Line Noise Podcast

My guest on Line Noise this week is Kirk Degiorgio, a British producer perhaps better known as As One, who has been in electronic music for more than 30 years, occupying a territory somewhere between Detroit techno, home listening, funk, soul and jazz. We spoke about his classic As One album Reflections, which Barcelona label Lapsus is reissuing, about giving up DJing, arguments with Warp, Detroit, Mo Wax and more.

My guest on Line noise this week is the Australian-Icelandic musician, composer, record producer, sound designer and director, Ben Frost. His excellent new album Scope Neglect is released in March and we spoke about that, about making shit music - and why he won't do it - Kurt Cobain’s poetry, silence, Metallica’s Black Album and - because I obviously couldn’t resist - about Dark. Photo by Topper Komm.

Our guest on Line Noise today is Richard Norris. a man who can claim to have made the UK’s first acid house album, found worldwide chart fame with The Grid and was a creative partner for Joe Strummer, among many other things. His autobiography Strange Things Are Happening, is scheduled to be released on March 21, 2024. We talked about Swamp Thing, acid house, Genesis P-Orridge, Jack the Tab and more.

Today on Line Noise my guest is one of my early idols in electronic music: Dave Clarke, one of the first British producers to really put his stamp on techno music and a DJ of incredible skill. His iconic single Red 2 is now available digitally for the first time to mark its 30th anniversary; and it will be followed by a big box set later this year, including a Remastered version of his Archive One Album. In this interview we talked about everything from big kick drums to experiencing homelessness, hardcore to hip hop, passing by Daft Punk, journalism and Mark Lanegan.

Line Noise participará en las celebraciones del 30 aniversario del famoso club de Barcelona, Nitsa, incluyendo entrevistas con algunos de los jugadores clave en la historia de Nitsa. En este primer episodio, Ben Cardew, Johann Wald y Sergi Cuxart hablaron con DJ Coco sobre los inicios del club en 1994, mezclando guitarras con electrónica, Aphex Twin DJ sets, Philippe Zdar, Ian Pooley y más. Line Noise is taking part in the 30th anniversary celebrations of Barcelona's famed club, Nitsa, including interviews with some of the key players in Nitsa's history. On this first episode, Ben Cardew, Johann Wald and Sergi Cuxart spoke to DJ Coco about the club's beginnings in 1994, mixing guitars with electronics, Aphex Twin DJ sets, Philippe Zdar, Ian Pooley and more.

Our guest on Line Noise today is Crystal Murray, a Paris-born singer, songwriter, producer and more, whose new single Payback is an impressively fierce piece of work that falls somewhere between techno, soul and R&B, with maybe a touch of disco. We spoke ahead of her gig / club night at Nitsa in Barcelona - which sadly has passed by now - about revenge, jazz, Paris and London, about clubbing, Elizabeth Fraser, Crystal’s forthcoming album and so much more. I hope you enjoy it. Picture by Erea Ferreiro.

With the news that Julia Holter has a new album coming out in March 2024, we decided to bring back the interview that we did with Julia at Primavera Sound 2023. We talked about being a pop professor, The Passion of Joan of Arc, strength in collaboration, Call Super, LA music - whatever that is - and more. She really is one of the most fascinating people making music today. Photo by Cecilia Díaz.

Today our guest on Line Noise is DJ Paulette, a DJ of 30 years standing, Haçienda resident, TV presenter, radio host and now author, of the book Welcome to the Club: the life and lessons of a Black Woman DJ. We talked about whitewashing in dance music, Manchester clubbing, lessons learned from three decades of DJing, the Haçienda, Beyoncé “saving” house music and much, much more. Photo by Lee Baxter.

In 2019 we were lucky enough to interview the great Australian-Icelandic musician, composer, record producer, sound designer and director Ben Frost about his soundtrack to Dark - AKA the best series ever put to film. Frost has a new album coming out in March, called Scope Neglect. It is his first studio album in seven years, so it seemed like a time to rewind to this 2019 interview we did for Sprung, our daily show on Radio Primavera Sound. I hope you enjoy it.

