Mid-Valley Mutations

Interviews w/ Murph (of Dinosaur Jr.) & The Minibosses (KPSU Years)

This combines two broadcasts from my KPSU years, in 2005. In one case, we arranged for Murph of Dinosaur Jr. help promote the reunion show / reissues that had just come out. In another, the band The Minibosses dropped into the studio, to talk about touring, and to debut a new recording that had not been heard yet… at that time.

Murph / Dinosaur Jr. tribute was on 23 August 2005

The Minibosses were interviewed on 26 August 2005

Camper Van Beethoven & Devotchka, LIVE! (KPSU Years)

This combines two broadcasts from my KPSU years, in 2005. In one case, we arranged for Camper Van Beethoven to play in the studio, and I helped host. In the second case, Devotchka came to play on my show, and our music director joined me for the interview.

Camper Van Beethoven played on 4 November 2004

Devotchka played on 9 November 2004

The Human Genome Project & Empty Room, LIVE! (KPSU Years)

This combines two episodes of “Live Friday,” a show I started hosting in 2004. This was a weekly, live radio show that featured local and touring bands.

The Human Genome Project played on 17 September 2004

Empty Room played on 24 September 2004

Bit Players In The College Radio Drama That Is Blasphuphmus Radio Part II

Relive college radio from the late 90’s as it actually happened! Experience five edited presentations from the earliest days of this very program, as they were originally heard on KWVA in Eugene Oregon, broadcast at 88.1 FM. For the fist time since their original air dates these programs are being heard again, and at the correct speed in most cases!  Join a clumsy and youthful Austin Rich as he stumbles through the act of playing College Radio DJ, and listen to some authentic late 90’s rock as we journey through the decades.

This is part of our 14th Anniversary Explosion that’s been happening all throughout the year, and to a smaller extent, part of an on-going attempt to accurately archive the history of this program in a way that’s accessible to listeners.  As many of the programs from the early days are not complete, and in many cases missing entirely, I’ve been creating these shortened “edited” versions of these shows, to give you a taste of what it was like in these early days.  As there are still a few shows to come in this series – and still many others for you to enjoy – you may want to slap this feed into your podcast-catching device of choice, as it will keep you up to date with all the appropriate episodes, and give you a good cross-section of the entire history of the program.

Of these particular episodes, it is fascinating to attempt to recreate the circumstances that these programs were recorded under.  When Kyle would visit, he would often join me when I would go to the radio station.  Both Geni and Pat were roommates at one point or another, and Chris was a near-permanent fixture in the legendary Blitzhäus where we used to live and party in the olden days.  These shows evoke a lot of memories, not just of the music that we played, but the parties, shows, girlfriends, boyfriends, arguments, D&D games, and the hundreds of other things that went down in the late 90’s.  In an era before cell phones, .mp3s, regular internet access, or very much money to speak of, we still created culture, built mythologies, and had a great time doing in.  If only some of that nostalgia can seep through these tape-hiss-infused recordings, then I will feel as if my work here is done.

A request to listeners: if anyone can identify the Man Is The Bastard song that I play during the “Track Night” segment, please let me know!  I’ve been trying to identify that one for a while now.

Many apologies for the lateness of the program.  Hopefully this is a fluke occurrence, but you know how it goes.

See you in seven!

Introduction: The More Things Continue To Blah Blah Etc.

Part I: “Senses Shattering” w/ Kyle Rich (06 May 1998)

Part II: “Feet Together, Buttocks Tight” w/ Kyle Rich (14 July 1998)

Part III: “Track Night” w/ Geni (09 September 1998)

Part IV: “Rock And Roll” w/ Chris Brooks (16 December 1998)

Part V: “A Geosynchronous Orbit” w/ Pat The Pirate (24 March 1999)

Bit Players In The College Radio Drama That Is Blasphuphmus Radio I (KWVA Years)

In the earliest days of the program, my notion of having guests on my program was to invite my roommates into the studio, while we were all drunk, to listen to some college radio.  Now, in the distant future, I’m asking you to join us on a similar journey.  Highlighting four episodes from 1998, here are my roommates, my friends, and my guests, from the embryonic era that is so near to this programs beginning.

I have to say, with the complete perspective that hindsight so acutely offers, it is interesting to comb through the airchecks, and revisit these programs.  I’m friends with nearly all of these people to this very day, and each of them have moved on to pursue their own lives and interests in amazing ways.  These programs are small cross-sections, a blip on the radar from their perspective.  But to me, these were important evenings, fun times that I happen to have a documented record of, and that is so rare for anyone who considers their youth.  Hopefully, some of the joy I get out of these seeps through as you listen to these recordings today.

