New years and old turntables
Hi there! I hope you’re well? I intended to write an extra post last week about community radio. This would specifically focus on Aaja during lockdown. The venue had to shut and everything went online. I started streaming a weekly show on a Sunday morning and the rest, as they say, is history. Not only was this time pivotal in terms of my journey into radio, I also feel it talks further of the power of communities based on a shared cultural interest. Life ended up getting in the way and a kernel of an idea is still in draft. One day I may write it. Anyway, that introduction to nowhere was to let you know it’s business as usual and I’ve got some amazing stuff to share with you.
Radio
Happy Lunar New Year! In celebrating the year of the Wood Snake, NTS decided to mark the occasion with radio specials from a variety of guest hosts from around the world. I particularly enjoyed Lucinda Chua’s special ambient snake mix. Its intention was to slow the listener down and give them the focus to make well-planned decisions rather than rushing into action. I’ve enjoyed Lucinda's music for a number of years and always find her mixes provide the same gentle yet powerful energy as her compositions. Listen here
I first saw Arylss DJ at an after party following 2024’s Gala Festival, and thought she was an excellent DJ. Great selections and wonderful energy. This guest slot on Flossy’s Voices radio show is a hoot. Not only is the music on point, there’s a real bond between the two friends that makes for excellent radio. There’s also a little bit of chaos, with the hour-long show being extended by double, as the following DJ was unable to make their show. The resultant 2 hours ended up being tons of fun. Listen here
Music
I helped a friend out recently and DJed a wedding. I found it a rather nerve wracking experience, but ended up having a wail of a time. Big love, congratulations and thanks to Rachel and Rachel for their encouragement and to the whole party for being such a fun crowd. By way of thanks, the R’s gifted me a record shop token, which I ended up using to buy a bunch of records I’ve been after for some time.
There’s one I’ve been listening to more than any other, and that is Beverly-Glenn Copeland’s album “Primal Prayer”. The only other album of his I own is the seminal “Keyboard Fantasies” and there is 18 years between these two records with nothing in between. While they are musically very different, what they share is an ability to connect with the listener at a transcendental level. I find listening to Copeland’s music both grounding and ethereal. It speaks of humanity and spirituality in a way that only few other artists can. It’s everything I love about folk music, jazz and house music rolled into one. Buy it here
Life
I had a long overdue visit from the Deck Doctor recently. I bought my Technics turntables about 8 years ago second hand from a DJ equipment hire company. Who knows what shenanigans they got up to before I bought them. They’ve also had a few adventures since. They’ve called five different places home and have been carted across London on various gigs. They were working OK but I felt it was time to have them checked out. I was glad I did.
Nick (the Deck Doctor) arrived at mine with UDG cases full of tools and parts and gave my decks a thorough going over. I found out that my 25 year old turntables had quite the story to tell. One of them was a Japanese import, another had had the pitch sped up. Both had so many different replacement parts inside, they were more like Trigger’s broom than 1210’s. Nick did a very conscientious job on the decks, was generous with his knowledge and patient with my questions and general ignorance.
Something I loved that he said was “people ask me if I get bored working on the same bit of equipment every day. What I love about it though is that each turntable has been on its own journey so you never know what you’re going to find once you look inside”. It made me think it’s not only the songs we choose to play or the records themselves that have their story, but also the equipment we use to play them on.
The Deck Doctor! legend.