Four letters you should remember... MASH.

It's officially year of the mash-up... you heard it here. Take it from me, you're going to start hearing these things everywhere.

What are they? Take a look at the most prominent mash-up so far, Jay Z and Linkin Park's mash of Encore with Numb. Then dive into the Internet ether and look for DJ DangerMouse's Gray Album.

Fusing the Beatles White Album with Jay Z's Black Album was a stroke of genius. Not asking permission... well, how many artists out there asked first before doing great things?

Which opens a can of worms I plan to scratch on a lot this year... if you pardon my metaphor.

All I'll say now is, for those of you who still shun downloading or burning CDs, take note. The future of music is alive and well online. If the music industry isn't ready, then I know which body is more likely to win the war of attrition.

Fans are loyal to good music. Full stop. And they remember those who fleaced them in the past.

The irony of the whole download debate is the cash-cow digital CD format which replaced vinyl, costing us all packets of money in buying new equpiment and new CDs, is the exact format which has turned around and bitten the industry in the arse.

That's kharma.

Can I get an Encore? Do you want more?

Sorry it took so long to write again. Call it poverty, call it post election depression. Call it lazy ass. Whatever it is, welcome to In Your Ears 2005! L.