Spotlight On

Today, the Spotlight shines On returning guest, the innovative musician and composer Markus Reuter.

Markus originally joined us for Episode 130 back in November 2022. He joins us now to discuss his project Sea of Hopeless Angels (Unsung Records), which began as several unedited studio solo improvisations by Markus on his electric touch guitar. Those recordings were turned over to mixer Stefano Castagna, whose sonic wizardry included not only mixing but fully collaborating with the recordings, adding new sounds and instruments as inspiration struck, including his own voice, various samples, bass, synthesizers, and other electronics.

There are other inspirations at work in this project, but we will leave those to be revealed in the course of our discussion. It is important to mention the final collaborator for Sea of Hopeless Angels, though, and that is Aldo Grazzi, an Italian painter and video artist, who, back in the early 1980s, made visual experimentations interfacing a video camera with a cathode ray TV screen. The resulting video retains every imperfection of what was then state-of-the-art technology. All of the pieces on Sea of Hopeless Angels feature video accompaniment drawn from these videos, which are in the Grazzi archives, with two of them also accompanied by studio footage of Markus’ original performances.

(all musical excerpts heard in the interview are taken from Markus Reuter and Stefano Castagna's album Sea of Hopeless Angels)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Markus Reuter at markusreuter.com
• Download Sea of Hopeless Angels on Qobuz or Bandcamp, and listen on your streaming platform of choice.
• Follow Markus Reuter on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
• Sea of Hopeless Angels visuals + videos
• Be sure to peruse this episode's extensive show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Mastodon.

• Check out Spotlight On's next live event at The Royal Room in Seattle on Saturday, June 22! More info here.

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Today, the Spotlight shines On Berlin-based electronic music composer and performer Hainbach.

I have come to view Hainbach as much an archeologist or audio specimen collector as he is a musician. While he makes beautiful music and soundscapes, they are often showcase pieces for the devices he works on, which include not only vintage and rare modular synthesizers but also tape machines, test equipment, and other industrial machinery. A particular highlight of his work is his YouTube channel, where Hainbach brings experimental music techniques and the history of electronic music to a wider audience, frequently displaying how he gets usable sounds from these forgotten devices. We have included a link to that in the show notes.

He is a fun and creative human, someone I am grateful to have spent some time with.

(all musical excerpts heard in the interview are taken from Hainbach's The One Who Runs Away Is the Ghost soundtrack)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Hainbach at hainbachmusik.com and on his excellent YouTube Channel
• Purchase Hainbach's music on Qobuz or Bandcamp, and listen on your favorite streaming platform
• Follow Hainbach on Patreon, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter (X)
• Meet the German Producer Making Music With Salvaged Nuclear Lab Equipment
• Be sure to check out this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Mastodon.

• Check out Spotlight On's next live event at The Royal Room in Seattle on Saturday, June 22! More info here.

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Today, the Spotlight shines On saxophonist/composer Kevin Sun.

Kevin joined us to discuss, among other things, his dramatic double album from 2023, The Depths of Memory, which was released in two halves: From All This Stillness in July of that year and The Depths in Slow Motion in October of that year.

Kevin’s an intense yet accessible player and composer—and a true working musician. He leads an ensemble most Tuesday nights at Lowlands Bar and appears regularly at Bar Bayeux and Ornithology, all three in Brooklyn, NY.

In the time since we recorded this talk back in January, Kevin has released a new record, a live one, recorded at Lowlands. Fate of the Tenor has him leading a trio which, to my ears, gives more than a passing nod to Joe Henderson’s great 1985 live trio recordings with Ron Carter and Al Foster, State of the Tenor. Even the cover art seems a bit of an homage. The saxophone trio is one of my favorite configurations, and Kevin’s new record is a terrific contribution to the canon.

(all musical excerpts heard in the interview are taken from Kevin Sun's double album The Depths of Memory)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Kevin Sun on kevinsun.com
• Purchase Kevin Sun's music on Qobuz and Bandcamp, or listen on your favorite streaming platform
• Follow Kevin Sun on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter (X), and YouTube
• Fifteen Questions with Kevin Sun
• Kevin Sun Quintet plays Ryuichi Sakamoto's "Riot In Lagos" at Lowlands
• Be sure to peruse this episode's extensive show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• 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. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Mastodon.

• Check out Spotlight On's next live event at The Royal Room in Seattle on Saturday, June 22! More info here.

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Today, the Spotlight shines On Will Barnes, leader of the Will Barnes Quartet, who joins me to talk about his life in music and, specifically, his ongoing collaboration with landscape artist Erin Hughes.

Their first album together, Source of the Severn, is a 21st-century take on classic bebop-era sounds. Erin’s nine original works of art respond to Will and the Quartet’s music, using her own hand-marbled papers as a palette to create collages that evoke the Mid-Wales landscape in which the participants all dwell.

