something for which I am truly grateful. And by and large, the remix came out exactly as it did in my head; it's more hype and dancefloor ready then the original, it's jam packed with buzzing, bee-like synths, and I finally got to use a Charlie Brooker sample in a song. I'm also far more proud of that sample of me saying "I felt like a HGV, trying to catch a Bumble Bee" then I have any right to be, because of course I would be.