Lost And Sound – Details, episodes & analysis

Ever wondered what it’s like to transition from being one of the UK's first graffiti writers to a distinguished DJ and producer? In our latest episode, we sit down with Richard Sen, who not only faced prison for his graffiti but also first started DJIng through the Acid House movement of the late '80s. We journey through his eclectic career, exploring his collaborations with icons like Brian Ferry and LCD Soundsystem, and discussing the impact of his new album "India Man," which delves deep into his multicultural heritage.

Richard's story is a captivating blend of musical evolution and cultural exploration. From early influences shaped by a legendary Rolling Stones concert to discovering his own music taste through the Two-Tone movement and 80s pop, Richard takes us through the sounds that formed his artistic persona. We also explore the profound influence of hip-hop on his life, particularly how seminal works like "Subway Art" and "Style Wars" inspired his graffiti art during the turbulent times of Thatcher's Britain.

But Richard's journey doesn't stop at music and art. He’s also a criminology scholar and volunteer, dedicated to helping prisoners reintegrate into society. We discuss how his academic pursuits and volunteer work with Saint Giles Trust have provided him with a unique perspective on the justice system. Join us for an episode rich with personal anecdotes, cultural insights, and the transformative power of art and community.

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Listen and buy Richard Sen’s “India man” here.

Listen to Richard’s show on Do!! You!!! Radio every Fri 12-2pm here.

Follow Paul Hanford on Instagram

Lost and Sound is sponsored by Audio-Technica

Paul’s BBC World Service radio documentary “The man who smuggled punk rock across the Berlin Wall” is available now on BBC Sounds. Click here to listen.

Paul’s debut book, Coming To Berlin: Global Journeys Into An Electronic Music And Club Culturet Capital is out now on Velocity Press. Click here to find out more. 

Subscribe to the Lost and Sound Substack for fresh updates and writing.

Lost and Sound title music by Thomas Giddins

Prepare to be inspired as we bring you an electrifying conversation with Blixa Bargeld, the visionary behind Einstürzende Neubauten and a former pivotal figure in Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Discover Blixa's groundbreaking approach to music, from the inventive use of found objects to his rigorously disciplined writing techniques. He shares fascinating, lesser-known anecdotes involving music legends like Jimmy Page and John Lydon, all while combining his signature intensity with moments of humor and profound insight.

Journey with us as we unravel the vibrant musical connections between Berlin and New York, delving into how the unique conditions in both cities fueled a wave of artistic experimentation. Learn about the impact of urban decay and affordability on Berlin's underground culture, drawing parallels to New York's creative flux during the same era. We also explore Neubauten’s latest album "Rampen," delving into its live improvisational essence and the playful genre term "Alien Pop Music," emphasizing how creative constraints can spark unparalleled innovation.

Lastly, we dive deep into Blixa's cryptic and non-linear writing style, understanding how he values the resonance of his work, even if it touches just one person. Blixa reveals his approach to improvisation and how the band's music serves as a medium for intellectual and artistic exploration. Through personal stories about Berlin's music scene in the 70s and 80s and his evolving writing process over the decades, this episode offers an intimate and compelling look into the mind of an avant-garde musical legend.

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Listen and buy Einstürzende Neubauten’s “Rampen” here.

Follow Paul Hanford on Instagram

Lost and Sound is sponsored by Audio-Technica

Paul’s BBC World Service radio documentary “The man who smuggled punk rock across the Berlin Wall” is available now on BBC Sounds. Click here to listen.

Paul’s debut book, Coming To Berlin: Global Journeys Into An Electronic Music And Club Culturet Capital is out now on Velocity Press. Click here to find out more. 

Subscribe to the Lost and Sound Substack for fresh updates and writing.

Lost and Sound title music by Thomas Giddins

Matthew Collin has written some of the most seminal books about electronic music culture. His latest, ”Dream Machines," captures the essence of innovators who embraced technology to shape the future of music, through looking at electronic in Britain from Doctor Who to Acid House.  Our dialogue spans the rich textures of synth-pop, the deep grooves of dub, and the raw energy of hip-hop, all set against the backdrop of social and cultural revolutions that have ignited forward facing music.

Uncover the influences that have invigorated the electronic music scene, from the revolutionary tape recorders post-World War II to the democratisation of music production that gave rise to bedroom techno artists and acid house legends. Matthew sheds light on the Hartnoll brothers' epic "Chime," and how the biggest expense for the track was £3.50 for cassette. We navigate the complexity of maintaining inclusivity in an industry that's ever-evolving, especially as new technologies like generative AI continue to push the boundaries of what's possible in music innovation.

We explore the intriguing connections between psychedelic music and drugs, where the tabloid frenzy around acid house and ecstasy inadvertently fuelled a cultural movement. We reflect on the indelible marks left by pioneers like Delia Derbyshire and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop on synthesizer-driven pop. Matthew and Paul muse over the challenges of chronicling iconic figures and the importance of placing them within the ever-shifting cultural landscapes.

