Spotlight On

Obie Fernandez is a veteran technologist, published author, and serial entrepreneur. Remarkably, he’s also an accomplished music producer and DJ, and is currently pioneering the future of the music industry on the blockchain as CEO & Founder of RCRDSHP. Previous accomplishments include his role as CTO of Andela, where he helped the largest VC-backed startup in Africa train 100 thousand young Africans to become world-class software developers.Interact with Obie here: https://twitter.com/obiehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/obiefernandezhttps://obiefernandez.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From an early age, a camera was in his hands and he had the influence of his father’s friends and peers; David Bailey and Terence Donovan with their numerous debates on photography around the kitchen table. It was inevitable that photography would have a huge influence on Chris’s life. He is perhaps the only person to have assisted all three photographers nicknamed by Norman Parkinson as ‘The Black Trinity’.At 17 Chris began work as a Trainee Processor in a photo lab but after a year started assisting Duffy as a Third Assistant quickly working his way up to Studio Manager.Chris worked and traveled the world with Duffy for nearly seven years and in 1979 established his own studio. During the 80’s Chris worked as one of the top music photographers (Bowie/Adam Ant/Steve Strange/Sade/Spandau etc.) as well as numerous other commissions covering a wide range of genres. Chris later moved into shooting moving images forming a film production company with Duffy and were successful in shooting both commercials and pop promos. Chris moved to LA in the early ’90s working as a director of photography and in 1997 was drawn back to the energy and creativity of London riding high on the wave of ‘Cool Britannia.’In 2005 Duffy was diagnosed with a degenerative lung disease and Chris finally persuaded him to start work on establishing an archive. Together they sifted through all of Duffy’s remaining photographic material and selected and printed modern edition prints with the intention of exhibiting and producing books.Sadly Duffy passed away in May 2010 but Chris has continued to build the archive and Duffy’s work is now exhibited by museums and galleries around the world and is highly sort after by collectors.Chris continues to shoot his own work outside of commercial restraints, he promotes Duffy’s work on a world stage and is a well regarded speaker.Learn More about the Duffy Archive. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we’re coming to you live from the National Independent Venues Association conference in Cleveland, sharing a keynote conversation between LP and Shahida Mausi, President/CEO of the Right Productions. Shahida Mausi has built a career in cultural and entertainment programming designed to serve the public. In 1996 she formed The Right Productions, Inc. (TRP). The company has managed and operated the 6,000-seat Chene Park Amphitheater, providing food and beverage service, security, parking, and other aspects of major event production since 2004. Under her direction Chene Park has increased events and attendance annually, serving approximately 100,000 in 2010.As the president of TRP, Ms. Mausi has created national award-winning marketing promotions, gained and sustained relationships with such clients as MGM Grand Detroit Casino, The City of Detroit, and the Greektown Casino. In addition, The Right Productions has provided talent and production services for special events, including the Super Bowl XL Winter Blast, Detroit 300, the Detroit Music Festival, and Movement – Detroit’s Electronic Music Festival.Ms. Mausi has produced and booked concerts with great artists, including Wynton Marsalis, Della Reese, Little Richard, Nina Simone, Deepak Chopra, Herbie Hancock, Judith Jamison, Fela, Jill Scott, Mary J. Blige, and Carmen McCrae, just to name a few.A pinnacle experience occurred when Ms. Mausi produced the largest event held to commemorate the historic visit of Nelson and Winnie Mandela to Detroit. Under her direction, Tiger Stadium (never before used for such an event) was completely outfitted as a major concert venue, with pooled electronic media, new ticket scaling, and computerization. Ms. Mausi orchestrated the major technical and artistic production elements necessary for such an auspicious occasion in less than four weeks. More than 50,000 people attended the event, and hundreds of thousands more viewed televised coverage. Participants included Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, a 2,000-voice choir, and an array of other artistic and political dignitaries. The impact of the event was palpable for several days thereafter. It helped gross more than $1 million to celebrate and project the spirit of Detroit nationally and internationally.Ms. Mausi also played a pivotal role in creating the African World Festival, later used as a model for the National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta She has been involved in bringing international productions with historical significance, including Sarafina and Black Heroes in the Hall of Fame, to new audiences. She also produced the audiobook of Ron Milner’s CHECKMATES, starring Ruby Dee.Shahida is a graduate of the University of Detroit and the mother of four sons, Dorian, Sulaiman, Rashid, and Malik, three of whom work for The Right Productions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is a conversation between LP and Steve Kimock, once touted by Jerry Garcia as his “favorite unknown guitar player.” Now Steve is known for his guitar playing in Zero, KVHB, Bob Weir’s Kingfish, Ratdog, in addition to post-Grateful Dead ensembles including The Other Ones, Phil Lesh & Friends, and the Rhythm Devils featuring Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann.   