0860 Podcast with Fracture

In this episode, I reflect on last week’s 0860 Exhibition, ‘Somewhere About Town,’ held at the incredible Hackney Gallery in East London. The exhibition was a collaboration between my brother Harry and me, celebrating pirate radio culture through a collection of photography, artworks, and artefacts. The event opened on Friday, November 15th, with a live performance by me and DJ sets from Warlock, Brockie, and MC Det. The show ran throughout the weekend, attracting an eclectic mix of visitors. Some came after hearing about it, while others stumbled across it by chance and were intrigued. It was an amazing experience that has sparked so many ideas about where to take this project next. The Hackney Gallery was the perfect venue for this show. It’s a very DIY, grassroots, and unofficial space—much like pirate radio itself. It’s run by a group of passionate young people who are building a community and making things happen out of necessity, again mirroring the spirit of pirate radio. The gallery is located just around the corner from the Nightingale Estate in Clapton, where many stations, including Kool FM, Weekend Rush, and Defection, broadcast during the 1990s. Having two Kool legends, Brockie and Det, perform in a grassroots space so close to where they first started out was truly special. I delve into all of this in detail during the episode. Putting the exhibition together was an intense process, so this week’s episode doesn’t feature a guest. Instead, it’s just me. First, I share a debrief of the exhibition, and then I dive into listener questions on topics such as the era of internet radio, approaching music and culture as an outsider, Jungle and Video Games, and incredible stories of how pirate radio recordings have traveled far and wide to bring people together. Join the Discord HERE to discuss, feedback and suggest anything for the podcast Check out the Hackney Gallery HERE and their ‘Under The Hatch’ DJ sessions HERE My new album SLOW860 is out now HERE John Higgs - The KLF book HERE Check out ‘Jack Move’, the video game I scored HERE

*****NEWS***** Join us for a free 0860 exhibition in London: Somewhere About Town Astrophonica & Utile present an exhibition of artworks, photography, artefacts and performances celebrating Pirate Radio culture running 15th - 17th November at The Hackney Gallery. The private view is on 15th Nov 7-11pm with a live cassette loop performance of Fracture’s ambient Jungle album ‘SLOW860’ and some very special DJ sets which we’ll announce shortly. It’s free and will be a vibe so it would be great to see you there.  Private View 15.11.24, 7-11pm w/ Fracture (SLOW860 Live) and Special Guest DJs TBA Opening times 16 - 17.11.24 12-7pm Hackney Galley, 1 Lower Clapton Road E5 0NS Fracture's new SLOW860 album ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ A long read on the album is here  On to this week’s guest, the rave aesthetic machine that is Pete Cannon. His work as a music producer spans decades and genres, working as a Hip Hop producer, a media composer and in recent years a Hardcore & Jungle artist. His approach steeped in the DIY history of rave music and his studio is full of many of the bedroom producer tools that lead to some of the most seminal records in the genre. The two main reasons I wanted to get Pete on was the fact that he grew up in Blackpool which, as we learn, had a healthy Pirate Radio and rave scene. There’s been lots of representation of London and some of the more well known stations on this Podcast so it was great to hear about first experiences of rave music through his local stations and Manchester legend Stu Allan. We also talk about his passion for old skool equipment including the Amiga, which seems to be having a bit of a renaissance at the moment with various plug-in emulations becoming available and a recent Bizzy B and Brain Records exhibition specifically about using an Amiga to make Jungle. We start on Pirate and then take a deep dive into production, discussing sampling, breakbeats and the sonic qualities of his equipment. Follow Fracture on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bandcamp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Music⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Beatport⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For more information on the project, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠0860.fm

*****NEWS***** Fracture's new SLOW860 album ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ Join the Astrophonica Discord ⁠⁠here This week, we have the free-thinking grime historian and modern-day UK music icon, Elijah. He’s a writer, DJ, artist manager, and co-founder of the record label Butterz. With a background in pirate radio, he has evolved into a cultural commentator through his Yellow Squares project on Instagram, which you should definitely check out if you haven't already. He uses this project as a canvas to encourage discussion and challenge industry norms in an open and honest manner. When I emailed him to invite him on the show, he replied immediately, suggesting we do it in two hours. This really put me on my toes and made me put my money where my mouth is—absolutely love it. His approach to the Yellow Squares project reflects his enthusiasm for cultural discussions; he’s very driven and passionate. I’ve always been a big fan of his work. I primarily invited him on because this podcast has mainly focused on Jungle and Drum and Bass from my perspective, leaving little representation for grime. Elijah is someone who has spoken extensively about grime and how the scene utilized pirate radio. He is also very vocal about the current state of the music industry and often challenges outdated ways of thinking in a philosophical manner. This is crucial because, while this podcast celebrates the legacy and history of pirate radio, I want these discussions to be beneficial for those who didn’t experience that era. I can think of no one better to facilitate this than Elijah. We discuss various topics, including his beginnings as a listener and how the grime scene incorporated pirate radio at a time when internet radio had become an easier and safer option. We also delve into his thoughts on the shortcomings of radio today and how a DIY approach is now more important than ever. It’s a truly engrossing conversation that I believe you’ll enjoy. I’ve been getting some great feedback on the podcast and in particular an email from James Norman, a professor at University of Bristol who was struck by the conversation I had with Bailey a couple of episodes ago about how the concept of ‘the future’ is no longer a source of inspiration for Jungle & Drum n Bass. At the end of the show I read and comment on the email and I encourage you to join the discussion via [email protected] or on the Discord. Thus creating that ever important Pirate Radio broadcaster to listener feedback loop.  Follow Fracture on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bandcamp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Music⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Beatport⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For more information on the project, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠0860.fm

*****NEWS***** Preorder Fracture's new SLOW860 album ⁠here⁠ Join the Astrophonica Discord ⁠here Sweetpea is a Producer, DJ, Radio Presenter and Mentor from London who cut her teeth on the legendary Rude FM 88.2 in late '00s. She is another guest on the show that has gone from humble Pirate Radio beginnings to hosting a show on BBC Radio, and someone who has a deep respect for community and the uplifting of others via her work with EQ50 - a mentoring initiative set up to address the imbalance of women in electronic music. We get into her time on Rude FM and the legendary 'Rush Hour' shows. The clue is in the name but let's just say they were no rules all night back 2 back sessions. Sweetpea now has a show on Kool FM which she is very passionate about doing live as she still gets a buzz out of the interaction and possibility for mishaps and technical issues. I too have a a passion for live radio and in this age of prerecorded shows I think it's important to keep it alive. Follow Fracture on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bandcamp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Music⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Beatport⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For more information on the project, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠0860.fm