Episodes
Tuesday Apr 29, 2014
Dub Night: Transmission 115, 2014 April 14
Tuesday Apr 29, 2014
Tuesday Apr 29, 2014
Back in January--it must have been--DJ Leon and I were talking radio over a pint and decided to do a collaborative show sometime. I thought at the time that "sometime" would probably happen in a few days. But here we are, in April, and "Dub Night" is finally upon us. Listen to this one with your "large bins" engaged.
This was pretty much improvisational, and a lot of good material went unused. So of course we'll have to do it again. Sometime.
My initiation into reggae was sort of backwards, as many of my initiations have been. I knew and loved dub well before I developed a taste for roots. As I mention in the program, Linton Kwesi Johnson was the catalyst; I loved the old On-U Sound records, especially Dub Syndicate and Singers & Players, as well. What I didn't think to mention in the program was that I had "formative radio experiences" with two great reggae DJs at my hometown station.
One was Gary Saylin, who, I think, might still be there. He had a daytime weekend show on which he played roots, ska, African, and Hawaiian (!) music. It was a really upbeat show, but I was too heavy & depressed to truly appreciate it fully back in the day.
Then there was Nahum Chandler, a.k.a. "The Sorcerer," who brought the heavy heaviness on Sunday nights. He was a poet as well, which fit perfectly with the LKJ / Bovell stuff he would occasionally play, as well as Michael Smith, whose record graces this program. I do have a faint recollection of walking into the studio one night, after having come on board, and seeing a mysterious cloud hovering beneath the studio ceiling one night when the Sorcerer was at the controls. I say "faint" because I don't fully trust my recollection and don't want to get him in trouble; that would have been against the rules, don't you know.
I am neither as smiley as Gary nor as substantial as the Sorcerer. I can only be neurotic and distracted self, with a little help from time to time.
BOMBAST playlist, 2014 April 14, 1900-2100
- "Dub Poem" | Mutabaruka | The Mystery Unfolds | Tuff Gong
- "Janet Dub" | Billy Boyo | The Very Best of Me | L & R
- "Harder Shade of Black" | Augustus Pablo | Santic + Friends: An Even Harder Shade of Black | Pressure Sounds
- "Reminiah Dub" | Sly and the Revolutionaries | Reminah Dub | Original Music
- "Picture or No Picture" | Michael Smith | Mi Cyaan Believe It | Mango UK | "Physical Evidence"
- "Dub Fire" | Aswad | Crucial Tracks (Best of Aswad) | Mango
- "Original Raggamuffin Dub" | Michael Prophet / Scion Success / John Holt | Super Star Mix Tp. 2 | Life Music
- "Ai Bod" | Llwybr Llaethog | Da! | Side Effects
- "Streets of Gold (Version)" | The Heptones | release unknown | label unknown
- "Ganja Smuggling Version" | Roots Radics Band | Ganja Smuggling | Jah Guidance
- "Black 'n' White" / "Mi Feel It" | Michael Smith | Mi Cyaan Believe It | Mango UK | "Physical Evidence"
- "Old Time Dub" | Mungo's Hi-Fi | Sound System Champions | Scotch Bonnet
- "Free 1" | Sound Iration | Sound Iration In Dub | WAU! Mr. Modo
- "Immortal Drums" | Bongo Herman | Soldier Round the Corner | TEEM
- "Fire" | 23 Skidoo | Urban Gamelan | Illuminated
- "Only Jah Dub" | Roots Radics Meet Soul Syndicate | In Dub | Razor Sound
- "Three Blind Mice" / "Three Times Three" | Leo Graham | Shocks of Mighty 1969-1974 | Attack
- "Headline News" | Mikey Dread | African Anthem | Cruise
- "Looks Like We're Shy One Horse / Shoot Out" | Colourbox | Baby I Love You So | 4AD
- "Cosmic Jugalbandi (Part 1)" | Suns of Arqa | Solar Activity 1979-2001 | EMI
- "Black Heart" | Keith Hudson & Soul Syndicate | Heavyweight Sound | Blood & Fire
- "Satan Side" | The Dub Syndicate | Classic Selection Volume 1 | On-U Sound
- "Love & Fire" | Ruts DC / Mad Professor | Dub or Die Vol:2 | ROIR
- "Give Me Little Dub Music" | Michael Smith | Mi Cyaan Believe It | Mango UK | "Physical Evidence"
Friday Apr 25, 2014
Vocoders in the Spring: Transmission 114, 2014 April 13
Friday Apr 25, 2014
Friday Apr 25, 2014
As I think I have explained before--but who knows? I cannot retain anything these days--sometimes I am on the air as a pretense for getting other things done at the station. This was such a time. The computer needed special attention, and DJ Dronestrike was grounded, so there I was, as I so often seem to be.
