Program Change Presents: Signal Process

Welcome everyone! This week, we are joined in conversation with a close member of the Program Change family, Sean Galloway—better known as Ave Grave. Sean has nearly two decades of experience in the music industry as a songwriter, vocalist, tv and film composer. He is notable for his work as co-lead-vocalist of the band TV Heads, and for scoring the film Strange Negotiations, a documentary about musician David Bazan.

Seans solo work—released under the name Ave Grave—explores the quieter side of composition by crafting intimate recordings influenced by the musical languages of acoustic folk and ambient tape loops.

We caught up with Sean via video chat from his apartment in Berlin—his home since September of 2020. Sean spoke with us about his approach to composition and performance of ambient music, what it’s been like for him livestreaming every week for the past year, and the role close listening plays in his songwriting process.

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Track in Intro: "Behold A Pale Horce (In C Major)" by Ave Grave

This week, we’re joined by vocalist, producer, and author Rhys Langston. Rhys has a talent for pairing acerbic commentary on race and class with a diverse musical approach that’s rooted both sonically and philosophically within the cultural framework of hip hop. He is also an author, with a terrific book titled Language Arts Unit that expounds upon the socio-political themes found within his album of the same name. Rhys’s upcoming album, Stalin Bollywood, finds him expanding his musical palette to incorporate the sounds of post-punk as a new medium through which he can deliver his unique and insightful worldview.

Rhys spoke with us extensively about the inception of his latest album—recorded during the lockdowns of 2020–, his views on the future of live performance, and his thoughts on the intersection between genre and race.

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Track in Intro: "a two state solution to soak eye contact" by Rhys Langston

This week, we’re joined in conversation with the incredibly talented vocalist, producer, and DJ A. Billi Free. A deft MC and brilliant singer, A. Billi has delivered two solo albums over the past two years--I Luma and Blk Mgk Symbl—that break down the borders between hip-hop, dance music, futuristic soul and jazz.

A former mainstay of the Chicago music scene, A. Billi is currently based in the southwest near the borders of El Paso, Juarez, and southern New Mexico. She spoke with us about how city-life vs rural-life has affected her writing and approach to collaboration.

We also talked about our shared love of DJ culture, how technology can help empower the future of independent music, how she gets incredible sound from a $50 microphone.

If you like our podcast, please leave us a review, follow us on Instagram @programchange, and subscribe to our newsletter programchange.substack.com.

Track in Intro: Hurricane by A. Billi Free and Uncle El

For our first episode, we are joined by music producer 10.4 Rog. Rog discusses his background in film, finding work as an artist during a pandemic, and how he achieves a classic sound with a software-focused approach.

If you like this episode, be sure to follow us on instagram @programchange to keep up with our work in inspiring and celebrating the independent music community.