Kamran Samimi

This week on Mixtape Memories, I'm joined by Sandra Fish! Sandra has spent more than 25 years working at the intersection of prison reform and end-of-life care. She’s taught inside Rikers Island, sat in on parole hearings and classrooms, worked with people returning home from prison, and spent years working inside San Quentin. Her dedication to this work ultimately led to the founding of the Humane Prison Hospice Project, an organization that trains incarcerated individuals as peer caregivers, providing compassionate end-of-life care to those inside the prison system. And, as luck would have it, our paths crossed at the magical Steep Ravine campground, where you’ll often find Sandra working as the resident camp host. And if all of that isn’t enough, she’s also an accomplished actor and writer. I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to chat with Sandra about her life, her work, and the experiences that have shaped her. I hope you enjoy this fascinating songversation with Sandra Fish.⁠Sandra's Mixtape Playlist⁠Please consider supporting ⁠Humane Prison Hospice Project⁠⁠Humans of San Quentin⁠⁠Bonafide⁠Thoughts? Questions? Guest suggestions? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MIXTAPE-MEMORIES.COM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mixtape Memories Game App⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mixtape Memories: A Songversation Game⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This week on Mixtape Memories, I’m joined by Sarah Platt-Finger! Sarah is a master yoga teacher, co-founder of ISHTA Yoga, and Director of Yoga at The Gaja Collective. I had the pleasure of connecting with Sarah at a retreat in Costa Rica at Moongate, a project very near to my heart, created by a dear friend Cynthia Crummer. Sarah was teaching yoga there, and I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to experience her teaching firsthand. Sarah has dedicated her life to helping people connect more deeply with themselves, seeing yoga not just as something we do on a mat, but as a way of understanding how we move through the world. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to chat with Sarah for the show and hope you enjoy this lovely songversation!Learn more about SarahSarah's Mixtape PlaylistPlease consider supporting Exhale to InhaleThoughts? Questions? Guest suggestions? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MIXTAPE-MEMORIES.COM⁠⁠⁠⁠Mixtape Memories Game App⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mixtape Memories: A Songversation Game⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This week on Mixtape Memories, I’m joined by Karman Samimi! Kamran is an incredible multidisciplinary artist that I had the pleasure of meeting during his time at the Djerassi artist residency. In fact, he was on the verge of splitting an enormous boulder when we first connected!His stone-centered practice explores some pretty big questions, not the least of which are the tensions between creation and destruction, attachment and letting go, and ultimately, the very human question of what it means to be alive in a world that is constantly changing.As you can imagine, we cover a lot of territory in this chat. Please enjoy this fantastic songversation!Learn more about ⁠Kamran⁠Kamran's Mixtape PlaylistThoughts? Questions? Guest suggestions? ⁠⁠⁠⁠MIXTAPE-MEMORIES.COM⁠⁠Mixtape Memories Game App⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mixtape Memories: A Songversation Game⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This week on Mixtape Memories, I’m joined by one of my dearest friends, Oliveyah Fisch. She is truly one of one and I’m so glad we finally sat down together for this conversation because she is doing some really important work in the world. I’m obviously biased here, but you don’t have to take my word for it. She has helped countless clients create meaningful success and lasting change in their careers and their lives.Her latest book, Spiritual Heartbeat: The Ultimate Requirement for Success, explores the deeper dimensions of how we can create that kind of shift in our own lives—and ultimately have the kind of meaningful impact I think we desperately need right now.⁠She also hosts the Be Human Medicine podcast, which I have the privilege of helping produce, and has created an incredible online resource through the Be Human Medicine app. Please enjoy this joyful songversation!Learn more about OliveyahOliveyah’s Mixtape PlaylistPlease consider supporting:LuminaraThoughts? Questions? Guest suggestions? ⁠⁠⁠⁠MIXTAPE-MEMORIES.COM⁠⁠Mixtape Memories Game App⁠⁠⁠⁠Mixtape Memories: A Songversation Game⁠⁠⁠⁠

This week on Mixtape Memories, I’m joined by the lovely and talented Jillian Knox!  Jillian is an interdisciplinary artist and creative polymath whose work lives at the intersection of food, culture, and memory. She spent a decade curating vintage fashion and home décor in her online store before channeling her eye for history and texture into the world of food, fashion, and prop styling. Her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, Southern Living, and Real Simple, and she has contributed to more than 14 acclaimed cookbooks. Her projects have earned James Beard Foundation Media Award recognition, and in 2022 she was named a Top Creator by Black Women in Food. That same year, Jillian self-published her own cocktail book, Cocteles de Temporada, under her luxury homewares brand Casa Ojo. Please enjoy this wonderful songversation!Jillian's Mixtape PlaylistLearn more about Jillian and Casa Ojo⁠Please consider supporting: Simply the Basics⁠⁠⁠⁠Mixtape Memories: A Songversation Game⁠⁠⁠⁠Thoughts? Questions? Guest suggestions? ⁠⁠⁠⁠MIXTAPE-MEMORIES.COM⁠⁠

