Spotlight On

Today, the Spotlight shines On drummer and sound artist Simon Berz. The impetus for our conversation was the release of Simon’s collaboration with American bassist and sonic wizard Bill Laswell and the Japanese avant garde trumpeter Toshinori Kondo. While Kondo passed away in October of 2020, this work, Breath versus Beats, was not released until August 2023.Simon is a prolific artist across multiple forms and media. His perspective on creativity, process, collaboration and sound resulted in a discussion that has stuck with me in the weeks since we recorded. Fasten your seat belts, assume a comfortable position and get ready for a fun ride with Simon Berz.------------------Dig DeeperVisit Simon Berz at simonberz.ch and linktr.eeListen to Breath versus Beats on Bandcamp or your favorite streaming platformFollow Simon Berz on Instagram , Facebook, and YouTubeToshinori Kondo: Playing in Uncharted TerritoryAn introduction to Bill Laswell in 10 recordsLiquid Land (Trailer)John Cage - For the BirdsA guide to Steve Reich's musicSimon Berz making a new stone collection for SEDIMENT instrumentNicolas Collins - Handmade Electronic Music10X10=>11Shifted EruptionPeter Brötzmann, the heart — and lungs — of European free jazzPlease help Bill Laswell------------------• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. • Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice. • Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The podcast features Seth Godin, author, entrepreneur, and teacher, discussing his recent book 'The Song of Significance' which addresses the problems and behaviors in the modern workplace. They also explore the impact of politics on capitalism, the value of skill transfer, the role of the trickster in society, the benefits of turnover, and the concept of project work for personal fulfillment.

Today, the Spotlight shines On Chhom Nimol and Ethan Holtzman, vocalist and keyboardist, respectively, of the band Dengue Fever. This episode is a little bit different. Dengue Fever was in the midst of a run of shows up the West Coast of the US in support of their new record Ting Mong, which is on my shortlist for Album of the Year. Their team suggested I meet the band in person instead of recording over Zoom, the way most of our recent episodes have come together. As a result, this talk took place over tea in the lobby of the band’s hotel, just after their soundcheck on a recent Sunday night in Seattle. It’s a little shorter than a typical episode given the demands on Nimol and Ethan’s time on a show day, but I think you will enjoy. There may be better rock or pop bands that have emerged in this century but I have yet to find one. 20 years in, they are a band still growing and taking delight in what they do. Enjoy our talk. ------------------Dig DeeperListen to Dengue Fever’s new album Ting Mong on Bandcamp or your streaming platform of choiceCheck out Dengue Fever at denguefevermusic.comFollow Dengue Fever on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Threads, YouTube, and XDengue Fever Presents: Electric CambodiaTuk Tuk RecordsThe Roots of Chicha: Psychedelic Cumbias From PeruSleepwalking Through the Mekong (Dengue Fever in Cambodia documentary)How Dengue Fever Found Itself in Cambodian Rock BandThe Rise and Fall of Cambodian Rock and RollSpecial thanks to The Hotel Crocodile in Seattle for hosting this conversation------------------• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! Or you can rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. • Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice. • Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, the Spotlight shines On Gabriel Kennedy, the author of the forthcoming biography Chapel Perilous: The Life and Thought Crimes of Robert Anton Wilson, which hits shelves in February 2024 from Strange Attractor/ MIT Press. The subject of that book, Robert Anton Wilson, wrote 35 books and over 1,500 published articles. His more well-known works include The Illuminatus! Trilogy, co-authored with Robert Shea, The Schrödinger’s Cat Trilogy, The Cosmic Trigger Trilogy, Prometheus Rising, Quantum Psychology and The New Inquisition. Bob has been described as futurist, author, lecturer, stand-up comic, guerrilla ontologist, psychedelic magician, outer head of the Illuminati, quantum psychologist, Taoist sage, Discordian Pope, Struthian politician and was perhaps all and none of the above.Before writing Chapel Perilous, Gabriel spent years as the hip-hop artist known as Prop Anon, producing music, videos, and street art under that name. Later, Prop started a doom metal band called 'Hail Eris!' releasing the eponymous album, Hail Eris! which can be found on bandcamp.com along with other Prop Anon music. As a writer, Gabriel's work has been published by BoingBoing.net, Mondo2000.com, and his own websites Prop-anon.com and chapelperilous.us, as well as his Medium page, Propanon99.medium.com and Bonus Tracks, the official blog of Spotlight On. ------------------Dig Deeper Visit Gabriel Kennedy at chapelperilous.us and prop-anon.comPre-order Chapel Perilous: The Life and Thought Crimes of Robert Anton