Once news emerged that January would bring a new album from David Bowie, our plan was always to sit down with Bowie fans / obsessives John Bereton (organiser of the recent Bowie Fest at the Grand Social in Dublin) and State's Dara Higgins to discuss both it and the singer's career. Of course events took an unexpected and tragic turn but we were determined to press on. Along with our editor-in-chief Phil Udell, the pair look at the sad majesty of Blackstar, Bowie's '70s heyday against the decades that followed, Tin Machine and his unassailable legacy. We also asked them to come up with five tracks each that they felt summed up the man and his music, an impossible task which has resulted in the more expansive playlist to be found below. RIP Starman.

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Producer: Brendan Rehill
Edited & Mixed: Steve McEvoy
Theme: Kobina