The Will Barnes Quartet, featuring Erin Hughes, will tour throughout the year. At each performance, Erin will provide a special live visual show, leading to unique interactions between her, the band, and the audience.

(all musical excerpts heard in the interview are taken from the album Source of the Severn by the Will Barnes Quartet)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Will Barnes and the Will Barnes Quartet at willbarnesmusic.co.uk
• Visit Erin Hughes and check out her artwork at erinlaurahughes.com
• Purchase Source of the Severn by the Will Barnes Quartet on Bandcamp or Qobuz, or listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Follow Will Barnes on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
• Follow artist Erin Hughes on Instagram
• Rob Williams — Truly Inspiring Hand Crafted Guitars and Basses
• Be sure to peruse this episode's extensive show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• 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. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Mastodon.

• Check out Spotlight On's next live event at The Royal Room in Seattle on Saturday, June 22! More info here.

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Today, the Spotlight shines On in a much different way than usual, as I am turning the microphone over to guest host Miriam Boulos.

Miriam has been a guest contributor to Bonus Tracks, the official blog of Spotlight On, since August 2023. Miriam publishes with us frequently, and her work has included interviews with and essays about a diverse array of artists like James Walsh of Starsailor, Chappell Roan, Fuera, Ella More, Chagall, and most recently PEPTALK. As an international contributor, MIriam consistently broadens our view and uncovers new voices for us. Even more importantly, she is shining the spotlight on gender inclusivity and other forms of diversity that we are very grateful for. It has been a privilege to share our platform with her.

Miriam is joined in conversation for this episode by Swedish alt-pop artist Lucky Lo. This bit about the artist, quoted from her bio, gives a glimpse of what to expect in their talk: “Lucky Lo unites people through her music by shedding light on the dark side of existence and turning trauma into triumph.” As a mission statement, it’s pretty strong.

Enjoy MIriam Boulos's conversation with Lucky Lo.

(all musical excerpts heard in the interview are taken from Lucky Lo's album The Big Feel)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit and learn more about Lucky Lo at luckylo.net
• LIsten to Lucky Lo's latest album, The Big Feel, released by TAMBOURHINOCEROS, on Bandcamp or your favorite steaming platform
• Follow Lucky Lo on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube
• Follow MIriam Boulos on Instagram

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• 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. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Mastodon.

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Today, the Spotlight shines On the Belfast, Ireland, band Chalk.

Chalk is Ross Cullen on vocals, Ben Goddard on guitar, and Luke Niblock on drums. They cook up a pretty stunning racket with a unique sound that is nonetheless recognizable in its post-punk, dance, and industrial lineages. If that makes sense to you, you will love Chalk. If it does not, give them a listen. Chances are you will dig what they do.

This is the second of two episodes I recorded on-site, in my hotel room/recording studio, at the SXSW Conference and Festival in Austin, Texas.

The recording took place two days after Chalk pulled out of SXSW to protest the festival’s commercial alignment with the US Army and multiple weapons manufacturers, one of at least ten Irish artists to do so.

The band opened up about their process and development in this great discussion. Enjoy.

(all musical excerpts heard in the interview are taken from Chalk's new EP, Conditions II)

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Dig Deeper

• Listen to Chalk's latest EP, Conditions II, on Bandcamp or your streaming platform of choice
• Follow Chalk on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter (X), and YouTube
• Watch Chalk play live on KEXP
• Irish Bands Cancel SXSW Concerts Over Arms Companies and US Army Sponsorship
• SXSW Protest is About More than Palestine
• Chris W. Ryan — Producer / Musician / Composer
• Meet Chalk, the Belfast experimentalists making ‘trauma techno’

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• 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. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Mastodon.

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Today, the Spotlight shines On Chinese-Malaysian Australian artist, musician and creative producer, Sui Zhen.

This is the first of two episodes I recorded on-site at the SXSW Conference and Festival in Austin, Texas.

This year’s edition of South By Southwest has been the subject of controversy related to event’s work with the US Army and several weapons manufacturers as sponsors for various programming segments throughout, and the reactions — including withdrawals from and boycotts of the event — by artists.

Sui Zhen spoke in both personal and general ways about the different options available to artists. She discussed who the protests help and harm and how, as an artist visiting through an arts visa, she had binding commitments tied to her participation in the festival. There is also a case for artists to use SXSW’s platform to stay engaged and present their points of view.

This was not why Sui Zhen joined us. We got together to talk about her compelling new work, the 13-minute piece “Sleepless.” To quote from the artist’s website, “Sleepless” is “‘about grief and persevering through it… first conceived in 2018, as a stream-of-consciousness response to her mother’s passing. The catharsis of musical improvisation served as a refuge, a way to navigate the fog of sleepless nights and immense pain. The track has evolved gradually, transforming through reiteration and further losses… the piece stretches out like a horizon, more a landscape than a song, mirroring the way grief warps our perception of time.”