It's a safe bet--though I don't know where you would book it--that some anomalous stuff happened during this broadcast. And I don't mean Tom Snyder's Manson interview. But we are what we are, at this point. That His Name Is Alive track comes dangerously close to the irony I once promised not to deliver, but I do like it. I do.
BOMBAST playlist, 2014 April 13, 2300-0100 April 14:
- "Dream Topping" | The Durutti Column | The Guitar and Other Machines | Factory Once
- "No Accommodation for Lagos" | Tony Allen & Afrika 70 | No Accommodation for Lagos | Kindred Spirits
- "Conscience" | 400 Blows | If I Kissed Her I'd Have to Kill Her First | Illuminated | "Physical Evidence"
- "Crazy Talk" | The Loafers | Beat From Badsville, Vol. 3 | Stag-O-Lee
- "Declaration of Intent (remixed)" | 400 Blows | If I Kissed Her I'd Have to Kill Her First | Illuminated | "Physical Evidence"
- "What Wouldn't You Do" | Fay | Deathwatch | Time No Place
- "What is there to protect" | Minilogue | The Island of If | Cocoon
- "Tarzan" | Glen Reeves and His Rock-Billys | Beat From Badsville, Vol. 3 | Stag-O-Lee
- "Flipside" | Fedele, SINN, & Louis Kolben | Colourful Summer Sampler | Colourful
- "Sunday Owls" | Fenster | The Pink Caves | Morr
- "Lapwing Chant" | 400 Blows | If I Kissed Her I'd Have to Kill Her First | Illuminated | "Physical Evidence"
- "Pangaea Ultima" | Steve Moore | Pangaea Ultima | Spectrum Spools
- "Synced Below" | Massimiliano Pagliara | Correspondant Compilation 02 | Correspondant
- "For Jackie M" | 400 Blows | If I Kissed Her I'd Have to Kill Her First | Illuminated | "Physical Evidence"
- "Man on the Silver Mountain" | His Name Is Alive | The Dirt Eaters | 4AD
- "Surrealchemist" | Stereolab | Peng! | Too Pure
- "Speak Silence" | Drumcell | Speak Silence | CLR
Thursday Apr 24, 2014
Deconstruction Services: Transmission 113, 2014 April 9
Thursday Apr 24, 2014
Thursday Apr 24, 2014
We seem to have entered one of those periods in which I can do nothing right. This episode has some technical errors in it--thank goodness the WRFI mission statement urges us to "strive" for excellence. If it weren't for the striving, I would just be bad sometimes.
Ok, I am just bad sometimes.
Anyway, I did mean well. I do love the old Adrian Sherwood singles, even the later, more "processed" sounding ones such as "Sharp As A Needle." Liverpool, by the way, did go on to beat Man City four days later, so I can at least say I did no harm.
Finally, where on earth is Michael Allen? Does he tweet? (Does he use Google Alert?) This forum has rustled up some celebrities, intentionally and unintentionally. This would be an intentional case.
