Lost And Sound
Paul Hanford
Lost and Sound is a podcast exploring the most exciting and innovative voices in underground, electronic, and leftfield music worldwide. Hosted by Berlin-based writer Paul Hanford, each episode features in-depth, free-flowing conversations with artists, producers, and pioneers who push music forward in their own unique way.From legendary innovators to emerging mavericks, Paul dives into the intersection of music, creativity, and life, uncovering deep insights into the artistic process. His relaxed, open-ended approach allows guests to express themselves fully, offering an intimate perspective on the minds shaping contemporary sound.Originally launched with support from Arts Council England, Lost and Sound has featured groundbreaking artists including Suzanne Ciani, Peaches, Laurent Garnier, Chilly Gonzales, Sleaford Mods, Nightmares On Wax, Graham Coxon, Saint Etienne, Ellen Allien, A Guy Called Gerald, Jean Michel Jarre, Liars, Blixa Bargeld, Hania Rani, Roman Flügel, Róisín Murphy, Jim O’Rourke, Yann Tiersen, Thurston Moore, Lias Saoudi (Fat White Family), Caterina Barbieri, Rudy Tambala (A.R. Kane), more eaze, Tesfa Williams, Slikback, NikNak, and Alva Noto.Paul Hanford is a writer, broadcaster, and storyteller whose work bridges music, culture, and human connection. His debut book, Coming to Berlin, is available in all good bookshops. Lost and Sound is for listeners passionate about electronic music, experimental sound, and the people redefining what music can be.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 5, 2021 • 1h 14min
Marshall Vincent
Marshall Vincent joined me for an in-person conversation to discuss how he uses his sublime alt-R&B to channel confidence, growing up in Chicago, adapting to German mannerisms, the virtues of collaboration and the power of singing in the toilet. His music is so intimate and so sonically expressive at the same time, and in person, he’s suave and witty company, and an inspiringly confident artist. In his own words: “I think when someone’s talking shit, it’s better to embarress them with my talent than in another way, if I can fight my battles on a stage rather than a message board, I’d totally rather do that.”Title music by ESOMarshall Vincent’s new EP, In No Particular Order, is releases October 15, 2021 on SA Recordings. Here’s the Bandcamp.If you’d like to help fund Lost and Sound for the price of a coffee, head on over to the show’s Ko-Fi crowdsouce.
Sep 28, 2021 • 36min
Yann Tiersen
This week, I have an in-person conversation with the visionary Yann Tiersen. We talk about his new album, Kerber, which draws on the geography and atmosphere of the remote island Ushant, where he lives. Plus, he shares reflections on the deeper context of where his music comes from, how a life or death situation gave him an artistic epiphany and also, to be warned, what happens if you expect him to play songs from Amelie. It was lovely to have this conversation, and it took place amongst the synth-fest in a forest that is Berlin’s Superbooth Festival.Title music by ESOThe new Yann Tiersen album, Kerber, is available on Mute here.If you’d like to help fund Lost and Sound for the price of a coffee, head on over to the show’s Ko-Fi crowdsouce.
Sep 21, 2021 • 53min
J. Willgoose, Esq. - Public Service Broadcasting
This week, J. Willgoose, Esq, from Public Service Broadcasting joins me. On the eve of the release of the band’s new LP, Bright Magic, an impressionistic journey through Berlin. So obviously we had to have a chat, right?Enigmatic, immersive, atmospheric, each time PBS emerge, they take on a subject and to me, its like falling into a deep book. From exploring the cold war space race so well that Jodie Whitaker would listen to their LP, The Race For Space, to help her get into the zone to play Doctor Who, to tackling the British coal industry. Now, J. has made an album about Berlin. It’s got Blixa Bargeld on it, singer EERA the ace German actress Nina Hoss and they recorded it at Hansa, where Bowie recorded Low. J. Turns out to be a charming self-depracating chap and he opens up about the loneliness of being in a new city, talks frankly about finding creative sparks and there’s even a bit of politics too on contemporary Britain.Title music by ESOThe new Public Service Broadcasting album, Bright Magic, is available from September 12th here.
