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I'm talking about freedom in 3D, sonic technicolor laid out before you as far as the eye can see. This is a Paradise Garage type thing, liquid textures in sound glowing, twisting in psychedelic rhythm. Larry Levan behind the decks, pumping bass manoeuvres while the mirrorball casts reflections off each and every wall. Gwen Guthrie … Continue reading Paradise
In Loving Memory I'll remember being far from home Talkin' on the telephone You told me it's over, you made up your mind, I'm part of the life that you're leaving behind I'm left holding the torch And the heat from the flame, Only leaves me in pain Don't you know how much it hurts, … Continue reading The Flame
San Juan after dark We stumbled out into the rain-slicked streets, half-lit in the blur of dim lamps burning, dawn tucked somewhere beyond the rise. The sound of dub drifts from the portal to some basement club into the damp of night, mixing with the distant shades of piano and the jungle. Rhythm, bass pressure … Continue reading Streetlight, Streetlight
Looking down from the Georgia Street bridge, into North Park and the places where it all went down, the memories of the early days of Radio AG come flooding back. Georgia St. Bridge at night While uploading the first five episodes of Radio AG over the past few weeks, I was struck by how rough … Continue reading AG Memories: Rusty Waters
Station To Station Neon lights Shimmering neon lights And at the fall of night This city's made of lights Kraftwerk1 1. Kraftwerk. Neon Lights. The Man-Machine. Schneider, Florian, Karl Bartos and Ralf Hütter. Kling Klang, 1979. Vinyl. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqmGZ_6LaUw
Every sound seems bathed in vivid shades of color, as if glowing gently in the darkness. This comment that I made in passing, with regard to Yusef Lateef's Eastern Sounds, has been tumbling over and over in my mind since Thursday. I think it's because it so succinctly captures a very specific set of sonics … Continue reading Radiance Point
Yusef Lateef Eastern Sounds Prestige 1961 The other day (for obvious reasons) I get to thinking about Rudy Van Gelder's vast recording discography. The man practically defined what a bop-era jazz recording should sound like, even as he experimented with unorthodox methods for capturing the sounds he was after. Famously secretive about his recording techniques, … Continue reading Yusef Lateef – Eastern Sounds
During what's turned out to be an exceptionally busy week, I've been vibing out practically non-stop to Woebot's latest mix: Bands a make her dance.1 The mix's general brief is rapping with instruments inna live band stylee — stretching back through time all the way to the fifties — and it's an absolute burner, packed with incredible music spanning … Continue reading Fall Inna Bassbin
In June of 2005, I launched the Radio AG mixtape series. The plan was simply to provide family and friends with mixes full of music that they might enjoy. I'd rattle them off at varying intervals, sometimes only weeks apart while at others years would pass between installments. Over the years, the episodes began to … Continue reading Radio AG: The Archives