For the first time since I recorded these shows, they are hearing the light of day, and at the proper speed!  The tape recordings were often too slow – or too fast – to make much sense, but modern technology has allowed me to fix these errors.  To my knowledge, only these people have ever heard these recordings before, as this program began in a time before podcasts, and before digital distribution.  My hope is that this functions as a record of those times, and a sampling of the various formats this show had in the early days.

Many apologies for the delay getting this episode posted.  There were a number of personal and production delays, mostly because I wanted these episodes to be presented at their proper speeds, and other recording opportunities popped up at the last minute.  Fortunately, these opportunities have manifested in shows that you can download now, and one that you will hear in the future.  These opportunities involve live music, and also some cool Sci-Fi remixes.  I’m hoping to get back on track, and there may well be another episode this week to make up for this, at least a Mini-Cast.  So, stay tuned.

That’s all for this Memorial Day.  Thanks again for indulging me.

See you real soon.

Bit Players In The College Radio Drama That Is Blasphuphmus Radio

Introduction: The More Things Stay The Same

01.) Updated Theme From Supercar * Man… Or Astro-Man? * All Punk Rods!: A Gearhead Magazine Collection * Lookout! Records

Part I: Josephus of Sinkhole (22 April 1998)

02.) Sonata For Loudspeakers * Unwound * Challenge For A Civilized Society * Kill Rock Stars Records

Part II: “Girl Power” w/ Brandy (29 July 1998)

10.) Frank Talk About Mutants, Also * Men’s Recovery Project * Frank Talk About Humans

Part III: “Never Before Has The Beauty Of The Sexual Act Been So Grossly Exploited” (19 August 1998)

16.) El Perversio * Deadbolt * Tijuana Hit Squad

Part IV: “The Kelly Experience” w/ Tia (11 November 1998)

22.) Come Out And Play * The Moog Cookbook * The Moog Cookbook

The Hobbit (KWVA Years)

In preparation for the impending new film version, join us for a special retrocast of this rare Audio Essay from 1998, where we present the story of the 1977 animated classic, The Hobbit, contrasted against Mike Patton’s Adult Themes For Voice, Mel Brooks & Marlo Thomas, and a host of other College Radio classics. This episode has not been heard since it was originally broadcast on KWVA, and offers listeners another glimpse into the development of our Audio Essay format that has come to dominate much of what we do now. A nearly complete show – only missing 13 minutes of content – this program has been reconstructed using the surviving recordings and documented playlist, offering a close approximation of the kind of show we began doing all those years ago.

Originally scheduled to be a Holden Craft collaboration, circumstances prevented him from showing up until the very end of the show. I had originally planned on just playing “The Greatest Adventure,” among other things, but with time on my hands, Orson Bean and friends got a little more air time than anticipated. It was very much like an Unexpected Party. In the end, I think the results weren’t bad, and it set the tone for a future format that has since become a big part of the show. Heavily influenced by Over The Edge and the usual musical format of KWVA, I had always wanted to bring more sampling and oddness to the program. This, along with the previously presented Flight F-I-N-A-L episode, were probably as close to that vision for the show as I ever got. Fortunately, I’m easily distractable, and had many other visions for the program, too.

A note about the recording: the source tape is a little distorted, and the overall sound clips a little throughout the program. The record of The Hobbit itself, that I used to make the recording, was salvaged from my then-girlfriend’s garage, where it had languished in a filthy box (along with the Marlo Thomas record) for some time. I cleaned it up the best I could, but there is a fair amount of surface noise, or at least, more than normal. Additionally: at some point after the initial recording of the show, for some reason, I excised all the commercials and two or three songs (the names and artist of which completely escape me now). Originally, I also cut out a number of other (yet left them on the playlist), and furthermore removed The Hobbit segments to put them on another tape. So, this show has been reconstructed as best as could be, using my own memory and the surviving record to produce this show. Keep in mind that all of these things happened years ago, before podcasts or digital archiving (on the scale that its available now) was not possible. I never imagined that anyone else would ever hear this, or that there would be some value (or some way) to present this show in a “complete” form. So, all of this is a cicuitous way of saying: this is as good as this one gets. At least it makes me happy.