Steve Kimock has proved himself a master of fluid improvisation for over four decades, in the process inspiring music fans with his transcendent guitar speak voiced through electric, acoustic, lap and pedal steel guitars. With his multi-decade reputation as a blazing psychedelic guitarist versatile enough to touch almost all aspects of American music, Steve Kimock continues to evolve creatively as illustrated in his last two critically acclaimed records, a romantic pop collaboration in Satellite City and an experimental solo effort in Last Danger of Frost.While one can say that his genre is rock, no one niche has ever confined him. Instead, through the years, he’s explored various sounds and styles based on what’s moved him at the time, whether it’s blues or jazz; funk or folk; psychedelic or boogie; gypsy or prog-rock; traditional American or world fusion.   Threaded through this expansive and highly nuanced musical landscape is Kimock’s signature sound, the prodigious product of his ability to articulate crystal-clear tone, melody and emotion into intricately woven music crafted with technical brilliance. His passion and devotion to performing live is matchless, and his unparalleled ability to embrace and capture his audiences musically is the stuff of legend.Kimock co-founded the jazz/rock band Zero in the ‘80s and KVHW in the ‘90s; since then, he has recorded and toured in various outfits under his own name. His collaborations with assorted band mates and groups have provided an everlasting wellspring of inspiration for the guitarist, and he has shared the stage with a seemingly endless array of international musical luminaries. After more than 40 years on stage, Kimock is more committed than ever to a jubilant spirit of musical diversity — the same spirit that has fed his desire to pursue an authentic relationship with the guitar since the day he realized his calling.A musician’s musician, Kimock has also shared the stage with countless other musical luminaires such as Taj Mahal, David Lindley, Jorma Kaukonen, Hot Tuna, Bonnie Raitt, The Allman Brothers, Merl Saunders, Buddy Miles, Derek Trucks, Elvin Bishop, Grace Potter, Grace Slick, Little Feat, Nicky Hopkins, Norton Buffalo, Papa John Creach, Peter Frampton, all members of Phish, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and more.Go see Steve on the road and support his music.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prior to running her own business, Fiona has overseen many careers, including her time at EMI Records, where she ran marketing campaigns for Digable Planets, Gang Starr, Shara Nelson, The Solsonics, Eternal, and others.She co-owned Sub Verse Music and 3-2-1 Records, where she signed and marketed Blackalicious, MF Doom, C-Rayz Walz, Skeme Team, and more.At the parent company Zero Hour Records, she spearheaded the publicity department and ran campaigns for The Notwist, Varnarline, Swervedriver, Space Needle, Steve Wynn, John Wesley Harding, Threadwaxing Space, just to name a few.As talent booker for Joe’s Pub, she developed the highly popular Late Night Series, then went on to run the International Department at TVT Records.She also showcased and gave NY debuts to some of the hottest indie acts on the scene including Slum Village, Saian Supa Crew, Spank Rock, TTC, Loop Troop, Eternia, Timbuktu, Zion I, Atmosphere, Aloe Blacc, Swollen Members, Dub Inc, etc.Before her record Industry work, she was a radio personality in Atlanta with a widely popular urban show on WRFG 89.3FM, a party promoter, freelance publicist, and a voice-over talent.And before that: A Concert Pianist in England where she grew up! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Frankie Tan and Kelvin Lee join Spot Lyte On to talk about their company OraStream's end-to-end audio delivery platform that powers companies such as NAXOS, the Neil Young Archives, Primephonic and others. Curious about hi-resolution audio? We have the experts here with Frankie and Kelvin. The OraStream Service is an end-to-end audio delivery platform for a new generation of cloud music services. It works with full resolution audio recordings to deliver the highest (or any specified lower) quality of streaming audio on web and mobile music players. Audio streaming adapts automatically to network bandwidth fluctuations for uninterrupted playback on cellular and Wi-Fi networks. When bandwidth allows, music plays at full bit-perfect resolution audio quality. When bandwidth degrades, music plays at less than full resolution audio quality. The process of network-based, audio quality adaptability is dynamic and transparent to the music listener.Frankie Tan (CEO, Co-Founder & Board Director) of OraStream worked previously in venture capital investment and also held executive positions in sales, marketing and business development. He is an engineer by training. He also holds MSc degrees in Financial Management (with Distinction) University of London, UK and in Strategic Management (Dean’s Honors List) Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He is a graduate of the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants United Kingdom, and a member of the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA).Kelvin Lee (CTO & Co-Founder) of OraStream has 16 years of industrial R&D experience in real-time embedded software and distributed computing, in areas of audio coding, computer vision, remote sensor networks and 3D visualization systems. He was instrumental in co-developing and commercializing MPEG-4 SLS at the Institute of Infocomm Research, A*STAR. Prior to co-founding OraStream, he was Senior Manager Technical Solutions in a leading interactive 3D visual content management and virtual reality software provider. Kelvin is a Singaporean and holds a M.Eng degree in Digital Signal Processing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kania, who grew up in a small town outside of Milwaukee, says she was the black sheep of her family. A child of the 1980s punk/new wave scene, her influences were people like Andy Warhol, Julian Schnabel and Francesco Clemente. So it follows that her first aspiration was to be an artist. But a few semesters at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago convinced Kania she didn't have the talent to make it as a painter. Fortunately, she had a side job as a bookseller.