Looking down the barrel of being fifty years old, I’ve decided to do a themed set of radio shows. Each one will cover 10 years of my life through the music of the time, in chronological order but mixed.
Here’s the track list:
Malcolm Clarke – BBC2 Serial
Black Sabbath – Hole In The Sky
Brian Hodgson – Cathedral of Space
Nuevo Mexico – Dreams
Embyro – New Ridin’
Eroc – Chaotic Reaction
Can – Smoke (E.F.S. No.59)
Harmonia – Notre Dame
Neu! – Hero
Popol Vuh – Letzte Tage Letze Nachte Dorothy Carter – Ukrainian Carol
The Upsetters – Zion’s Blood
Peter Howell – The Astronauts
The Clash – I’m So Bored With The U.S.A. Goblin – Suspiria
Les Rallizes Denudes – Reapers of the Night
Iggy Pop – Funtime
Suicide – Rocket U.S.A.
Fela Kuti – I Go Shout Plenty!!!
L’Orchestre Kanage De Mopti – Sorry Bamba
The Only Ones – Another Girl, Another Planet
Philippe D’Aram – Fascination
This Heat – 24 Track Loop
Nurse With Wound – Two Mock Projections
Public Image Ltd – Memories
John Carptenter – Theme from the Fog
Einsturzende Neubauten – Steh auf Berlin
Siouxsie & The Banshees – Spellbound
Front 242 – Kampfbereit
The Cure – Play For Today
Holger Czukay – Cool In The Pool
Talking Heads – Once In A Lifetime
New Order – Your Silent Face
Butthole Surfers – Cherub
Jah Shaka meets Mad Professor – Claps Like Thunder
I woke up to the awful news that Damo Suzuki is no longer with us.
Forgive a guy for a rambling, half-awake tribute but he was someone who touched a lot of lives.
Obviously, there is the cultural sense. Although he was very humble about his contributions to Can as their front man from 1970 to 1973, its a quantifiable fact that they were a different band when he was in them. Not that they didn’t still make great music after he left or before he joined, but the chemistry was extra special. Like he wasn’t just the singer, he was a catalyst.
Another undisputable fact is the wide-ranging influence of those 3.5 albums he made with Can back then. They pollinated ideas and were generously borrowed everywhere from hip-hop to techno, from indie rock to contemporary classical music. I could write paragraphs and paragraphs on it with a directory of examples.
However, far beyond the cultural force for change, Damo touched people’s lives for a much simpler reason. He was kind, generous and incredibly sweet. When he returned to music, he set out on a mission to travel the world with his microphone and to play every show with a new set of local musicians in the places he played. One of those ideas whose simplicity was equal to its genius.
He was someone who loved to meet people and though most of us were initially a bit star-struck and overwhelmed, his humility and his big-heartedness soon put you at ease. Not to mention his gentle, cheeky sense of humour. As a promoter, the first show I ever organized was Damo Suzuki at the old Parish Pump [I think it was temporarily renamed The Cornerhouse at the time] with an entirely local group of musicians. This was Friday 27th January 2006.
I put him on five times in all, twice in Huddersfield, three times in Hebden Bridge. He loved Hebden Bridge. The first time he played there was also the time his significant other Elke had decided to join him for a tour. We all sat up all night on cushions in my conservatory with the door open – drinking, smoking, chatting, laughing and listening to CDs.
Damo had asked me for advice on places to visit with Elke on their days off earlier in the tour and I’d said for Northern England the essentials were Whitby and the Lake District. I was so glad they’d taken my advice and I think that definitely gave me some kudos. We all warmed immediatley to Elke. She was funny, sweet and such a bright light. Exactly the sort of person you would expect Damo to share his life with. I can’t even imagine how she’s feeling now and send all my love to her.
There’s something that I don’t think other tributes to Damo are mentioning, though if you subscribed to his newsletter, you’ll know where I’m going with this. Once he came to visit us in Hebden Bridge on some off days, he went round the local organic stores and the farmers market to get all fresh ingredients and he cooked for us.
Anyone who experienced Damo’s cooking will tell you his work in the kitchen was every bit as remarkable as his contributions to music history. It was something he was very passionate about, although he was usually too polite to say anything against the food he encountered on his travels (except for YO! Sushi, that place really got his goat). He also loved to eat the local foods and always craved a good Sunday roast dinner when in town.
Visting Damo at home in 2015, it came as no surprise to find he lived wihin walking distance of a very well stocked organic store and he got the warm welcome of a very good customer. I think it is no exageration to say he could have been a very famous chef in an alternative career.