Wilson on Bookshop, Penguin Bookshop, Amazon, and Barnes & NobleFollow Gabriel Kennedy/Prop Anon on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTubeThe Books of Robert Anton Wilson ------------------• Did you enjoy this episode? Rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. • Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice. • Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, the Spotlight shines On award-winning violinist and composer Aline Homzy. Aline joins us on the occasion of the release of her first solo record, Éclipse, which is also the debut album with her group ‘Aline’s étoile magique’. Aline is known as one of Canada’s finest jazz violinists. Her music has been performed by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Swedish guitarist Mikko Hilden, and South Korean bassist Yongwon Cho. She is also interested in and committed to the cause of economic justice in the arts, creating opportunities for patrons of all economic levels to attend live events and finding new funding mechanisms to get musicians paid a fair wage for their work. Aline spent the Summer of 2023 performing with étoile magique at festivals across Canada. Please stick around until the end of this episode for the track “Circa Herself” by Aline’s étoile magique from their album, Éclipse.------------------Dig DeeperListen to éclipse by Aline's étoile magique on Bandcamp or your streaming platform of choiceVisit Aline Homzy online at alinehomzy.comFollow Aline Homzy on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTubeSongs excerpted in this episode: "Caraway," "Segment," and "Rose du ciel"João FradeAncient Aliens: 14 Facts About the History Channel ShowBowing the VibraphoneA Guide to Toronto’s Arts, Culture & EntertainmentThere Is No Art Without Artists | Canada Council for the ArtsTranzac ClubThe Hambidge Center------------------• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. • Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice. • Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, the Spotlight shines On Cat Henry, the Brooklyn, NY-based Executive Director for Live Music Society, a philanthropic foundation whose mission is to recognize and protect small music venues and listening rooms across the U.S. so that live music remains accessible to all. Before LMS, Cat served as Vice President, Concerts & Touring, for Jazz at Lincoln Center and is currently curator of jazz programs for Hudson Hall, in Hudson, New York; Cat is also talent buyer for Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. Cat has programmed, produced and appeared at countless music and arts events and her combined experience gives her a unique perspective on the needs and concerns of artists, venues and other stakeholders in the live events ecosystem. In addition to the issues of the day, Cat spoke with us about Live Music Society’s grant programs - including the current application period they are in.Live music patron or professional, this conversation will have something for you. ------------------Dig DeeperVisit Live Music Society at livemusicsociety.orgFollow Live Music Society on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTubeFind Cat Henry on LinkedInMusic in Action 2023 GranteesLive Music Society Announces $100,000 ‘Toolbox’ grant To 13 Small Performance Venues To Fund Sustained GrowthThe Lower East Side in 8 SongsKids Rock for KidsThe Musicians Guide to Success on PatreonSenator Chuck Schumer Co-Sponsors $10 Billion ‘Save Our Stages’ Act to Assist Concert VenuesThe House of SongsAvant-Garde Music Loses a Lower Manhattan Home“John Zorn at 70”: A Kaleidoscopic Five-Day Residency in San Francisco------------------• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. • Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice. • Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, the Spotlight shines On Joe Mills, a musician and producer who performs under the name ‘Aver’ in the Berlin-based band Move 78.Move 78’s music sits at the intersection of improvised jazz and programmed hip-hop. Their music is crafted from hours of studio improvisations that have been chopped-up, rearranged, and layered with live instrumentation provided by the band members.In this chat, Aver explains their technique and process as well as how it extends to their live performances. It’s amazing. Move 78’s name is taken from a match of the ancient Chinese board game Go between Lee Sedol, the world champion of Go at the time of the match, and a computer program named AlphaGo. Lee was defeated in the first three games of the five-game match by his AI opponent, but he adapted and played a move so strange that it completely befuddled AlphaGo and its algorithms.This move, which represented the human response to the challenges of an ever-evolving technological world, was, of course, Move 78.