BOMBAST playlist, 2014 April 9, 2100-2300:
- "Cream Theme" | Mouse on Mars | Spezmodia | Monkeytown
- "Sharp As A Needle" | The Barmy Army | Sharp As A Needle | On-U Sound | "Physical Evidence"
- "Flipsville" | Stormy Gayle | Beat From Badsville, Vol. 3 | Stag-O-Lee
- "Myrrh Is Rising" | Clay Rendering | Waters Above the Firmament | Hospital Productions
- "Pinball Cha-Cha" | Yello | 1980-85 The New Mix In One Go | Vertigo
- "The Island of If" | Minilogue | The Island of If | Cocoon
- "Coco Serenade" | The Left Arm of Buddha | Monkey's Affair | Stag-O-Lee
- "Hustler" | Tony Allen & Africa 70 | Jealousy | Kindred Spirits
- "Hiwa-Mata Noboru" | The Golden Cups | Big Lizard Stomp - Teen Trash from Psychedelic Tokyo 1966-1969 | Bamboo
- "Western Electric" | Lord of the Isles | 301C Symphony | Permanent Vacation
- "Softcore (Chloe Remix)" | Troy Pierce | Softcore EP | Items & Things
- "Yo Sa Bi Da" | The Mops | Slitherama - Psychedelic Tokyo 1966-1969 | Bamboo
- "Future Modular" | Planetary Assault Systems | Future Modular EP | Mote Evolver
- "Death in Vegas (Richard Fearless)" | AV | Mort a Vegas EP | Police - Modulor
- "Sharp As A Needle (Bonus Beats)" | The Barmy Army | Sharp As A Needle | On-U Sound | "Physical Evidence"
- "God Is Not a Dick" | 50 Foot Wave | not on album | self-released
- "Time" | Monkey Safari | Watching the Stars | Monaberry
- "Bless My Brother" | The Wolfgang Press | Standing Up Straight | 4AD
- "Mean, Mean Man" | Wanda Jackson | Beat From Badsville, Vol. 3 | Stag-O-Lee
- "Seit Nuin" | Dalglish | Niaiw Ot Vile | PAN
- "Face I" / "Face II" | Fay | Deathwatch | Time No Place
- "Syskreem" | Gamertag | You Don't Know Me | All City Dublin
- "Hot" | DJ Cam | Westside 2004-2007 | Inflamable
- "Quiet Pillage" | 23 Skidoo | Seven Songs | Ronin
- "Jungle Fever" | The Playboys | Beat From Badsville, Vol. 3 | Stag-O-Lee
- "England 2 Yugoslavia 0" | The Barmy Army | Sharp As A Needle | On-U Sound | "Physical Evidence"
Monday Apr 21, 2014
My Show Is Not Weird Enough: Transmission 112, 2014 April 2
Monday Apr 21, 2014
Monday Apr 21, 2014
I (mistakenly) believed we'd kick off a relatively sedate April with this program. Not that the program itself is mellow--Radio Niger is a wildly exciting release--but that I figured we might actually get caught up around here. HA. Slowly, I am learning that increased staff means increased variables, and increased chaos. Slowly I am learning this.
Anyway, yes, Radio Niger--it puts me and us to shame. I wonder (because I am too lazy to do the research myself, you see) whether Niger has any kind of FCC restricting what you can and can't do on the air. I do like looking for excuses, as my social betters have told me again and again. But we are coming up short around here, as even a partial listen to this album will tell you. Too much NPR, not enough "auto-tuning our own scene."
BOMBAST playlist, 2014 April 2, 2100-2300:
- "Gluttony - Dompteur Mooner Edit" | Rinder & Lewis | Elaste Volume 4 | Compost
- "Death on the Back of the Neck" | Unknown Artists | Radio Niger | Sublime Frequencies | "Physical Evidence"
- "Cutty Sark" | Vic Chesnutt | Drunk | New West | "Listening Parlour"
- "Logun" | Meta Meta | MetaL MetaL | Mais Um Discos
- "Auto-Tune Your Own Scene!" | Unknown Artists | Radio Niger | Sublime Frequencies | "Physical Evidence"
- "Horizon Effect" | Lord of the Isles | 301C Symphony | Permanent Vacation
- "Inside Looking Out" | The Spiders | Slitherama - Psychedelic Tokyo 1966-1969 | Bamboo
- "Speak Silence - Slumberman Remix" | Drumcell | Speak Silence | CLR
- "Agadez Fatimata" | Unknown Artists | Radio Niger | Sublime Frequencies | "Physical Evidence"
- "Broken Trains" | Patterns | Waking Lines | Melodic
- "What I'd Say" | The Sharp Hawks | Slitherama - Psychedelic Tokyo 1966-1969 | Bamboo
- "Hula" | Man Power | Correspondant Compilation 02 | Correspondant
- "Disco Maghreb" | El Mahdy Jr & Gulls | Rai Dubs | Boomarm Nation
- "Phonetrik" | Boozoo Bajou | 4 | Apollo
- "Hauka Possession Splendor" | Unknown Artists | Radio Niger | Sublime Frequencies | "Physical Evidence"
- "Exodus" | Footsie | King Original, Vol. 3 | Braindead
- "Omega Oscillator" | Jakob Skott | Amor Fati | El Paraiso
- "Sahel Drum-Machine Gun" | Unknown Artists | Radio Niger | Sublime Frequencies | "Physical Evidence"
- "East of Memphis" | Twilight Circus | Dub from the Secret Vaults | ROIR
- "Paradise" | Vince Watson | Planet Funk | Poker Flat
Friday Apr 18, 2014
It's 3 a.m. Somewhere: Transmission 111, 2014 March 29
Friday Apr 18, 2014
Friday Apr 18, 2014
This "bonus" program happened on a Saturday evening. DJ Helen was ill, and...you know the rest. I was unprepared for this one--note how it sounds just as "prepared" as all my shows.
