AIR Podcast

Back in May, I had the pleasure of attending London’s @Gala-Festival, which took place in May on Peckham Rye Common, and together we collaborated on this month’s episode featuring one of London’s most exciting jazz musicians and composers, @Nubya-Garcia.

Born in London, Nubya is not only a saxophonist, but also a composer and a bandleader, having first taken up the saxophone at the age of 10. Her time spent with youth music workshops like Tomorrow’s Warriors was formative for her as a young person, thriving in a community of like-minded musical souls — a necessity in jazz music, which finds its heart in collaboration. Despite that or perhaps because of it, Nubya has nevertheless found her own voice in jazz, with albums like 2021’s Source speaking to her triumphant rhythms, her openness, and her expressive energy. In this conversation, Nubya and I get into jazz music, collaboration, and finding your voice.

Big thanks to GALA Festival for making this very special one happen!

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Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/airpodcast

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Follow GALA:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisgala/

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Music:

"The Message Continues" - Nubya Garcia (2020)

"La cumbia me está llamando" - Nubya Garcia ft. La Perla (2020)

"Together Is A Beautiful Place To Be" - Nubya Garcia (Nala Sinephro Remix)(2021)

"Source" - Nubya Garcia (2018)

"When We Are" - Nubya Garcia (2018)

This month, I’m joined by German producer and live performer Rajko Müller, also known as Isolée. A veteran in electronic music, Rajko has always done things differently. Although perhaps best known for his 90s hit beau mot plage, Rajko’s career has steadily chugged along, with albums like rest and we are monster earning him enduring critical acclaim and a laudatory name amongst his industry peers. Eschewing DJing for live performance and putting out only a few albums in total over the course of his career, Rajko’s path is perhaps untraditional, avoiding the spotlight in favour of the simple pursuit of tenacious, truthful music making.

In this conversation, Rajko and I discuss his unique trajectory and life outside the music scene, its impact on his creativity, and, in the midst of it all, how his latest effort, Resort Island, has come to life.

@Isoleee's new album Resort Island is out now: https://resortisland.bandcamp.com/album/resort-island

Follow AIR on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_airpodcast/

Subscribe to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/airpodcast

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Music:

"Canada Balsam" - Isolée (2023)

"you are" - Isolée (2020)

"Beau Mot Plage" - Isolée (1998)

"Clap Gently" - Isolée (2023)

For episode 54, I’m joined by Dutch-Italian producer and sound designer Aimee Portioli, also known as @grandriver.

After her celebrated first full length, Pineapple, which debuted on the iconic Spazio Disponible back in 2018, Grand River established herself within a world of cinematic sound, best loved for her narrative style which sees her experiment not only in electronic music, but also in acoustic instrumentation, sound installation, and beyond. Her latest record, All Above, effortlessly mutates from droney bass pieces to vaporous atmospheres — it was a particular pleasure to hear this album live at Berlin’s Silent Green, in all its engulfing, enrapturing glory.

This kind of deep experience is one of Grand River’s specialities, as a performer of course, but also as a producer and composer, and in this conversation, we explore all the ways in which her music immerses the listener in her unique world.

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Music:

"Human" - Grand River (2023)

"Side Lengths" - Grand River (2020)

"Petrichor" - Grand River (2023)

"Korg MS-20 1978 Classic" - Grand River (2016)

"Recollection" - Grand River (2018)

Episode 54 of AIR is here, and welcomes DJs, producers, and founders of the @Slow-Life collective, @laurine_sl and @cecilio-sl, to celebrate their label’s 10 years of existence. Comprised of a core crew featuring Laurine, Cecilio, S Moreira, and Indi Zone, Slow Life are defined by their thoughtful, easygoing approach to everything from music and parties to life itself. They have quickly carved out a niche for themselves through their artist showcases and record label; while Laurine and Cecilio have likewise worked tirelessly to explore careers as DJs and artists in their own right.