We did get to discuss her work, though not to the extent intended. But we agreed that we had the conversation that needed to be had. Enjoy.

(all musical excerpts heard in the interview are taken from Sui Zhen's latest single, "Sleepless")

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Sui Zhen at suizhen.com.au
• Listen to Sui Zhen's latest release, "Sleepless," on Bandcamp or on your streaming platform of choice
• Follow Sui Zhen on Instagram, Facebook, SoundCloud, and YouTube
• See Sui Zhen's Instagram statement on on SXSW
• Be sure to peruse this episode's extensive show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• 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. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Mastodon.

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Today, the Spotlight shines On musician and songwriter Nicholas Dembling, aka Nic North, aka Nic West, of seminal New York CIty New Wave Pop band, Comateens.

The New York that birthed Comateens was in the midst of a particularly vibrant musical moment. There was new music everywhere. Jazz cats were staging loft concerts in pre-glitz SOHO. The punks and no wavers were holding court on the Lower East Side. Philip Glass and the minimalists were premiering new works and way up in the Bronx, hip hop was coming on strong.

Nic was working at New York’s MediaSound recording studio where he and co-worker Ramona Lee Jan began to write songs together. With necessity as the mother of invention, Nic and Ramona began to play gigs with only a bass, a guitar and an electronic rhythm box, so that the band and its equipment could fit into one New York City taxi cab. This self-imposed constraint led to the original Comateens, a concept shared by Alan Vega and Martin Rev, who were doing something with a similar lineup with their duo, Suicide.

Nic takes us through both his and Comateens musical upbringing and development, as well as how he is documenting and preserving the band’s legacy.

(the musical excerpts heard in the interview are taken from the Comateen's reissued 1979 single "Danger Zone"/"Elizabeth's Lover")

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Dig Deeper

• Check out the exhaustive Comateens archive at comateens.com
• Listen to the Comateens' 1979 single "Danger Zone"/"Elizabeth's Lover" on Bandcamp
• Follow Comateens on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), and YouTube
• Ramona Jan & Nic North Reflect on Their Life and Times as Synth-Punk Band Comateens
• New Wave Central: CBGBs And The Birth Of New York Punk
• GoFundMe for Romona Jan
• Don't miss this episode's extensive show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• 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. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Mastodon.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, the Spotlight shines On drummer, composer, and improviser Phil Haynes.

Phil published a unique memoir last November, which includes not only his reflections on a life in and of music but also stands as an important document of nearly 40 years of music in New York City and beyond.

Phil delivers plenty of inside observations of his work with figures like Lee Konitz, Anthony Braxton, Dave Liebman, and Paul Smoker, as well as his own poetry, musical analysis, philosophical musings, and lessons learned along the way.

It’s a charming book, and Phil has created a towering body of musical work. This conversation is classic Spotlight On, with an engaged, sincere guest. Listen to our talk and then get yourself a copy of Chasing the Masters: First Takes of a Modernist Drumming Artist.

(all musical excerpts heard in the interview are taken from Phil Haynes's 62-track retrospective, A Life Improvised - Chasing The Masters)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Phil Haynes at philhaynes.com, Bandcamp, and Facebook
• Learn more about Phil Haynes' memoir Chasing The Masters at chasingthemasters.com and purchase the book from Amazon
• Herb Robertson
• Paul Smoker
• Lee Konitz on Spontaneity, Originality, Drugs & Playing Sharp
• Ellery Eskelin
• Ellery Eskelin, Paul Smoker, Drew Gress, Phil Haynes - Joint Venture
• 4 Horns and What?
• Brooklyn Academy Finds Room for the Outsiders of Jazz
• Be sure to peruse the rest of this episode's extensive show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• 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. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Mastodon.

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Today, the Spotlight shines On Dave Wish, founder and Chief Vision Officer for Music Will. This nonprofit organization funds and runs one of the largest instrumental and vocal music programs in US public schools.

Dave, a former Palo Alto, California school teacher, launched Music Will due to frustration with the lack of music programming in his school. He started by borrowing instruments from friends and hitting area flea markets for deals. From there, he began offering free guitar lessons after school using popular music—the actual music his students wanted to play. What started out as an informal effort to provide musical education to his students has become the largest nonprofit music program in the U.S. public school system. Music Will has taught over a million and a half students how to play music. To hear the story in detail, as you will, is amazing.

Dave’s enthusiasm for his cause is infectious, and we are very happy to bring Music Will to the attention of our listeners.

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Music Will and learn more at musicwill.org
• Follow Music Will on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube
• Babyface Brings Music Education To 20 Indianapolis Schools With Nonprofit Music Will
• Tom Morello brings his ‘school of rock’ to Van Nuys High School
• Phoebe Bridgers Re-Releases “Waiting Room” for Charity
• Be sure to peruse this episode's extensive show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• 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. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Mastodon.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.