will.i.am : Interview 01.15.02 (part 1)

Frosty interviews experimental, electronic musician Markus Popp from the group Oval. Tune in!

This program is part of the dublab’s early archives. Enjoy “Twilight Circus Dub Sound System Interview”

Joe Rihn is a DJ, musician and writer with endless enthusiasm for his hometown of Los Angeles. His show Audio Days explores the wide world of electronic music and beyond with particular attention to artists pushing the boundaries of sound. In this special interview episode of Audio Days, influential UK artist Mark Stewart discusses his body of work, his creative processes and the music that has inspired him along the way. After beginning his career as the frontman of Bristol’s celebrated post-punk band The Pop Group, Stewart went on to break new ground in electronic music through his work with dub producer and On-U Sound Records head, Adrian Sherwood, along with drummer Keith LeBlanc, bassist Doug Wimbish and guitarist Skip McDonald. Having performed as members of the Sugar Hill Records house band on early hip hop classics including “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, LeBlanc, Wimbish and McDonald provided the instrumental foundation for Stewart’s 1985 album, “As the Veneer of Democracy Starts to Fade,” as well as other projects such as Tackhead and Fats Comet. With his new record “VS.,” which releases April 8, 2022 on Emergency Hearts, Stewart continues in that collaborative spirit. In addition to including names like KK Null, Stephen Mallidner and Mike Watt in its roster of uncompromising artists, VS. features contributions from late musicians Lee “Scratch” Perry and Mika Vainio. Following the hour-long interview segment, this episode features a mix of industrial, synth-wave and left-field cuts from the orbit of Mark Stewart and beyond.

To explore the music, life, and genius of the late Judee Sill, as well as discuss the new documentary about her, LA-based musician Aaron M Fernandez Olson sits down with Judee’s lifelong friend and fellow musician, Tommy Peltier, and the film’s co-director, Brian Lindstrom. Together, they converse on the subject of Judee while listening to her songs. The film, Lost Angel: The Genius Of Judee Sill, will be in select theaters and streamable on April 12, 2024, and you can find Tommy and Aaron playing music around L.A. at various times and places as well. For information on the film’s screening dates/times/venues, please visit the film’s website.

Atlas is a monthly show hosted by Barbarelle in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Connecting different parts of the world with obscure tracks, Barbarelle takes us through a deep and evolving sonic landscape. From Ambient, Experimental and Jazz, to Latin, African and Middle East sounds, this imaginary musical journey evoques the -both subtle and deep- connection between worlds, existent and imaginary. In celebration of 25 years of Moon Safari, Barbarelle travels from Buenos Aires to Paris to meet and have an inspiring conversation with JB Dunckel and Nicolas Godin from the french band AIR to talk about their new tour and their music and inspiration. This AIR special also features all music by them – Barbarelle selects her favorite songs, as AIR is her favorite band! Thanks JB Dunckel, Nicolas Godin, Thierry, Ferreol and Radio Nova. Special thanks to Peter for sound recording.

It was a treat to chat with the minds behind one of the coolest and most significant stores in rave and NYC history. From the early 1990s until the close of its second location in 1999, Liquid Sky was a clothing shop, a record store, a hang-out zone, a permanent art installation—it was a lot of things to a lot of young people, the grandest of countercultural “third places” the 90s saw. Their store merch was home to Claudia Rey’s one-of-a-kind pieces of street fashion (a lot of it predating the term itself), and to Carlos “Soul Slinger’s” expertly curated vinyl selections, much of it exclusive DJ imports that became a ground zero for British jungle and avant-garde breaks for NYC and, indeed, America. Stick around until the end of the interview for a mini-mix of tracks from the Weä album “Decentertainment,” a milestone release in the illbient genre from Liquid Sky’s own label. Liquid Sky is/was: Rey & Carlos

On May 3rd 2023, UCLA hosted a conversation between Xuman (aka Gunman Xuman) and Samuel Lamontagne. Xuman is a social activist and legend of Senegalese Hip Hop, who’s been active for over thirty years. He’s a member of the pioneer group Pee Froiss, and besides his solo career, also created the Journal Rappé for which he’s internationally known. The conversation happened in Royce Hall and covered Xuman’s roots and upbringing, the history of Hip Hop in Senegal, and how Hip Hop is an important medium to build solidarity across the African Diaspora. *After Xuman returned to Dakar, Senegal, protests broke out as Ousmane Sonko, the main opponent to the current Senegalese president, was imprisoned. Senegalese people are protesting so that Macky Sall doesn’t run for a third unconstitutional term. The protests were violently quashed by the police, and multiple restrictions have been placed on social media by the government. #FreeSenegal

Who, what and indeed where is Can? Krautrock legends bring The Can Lost Tapes (Mute), due out imminently. The band’s founder/chief theoretician Irmin Schmidt discusses the whys and wherefores; Can archival engineer Jono Podmore, also of analog electronic band Metamono, spins tracks from Metamono’s new Parcel Post EP (Instrumentarium Records). For more from John Payne, check out bluefat.com

This is an interview Jana Hunter in the early stages of their music career. Jana is a non-binary indie acoustic/folk musician based in Baltimore and the founder of the band Matty and Mossy. Hunter was signed to Gnomonsong, a record label run by Devendra Banhart and Vetiver’s Andy Cabic. Hunter’s solo debut album Blank Unstaring Heirs of Doom was the label’s debut release. In 2007 Hunter founded an independent record label based in Houston, Texas, Feow! Records, with musicians Matthew Brownlie of Bring Back the Guns and Arthur Bates of Houston band Wicked Poseur.

This program is part of the dublab’s early archives. Enjoy this episode from Frosty’s Celsius Drop radio show.