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Ep. #43: Del the Funky Homosapien + Kid Koala + Dan the Automator of Deltron 3030

Dan the Automator Nakamura, Kid Koala, and Del the Funky Homsapien make up the legendary hip-hop supergroup Deltron 3030 who just released their long-awaited second album, Deltron 3030: Event II. After making landmark records with Kool Keith and forming Handsome Boy Modelling School with Prince Paul, the Automator furthered his rep by spearheading Deltron 3030 with Del the Funky Homosapien and Kid Koala and releasing their classic, self-titled debut in 2000. Kid Koala is a brilliant man who calls Montreal home. A highly respected turntablist and gifted musician, Koala brings sweet spice to Deltron. Del The Funky Homosapien was already a gifted hip-hop artist before the release of the Deltron 3030 album 13 years ago. The Oakland-bred MC goes all out on every record but the Deltron concept has really sparked his imagination, inspiring a bleak vision of the future. In individual conversations, all three discuss their new album, their fascination with time and the future, how the present isn’t all that great, Deltron’s connection to the film Looper, why Joseph Gordon-Levitt wanted to be on the new record, their current and upcoming projects (including Got a Girl and Beat Intellectual Project), why Deltron might be done after this record, sci-fi, and why even 40 year-old rappers need to land an ollie every once in a while.

Related links: bulkrecordings.com kidkoala.com delthefunkyhomosapien.bandcamp.com vishkhanna.com

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News Podcast

Ep. #42: Basia Bulat

Basia Bulat is a distinctive singer and musician based in Toronto, ON. Over the past decade, she’s released three acclaimed albums and won praise for her impassioned voice and emotive songwriting. Her latest record is a lovely and intricate one called Tall Tall Shadow, it’s out now courtesy of Secret City Records, and sends her out on tour across North America and Europe in the coming months. Here Basia and I discuss the mood and motifs on this record, her connection to Montreal and Arcade Fire (Tim Kingsbury and engineer Mark Lawson produced her latest effort), her love of pop music, her history as a musician, what she makes of external perceptions of her work, her current and future plans, the song “Promise Not to Think About Love,” and much more.

Related links: basiabulat.com secretcityrecords.com vishkhanna.com

basiabulat

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News Podcast

Ep. #41: Mike O’Neill

Mike O’Neill is a very talented singer, songwriter, and musician who currently lives in Halifax, NS. He first came to prominence in the esteemed two-piece indie-rock band the Inbreds and has gone on to make some really remarkable solo albums, including 2012’s criminally underrated Wild Lines. He’s also a screenwriter and has worked extensively on the very popular TV and film versions of the Trailer Park Boys series. O’Neill recently began collaborating with an enigmatic American-based Canadian songwriter named Devon Sproule and, on Sept. 24, the duo released a thoughtful, gorgeous collaborative album called Colours via Tin Angel Records. A couple of months ago, I met up with Mike at his mom’s house in Oshawa and got some background about his life there. I met his mom who offered her insights, I learned about Mike’s foray into student council politics and how his late, handy dad helped him make his first drum kit, I got some more info about Mike’s visual arts background and how his attempt to impress a prom date with a mural sort of backfired, his early musical obsessions, how the Inbreds started, his work with Devon Sproule and her impact on his process, what’s up with the new Trailer Park Boys movie, and just a ton more. There’s some songs on here too. Hedges get clipped. It’s a good episode. Mike rules.

Related links: mikeoneillmusic.com devonsproule.com tinangelrecords.co.uk vishkhanna.com

mikedevon

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