The Almost Perfect Podcast

Holy shit, we fucking did it. 100 canonical episodes of a podcast that nobody asked for but now you can't live without, right? Well, I can't.

This is a look back at the last two and a half years of celebrating fuck ups, failures, and falling flat on your face. I've gathered together 14 clips from the past 99 episodes that I think represents the best of what this podcast has to offer. It would have been a few more snippets if Eskom wasn't a poes but here we are. Here's who features in this retrospective:

Episode 3 - Neil Green

Episode 7 - Lindy Johnson

Episode 18 - Leigh Vermaak

Episode 19 - Nas Hoosen

Episode 38 - Charl Blignaut

Episode 49 - Loyiso Madinga

Episode 53 - Ebenhaezer Dibakwane

Episode 61 - Nicci St. Bruce

Episode 63 - Annie Brookstone

Episode 65 - Majozi

Episode 79 - Phumlani Pikoli

Episode 81 - Moonchild Sanell

Episode 90 - Hallie Haller

Episode 94 - Loyiso Gola

Enjoy.

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Hey team, no new interview today as I'm working on episode 100 and the ARTLAB speech needs a lot more time in the editing process than I originally planned so this week's episode is a short solo show. 

Listen to me gush about Bo Burnham's latest special and Kool A.D's new music. I also incoherently ramble about Baudrillard and social media for a bit.

Enjoy. 

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Liam Lynch is a photographer. His early work in the music scene has been incredibly influential to a number of South African photographers. If you've listened to previous episodes of the podcast with photographers, you would have heard his name come up a few times. You've also no doubt seen his iconic work with Fokofpolisiekar. Liam shoots a lot more than just musicians though as you'll hear on this podcast. With a background in journalism and an understanding of utilising the access he has, Liam uses photography to observe and document the various scenes and cultures he's connected to.

In this episode of the podcast, we hear what it's like to be diagnosed with ADHD in your 40s. Liam is open about his journey with mental health and how the diagnosis has helped him make a bit more sense of who he is. We hear about the early days with blunt magazine and documenting the early 2000s music scene. Liam shares his relationship with Catholicism and why faith is important to him. We also hear about Liam's latest self-publishing venture, a limited-run 'zine/photography book called 'Here'. Enjoy.

Keep up with Liam on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liamlynchphoto/

Website: https://www.liamlynchphotographer.com/

https://almostperfect.co.za/

Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/almostperfect

Liam Lynch is a photographer. His early work in the music scene has been incredibly influential to a number of South African photographers. If you've listened to previous episodes of the podcast with photographers, you would have heard his name come up a few times. You've also no doubt seen his iconic work with Fokofpolisiekar. Liam shoots a lot more than just musicians though as you'll hear on this podcast. With a background in journalism and an understanding of utilising the access he has, Liam uses photography to observe and document the various scenes and cultures he's connected to.

In this episode of the podcast, we hear what it's like to be diagnosed with ADHD in your 40s. Liam is open about his journey with mental health and how the diagnosis has helped him make a bit more sense of who he is. We hear about the early days with blunt magazine and documenting the early 2000s music scene. Liam shares his relationship with Catholicism and why faith is important to him. We also hear about Liam's latest self-publishing venture, a limited-run 'zine/photography book called 'Here'. Enjoy.

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Vulane Mthembu is a musician and someone I'm convinced is trying to bring about Skynet. You might know him from his work with BIG FKN GUN and Moonchild Sanelly, but lately, Vulane has been diving deep into the worlds of AI, VR, XR, and a bunch of other initialisations I don't know about yet. Most notably, Vulane guided AI into creating an album he called 'Nguni Machina'. It's all open source for anyone to experiment with however they like.

In this episode of the podcast, we talk about how the future is here and is forcing interesting conversations. We get into some of the potential applications of AI in music and art and what that means for humans. Vulane is passionate and optimistic about using tech to bring about a better world but is aware of its dangers too. Vulane shares details on a number of forward-thinking projects that he's working on with the Goethe-Institut, from creating uniquely South African VR spaces to using Wikipedia to decolonise the internet. It's a fascinating chat. Enjoy.

Keep up with Vulane Mthembu on Instagram, Twitter, and Mixcloud.

If you have 2 minutes and would like to help make the podcast better, please fill out this short survey? Thank you.

Enjoy this interview? Check out these Almost Perfect interviews with more South African musicians.

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Kai Pretorius is a dancer and teacher. Originally from Ramsgate, Kai now calls Amsterdam home after growing up in Durban. While Durban gave her a solid foundation and regular work at the top of the food chain, moving to Amsterdam saw Kai having to come to terms with being a small fish in a big pond. She had to find different ways to support herself whilst reimagining what the dance dream meant for her. Through perseverance, self-reflection, and learning new dance forms and practices, Kai has been able to overcome her initial failures to carve out a fruitful and meaningful life in Amsterdam.

In this episode of the podcast, we get into how Kai got into teaching dance and why it's such a good fit for her. Kai shares how she had to let go of what she'd learned before to incorporate new dances into her skin. We learn about the somatic practice and discuss how dance, movement, and touch can be a catalyst for physical and mental healing. Kai and I reminisce about our past as frenemies and how much we've grown since our more fiery days. We also dig into Kai's reality TV past as we hear about her So You Think You Can Dance journey. Enjoy.

Keep up with Kai on Instagram.

If you have 2 minutes and would like to help make the podcast better, please fill out this short survey? Thank you.

Enjoy this podcast? Check out these Almost Perfect interviews with people who cut their teeth in Durban.

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Tell Us More is a podcast hosted by comedian, writer, and TV personality Mojak Lehoko. Mojak and I have interviewed each other on our respective podcasts before so we figured we'd team up to give you the crossover episode that nobody asked for but everybody needs.

In this episode of the podcast, we discuss the realities of comedy, writing, and podcasting in South Africa. Both Mojak and I share our thoughts and opinions freely in what turned out to be a rather cathartic chat. This is more of a back and forth conversation than our usual interviews.  We find a lot of common ground but also get to have some interesting discussions where we differ. It turns out we're just two skater boys brought up by single moms trying to forge our own paths in the world. Enjoy.

Listen to Tell Us More on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Follow Mojak Lehoko on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

If you have 2 minutes and would like to help make the podcast better, please fill out this short survey? Thank you.

Enjoy this podcast? Check out these Almost Perfect interviews with more South African comedians.

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Paul Gioia is a musician, teacher, and recording studio owner. He's the guitarist and singer for ATFN, a punk-influenced prog band that was formed back in 1998, and has been recording bands and artists at Asylum Studios since 2000. He also holds an Honours in Music from Tuks. Paul's had an extensive career but a hand injury at the peak of ATFN's fame nearly ended it too soon. Thankfully, Paul managed to work through it. After a 14-year hiatus, the band put out a new EP called 'Reverence' in 2019. 2021 has seen them get picked up by Mongrel Records with a number of singles on the way. The first of which is 'Pathology or Pantomime' which dropped today.

In this episode of the podcast, we get into the highs and lows of making, teaching, and recording music. Paul talks us through the whirlwind ride of starting a band and going on to find success, only to have the dream come crashing down around him. He shares how he went overseas to get over the pain of not being able to do what he loved, and how The Slashdogs were instrumental in bringing him back home. Paul also explains ATFN's Durban roots as we explore the strong Durban and Pretoria connection in the 2000's rock scene. We touch on mental health issues and the ways we deal with them. We also discuss the reimagining of the meaning behind the band's name (All This For Nothing) now that the members have matured. Enjoy.

Keep up with Paul on Instagram.

Keep up with ATFN on Instagram, Facebook, and Bandcamp.

If you have 2 minutes and would like to help make the podcast better, please fill out this short survey? Thank you.

Enjoy this interview? Check out these Almost Perfect interviews with more South African musicians.

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Loyiso Gola is a comedian. The twice Emmy-nominated host of Late Night News with Loyiso Gola has had a phenomenal career. He's travelled the world telling jokes and earned many milestones that used to seem out of reach for South African comedians. He's performed on Live at the Apollo, was a guest on QI, and recently dropped a one-hour special on Netflix that he's been working on for the last six years called Unlearning.

On this episode of the podcast, we get into the intricacies and nuances of learning and unlearning. Loyiso is a deep-thinker who sets aside time to just ponder about the world, and we get to enjoy some of the fruits of that pondering. We discuss the value of extending empathy and understanding to people we disagree with. We get into balancing career and personal life and spending one's time intentionally. And we learn some behind the scenes details about how Unlearning got put together. Enjoy.

Keep up with Loyiso Gola on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.

If you enjoy this interview, check out these Almost Perfect interviews with more South African comedians.

If you have 2 minutes and would like to help make the podcast better, please fill out this short survey? Thank you.

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Sibaphiwe "Sibs" Matiyela is a voice-over artist and newsreader. You'll probably recognise her dulcet tones from 5FM although she's had an impressive career that spans multiple radio stations. Starting out at campus radio, Sibs has worked her way through news desks across the country for over a decade. Voice-over work is a natural extension of her talents and something she's excelling at now, but it turns out breaking into the industry was a lot tougher than she first expected. While her radio journey has been put on hold for now due to the SABC's recent restructuring, Sibs is a tenacious and talented woman who won't be held back by adversity for too long.

In this episode of the podcast, we get into life before and after 5FM. We hear how she's been dealing with the recent upheaval and discuss some possibilities for the future. Sibs takes a fond look back at her extensive career. She fills us in on how hard she hustled to eventually earn a slot on national radio. It's a journey filled with endless phone calls, rejections, and perseverance. Whenever she has been given an opportunity to shine she's done just that. We also discuss her journey with queerness and the importance of representation in media whilst taking a look at some of the more troubling aspects of broadcasting. It's an enlightening and entertaining chat. Enjoy.

Keep up with Sibaphiwe Matiyela on Twitter. Check out her voice-over reel on the OSM Website.

If you have 2 minutes and would like to help make the podcast better, please fill out this short survey? Thank you.

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