AIR Podcast

This month’s guest is Berlin based producer and DJ Joseph Richmond-Seaton, also known as @Call-Super.

Perhaps best known for his incredible, often surreal, abstract, and psychedelic compositions like 2014’s breakthrough Suzi Ecto and 2017’s Arpo, Call Super’s love of music runs deep. He’s a dedicated producer, starting every day in the studio and working away the hours, whether he feels inspired or not. Music is one of the only pursuits, alongside drawing and painting, that allows him to reach a state of total presence — something he considers essential for happiness. In this conversation, we look back on Joe’s childhood, the escapism he’s found in music and art, and the nature of staying present.

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Music:

"Ekko Ink" - Call Super (2017)

"Coney Storm Drain" - Call Super (2014)

"Every Mouth Teeth Missing" - Call Super (2020)

"Sulu Sekou" - Call Super (2014)

"OK Werkmeister" - Call Super (2017)

Episode 36 meets one of my faves, German DJ and producer, @tinicouldbeworse.

Although she never intended to make it her profession, tINI has always loved music. At home in Munich, she learned to mix early on and quickly fell in love with electronic music, balancing her work and her passion until she was ready to take the leap into pursuing DJing full time.

Since then, she’s become an artist in her own right, putting out several releases and even starting her own now-infamous event series, @tiniandthegang. Despite over 20 years in the game, her approach to DJing remains deeply passionate. In this episode, we discuss her musical roots, her dedication to her craft, and the discipline required to stay afloat in this industry.

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Music:

"The Authentic Blach" - tINI (2019)

"Monkeys Cave" - tINI (2011)

Clip from tINI & Bill Patrick live at Sunwaves (2016)

"What If, Then What?" - tINI ft. Amiture (2021)

"That's Right" - tINI (2009)

"Someone Loves You" - tINI (2011)

Episode 35 is an ambient music special with one of the genre’s contemporary luminaries and a personal favourite of mine, John Elliott, also known as Imaginary Softwoods.

Although he’d be loathe to describe his work as ambient, John’s music as Imaginary Softwoods is celebrated for its deep, lush tones, beautiful synthwork, pensive melodies, and thoughtful samples. Perhaps best known for his band Emeralds, which disbanded in 2012, John has been making music as Imaginary Softwoods since 2008, releasing several incredible works on tape and on vinyl over the years, while simultaneously managing the @EditionsMego offshoot label @SpectrumSpools. In this conversation, John and I discuss the ins and outs of making, playing, and releasing ambient music, and what the genre has to offer in 2021.

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Music:

"Another First/Sea Machine" - Imaginary Softwoods (2020)

"Overlook" - Tetsu Inoue (2007)

"The Imminent Collapse Department" - Imaginary Softwoods (2020)

"Court of Failure" - Imaginary Softwoods (2008)

"Entrance Through Selenite Pillars" - Imaginary Softwoods (2016)

"Vaporware 04" - Donato Dozzy Plays Bee Mask (2013)

"Sapphire Point" - Imaginary Softwoods (2019)

Welcome back to AIR, an interview podcast series with a different theme each episode. Joining me for our 34th episode is musician and radio presenter @NabihahIqbal.

Growing up in London, Nabihah loved music since she was little, having learned guitar, piano, sitar and flute at a young age. She tried out a few different paths — she studied ethnomusicology and later law conversion, sat the Bar, and worked in the human rights sector all before finding her way to a career in music. She is renowned for her NTS Radio show, which sees her exploring all different genres and styles of music, and through her incredible productions, like 2017’s Weighing of the Heart, she has made a name for herself as one of our music scene. In this conversation, Nabihah and I discuss her personal and artistic identity, her growth as a musician, and the important moments of self-discovery she’s had along the way.

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

Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/airpodcast

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Music:

"Alone Together" - Nabihah Iqbal (2017)

Nabihah Iqbal live at the V&A(2020)

Shakuhashi at Honen-In Temple Kyoto, field recording by Nabihah

"Marble Air" - Throwing Shade (2016)

"Eden Piece" - Nabihah Iqbal (2017)

"Elvis" - Nabihah Iqbal (2021)

Episode 33 is here and joining me this month is DJ and @My-Own-Jupiter boss @NicolasLutz.

After getting his start in his native Uruguay and making stops in Berlin and London along the way, Nicolas has garnered a cult following thanks to his keen ear, his flawless mixing, and his unparalleled ability to unearth the kind of singular records that make his marathon DJ sets so special. It seemed to only make sense, then, that for this episode, Nicolas and I discuss his specialty: the ins and outs of his approach to DJing, his early formative experiences as an artist, and the musical philosophy that continues to inform his practice.