As with the Flight F-I-N-A-L show, the musical selections used in this one are somewhat curious and confusing at times. Unlike the vast archive I’ve accumulated over the years since this show, my collection was quite small in the late ’90’s, and much of my radio show was dependent on what the station had to offer. This meant that planning a show was sort of a crapshoot, and I often just played something I wanted to hear, over something that made sense, storywise. Some of the song choices are quite inspired: “Where The Hell Is Bill?,” “Ride of the Valykries,” etc. Some song choices are just confusing. At this time in the show’s history, a running “gag” was to play a handful of Mike Patton songs every show, and while that seems to make sense to me at the time (when you listen to the shows over time), they seem like odd selections now. I debated redoing this show entirely at one point, but I like the naive charm and rough, learning-curve qualities this one illustrates. If I only ever did rad shows, right from the beginning, then where’s the fun in that?

Special Thanks to my amazing girlfriend, who is on vacation and who I miss dearly; Lyra Cyst, houseguest and tolerant friend who did not mind that I spent a lot of time while she was visiting recording and editing this episode, Holden Craft, for giving me a ride home after I originally broadcast this program in 1998, and kiisu d’salyss, for, well… you know.

I know that I’ve been, essentially, in re-runs lately, as I re-present all of these old episodes. While most of the material I’m posting now has never been publicly available (at least, not since the original broadcast), there is a certain amount of, “Yes, but…” when it comes to repackaging old-as-new, etc. I have tried to balance this a bit, with new shows mixed with the old shows. My hope is that I can soon wrap up the trip down memory lane shows – of which I believe there will be three or four more – so that a good cross section of the best segments from those early shows are available again. It’s a project with a definite end, and I’m exited about wrapping it up and moving on to something new. I’ve really enjoyed the work I’ve done this year on this program, and I think that with this in the can, the other ideas I have yet to get to will be next.

As you may have noticed, various life obligations have completely destroyed our production schedule as of late. For this I apologize, but as the “we” here at Blasphuphmus Radio is actually a “me,” little can be done to avoid this. However, if all goes well today, we should be able to get back on track with Episode 169. I make no promises, except that someday, we’ll either get back on track, or I will officially take a week off and pretend that we’re back on track. You know how it goes.

In the meantime: In a hole in a ground lived A Hobbit…

The Hobbit Playlist

Introduction: “The Bravest Little Hobbit Of Them All”

Part I: “The Greatest Adventure”

Part II: “Burglar, Do Your Burgling!”

Part III: “My Precious”

Part IV: “Oh Smog The Magnificent”

Flight F-I-N-A-L (KWVA Years)

(Originally broadcast 9 years ago.)

Join us for a special 14th Anniversary Retrocast of a program from 1999, where we present the fascinating audio-drama that dares to create, “…a dramatic comparison to death.”  Presented in this episode: three quarters of the original broadcast (recreated from cassette recordings and partial playlists that have survived into the modern era), PLUS!: A brand new A Minute With The Pope, a feature that comes and goes with the whims of The Pope Himself, and a confused phone call from DJ Really Sloppy, who has recently become unstuck in time and seems to be having trouble figuring out exactly what that means for a person as confused as him.  Plus a couple of Phantom Surfers tracks for good measure.

As you can tell from this show – which approximates what it was like to hear us when we first started – our murky origins have many of the elements that came to dominate our format now.  I knew I wanted to play music I liked, and as a huge Over The Edge fan, I knew I wanted to do some form of re-mix on the air.  But as a novice, just getting started, my first forays into this realm were not as skilled as they have become.  That’s not to say that they were bad, but that they were of an amateur level.  The ideas were in place, but the execution was not what it would become.

I remember finding a copy of this record – one that I had heard sampled and began to wonder exactly what it could be – and knew instantly that sooner or later it would appear on the show.  In what form, I wasn’t quite sure.  But one night I showed up to do the program solo, noticed that I had packed it along with a bunch of other stuff, and it was then that I went to work.  The results – or, at least, most of them – are audible in the show you’re hearing today.

Note: If anyone can identify the Satan’s Pilgrim’s song included in this playlist, please let me know.  Thanks!

See you in seven.

Flight F-I-N-A-L Playlist

Part I: “One Of The Passengers Appears To Be Singing…”

01.) Holiday Harbor * The Phantom Surfers * The Great Surf Crash of ’97

Part II: “Inter-World Airlines, Flight FINAL.”

14.) Know It Alls * The Fartz * Because This Fuckin’ World Still Stinks * Alternative Tentacles Records

Part III: DJ Really Sloppy Calls In!