------------------Dig DeeperListen to Move 78’s Automated Improvisation on Bandcamp or your streaming platform of choiceFollow Move 78 on Instagram and FacebookFollow Aver on Instagram and FacebookMove 78 - “Middling” [Live At Badehaus]In Two Moves, AlphaGo and Lee Sedol Redefined the FutureMove 78’s Go-inspired artworkUnapologetic Expression: The Inside Story of the UK Jazz ExplosionGilles Peterson: ‘The boundary between club culture and jazz is finally breaking’DJ Shadow On Sampling As A ‘Collage Of Mistakes’El-P: 10 of his best productionsDJ Shadow & Cut Chemist - Product Placement------------------• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with one friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. • Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice. • Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, the Spotlight shines On Steven Milne, singer, songwriter, keyboardist and vocalist in the Aberdeen, Scotland-based band The Little Kicks.The Little Kicks make sophisticated pop music, with three of the members providing vocal harmonies, over songs with enticing guitar hooks, and featuring the seductive sound of analogue synthesizers.The band is still supporting their most recent record, People Need Love, which was released back in September 2022. Look for it or link to it through the show notes.Steven gave us a wealth of insight into the mind - and heart - of a modern songwriter and performer. Enjoy the conversation. ------------------Dig DeeperVisit The Little Kicks at thelittlekicks.co.ukListen to The Little Kicks’ People Need Love on Bandcamp or your favorite streaming platformFollow The Little Kicks on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Elaine’s Dancing | The Little Kicks | SeinfeldChem19 Recording StudioIs the album concept dead in a music streaming landscape?The Lewis Capaldi Documentary Explores the Highs and Lows of Sudden FameA Guide to the Deeply Emotional Alt-Pop of Future IslandsDamon Albarn: Four years; four projects. Snapshot of a polymath.How to Write One Song (book by Jeff Tweedy)The Little Kicks’ BBC SessionThe Little Kicks - “Dracula” (video)The Omnichord: Damon Albarn shows how the song Clint Eastwood was born------------------• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. • Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice. • Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, the Spotlight shines On EMBER, a trio featuring saxophonist and trumpeter Caleb Wheeler Curtis, bassist Noah Garabedian and drummer Vincent Sperrazza. Their latest album, August in March, came out August 11, 2023 on Imani Records and is “a vivid representation of the musical, interpersonal and community-oriented ideas that the three forward-thinking musicians that make up EMBER…care deeply about.”Today’s conversation explores the heady thematic elements of EMBER’s music: humanism, community, place, and the importance of being a band of equals. Stick around after the discussion to hear the track “Flotation Device and the Shivers” from August in March, by EMBER. ------------------Dig DeeperVisit EMBER at emberband.comListen to EMBER’s August In March on Bandcamp or your favorite streaming platformFollow EMBER on InstagramAlso on Instagram: Caleb Curtis, Noah Garabedian, and Vinnie SperrazzaVinnie Sperrazza’s Chronicles email newsletter (Substack)Frank Zappa & Rahsaan Roland Kirk - Improvisations, Boston 1969Alice Coltrane Documentary (1970)Complete Recordings of Sam Cooke with the Soul StirrersOscar Peterson Trio with Milt Jackson - Very TallThe state of Utica’s jazz sceneJoe Henderson’s The State of the TenorBe sure to check out other musical projects from Caleb Curtis, Noah Garabedian, and Vinnie Sperrazza------------------• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. • Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice. • Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, the Spotlight is On singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Pete Josef.The impetus for Pete’s visit was a series of tracks that he has been dropping throughout the Spring and Summer of 2023 - one of which, “Utopia”, you can listen to at the end of this episode. Before we got to his new music, we discussed Pete’s musical upbringing, his connection to classic soul “message music”, and much more. Pete is an artist deeply in tune with his times, which is reflected in the lyrical content of his music. He is also in tune with the lineage his own work springs from, as you will learn from this talk. It was a pleasure having him on and we highly encourage you to check out his music. Enjoy. ------------------Dig DeeperVisit Pete Josef at petejosefmusic.comListen to Pete Josef’s music on Bandcamp or your favorite streaming platformFollow Pete Josef on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTubePete Josef…inspirations (Spotify Playlist)Rotary Connection - “Lady Jane” (Jerry G. TV show, Chicago, 1969)Moussa Kouyate plays koraSura SussoMarvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’ Is as Relevant Today as It Was in 1971Local Groove Does Good: The Story Of Trip-Hop’s Rise From BristolWhere to Start With Afrobeat Pioneer Tony Allen, One of the Greatest Drummers EverPatch’s artwork for Pete Josef’s “Utopia”The White LampTheo Katzman------------------• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. • Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice. • Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.