A lazy dj thing I used to do, back in the old days, was to play really long tracks. In theory, this gave me a chance to calm down and get organized. I don't remember either of those things happeneing all that often. At any rate, I more or less reverted to that on this evening, with "Bug in the Bass Bin" reviving our neglected "Croix de Bombast" feature. Not that it's unpleasant or anything.
Piece by piece, I'm confessing everything.
BOMBAST playlist, 2014 March 29, 2000-2200
- "Intro - Family" | Wen | Signals | Keysound
- "Got My Mojo Working" | The Golden Cups | Big Lizard Stomp - Teen Trash from Psychedelic Tokyo 1966-1969 | Bamboo
- "Yere Africa" | Peter King | Omo Lewa | Secret Stash
- "14.06.13" | Hardway Bros | Correspondant Compilation 02 | Correspondant
- "No Soul" | Khan | The Enlightenment Machine | Album Label
- "Caltrops" | Geoffroy Mugwump & DC Salas | Correspondant Compilation 02 | Correspondant
- "R4 Dub" | El Mahdy Jr & XJ | Rai Dubs | Boomarm Nation
- "Fyne" | Lord of the Isles | 301C Symphony | Permanent Vacation
- "Arabian Calypso" | The Left Arm of Buddha | Monkey's Affair | Stag-O-Lee
- "Excess Mortality" | Conforce | Kinetic Image | Delsin
- "Gimme Some Lovin'" | The Savage | Slitherama - Psychedelic Tokyo 1966-1969 | Bamboo
- "Ooze" | Streetwalker | Ooze EP | Diagonal
- "Bug in the Bass Bin" | The Dirtbombs | Party Store | In the Red
- "Real Up" | Gulls | Patterns Is Life | Boomarm Nation
- "Volition" | Andy Fairley | Fishfood vs The Birth of Sharon | Bristol Archive
- "Before the Fire" | Gallon Drunk | Before the Fire | Clouds Hill
- "Future Modular - Subtracted Mix" | Planetary Assault Systems | Future Modular EP | Mote Evolver
- "3AM" | Patrice Scott | Dubfire - a Transmission | Sci+ Tec
Friday Apr 11, 2014
Friday Apr 11, 2014
Oh, hi there. How have you been? Good, good. So you're still listening, huh? Wow. Okay. Here, have a mixtape.
Things were supposed to happen on this night, and other things happened instead. Anyway, it is true that "Medway nights are always special," even if they are backup plans and even though there have only been maybe 3 of them. Truth is truth.
Much has happened since I last posted something. A lot of it not good! But the station got a live twitter feed right in the studio, so I had to join. I guess. Here I am.
What's funniest about this is that Lady Catharsis joined too, and she has more followers than I do. I think I said in my first-ever WRFI show that she'd be more popular than I would.
BOMBAST playlist, 2014 March 26, 2100-2300:
- "Stairs" | The Soft Hills | Departure | Tapete
- "The Supreme Court" | Bostro Pesopeo | Cheer Up EP | Permanent Vacation
- "Black Elk Speaks" | Thee Mighty Caesars | Medway Powerhouse Vol. 1 | Hangman
- "Lunar" | Wen | Signals | Keysound
- "The Train Kept A Rollin'" | Auntie Vegetable | Medway Powerhouse Vol. 1 | Hangman
- "Survivability Inside the Bubble" | Colo | UR | KI
- "Converse" | Red Rack 'Em | I Trusted You | RAMP
- "All the Time" | Tom Waits | Orphans | ANTI-
- "Sex Is a Language" | Andy Fairley | Fishfood vs The Birth of Sharon | Bristol Archive
- "Panarama Bar Shit" | Vtgnike | Dubna | Other People
- "Second to No One" | The Discords | Medway Powerhouse Vol. 1 | Hangman
- "Raga: Madhuvanti" | Charanjit Singh | Elaste Volume 4 | Compost
- "Ballad of Bilbo Baggins" | Leonard Nimoy | Spaced Out: The Best of Leonard Nimoy & William Shatner | UMG
- "Peugeot 504 (Gulls Mix)" | El Mahdy Jr & XJ | Rai Dubs | Boomarm Nation
- "Hard Lovin' Man" | The Gruffmen | Medway Powerhouse Vol. 1 | Hangman
- "Exploding Head Movie" | Stereolab, Nurse With Wound | Crumb Duck | self-released
- "Ivor" | The Daggermen | Medway Powerhouse Vol. 1 | Hangman
- "P.P.O. Kissin' Behinds" | Sleaford Mods | Austerity Dogs | Sleaford Mods
- "Everything's Alright" | Outcast | Slitherama - Psychedelic Tokyo 1966-1969 | Bamboo
- "Monkey's Affair" | The Left Arm of Buddha | Monkey's Affair | Stag-O-Lee
- "The Kingdom of Heaven Is At Hand" | Michoacan | The Blue Collection | Eskimo
- "Nenekri - Kalabrese Remix Multi Culti Edit" | Crowdpleaser | Nenekri (Remixes) | Multi Culti
- "Fire" | Auntie Vegetable | Medway Powerhouse Vol. 1 | Hangman
- "Mighty Mighty" | Baby Huey | The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend | Curtom
- "Borstal Breakout" | Bored | Scuzz | Bang!
- "Yellow" | Schiller | Sun (Chill Out Edition) | 7star
- "If You Knew" | Thor's Hammer | If You Knew: Icelandic Punk & Beat '65-'67! | Ugly Pop
- "The End (Will Be Pretty)" | Khan | The Enlightenment Machine | Album Label
Thursday Apr 03, 2014
Senses Take Over As We Start To Float: Transmission 109, 2014 March 23
Thursday Apr 03, 2014
Thursday Apr 03, 2014
Appearances notwithstanding, I am not on the air "90 percent of the time" [sheesh] and only occasionally do I have an "itch" to do something aside from the regular Wednesday night "mothership" program. My life outside of radio is a full and imaginative one (alright, perhaps not imaginative), and BOMBAST takes work (again, appearances notwithstanding). I don't always have a specific thing to do with extra airtime, so these extra programs tend to happen after failed attempts to give it away.
Happily this program is a whole 'nother thing. The day prior, I was just living my "full and imaginative" life when what should appear in my inbox but a couple of audio files sent by Rudy Tambala? He should require no introduction, but in case you need one, he was effectively one-half of Hall of Legends inductees A.R.Kane. He also had a hand in M|A|R|R|S, Inrain, and Sufi. The audio files were unreleased demos, recorded with Alison Shaw of Cranes fame, as well as...ugh, linking makes me tired. Anyway, HEY LOOK, a collaboration between good musical people.
So this was an occasion, you see--and I was just about to put out a call for someone to fill this time on Sunday afternoon, but instead decided to hoard it all to myself, which I think is what some of my colleagues imagine I do in every case anyway.
Welcome, then, to the premiere of "Open Attachments," another hastily-named feature on the program, although I think this one might stick.
ps yes I know these are not exclusive but still.
