44 Feels

A long-winded ramble, an update on me and what I’m thinking about. I talk about: exploring and getting lost; Bayo Akomolafe; my skepticism about art music; why I want to be near creeks constantly; how great it is to be one of those annoying “guys who rides a bike”; recently reading Ursula Le Guin’s anarchistic utopia classic “The Dispossessed.” I’m just a boy, standing in front of a microphone, asking that microphone to love him. Also, I said I’d do show notes, but I’m out of time today, so y’all can Google. I believe in you.

You can also watch this conversation on YouTube:

Maggie Tra is an Australian-born DJ and producer with Vietnamese and Cambodian heritage. She has lived all around the world including London, Brussels and Hanoi, and is currently based again on Eora land in Sydney. Driven by a desire to help local Vietnamese artists, Maggie launched Hà Nội Community Radio in 2021.

Her music is kinetic, generous, and playful - just like she is - and in both her productions and her DJ sets she continually embraces not just her own heritage, but also the culture of whatever land she’s in, doing so with wholeness and conviction.

I wanted to ask Maggie Tra about some of the differences she’s noticed between how music works in Vietnam as opposed to Australia, about what she’s learned as someone who has spent a lot of time trying to build community in music, and simply, why does she make music in the first place?

This conversation was recorded on Wurundjeri land in April 2024.

I answer your questions about early inspirations, on how to find lightness, and how to "stay sane" as a musician in 2023. The answer may surprise you.

Find me everywhere at @timshiel.

Here I am, answering a bunch of your questions. Thanks to Mario, Max, Waldo, Sam, Lisa, Wendy, Cam, Zed and a few anonymous subscribers for asking good questions.

I also wove in a bunch of unreleased music, tell me which ones you like ;)