iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 20h

Turns out my Macbook is not a fan of Ironwail specifically (thanks Apple!) but Quakespasm works more than perfectly, so I can officially get my Quake on. Still need to get Quake II sorted, but that can wait till tomorrow.

000

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I used to be well good at FPSes with a 2014 MacBook Pro keyboard. So let's try that again.

A 2014 MacBook Pro with Linux being installed on it

100

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Sold a track on bandcamp for the first time in a century yesterday. Surprisingly, it was this one, which I had almost cast out of my memory entirely! syndication.bandcamp.com/track/pengui...

syndication.bandcamp.com

Penguin City, by Syndication

track by Syndication

001

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Today's robot arrival is this neat KO of the Legends Fortress figure (the guy that becomes the big guy's head, for JP Headmasters shelf reasons.) Hips needed a little bit of sanding out the box, but otherwise fairly delighted!

The KO of Legends Fortress, in his 'head of Fortress Maximus' mode. No sound effects or lights, but I won't lose sleep about that.

100

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Bought some bits and bobs on Cults3D and got them printed up. My reputation as the 'Sunbow Accuracy Madman' is one I am incredibly proud of.

Buzzworthy Bumblebee deluxe Cliffjumper, now equipped with some leg extensions (by Kayembi) and a chest spoiler (by Robots78). Studio Series 86 Bumblebee has also had some mods, including the head from Devastation Bee, a rounded off bumper, and blue window toyhax.

The Datsun trio (Earthrise Bluestreak, SS86 Prowl and Earthrise Smokescreen) with a variety of alterations. Bluestreak has some new paint and toyhax, Prowl has the Achai Studio head, and Smokescreen has the Nonnef shoulder cannons. All three also have the more accurate Datsun headlights (by LazyEyebrow)

The big four Decepticons on their shelf. Soundwave's blaster barrel is modded to rotate to its usual orientation, Starscream's eyes have been repainted, Megatron has the DNA Design Optimus Prime fusion cannon jury-rigged onto his arm, with the Yolopark mace plugging nicely into his hand's ball socket. He also has a cheapish upgrade face I bought on AliExpress - three were included, but the yelling is my favourite. Finally, Shockwave has some bigger feet, courtesy of David Willis. You can actually see him now!

031

Reposted by Matthew Ashcroft

The Black Dog @theblackdog.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Very sad to hear that Martin (Vector Lovers) has passed away, he was a lovely bloke, many nights shared in Glasgow with the Soma Family. He'll be missed by many. R.I.P.

3315

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Rhyno by Travis Scott sounds less like it was made for GTA VI and more for a mid-to-late 90s shooter. This is a good thing.

000

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Heartbroken to learn Vector Lovers has left us. An incredible tunesmith and a lovely guy to boot. youtu.be/rRXSYE3PVXA?...

youtu.be

Vector Lovers - Warm Launderette (Soma 363d)

YouTube video by OfficialSomaRecords

000

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

This, the Fluffy Bagel mix of Superfly Guy by S’Express, and The Transformers: The Movie all in one day. Result!

000

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

A grand week for new robot fellas. All bar two of whom have already been customised in some way. I can't be stopped!

Studio Series MTMTE Collection Starscream, armed with the pistol from SS86 Megatron and THAT SMIRK. I painted his eyes red and hit the face with a matte topcoat. That's about it.

Studio Series MTMTE Collection Prowl, with a custom head by Achai Studio. Someone's in the background, pointing a weapon-shaped object at him

The MTMTE Collection Insecticons 3 pack, from left to right: Bombshell, Shrapnel and Kickback. The only mod I did here was painting Bombshell's waist.

010

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

This is genuinely the hardest I've laughed at *anything* in years

010

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Hasbro clearly aren't liking the DHS' deranged racist Optimus Prime poster

000

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Why did that trailer for *New and 100% More Welsh* Casualty look like it was done with a boatload of AI

100

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Popped into that new Lefties shop in Liverpool One. They played Sebastien Tellier followed by In Love With You by The Paradise, so I guess they like the music of France a lot

000

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

In Liverpool again because my wardrobe is looking a bit rough. I am very glad I bothered.

The record sleeve for the KLF remix of 'So Hard' by Pet Shop Boys, in a paper Rough Trade bag

000

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Picked up this KO of MP-57 from PrimetimeToyz, and pretty happy with it overall. Definitely a bit sketchy QC wise (the wing fell out, and there's a touch of yellowing on the leg) but it does the trick as a lavishly cartoon accurate Jetf-Skyfire.

