radio free gak #8 - "I want more life, but the donkey was Ray's idea"

This episode went all weird.

Firstly, there was a meeting before airtime that took a good chunk of my concentration, leaving me to scramble to the studio and quickly prepare some ancillary bits for the show. The first half hour was a blur as I focused on filling out bits of information and sneaking into the corridor for a quick snack at times. That first half hour included a good dose of songs I had tried sequencing into previous shows, but failed for various reasons, which meant either an overfamiliarity (to my ears, at least) with those songs or the sense that these songs were cast offs for a long time. Furthermore, it didn't help that I power-talked my way through certain segues; that said, I practiced reciting the blurbs quickly in a fit beforehand to ensure that I didn't write any icky sentences, so there's a good chance that rubbed off with what I read on air (unintentionally, mind you).

One important thing to remember: when modifying the song sequence in iTunes, remember to synchronize the iPod after finalizing. Hence, the confusion of when the Dayglo Abortions song would play. Originally, there was going to be a three song punk set, with X-Ray Spex lumped together with Brazilian Girls beforehand. However, the original ending set was junked, so instead of creating a new ending, I fleshed out other parts of the episode, including the late addition of the Fila Brazillia track into the mix. That said, guess who forgot to copy the changes to the playback device — w00t.

This forced me to instantly reword on-the-fly a good section of what I had written earlier, which at least shows that I don't have sound like a complete tool, um, when deviating from the given text. Hopefully this means I can start scripting less of future shows explicitly. However, by now, I haven't taken to writing in the cart additions, meaning I can check the clock and know when the best time to drop a PSA, promo or station ID.

Then there was a ticket giveaway — my first — which lead to two calls, but no one wanted the ticket to the Beach House concert (March 19 at the Media Club). The callers were pleasant enough, though, so I didn't mind the failed attempt at free stuff. Still felt weird but perhaps the listenership wasn't properly familiar with them, despite Henry with the show before mine playing one of their other songs.

Musically, the punk from the eighties makes for a great listen, partly from a nostalgic point of view though more from the DIY production values as some of the higher-end mixing gear of the time become more accessible. The Pocket Fishermen track is a great example, with the samples at the beginning (and briefly at the end, which the iPod clipped for one dumb reason or another) and the awesome compression on the guitar solo.

I'm definitely feeling a strong South American vibe now, so there's the potential that a near-future show will be devoted specifically to the sounds, both traditional and new, of bossa nova, funk and dance. An early scan of my current collection has a strong Brazilian pull, but I'm going to see if I can dig up songs from the lesser-heard countries. I have friends from places like Colombia and Ecuador, so guidance is doable in case I get stumped. Peruvian folk looks feasible, oddly. If any of you have any recommendations, do email me.

I wish I had found more Vangelis soundtrack work, though. I didn't really want to go with the obvious Chariots of Fire theme, or what little I remembered from his work for 1492: Conquest of Paradise, but I did want to look into his scores for some early Jacques Cousteau documentaries, amongst others. Time cut that plan short, but I'd like to return to him at some point.

Playlist follows: