On this episode of The J-Card Podcast, we’re joined by Weajue Mombo, one of the twin sister hosts behind Absent Sounds, a Canadian radio show devoted to spotlighting albums as an art form. We talk about falling in love with lyrics, why albums are better than singles, and how Absent Sounds is blending radio, visual art, and DIY ethos into something personal and powerful.
We also dive into a chaotic blind-ranking of Canadian bands, stories about first concerts, and a very Canadian near-death experience!
Absent Sounds is live on CJAM 99.1 every Monday. Follow Absent Sounds on IG @absent.sounds
The J-Card is presented by Rue Defense Tape Club, a quarterly, mail-order cassette compilation and DIY audio project. Hosted by Alexei Shishkin, each episode is part music discovery, part oral history, part hangout show. We ask artists, musicians, filmmakers, and other music-minded folks to build us their own personal mixtape and talk about the moments and memories that inspired it.
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⏱️ Chapters:
00:00 - Intro to Weajue & Absent Sounds
01:41 - What’s Been Stuck in Your Head?
06:26 - Canadian Artists vs American Artists
08:23 - Saying "Toronto" Right
09:03 - How Absent Sounds Got Started
12:38 - Favorite Moments and Interviews
14:23 - The Visual Side of Radio
17:40 - Balancing Creative Freedom vs Commercial Work
20:41 - Toronto’s Music Scene
22:32 - CJAM and Windsor
25:30 - Physical Media & Tape Club
27:42 - Mixtape Theme: Breathing
28:21 - “Don’t Wait for Daylight” by NEEDTOBREATHE
31:21 - “Breathe, Desperately” by From Indian Lakes
33:21 - “HOLDING MY BREATH” by Kicksie
35:50 - “Ill Lung” by And So I Watch You From Afar
39:23 - “First Reactions After Falling Through the Ice” by La Dispute
43:15 - “What Went Weird” by Bobbing
45:00 - “The Sound of a Blooming Flower” by Baths
47:46 - “Wasted Acres” by Grizzly Bear
50:09 - “Duvet” by bôa
52:53 - “I Punched Through The Wall” by quickly, quickly
56:49 - Blind Ranking Canadian Musicians
1:03:09 - Where To Find Weajue and Absent Sounds
1:04:25 - Join the Tape Club!
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