BOMBAST playlist, 2014 March 23, 1600-1730:
- "Behind the Hourglass - Alex Smoke Remix" | Avatism | Adamant Remixes #1 | Vakant
- "For Delia" | Sun Spells | not on album | Soundcloud self-release
- "Biology3 (demo)" | Tambala / Shaw | unreleased | "Open Attachments"
- "Holidays" | Colo | UR | KI
- "The Speed of Fear" | Gallon Drunk | The Soul of The Hour | Clouds Hill
- "Move Along" | Cranes | Worlds | Dadaphonic
- "Nobody Knows the Trouble Us People Had Seen" | Rufus Harley | Re-Creation of the Gods | Transparency
- "Stratosfear" | Seven & Dubtek | Live from the Future | Uprise
- "Such a Little Girl" | Nikki Sudden & Jacobites | Texas | Creation
- "Johnny B Goode" | The Spiders | Big Lizard Stomp - Teen Trash from Psychedelic Tokyo 1966-1969 | Bamboo
- "Fool (demo)" | Tambala / Shaw | unreleased | "Open Attachments"
- "The Day I Come Alive" | Michael A Grammar | Random Vision | Melodic
- "Blackmail" | Altarboy | Slow Ghost | Wonder Wet
- "Better Days" | Thor's Hammer | If You Knew: Icelandic Punk & Beat '65-'67! | Ugly Pop
- "Enoemos" | Sixth June | Pleasure | Mannequin
- "Wishing Well (feat. Barbarossa)" | Mario & Vidis | Undercover | Silence Family
- "Up" | A.R.Kane | Up Home! | Rough Trade
Tuesday Apr 01, 2014
You Better Move Over, Here Comes A Supernova: Transmission 108, 2014 March 19
Tuesday Apr 01, 2014
Tuesday Apr 01, 2014
A good program, without underwriting from negative energy. Just what we all need. That, and fragmentary sentences. Another typical post.
Peter King supplies tonight's physical evidence: one song for each of his arms. Lady Catharsis drops an old Specials tune, and we pay tribute to a couple of departed rock gods. It was indeed a swinging night.
Also, as I write this, it's been four whole days since I had to yell at someone through the email. GOOD TIMES.
Wait, though, there is something wrong with this program. Secret Stash: they are in Minneapolis. Not Seattle. I was close, on a galactic scale. I could have done worse. Sun Ra used to say he was born on Saturn.
BOMBAST playlist, 2014 March 19, 2100-2300:
- "Down On The Street" | The Stooges | Fun House | Elektra
- "Ko Dara" | Peter King | Omo Lewa | Secret Stash | "Physical Evidence"
- "Tony's Umbrella" | Dog Chocolate | Ravioli Me Away / Or | Upset the Rhythm
- "25 ans" | Nouveaux Riches | Paink: French Punk Anthems 1975-1982 | Born Bad
- "Smoke Some Kill" | Volta Cab | The Blue Collection | Eskimo
- "Omo Lewa" | Peter King | Omo Lewa | Secret Stash | "Physical Evidence"
- "808 State" | Kon | On My Way | BBE
- "Dance This Mess Around" | The B-52's | The B-52's | Warner Bros.
- "Answerland" | Planningtorock | All Love's Legal | Human Level
- "Measure" | Sun Spells | not on album | Soundcloud self-release
- "Afro-Funk" | Peter King | Omo Lewa | Secret Stash | "Physical Evidence"
- "Stimulate" | Vtgnike | Dubna | Other People
- "To Sconce" | Gulls | Patterns Is Life | Boomarm Nation
- "Becoming" | Node | Node 2 | DiN
- "Pearl's Cafe" | The Specials | More Specials | Chrysalis | "Listening Parlour"
- "Reverie" | The Soft Hills | Departure | Tapete
- "Not Everything Is Lost - Lake People Remix" | Avatism | Adamant Remixes #1 | Vakant
- "Eda" | Peter King | Omo Lewa | Secret Stash | "Physical Evidence"
- "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho" | Jackie Wilson | Joshua | Popcorn
- "Alone At Home" | Daniel Bortz | Patchwork Memories | Suol
- "1982" | Fenster | The Pink Caves | Morr Music
- "Purple Haze" | D'Swooners | Big Lizard Stomp - Teen Trash from Psychedelic Tokyo 1966-1969 | Bamboo
- "Regarde Moi" | Magnetix | De Pire en Pire | Born Bad
- "Several Things At Once - Jacope Carreras Remix" | Exercise One | Tales of Ordinary Madness, Pt. 3 | Exone
- "Hazemaze" | Fuzz | Fuzz | In the Red
- "To Retrace" | Colo | UR | KI
- "There's A Moon In The Sky (Called the Moon)" | The B-52's | The B-52's | Warner Bros.