Sep 14, 2021 • 46min
DJ Fuckoff
This week, DJ Fuckoff took a break from whipping up storms across parties in Berlin to have a raw, cute and frank in person chat with me. Propulsively mixing techno with juke, psy-trance and warehouse rave so potent you can practically smell the heat from the generator, all with sexually empowering lyrics. We met up for a coffee in Neukölln where she opened up about battling incels, the lingering misogyny in club culture and how she nurtures her own energy. In her own words: “I like to make people get out of their comfort zone and I think its important to be pushing this instead of how society is telling women how they should act. I want to fucking break this, I want to push this, I want to test this and by doing what I do and seeing how people react, I see that that’s happening.”Title music by ESOCheck out DJ Fuckoff’s recent streams and releases through her Linktree here.If you’d like to help fund Lost and Sound for the price of a coffee, head on over to the show’s Ko-Fi crowdsouce.
Sep 8, 2021 • 48min
Bob Stanley - Saint Etienne
This week, I had a chat with Bob Stanley, musician, journalist, author, film producer and one third of the seminal Saint Etienne (the other two thirds being Sarah Cracknell and Pete Wiggs). Saint Etienne’s tenth studio album, I’ve Been Trying To Tell You, is out this Friday and we spoke about how it questions nostalgia and asks were the ‘90s as optimistic as we now think of them as being? Their sampladelic debut Foxbase Alpha, up front classics like Only Love Will Break Your Heart and Join Our Club arrived like a melancholic dream years before the hazy electronic beats of hypnogogic pop became a thing. We spoke over a Transeuropean cuppa about the appeal of melancholy, ask if nostalgia is an illusion and we even share a couple of Carry On style double entendres.Title music by ESOThe new Saint Etienne album, I’ve Been Trying To Tell You, is available from September 10th here.If you’d like to help fund Lost and Sound for the price of a coffee, head on over to the show’s Ko-Fi crowdsouce.
Aug 31, 2021 • 1h 3min
Daniel Avery
This week, I spoke with the awesome Daniel Avery. Producer and DJ, author of the transcendetally good Drone Logic and the now equally amazing Together In Static LP. Coincidentally, although we’ve never met, we both grew up as indie noise kids in the same town and we chatted about this, about his early break as a Fabric resident, his friendship with Andrew Weatherall, how phones maybe aren’t the worst thing in clubs and getting lost, or rather, connecting with every person and every atom, in the shared clubspace.Title music by ESOThe new Daniel Avery album, Together In static, is available now on Phantasy Sound, listen here.If you’d like to help fund Lost and Sound for the price of a coffee, head on over to the show’s Ko-Fi crowdsouce.
Aug 24, 2021 • 56min
Nite Jewel
This week, Ramona Gonzales, aka. Nite Jewel. Producer, singer, musicologist. We spoke about how her transcendentally good new album, No Sun, uses Moog and voice and is a break-up album, made largely whilst living on a friend's couch, but is also part of an investigation into the agency of the female voice through history. As well as this, she reflects on her emergence through the LA scene during the MySpace era and the power of sound making off grid.Title music by ESOThe new Nite Jewel album, No Sun, is available from August 27th, listen here.If you’d like to help fund Lost and Sound for the price of a coffee, head on over to the show’s Ko-Fi crowdsource
Aug 17, 2021 • 49min
Liars
After a summer hiatus, we’re back. I spoke with Angus Andrew, who for over 20 years and now 10 albums, has been Liars. Always utterly fresh, idiosynchratic, intense and channelling something that seems to come from a realm beyond reinvention. We got into a chat about where this comes from, along the way taking in letting go of musical inhibitions, pcibocylin, drums, the Brooklyn scene, living remotely and way more.Title music by ESOLiars WebsiteThe new Liars album, The Apple Drops, is out now on Mute.If you’d like to donate to the production costs of making the show for the price of a coffee, head on over to the show’s Ko-Fi crowdsource
Jun 24, 2021 • 39min
Stian Balducci and Kjetil Jerve
This week, we zap over to Norway to catch a conversation with producer Stian Balducci and pianist Kjetil Jerve about collaboration, jazz’s origins as a dancing music and their desire to make an “Improvised music of our age”. Their joint LP, Tokyo Tapes mixes drone, jazz and frequency-pushing sonics and I think its a stunning listen, and before you think that maybe these are some serious dudes, prepare for some surprising music confessions. Title music by ESO
Jun 15, 2021 • 37min
Luwten
I had a conversation with Amsterdam-based producer, songwriter and musician Tessa Douwstra, who records under the name Luwten and finds a way of blending nu-soul tinged vocals and textured, experimental production. Luwten means ‘Place without wind’ in Dutch and I was interested to ask her about the way her music feels so intimately personal yet sonically expressive.Theme music by ESO