The wonderful Colleen joined us at the Radio Primavera Sound studios this week, ahead of her Barcelona Auditori gig, to talk about the pleasures of wandering around Barcelona, working with Moog, a cat in the studio, ongoing inspiration and her excellent eighth album Le jour et la nuit du réel. PS The interview is also available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4pB-VliGrI

Today’s guest on Line Noise is Muzi, a DJ, singer, songwriter and record producer from Empangeni in South Africa, whose new album uMUZI is out now on A Trak’s Fool’s Gold Records. We talked about getting Chris Martin to sing in Zulu, Daft Punk and connecting generations. Photo by Andile Buka.

Today's guest on Line Noise is Paul Rose, aka Scuba, label boss DJ, podcaster and so much more, who was there right at the birth of dubstep with his Hotflush label. We talked about life in Mallorca, being in a band with Johnny Borrell, the music that emerged from dubstep, being outspoken and his new mixtape, Digital Underground. Picture by Rui Augustus

Our guests on Line Noise this week are the classic English house duo X-Press 2, who have just released their fifth album, Thee. We talked about New York house, keeping things simple, David Byrne and Kurt Wagner and the slightly disappointing joy of getting to number two in the UK charts.

This week’s guest on Line Noise is eclectic, enigmatic composer and producer Johnny Jewel, who we spoke to ahead of his gig at Barcelona’s Mira festival this weekend. We spoke about soundtracks, gore, Twin Peaks, remixing The Weeknd, Primavera past and present and his very favourite sound.

Today on Line Noise we bring you an interview with Flinty Badman, half of the iconic rave duo Ragga Twins, a band who essentially invented ragga jungle alongside their friends in Shut Up And Dance. They are a brilliant, brilliant band and this interview was fascinating for me. We talked about London soundsystems, rave, political commentary, reggae owing them money, Skrillex, James Blake and more. Deman Rocker, the other half of the duo couldn’t be in on the interview but I am hoping to speak to him soon. Until then, enjoy!

Ben Cardew met Lille's finest purveyor of sunshine house, two-time platinum producer Myd, to talk losers, geeks, Theophilus London, the brilliance of Ed Banger, learning to sing live and Fatboy Slim.

Today on Line Noise we welcome Haitian house artist Francis Mercier, a producer who has worked with and / or remixed everyone from Manu Chao to Black Uhuru, Amadou & Mariam to Rachid Taha in his quest for a truly global house sound. We talked about house music as global force, sampling with respect, growing up in Haiti and maths and music. You can also watch the interview (for a limited time) on the Radio Primavera Sound Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/radioprimaverasound

Today’s guest on Line Noise is a giant of electronic music: Gez Varley, a member of seminal Bleep techno duo LFO, who later went on to make music as G-Man, producing the huge techno tune Quo Vadis. We talked about breakdancing, about LFO, getting a record deal in a club car park; we talked about musical history, What is House; the OTHER LFO and so much more. I hope you enjoy it.

KILIMANJARO and Junior Simba are two of the UK’s hottest new DJs, playing Afro-inspired house and club music. They are also friends and now collaborators, producing the excellent single Channel Z one hungover afternoon. It has now been released on none other than Diplo’s Higher Ground label, so we invited them into the RPS studio - via Twitch - to talk pop bangers, hungover creativity, Dundee, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Plus, Junior Simba promises to play some Sheryl Crow. The interview is by Ben Cardew and Johann Wald. And you can, for a limited time, watch it on Twitch here: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1935516576

Today on Line Noise we welcome none other than Roni Size to the microphone, a Bristol producer who has more drum and bass hits than you’ve had awkward breakfasts with your partner’s parents. We talked about jazz, The Wild Bunch, Reprazent, Method Man and more. Thanks to the people at the Hospitality in the Woods festival for setting this up. It takes place in Beckenham Place Park on August 19, with a stellar drum and bass line up, including Roni himself, High Contrast, Dillinja, Bryan Gee, Jumpin' Jack Frost and LTJ Bukem. And this IS the final Line Noise of the season. Back in September.