This week we sample the wildest sounds of the modern Malaysian soundscape… The many mixings of Chinese, Indian, Indigenous and European peoples have manifested to form a frothy stew of electronic strangeness! Hear many kinds of rock (space, grindcore, garage, surf, ambient, unidentifiable), throwback hip pop, and ancient drums stomp on our untamed journey…
Hear the first hour’s global mix HERE
Hear the Malaysian feature HERE
Filed under Music, South Asia
Welcome to the new mecca of heavy metal…
Gaborone, Botswana
Against the odds, the African nation of Botswana has not only become a successful and peaceful country in the half-century since achieving independence, but has also developed a thriving heavy metal scene. Coincidence? Perhaps. But still, with the care and precision it takes to cultivate the classic metal lifestyle, it seems more like an honorable religion than the devil’s music.. doesn’t it?
Other Batswana sounds are less Norwegian and more South African. Seeing as Gaborone, the capital and largest city of Botswana, hugs the border of South Africa, many of the styles from down south are now firmly entrenched in the soundscape of Botswana– most notably Kwaito and electro-hip hop.
Hear these and much more on our BOTSWANA SPECIAL!
And hear the weekly Global Mix right ova here.
Filed under Africa, Music, Southern Africa
If you have yet to fall under its spell, check out this thoughtful introduction to the genre by a couple classy Peruvian soundsmiths:
Now dance to this like a shamanic space traveler:
Filed under South America
A country of many intertwining traditions… The music of Bosnia is forever linked to the nations surrounding it, which together make up the former Yugoslavia. This week we welcome our friends Bojan and Zoran to the program, a pair of fearless musical scholars who present us with the history of popular music in Bosnia.
During the 70s and 80s, Sarajevo was the mecca of rock music in the Balkans. We’re talking stadium-sized guitar riffs and women screaming every word. Need proof?
We share some of the best bands of this era, the electric Gypsy sounds that came before it, the most influential composer of the 20th century, and amore.
Listen to the Bosnian feature here.
Listen to the global mix here.
Filed under Eastern Europe, Europe
This week we explore sounds from the highest nation on Earth. Welcome to Nepal!
Sandwiched between two giants (China and India), Nepal offers a diverse sonic palette potent enough to cure even the worst case of altitude sickness. We bring you a sampling of Nephop, classic pop, rock’n'roll, thunder drums, murchunga mastery, and a funkified yak attack!
Until we have affordable interstellar vehicles fueled by anti-matter, every day is Earth Day. But this week’s broadcast fell on the officially sanctioned Earth Day, and as a bizarre twist of fate we were without internet in the studio for the entire show. Coincidence, or terrific display of Mother Nature’s eternal wisdom?
a sight for the sore eyes of many space travelers
Without internet capabilities, we were forced to postpone our scheduled trip to Nepal. Instead, we give you a non-stop sonic survey of planetary vibes – visiting 16 countries in just over an hour!
Hear the Earth Day Mix HERE
Thank you, beautiful blue planet, for offering your endless abundance of warmth and resources. We will continue to sing and play songs for you, and we promise to start cleaning up this mess we have made. Next week, we visit the Himalayas!
Filed under Current Episode, Music
A full episode exploring sublime sounds inspired by and emanating from the African continent! During the first hour, we are joined by sonic alchemist Brandon “Blocktreat” Hoffman, who guides us through the world of his darling Afrobeat monsters Miami Device. Brandon discusses their upcoming show, trading cards, and debuts tracks from the as-yet-unreleased Miami Device remix album (stirring up their joyous 2012 LP Monopoly).
Stream part 1 of Wandering Rhythms HERE
For the second half of the show, our musical safari takes us to a land of many wonderful surprises, as we visit the North African sands of Algeria. On Wandering Rhythms, we love when traditions diverge in unexpected new directions, and to this end Algeria offers a fascinating mix of regional styles that effortlessly blend with rock, hip hop, and blues that have found their way into the Algerian music scene mainly because of the close ties the country has had with France over the past two hundred years.
Kabyle rock, experimental Raï, Gnawa, classic hip hop, desert blues, folktronica, and more as we explore the spectrum of contemporary Algerian music.. Truly some of the most beautiful sounds on the planet.
Stream part 2, the Algerian Odyssey HERE
Filed under Africa, Music, North Africa