Dream Machines is available now, published by Omnibus Press

Paul Hanford on Instagram

Lost and Sound is proudly sponsored by Audio-Technica

Paul’s debut book, Coming To Berlin: Global Journeys Into An Electronic Music And Club Culture Capital is out now on Velocity Press. Click here to find out more. 

Subscribe to the Lost and Sound Substack for fresh updates and writing.

Lost and Sound title music by Thomas Giddins

I spoke with Gruff Rhys, the always inventive artist, frontman of Super Fury Animals, sometomes half of Neon Neon, author, director and all round potential Welsh national treasure.

Super Fury Animals, often considered the last great band on Creation Records gave  a sense of surreal adventure and a global musical pallet unusual for the Britpop era. They sung sometimes in Welsh, were politically conscious, at one point they had a tank, they mixed in techno, tropicalia and a million other sonic sources and of course there’s that song The Man Don’t Give A Fuck that sampled Steely Dan.

Then at some point, Gruff set out with a solo and collaborative body of work that’s seen his music grow into films, collaborations, such as Neon Neon (with Boom Bip) a book and a rather novel use of power point presentations.

We had a chat about language, about the Velvet Underground, about his film American Interior and about scoring a hit with a song that says “fuck” over 50 times. Enjoy!

Title music by ESO

Fresh up in Lost and Sound today, legendary Brit in Berlin, Mark Reeder. 

Musician, record producer, label owner, the man who bought Joy Division to Berlin, who pioneered Trance with his MFS label, he’s been an outlier and creative force in the city from post-punk to now, whose story of arriving in Berlin over 40 years ago is vividly chronicled in the amazing doc B-Movie. 

This is a kind of redux. A really rather short version of this interview appeared in one of the very first episodes of Lost and Sound, the idea was always to share a much longer cut, because the story he tells, of arriving in Berlin in the 70s initially just to buy some records, and how he smuggled cassettes across the border into East Berlin, eventually setting up a punk gig under the noses of the Stasi, needs to be heard in full. 

Right now, he’s just released SUBVERSIV-DEKADENT, a double album featuring his own tracks, and remixes for the likes of New Order, Yello and Liars. But we recorded this conversation in a cafe on Zossener Strasse, a real cafe with real atmosphere in 2018 on the 1st of May, as the annual street celebrations were kicking off a kilometre away. Get ready to be transported back to the early 80s…

MFS Label Website
Mark Reeder

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I had a chat with Hannah Holland - DJ, producer, composer, promoter, label boss. Hannah’s played a key role in London’s alternative and queer club scene since the mid-noughties, firstly as resident at the legendary night Trailer Trash and then with Batty Bass. She’s played everywhere from Panorama Bar to Fabric. Now, not only composing the music for Channel 4’s Adult Material, she’s debuted the krautrock tinged single Midnight Horizon from her new LP.

I know Hannah a little bit from when I was living in east London, but havn’t spoken to her for years. We had a fun, open chat reflecting on the energy and freedom of the party scene in East London during the early naughties, her early experiences being super young and going to Goldie’s Metalheadz nights, building up to a 9 hour set at Panorama Bar and levelling up with new work.

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This week, I had a chat with Chilly Gonzales, the suave  all round musical polymath. 

Where do you start with Chilly? From early rap-infused works where he declared himself the President of the Berlin Underground, to his sublime Solo Piano albums, via collaborating with Daft Punk, Feist and Jarvis Cocker. Then there's running his own music school (The Gonzervtory) to holding the Guinness world record for the longest ever solo performance and of course writing a book about Enya. We got into a flow that took in everything from the hidden genius in Iggy Azalea’s Fancy to the connection between chamber music and bedroom producers. A charming and erudite gent to spend an hour with!

Title music by ESO

I had a chat with Ella Zwietnig, film composer, sound designer, performer and songwriter. I’ve only recently discovered the Austrian artist’s music, and I was really captivated by the sonic soundworld she creates and the incredible things she does with vocal arrangements. We spoke about the shocking lack of female composers getting work in films, how making electronic music is a liberating power and lots more. It was a super fun chat to have and I hope you enjoy listening.

www.ellazwietnig.com

Title Music by ESO

I spoke with composer and producer Robot Koch. His music is a real cyborg mix of natural stuff like strings and high tech immersive 3D elements. He made an album that toured planetariums and in a change of pace, scored the music for the new Christiane F remake Wir Kinder Vom Banhof Zoo. We had a really warm talk  about the universe and leaving Berlin for LA, amongst other things.

https://www.robotsdontsleep.com

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I zoomed across to Scotland to have a chat with the one and only Arab Strap - Aidan Mofat and Malcolm Middleton. 

About to release their first new album together for over 15 years - As Days Get Dark, I’ve always loved the band’s confessional lyrics, often pre-occupied with sex and hedonism, half sung, half spoken in Aidan’s Falkirk accent, and the atmosphere they conjur up around this. I felt like I was dropping in on two old friends having a good lunchtime natter and I loved it.

https://www.arabstrap.scot

Title music by ESO