010

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Today I realised my Siege Jetfire was packaged with four of the thin blast effects and none of the wide ones. I have owned that figure for five years. How.

The blast effects of Siege Jetfire. There should be three distinct blasts, but mine had four thin ones and two medium ones. Oops!

000

Reposted by Matthew Ashcroft

Chris DeRose @scratchyderose.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

“Be Strong enough to be gentle.” Peter Cullen tells the story of how his brother inspired the voice he would use to play Optimus Prime. It’s a simple yet poignant quote that sums up why Optimus and Peter are so beloved. Til All Are One. 💔

1757182641

Reposted by Matthew Ashcroft

Noppy @thomasnoppers.com · 27/08/2026

"Be strong enough to be gentle" Rust in peace Peter Cullen.

A colourful chill isometric drawing. hand drawn and coloured. Optimus is chilling, sitting behind a barn in a farmland. looking at the birds that just landed on his arm. It’s a nice summer sunset.

3394813487

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

We keep losing great people this week, and now someone whose voice, and whose stewardship of the character he was always associated with, had a colossal impact on myself and millions more, has left us. Farewell, Peter Cullen. www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie...

hollywoodreporter.com

Peter Cullen, Voice of Optimus Prime in ‘Transformers,’ Dies at 85

The theater-trained Canadian also created sounds for King Kong and the Predator and portrayed Eeyore, Winnie the Pooh's pal.

041

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Remember when Syndication made music? Pepperidge Farm remembers. (Not an official remix, just something I wanted to do as soon as I got my grubby mitts on the stems)

000

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Not Tim Curry too! What the shit is this week

010

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Inpost has still not delivered my Cliffjumper. I went to the depot today after being told by customer service it would be there, and whoops, the driver's taken it on his round without scanning it out. I am not confident I will ever own this guy

100

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

youtu.be/9govup-IG3c?... Just had to break the news about Dolly Parton to the whole house, and it feels like it knocked the stuffing out of all of us, which is a testament to how bloody incredible she was.

youtu.be

A Message from the Family of Dolly Parton

YouTube video by Dolly Parton

000

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Today's rather slapdash custom is some additions to Wheeljack! Repainted the windows a bit and lobbed on the Go Better Studio upgrade kit, although I'm too fond of my bizarre kitbashed rocket launcher to swap that out just yet.

Selects G1 Wheeljack, with additional paint on the chest to make it more curved, new back wings and filler pieces from Go Better Studio, and a cannon hacked together from a Nonnef set and Siege Sideswipe's missile.

000

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Brb, making the 12 minute deconstructed dub version of this my brain is convinced the world needs

000

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

I have the terrible feeling that Inpost have lost the Buzzworthy Cliffjumper I got on eBay. Not fun, despite their genuinely helpful customer service folks

000

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Sprayed my Earthrise Cliffjumper with a fresh coat of shiny red paint today, only for the custom to become entirely pointless when I won the Buzzworthy version, which I was trying to recreate, on t’eBay. …Time to research obscure Cliffjumper redecos!

000

Reposted by Matthew Ashcroft

Terrence O'Brien @terrenceobrien.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Elektron's more expensive gear get all the attention, but beginners shouldn't overlook the company's underrated bargain grooveboxes.

2184

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Bought a couple of @nonnef.com upgrades at TFN. They were out of the bigger Wheeljack sets, so I kitbashed the G1 toy one with a Siege Sideswipe missile for cartoon-grade artillery. Very happy with how it came out!

Earthrise Smokescreen and Selects Wheeljack, upgraded with shoulder cannon upgrades by Nonnef Productions. Both have been painted white, and Wheeljack's cannon has been modified using the missile from Siege Sideswipe.

010

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

I'm putting together a tea- sorry, a website. I will hopefully have it up soon and it will discuss the many things that fascinate me in life. In other words, records and transformers. It also has a agonisingly laboured pun for a domain. SOON!

000

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

The 84-85 Autobot shelf has been reassembled, and the inhabitants are looking a lot more... Sunbow-y. More to come on the ones I customised soon!

A shelf including the complete lineup of Autobots from the 1984-1985 seasons of The Transformers. A lot of the figures have been customised - some very subtly, and others getting a complete overhaul

020

Reposted by Matthew Ashcroft

Paul Robichaud 🪨🐐 @pjrobichaud.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Writer and illustrator Tove Jansson was born #OTD in 1914. Her Moomintroll books were a formative influence on my childhood. 🎨 Illustration for ‘Finn Family Moomintroll’ (1948)

Colour illustration of Papa Moomintroll playing an accordion while other characters dance beneath the trees

826974

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

My latest custom feels like it's come out of a nightmare where Hasbro finally does a Studio Series 86 Grapple, but the deco team use Auto Berserk as the reference.