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Music:

"Tschüss" - Draculas Lutz + Omar (2018)

"Instrumento" - Draculas Lutz + Omar (2018)

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Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/_airpodcast

Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/airpodcast

We're back with episode 32, and joining me this month to talk about escapism and music in the time of Covid 19 is DJ, producer, and @eerie-records founder @marco_shuttle.

A DJ and producer since his teenage years, Treviso born Marco Shuttle has made a name for himself thanks to his spellbinding journey like DJ sets, and rich, eclectic techno productions that focus on the dancefloor as an escape. As Berlin moves into another phase of lockdown in the spring of 2021, however, this quiet time has turned Marco’s musical outlook seemingly on its head. In this conversation, we discuss escapism, creativity and lockdown, and how the pandemic is shifting Marco’s goals, visions, and intentions with electronic music.

AIR is produced in partnership with Bear Radio.

Find us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/_airpodcast

Support us on Patreon: http://patreon.com/airpodcast

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Music:

"The Moon Chant" - Marco Shuttle (2018)

"Thebe" - Marco Shuttle (2017)

"The Vox Attitude" - Marco Shuttle (2019)

"Eris" - Marco Shuttle (2017)

"Convolute" - Marco Shuttle (2018)

Today’s is an important episode — and one that I’ve been interested in tackling for a while. Joining me for a talk about mental health and the music industry is producer and vocalist Seven Davis Jr.

Sev became a household name with his critically acclaimed 2015 release Universes. But behind the scenes, Sev struggled with this meteoric rise to fame and life of touring and gigs. Having suffered from depression for most of his life, his music career and his social connections often paid the price, and for a few years, he was quietly working on bettering himself. Now, with a new outlook and a new album on the horizon, we sat down to talk about depression and creativity, the often overlooked anxiety of the touring artist, and the future of mental health in the music scene.

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MUSIC

"Invisible" - Seven Davis Jr. (2019)

"No Worries" - Seven Davis Jr. (2015)

"Escape the Matrix" - Seven Davis Jr. (2021)

"Champions" - Seven Davis Jr. (2016)

"Sunday Morning" - Seven Davis Jr. (2015)

AIR is produced in partnership with Bear Radio.

Joining me for AIR's 30th episode is Canadian singer, songwriter, and producer @JessyLanza.

A classically trained musician, Jessy has been making music most of her life, while her critically acclaimed first album, Pull My Hair Back, released in 2013 on Hyperdub. Since then, she has been creating a steady collection of work, a mixture of pop electronica and R&B that, like 2020's All The Time, often delves into her personal journey. In this conversation, we look back on Jessy’s songwriting influences, her creative process, and her unique approach to storytelling.

AIR is proudly produced in partnership with Bear Radio. Check out https://www.bearradio.org/ for more stories like this one.

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Music:

"Anyone Around" - Jessy Lanza (2020)

"Ice Creamy" - Jessy Lanza (2020)

"Kathy Lee" - Jessy Lanza (2013)

"Never Enough" - Jessy Lanza (2016)

"5785021" - Jessy Lanza (2013)

Our last episode of 2020 welcomes one of the foremost sound recordists in the world, the great @ChrisWatsonOfficial.

Chris has been obsessed with field recording since he was young, but his career began in the 80s when he started working for television. Since then, his work has taken him around the world, recording the sounds of animals and nature for documentaries like Frozen Planet and The Life of Birds, alongside Sir David Attenborough. His solo career is a vast archive of sounds and textures recorded for the BBC, as well as his own original music. In this conversation, we discuss field recording, the strange sounds of nature, and his unique process of capturing the world around him.

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Intro and outro music: "El Divisadero" - Chris Watson (2011)

Sounds:

"The Dawn Chorus" - Chris Watson (2014)

"Vatnajökull" - Chris Watson (2003)

"Glastonbury Ocean Soundscape" - Chris Watson (2019)

"The Wire" - Chris Watson (2016)

"Haefest" - Chris Watson (2013)

"Aguane" - Chris Watson (2008)

Photo by Gavin Thurston

This month’s guest is German DJ, producer, and label owner David Koch, also known as @DeWalta.

Although a classically trained musician who studied at Hans Eisler music conservatory in Berlin, David quickly realized that the best skills and knowledge don’t necessarily come from academic training: his contemporary creative output has been largely self-taught. David’s music depends on his consistent interest in experiment and discovery, and in this episode, we discuss his different learning methods, his various mentors, the books and essays that filter into his creativity, and the evolution of his criticial thinking.

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Music: "Photons" - DeWalta (2019)

Audio treatment by Bear Radio