AIR Podcast

Joining me for the 27th episode of AIR is UK producer, composer, and DJ Henrietta Smith-Rolla, also known as @Afrodeutsche-ad.

Henrietta is a fixture in the Manchester's small but fervent music scene, her DJ sets incorporating everything from footwork to hardcore, techno, electro, and beyond. At home, however, she is inspired by films like Bladerunner or anything by Alfred Hitchcock — an interest which sparked the timely, lockdown-friendly topic for this conversation. In this episode, we tackle a theme I've been looking forward to discussing for a while: our favourite movies, the unique craft of soundtrack arrangement, and her first ever score for the 2020 documentary Kamali.

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Music: Henrietta Smith-Rolla - "A Song For Him" (Kamali, 2020)

Audio treatment by Airlock Audio Montreal

Joining me for our 26th instalment is DJ, label boss, and promoter, @Veragoesdeep.

Having got her start DJing in the 1990s, Vera moved to Berlin where she has become a fixture at Hoppetosse and CDV, clubs which are also home to @MelliflowRecords — the event series and label she founded in 2016 with fellow DJ Alexandra. Vera is a master of the expressive, journey like DJ set, and in this conversation, we discuss how emotional connection between the DJ and the event, the crowd, and the music can feed the soul.

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Music: Vera - "Take Me" (Assemble Music 2013)

Audio treatment by Airlock Audio, Montreal

This month we’re celebrating 25 episodes of AIR, an interview podcast series with a different theme each episode. Thanks so much to everyone who has tuned in over the past two years, it's been an absolute pleasure making this series and I hope you'll keep listening — got some really good stuff coming soon.

Today’s episode is about the art of vulnerability, featuring New York based ambient producer, new age instrumentalist, and holistic practitioner, @Laraaji.

Active since the 1970s, Laraaji’s work is influenced by Eastern mysticism and a cosmic consciousness. Perhaps best known for his ambient and new age experiments with the autoharp, the piano, and the mbira, his deeply emotional music is often improvised, allowing him to fully open up his means of expression — something that he encourages in all artists. Balancing his musical endeavours with work as a holisitic health practitioner, he hosts laughter meditation workshops in New York; spiritual experiences that explore the childlike joy of letting go and being vulnerable, a fundamental in his life as an artist.

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Photo by Liam Ricketts

Music: Laraaji - "Elevation" from the recently released Sun Piano (2020) available on Bandcamp here: https://laraajimusic.bandcamp.com/album/sun-piano-2

Audio treatment by Airlock Audio, Montreal

We're back with episode 24! Recorded in early April 2020, this episode welcomes DJ and producer Luke Slater.

@Luke-Slater has been DJing since the late 1980s, and by the 90s, his many aliases had become household names thanks to important releases on labels like Peacefrog, and Nova Mute. By 2009, Luke had joined Ostgut Ton, continuing to tour relentlessly and produce music with seemingly boundless energy — a quality with which he continues to approach his work today. His stamina is endless, and in order to keep up with the continuing love and demand for his music, it has to be. In this episode, our discussion focuses on longevity as a DJ, his mix for Ostgut's 15th anniversary, and the drive that keeps him going.

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Music: Luke Slater - "O-Ton Reassembled 3" (From his Berghain Fünfzehn mix for Ostgut Ton)

More info here: https://www.berghain.berlin/en/shop/releases/berghain-fuenfzehn-luke-slater/

Audio treatment by Airlock Mastering & Audio

Joining me this month for our first ever episode recorded remotely is Austrian DJ and producer Susanne Kirchmayr, also known as Electric @Indigo.

Susanne has a long history with sound and creativity, performing live in unique spaces and in unique ways that showcase her often avant-garde listening music, while in the studio, she’s known for her use of techniques like granular synthesis to manipulate voices into music. In this conversation, we delve into experimentalism and how it influences her unique approach to music.

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Music: Electric Indigo - "Ferrum 5"

Audio treatment by Airlock Audio

Recorded in Lahti, Finland, episode 22 welcomes Finnish producer and musician Aleksi Perala for a talk about Colundi, a microtonal tuning system introduced to him several years ago, and in which the different frequencies relate to different psychologies and beliefs.

Although Colundi is still for the most part a mystery even to its staunchest believers, its frequences are said to encourage healing, relaxation, and peacefulness. Aleksi's own work with Colundi has resulted in more than 17 full length releases, and he shows no signs of slowing down...

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@aleksiperala

Music: Aleksi Perälä - "UK74R1513080" (2017)

Audio treatment by Airlock Audio & Mastering

The 21st episode of AIR is here, and this time I travelled to Huntingdon, England to speak with Scottish percussionist and musician Dame Evelyn Glennie.

After suffering the loss of her hearing at age 12, Evelyn learned to listen through vibration. A trained musician and multi instrumentalist, she has since gone on to become one of the foremost solo percussionists touring and recording today. This episode focuses on feeling music, the act of true listening, and the physicality of performance.

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Music: Evelyn Glennie and Michael A. Levine - "Switch" (2018)

Audio treatment by Airlock Audio

* Sorry for the mic handling noise in this one guys, my mic stand broke in transit but I've now got a new one so should be good to go for next episode xx

We're back after another quick break last month, and this is the 20th episode of AIR, an interview podcast series with a different theme each episode. This month's guest is DJ and producer @PhilippGorbachev.

After delving into the Christian faith several years ago, Philipp discovered bell ringing, a passion project that has taken both his creativity, and his music to the next level. He has spent the past three years honing this new craft, and his new album Kolokol features the sounds of more than 40 belfries played live and sampled,. In this conversation, we look into the history of bell ringing, Philipp’s relationship with Christianity, and the meeting of rave and religion.

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Music: Philipp Gorbachev - "Soedinitelnyi Zvon" (2019)

Photo by Camille Blake

Audio treatment by Airlock Audio + Mastering

Episode 19 of AIR welcomes an artist who needs little introduction. Jeff Mills got his start in Detroit in the 1980s, he is considered a luminary in electronic music, recognized for his contributions not only in techno, but in classical music and cinematic composition. In this conversation, @axis-jeff-mills discusses his love of moving images, and his quest for moving forward.

* Please excuse the mic handling/background noise in the audio for this episode, working on fixing it for next time!

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Music: Jeff Mills - "The Hunter" (2019) from the album Sight, Sound & Space, available via https://www.axisrecords.com/product/ssas_cd/

Audio treatment by Airlock Audio

We're back for episode 18, and our guest this month is Canadian producer and DJ, @RichieHawtin. A fixture in techno both under his real name and under his Plastikman alias, Richie has also become infamous for his innovations in music technology, his collaborations in art and fashion, and his own entrepreneurial ventures. In this conversation, we talk about how his different projects fit in to his identity as an artist.

Richie's CLOSE combined AV album and interactive app, CLOSER, is out 20 September 2019: http://close.richiehawtin.com/

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Audio treatment by Man Made Mastering

Music: Plastikman - "Plasticine" (1993)