Recently back from a South American tour that took them to a dozen cities across a handful of countries, they’re back in Berlin and looking forward to bringing that inspiration to Hoppetosse, where Slow Life will celebrate its 10 year anniversary on Saturday 26 March. In this conversation, we look back at Slow Life’s 10 years, the collaboration at the heart of their collective, and the philosophies about life and music that drive Laurine and Cecilio as artists.

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Insta: https://www.instagram.com/_airpodcast/

Substack newsletter: https://airpodcast.substack.com/

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Music:

"Era un Ravero" - Laurine & Cecilio (2023)

"Beyond Lightspeed" - S.Moreira (2013)

"Consciousness" - Paolo Mosca (2022)

"Nobody Knows" - Laurine (2022)

"Metropolis" - Primary Perception (2022)

AIR episode 53 is here, featuring a true craftsman in every sense of the word. @Neel is a techno mainstay, not only as a DJ, and a solo producer, but also as a live performer, best known for his expertly designed ambient journeys. This skillset is especially celebrated in his work with Donato Dozzy as Voices from the Lake.

But even if you’re not familiar with his work, you’ve almost certainly listened to a record he had a hand in. A mastering engineer for over a decade, his studio Enisslab has over 400 credits on Discogs, including landmark albums by Deepchord, Pauline Oliveros, Abdulla Rashim, DJ Nobu, Atom TM, Mike Parker, Caterina Barbieri, and of course, his own work. In this conversation, Neel and I get deep on mastering and the evolution of his technical craft, his ears, and his artistry, as well as how each of his creative fields inform one another.

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_airpodcast/

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/airpodcast

and sign up for the AIR newsletter: https://airpodcast.substack.com/

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Music:

"Naeba" - Neel (2022)

"Post Landing" - Neel (2014)

"Osmio" - Neel (2018)

"Circe + S.T." (VFTL Rework) - Voices from the Lake (2013)

Happy new year! This is our first show of 2023 and the 52nd episode of AIR, an interview podcast series with a different theme each episode. This month I'm joined by American composer, producer, and vocalist @kaitlynaureliasmith.

Kaitlyn has put out countless well-loved albums which feature her explorations in synthesis and voice, including the famed 2017 record The Kid, 2020’s atmospheric Mosaic of Transformation, and her most recent album, Let’s Turn It Into Sound. Throughout her sonic journey, listening, both with her ears and with her body, has been at the heart of what she does as a musician; hoping that by listening in different and more intentional ways, she can more deeply connect with sound.

In this conversation, we delve into Kaitlyn’s love of deep listening and somatic hearing, and how these rituals help to enlighten her artistry, her creativity and her performances.

Kaitlyn's EU/UK tour is starting in April 2023, check out her website for more details: https://kaitlynaureliasmith.com/events/

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Music:

"Give It To The Water" - Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith (2022)

"An Intention" - Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith (2017)

"Carrying Gravity" - Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith (2020)

"Moon In Your Eye" - Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith and Emile Mosseri(2021)

"Check Your Translation" - Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith (2022)

we are here with the last AIR of 2022, and what a year it’s been! Thanks so much for all your support this year, we’ve managed to a hit a couple of lovely milestones, including of course our 50th episode last month with Paquita Gordon. Don’t forget you’ve still got a few days left to purchase your 50th episode commemorative t-shirt, available on Everpress here: https://everpress.com/profile/air-podcast

On to this week’s episode, which welcomes French producer and DJ @Terence-Fixmer. A fixture in the EBM meets techno scene since its creation, Terence has established himself over the past two decades as a creator of deep, hypnotic, dark electronica. His live sets thrive off the feeling of jumping into the unknown and the unpredictability of performance; thrills that also fuel not only his personal life but his music as well. In this conversation, we discuss Terence's constant quest for new ways to explore, create, and live.

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Music:

"Expedition" - Terence Fixmer (2018)

"Corne de Brûme" - Terence Fixmer (2022)

"Desertic" - Terence Fixmer (2022)

"Electro Static" - Terence Fixmer (2001)

Hello everyone and welcome back! This is the 50th episode of the series if you can believe it, and joining me this month is none other than Francesca Faccilongo, also known as @PaquitaGordon.