Earthrise Grapple, slightly repainted into the earlier cartoon model from the episode 'Auto Berserk' (the helmet is black with yellow ears, the windows are light blue toyhax, and the feet have been painted silver, as has his claw)

010

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

The mighty William Orbit has left us. He produced one of my favourite pieces of music ever for U2, and his discography was filled with treasures like it. He'll be sorely missed youtu.be/F4gUkN4Ohho?...

youtu.be

U2 - Electrical Storm (Directors Cut)

YouTube video by U2VEVO

010

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

The night mode on my phone camera is great at making green Lio Convoy look far brighter in the dark then he actually is.

The green version of New Legends Lio Convoy, glowing in the dark. It's far less bright in real life, but night mode on the OnePlus phones makes it look brighter than the sun.

010

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

My TFNation withdrawal is so bad that I'm seriously considering the four hour train ride to Swindon for November's shindig. Good grief

220

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

The Technobots are unboxed! And as always, their nylon pieces do not like the light in my room, so I initially thought they'd yellowed to oblivion. Strafe definitely has though, so he's got a date with a can of white spray paint coming up.

The Unite Warriors Technobots. From left to right: Nosecone, Lightspeed, Scattershot, Strafe and Afterburner.

The combined form of the Technobots, Unite Warriors Computron.

110

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Had a marvellous time at TFNation, and here's some robots and all. Loved the panels I went to (I could listen to Scott Brownlee talk about vintage audio equipment for the rest of my days) and great seeing many familiar faces, even if I didn't get to say hi to some. Roll on next time!

My haul of robot goodies from TFNation 2026. From left to right: the Target 2026 book by TMUK, a Rodimus charm by Herzspalter, the 2009 reissue of G1 Piranacon, core class Steeljaw (who's fallen over) G2 Archforce, a bookmark of Tarn also by Herzspalter, the 2006 reissue of G2 Battle Convoy aka Laser Optimus, Unite Warriors Computron, RID01 W.A.R.S., G1 Dogfight, core class Wheelie, and the recently released New Legends Green Lio Convoy. Phew!

010

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Not too far from Birmingham now, looking forward to seeing everyone at TFNation!

A guy on a train to Birmingham. Repping Manchester United, because all my Transformers shirts are weirdly thick cotton and it's too warm for that

000

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

I'll see you all at TFNation tomorrow! Ready to gawp at robots, hopefully meet a lot of folks I know from here and discord, and almost certainly have to leg it for connecting trains

000

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Got one more custom finished before the trip to TFN tomorrow - Sunbow colours Mirage! Essentially slapped the colours of the upcoming three pack one onto Siege lol. Very happy with it.

Siege Mirage, repainted into cartoon colours. Alterations include grey blue chest, knees and feet, and white forearms.

130

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Ah crap, gutted to hear we've lost Kavinsky. One of the best to do it

010

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

I have just crossed the '24 hours of owing AOTP Powerglide' mark, and his head has already been primed, painted, topcoated and put back in situ. Very happy with the results.

Age of the Primes Powerglide, now with a flat light grey on the face instead of a mix of dark grey plastic and metallic silver.

000

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Been customising my robots again. Ironhide got a fresh shade of red and some Nonnef upgrades, and Prowl got the Achai custom head. Happy days!

Earthrise Ironhide, customised into a brighter shade of red, with an opaque blue windshield chest, and Nonnef Productions upgrades fitted - specifically the van wheels and converting feet

Earthrise Prowl, now adorned with the Achai Studio custom head. I did modify the head slightly so that the helmet sits at an angle, and I repainted the whole thing too.

000

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

I had Argentina in the work sweepstakes, and even I was rooting all the way for Spain at the end of that

001

Matthew Ashcroft @syndication.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

If you need a particularly blatant example of how rough Hasbro UK’s delays have gotten, most places are now saying Retro Outback is due the end of September. I preordered him *last October!*

000

Reposted by Matthew Ashcroft

Liam Thorp @liamthorp.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Since Reform UK swept to power on St Helens Council in May... - One councillor who was revealed to have a side hustle as an adult film star resigned - One councillor revealed to have been found guilty of assault - Cabinet member resigns - Council cancelled Pride and Refugee Week events

liverpoolecho.co.uk

Second Reform UK councillor quits Merseyside council

Resignation of cabinet member follows departure of newly elected councillor in May

76920