22.) Out Of The Window * The Phantom Surfers * The Great Surf Crash of ’97

DJ Really Sloppy, who has become unstuck in time, calls into the show from a darkened room containing a cat, and is not entirely sure what name he knows me by, or what time he is currently a part of.  Thinking it is 1999, the time period of my show, he briefly flirts with changing the time stream, then gets confused.

Part IV: “I Am Your Captain, The Lord Jesus Christ.”

22.) Flight F-I-N-A-L Part VII

A Minute With The Pope 06: Bob Is Dead All That’s Left Is Earl * The Pope * Recorded on a Handheld Cassette Recorder & an iPhone.

Part V: The Gate Of Death

34.) Flight F-I-N-A-L Part XIII *

Part VI: Pure Darkness (17 February 1999)

01.) Funeral Girl (Daniel Johnston) *

Ramen City Radio (KWVA Years)

(This show was originally assembled 9 years ago.)

As we continue our journey through the nostalgic origins of this program for our 14th Anniversary, we cannot overlook the influence of none other than The Ramen City Kid. Roommate, zinester, bread baker, and much much more, I met him in 1994, and we’ve been friends (and often roommates) ever since. His taste has affected my interest in film, music, radio, people, books, and everything in between, and without him, I would not be the person (or DJ) I am today. It is to him that this episode is dedicated, as we listen to edited highlights from five of his recorded appearances on this program in 1998, and one additional section of a show I did with Captain Morgain in 1999.

There were others, of course, but time has not been kind, and many of these programs went un-recorded, or lost in the years since. Still, these excerpts serve to give you a sense of what the program was like in those days, with and ear for emphasizing his voice and musical selections as best as possible. None of these shows exist in their complete forms, but I’ve done my best to present the spirit of these shows for a modern audience. I hope you enjoy the results.

As a point of order: aside from the spots, and voice overs, all the music heard in this program were taken from the original broadcasts as listed below. Those songs were actually played that night. I’ve created loops for the voice overs, but those songs really were heard in those days.

This one is a concentrated blast of nostalgic radio, without any of the bells and whistles. Hopefully there will be more bells and whistles in future shows.

See you in seven!

Ramen City Radio

Part I: Introducing The Ramen City Kid (17 June 1998)

01.) The Dr. Who Theme Music

Part II: Skate Rock (01 July 1998)

10.) The World Wasn’t Built In A Day [Excerpt] * Nomeansno

Part III: Emo (08 July 1998)

16.) Frankie Carle [Excerpt I]

Part IV: The Naked Show (22 July 1998)

22.) In The Air Tonight [Excerpt] * godheadSilo

Part V: The Crazy Show (16 September 1998)

29.) Teenagers Are Boring [Excerpt] * Red Monkey

Part VI: A Little Bit Of The Dork Rock w/ Captain Morgain (28 April 1999)

01.) Page 2 (Fantomas) *

It Looks Like Thousands of Stars – Expanded Edition (KWVA Years)

Here’s a pair of episodes from 9 and 14 years ago, which themselves were offering edited versions of material from the late 90’s, and both with the theme of the program becoming unstuck in time… somehow. In the first hour, the dial keeps spinning through time, landing on different moments from my program, past, present, and future. (All with a Negativland radio show at the center of this cut-up.) Then, in hour two, I keep bouncing around throughout the 90’s era shows that I have recordings off, delivering an overview of the stranger moments that show offered.

Playlist & Footnotes:

HOUR 1

“It Looks Like Thousands of Stars” (Originally broadcast on KPSU on 18 July 2007.)

HOUR 2

“14th Anniversary Explosion” (Originally broadcast on blasphuphmusradio.com on 20 September 2009.)

The Legendary Holden Craft (KWVA Years)

Here’s a pair of episodes from 13 years ago, which themselves were offering edited version of shows from 10 years prior to that, which cover the various appearances that Holden Craft made on my early shows. Holden was a hilarious and strange feature of the program in those early days, and those shows offer a kind of comedy that only he and I can perform together. This photo is of us in 2007, which might have been the last time that we got to see each other in person.

Playlist & Footnotes:

HOUR 1

“The Taco Bell Chihuahua.” (A one-hour edit of a four-hour broadcast. This edited version was originally broadcast on KPSU on 25 April 2009.)

HOUR 2

“The Legendary Holden Craft” (A one-hour edit of many KWVA era shows that featured Holden Craft. This edit was originally broadcast on KPSU on 20 September 2009.)