When I created the series in 2017, it was just a small idea I came up with and pitched to some friends before starting out with literally zero idea what I was doing, aside from that I wanted to tell stories in a different way. Although I’m not a music maker myself, I’ve always been passionate about music and creativity, and it’s been such an incredible experience to meet so many like-minded artists, to hear their stories of triumph and failure, to dig into their creativity and artistry… And of course to share that all with you.

To celebrate, my very talented friend and designer Grant Gibson has created two different AIR Podcast 50th episode t-shirts, which will be sold through Everpress, here https://everpress.com/air-50th-episode-t-shirt and here https://everpress.com/air-50th-episode-bubble-t

Thanks again so much for your support, I’ve got some really amazing episodes coming up for 2023 and am looking forward to what's next.

I also recently started a Substack newsletter for AIR, where I’ll be sharing updates about the series, and also my thoughts and musings on music and my various guests. The first newsletter is out today, you can read my thoughts on making the 50th episode and interviewing Paquita here: https://airpodcast.substack.com/p/50

You can also follow us on Instagram at @_airpodcast or support us on Patreon at patreon.com/airpodcast.

Onto today’s episode, which features Italian DJ Paquita Gordon, a resident of festivals like Terraforma and Waking Life, and a true musical devotee. A DJ for over a decade now, she’s spent time in London, Mallorca, and Sicily, bringing with her a deep love of music, creativity, and nature. Her mixes are meticulous and thoughtful, with each record well-researched and purposefully chosen. Her DJ sets are storytelling in its truest form, and playing out, for Paquita, is the best part of her job. Her site-specific performance project Il Vulcano invites artists to join in her in different Mediterranean regions for a jam session that is recorded, but never shared. Her goal as an artist is always to form links, whether that’s through sound, through art, through nature, or beyond, she is always seeking connectivity rather than publicity. She finds joy in the making of things, rather than solely in the end result. In this conversation, we explore her creativity, and the musical and artistic connections that make up a life spent loving music.

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Music:

Paquita Gordon - STE54

Paquita Gordon - Various recordings from Il Vulcano

Joining me this month for episode 49 is Canadian producer and live performer Mathew Jonson. Initially from the west coast of Canada and now based in Berlin, Mathew’s upbringing in electronic music started in the nineties with the jazz-meets-techno live band Cobblestone Jazz. Collaboration and improvisation continue to play key parts in Mathew’s music career, extending to inform his creative process, his solo work, and his techniques as a live performer.

With this in mind, he created the Freedom Engine Academy, a music school offering intensive courses around electronic music production, music theory, and creativity taught by a roster of talented musicians and Mathew himself. In this episode, we’re discussing collaborative learning, and how the group experience can make music better.

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Music:

"Magic Through Music" - Mathew Jonson (2020)

"Chance" - Cobblestone Jazz (2010)

"Rays from the Cosmos" - Units & Measurements (2016)

"Lunar Lander" - Cobblestone Jazz (2011)

"Typerope" - Mathew Jonson (2020)

This month’s guest is German-born Turkish artist @SedefAdasi, a DJ and burgeoning producer based in the city of Augsburg, Germany. Sedef is perhaps best known for @HAMAMNights, her self-made event series which sees her booking not only local favourites but big name artists at City Club, one of her hometown’s handful of electronic music clubs. Despite a jam-packed tour schedule and a new residency at Panorama Bar, Sedef isn’t interested in moving to a music capital, preferring to work with friends to create all-inclusive events and workshops that foster the growth of her community.

In this episode, Sedef and I discuss the story of HAMAM Nights, small city living, and its impact on her creativity as a DJ and producer.

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Music:

"Gel Gidelim" - Sedef Adasi (2021)

"Turbo Ride" - Sedef Adasi (2021)

"An Anonymous Force" - Sedef Adasi (2021)