This week on Mixtape Memories, I’m joined by the wonderful Sarah St. Clair. Sarah shares her truly inspiring story of turning a period of incarceration into a life defined by redemption, forgiveness, and transformation. She has since written a book and created a mentorship program to help others find strength and meaning through physical fitness. These days, you can find her competing in long-distance open water swimming and facilitating growth as a leadership coach and Learning Operations Manager. Please enjoy this uplifting songversation!Sarah's Mixtape PlaylistPlease consider supporting:Becoming the Better You⁠⁠⁠⁠Mixtape Memories: A Songversation Game⁠⁠⁠⁠Thoughts? Questions? Guest suggestions? ⁠⁠⁠⁠MIXTAPE-MEMORIES.COM⁠⁠

This week on Mixtape Memories, I’m joined by the supremely talented Ernst Lima. An incredible trans media artist and composer whose work truly challenges the boundaries of what we perceive as physical and virtual.Based in Vienna, Austria, Lima crafts intricate spatial collages. Imagine: drawings, prints, and sound installations all speaking to each other. Their influential work has been recognized internationally, featured at venues like Sotheby’s Artist Quarterly in Vienna and Friche la Belle de Mai in Marseille. A testament to their impact, Lima is the recipient of multiple awards, including the START grant for media art, the Bildrecht Young Artist Award, and most recently, the 2024 Eric Grabner Art Prize. And if you happened to be at the Lyon Biennale this year, you would have experienced their exceptional sound design on Robert Gabris’ video work.We have a wide ranging conversation and I can’t wait for you to experience Lima’s story and her music….which you can get a taste of at the end of the episode where we will feature the song Change Of Meadows from their latest album My Soul is My Terror.Learn more about LimaLima's Mixtape Playlist⁠⁠⁠Mixtape Memories: A Songversation Game⁠⁠⁠Thoughts? Questions? Guest suggestions? ⁠⁠⁠MIXTAPE-MEMORIES.COM⁠

This week on Mixtape Memories, I’m joined by the amazing and multi-talented Michael Eades!Michael runs YK Records, a boutique indie label in Nashville that’s been helping make the unheard heard since 2009. He also leads We Own This Town, a podcast network rooted in community, curiosity, and storytelling. He’s built it into more than just his own voice — it’s a curated space for diverse perspectives, thoughtful conversations, and deep dives into music, culture, and everything in between.Beyond his behind-the-scenes roles, Michael hosts episodes of YK World, a podcast where he explores “the gloop of music, tech, art, and worthwhile divergences” — those fuzzy, fascinating spaces where the unexpected lives.And as if that weren’t enough, Michael curates a fantastic blog at Yewknee.com, which has quickly become my go-to source for the weird, wonderful curiosities and creativity that once defined the early internet.Needless to say, Mixtape Memories was made for someone like Michael, and I can’t wait for you to hear this songversation!Michael's Mixtape PlaylistResources:The YK Guide to Releasing Records 101YK RELEASE PLANNER TEMPLATEReply All EpisodeFilter WorldPlease consider supporting:The Vermin Sanctuary Dark Matter Collective⁠⁠⁠Mixtape Memories: A Songversation Game⁠⁠⁠Thoughts? Questions? Guest suggestions? ⁠⁠⁠MIXTAPE-MEMORIES.COM⁠

Today on Mixtape Memories, I’m joined by the one and only Daniel Blacktree. Daniel is a San Francisco–based creator of videos, music, and podcasts—including this one—and one half of the duo You Tell Me, the brilliant minds behind the Mixtape Memories theme song.Daniel has been instrumental in bringing this show to life, and I’m thrilled to finally turn the mic his direction. He’s one of the most generous humans I know—a true friend to all—and, as you’re about to hear, he’s got a voice made for radio. We share plenty of obsessions, but music—and how it shapes who we are—is at the heart of it all.Daniel's Mixtape Playlist⁠⁠⁠Mixtape Memories: A Songversation Game⁠⁠⁠Thoughts? Questions? Guest suggestions? ⁠⁠⁠MIXTAPE-MEMORIES.COM⁠

Today on Mixtape Memories, I’m joined by Margot James. Margot is an Oakland-based singer-songwriter whose debut album, Talker, was released last year. It has been on heavy rotation around here and it’s one of those records that somehow feels deeply personal but instantly relatable at the same time. We talk about how the album came together, the stories that shaped it, and a few songs that have shaped her along the way. It’s a wonderfully open and thoughtful conversation about voice, vulnerability, motherhood and the creative process. It was such a joy to have this songversation with Margot, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! And make sure you stay tuned to the end of the episode to catch a track  off the album called Pinky Fingers.Talker albumMargot's Mixtape PlaylistPlease consider supporting: Equity Allies for OUSDOakland Public Education Fund⁠⁠Mixtape Memories: A Songversation Game⁠⁠Thoughts? Questions? Guest suggestions? ⁠⁠MIXTAPE-MEMORIES.COM⁠