“I can tell you, almost to the day, when I decided to go into publishing,” Kania says. She could, it turns out, get it down to the month—August 1992. That was when Donna Tartt's The Secret History came out. Kania was enthralled not only with the book but also with how it was marketed. “It was her. It was the story of her. It was Bennington. And it was the package.... When you're 21 and you're trying to figure out what your lot in life is, and you wake up and you're like, 'Oh shit, I can't paint,' you know, you panic. I decided I wanted to be a publisher. I didn't want to be anything else.”Although Kania admits she had only a vague idea of what a publisher actually did, she knew enough. She knew about Gary Fisketjon and was as enamored with writers—writers like Raymond Carver, Mark Lindquist and Jay McInerney—as she was with artists. So, with $1,200 and a one-way train ticket, Kania set out for Manhattan. “Bright lights, big city,” she quips. “You know, the whole bit.”Despite a bumpy start in the Big Apple—she was working for a computer programmer, sharing a studio with a drag queen—Kania got a lucky break when she met Michael Morrison at a friend's wedding. “I begged him for a job,” she recounts. “He hired me as his assistant in 1995, and I've been working with him ever since.”Kania's passion for her literary (and visual) idols has served her well professionally. She managed to turn Harper Perennial into a recognizable brand, in part by publishing the kind of literary fiction and nonfiction that turned her on to the business 16 years ago.And while some scoff at the notion that readers notice what's on a book's spine, Kania vehemently disagrees: “If people watch a television show because it's on HBO, if they see a movie because it's a Focus Features release, if they buy an album because it's on Sub Pop Records, then why doesn't the same go for books?”  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Self-described as "soaring-ambient-dreampop- experimental-folk", Constant Follower is the band formed around Scottish songwriter Stephen McAll. As a teenager, McAll survived an attack by a gang that left him with a catastrophic head injury, and every memory of his childhood gone.The next decade was spent in a cabin on Scotland’s Western coastline, where he eventually began composing again. The result is a childhood imagined against a backdrop that, like the sea, is as serene as it is wild; ever- changing, yet resolute. Co-produced by McAll and renowned producer Kramer (Low, Galaxie 500, Will Oldham), their debut album ‘Neither Is, Nor Ever Was’, was released on the legendary Shimmy Disc imprint on October 1st 2021, and has been championed by KEXP, WFMU, BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio Scotland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a time when the entire world is more starved of human connectivity than maybe anytime in history, Australian artist MANE has penned perfect, booming, beautiful anthems that celebrates the people that mean the most to us and the love that those relationships represent. Her breakout hit ‘Chasing Butterflies’ clocked up over 2 million streams and MANE's debut EP ‘Coping Mechanisms’ released by Dew Process/UMG Australia features lush, baroque pop production, MANE’s soaring vocals and dark, furious energy that serves to only intensify the lyrics she sings and has proven there is so much more to come. Having found national support in Australia via triple j radio and Spotify, as well as performing at festivals like Groovin’ The Moo and Spin Off alongside the likes of The Wombats, Meg Mac and Jungle Giants, MANE’s explosive indie pop and reputation continues to grow as one of the most exciting new talents in Australian music. Self-taught and inspired by the likes of Florence and the Machine, Hayley Williams, St Vincent, Lorde, MANE has spent the last few years transforming the music she makes from a pastime that brought herself pleasure, into a career that brings strength and solidarity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This book is essential for record collectors and dealers. In that hot summer of ’69 two longhaired music freaks created an underground LP record album of unreleased tracks by one of their music gods and put it out on the streets of Los Angeles. No one had ever been crazy enough to do such an audacious thing before. The god’s official record label was not amused but the music fans were thrilled. Were these guys pirates or heroes? It was so much fun the first time, they soon pressed up even more records of forbidden musical fruit. They were on a roll. The following year, in 1970, one of the culprits put The Pig image in a circular logo with the name “Trade Mark of Quality.” TMQ and Pigman were born!With a cast of outrageous characters, here is the story of Trade Mark of Quality aka TMQ aka The Pig, the first bootleg record label of its kind, spawning many later imitators. From the end of the '60s to the mid '70s, TMQ and Pigman led the way, trotting down a muddy trail, feeding the habits and needs of music addicts around the world. Who were these fellow travelers? Carl? The Greek? Merlin? Hans? Rob Snout? Casper? Sheldon? The Blue Hasslebeast? Ol’ Fred? (Not to mention, The Brooklyn Boys, The Record Suits and The Feds!) What was the connection between TMQ and the Viet Nam war, revolutionaries, guns, pot and the moon landing? It’s all here!Included inA Pig’s Tale is not only the Trade Mark of Quality and Pigman saga, but reproductions of all the rubber stamped and illustrated album jackets from every genuine TMQ record release, including the earliest releases from ’69 right up to the last titles in 1976. Everything you ever wanted to know about the real TMQ label is here: A complete discography of artists and track listings, sources of recordings, catalog numbers, master tape and record matrix info, colored vinyl pressings, record labels, graphics, photos, vintage news clippings, articles and more, all collected together, at last, in one volume.A Pig’s Tale by Ralph Sutherland and Harold Sherrick, with their unique point of view, guides the reader through the never before told history of Trade Mark of Quality. It’s all here for the music lover and fan, the hardcore record collector, and the just plain curious. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.