I’m sorry about the poor quality photos. My friend Michelle who made the excellent documentary “Energy: A Documentary About Damo Suzuki” has some amazing photos of the same shows but I wanted to make it more personal, even though I don’t have a fraction of her skills.
What are some other things people don’t mention about Damo? He was a huge film buff, with a massive DVD collection. When I visited, he showed us “The Legend of 1990”, a great film. He also introduced me to the local style of beer, Kölsch, which I’d never heard of before but when I emigrated a few months late, found out it is incredibly common at American craft breweries. He also had what appeared to be a complete collection of all the Osamu Tezuka manga. He’d originally wanted to be a manga artist himself.
The timing feels horrible. Can had only just announced their first live album to feature Damo, Paris 1973, out later this month. “Please Heat This Eventually” his 2007 collaboration with Omar Rodríguez-López had only just come to vinyl and Bandcamp. “Energy: A Documentary About Damo Suzuki” DVDs are imminent. I had vaguely mooted plans for something for the end of the year and was looking forward to more chats with him about the project. 2024 was meant to be all about Damo but not like this.
History will remember him as being part of a powerful creative force that changed the face of music. Those of us who met him, though, will remember something more. A man who spread kindness and good energy all across the world.
Energy – the long-awaited documentary on Damo Suzuki is finished and the first screenings have been announced. The documentary will be screening at the following dates:
London, RIO – 30 October – SUNDAY 4pm
Brighton, DUKE OF YORK – 1st November – TUESDAY
Bristol, CUBE – 4th November – Friday – 8pm
Nottingham, BROADWAY- 4th November – FRIDAY
Newcastle, TYNESIDE – 2nd November – WEDNESDAY
Birkenhead, FUTURE YARD – 6th November – SUNDAY 2pm
Birmingham, MOCKING BIRD – 6th November – SUNDAY 4pm
Cardiff, CHAPTER – 10th November – THURSDAY
Sheffield, SHOWROOM – 11th November – FRIDAY
Billed as “an existential journey through the power of healing with enigmatic frontman Damo Suzuki. Critically-acclaimed director Michelle Heighway has been working with iconic musician Damo Suzuki since 2014, culminating in ENERGY.”
The film shows five years of Suzuki’s life in Germany and the United Kingdom as he confronts cancer and attempts to continue a never- ending global tour.
The September Was Ist Das? radio show is ready for your pleasure. No themed mix but an actual radio show this time with new music and me talking in between and all sorts of genres.
So, no need for start times for this track listing, as I talk every couple of songs. This may be the new format. Or may not. Its important to keep things fresh
Adela Mede – Sloboda Akusmi – Fleeting Future Lloyd Miller – Camels to Cairo Peter Coccoma – Cloud of Understanding Party Dozen (feat Nick Cave) – Macca The Mutt Delphine Dora – Ritounelle Scolastique #1 Ghost Power – Asteroid Witch Ghost Power – Inchwork Flaccid Mojo – Moonwalk The Tomb Ufomammut – Psychostasia Dragged Up – Neighbourhood Watch Damo Suzuki & Spirtczualic – Ra Andrew Tuttle – Correlation Loner Deluxe – We Used To Dance In The Sky Sedna Chronicles – The Nunabut Letter POLICA – Madness Infinity Knives & Brian Ennals – Coke Jaw Praises – Persona Congregation of Drones – Gesture of Devotion Xpedient – E0007 (Shelley Parker remix) Madeleine Cocolas – Presence Dalek – Decimation (Dis Nation) The Black Albumen – Provokovieff
This month is another special themed radio show. Reflecting on the sheer size of my digital music library, I decided to shuffle it and use that shuffle as the playlist for this show but mix it all together myself. No exceptions, no skipping anything and including it all until I hit the two hour mark.
0:01:25 – Keith Seatman – The Gnome Zone
0:03:21 – Fairport Convention – No Man’s Land
0:05:16 – The Blue Nile – Heatwave
0:11:28 – Alabaster DePlume – I Will Not Be Safe
0:13:34 – Peninsula Fernandes – Do 16 Ao 18 (Flui Bem)
0:17:58 – Grouper – Come Softly (For Daniel D)
0:22:20 – Boo Sutcliffe – A Letter To My Younger Self
0:25:42 – White Hills – You Dream You See
0:30:56 – Sun CIty Girls – Harmful Little Armful (for Will Shatter)
0:31:35 – Air – Cemetery Party
0:34:06 – Richard Youngs – Radio Bus Station
0:35:30 – Manuel Gottsching – Queen A Pwn
0:40:26 – Grateful Dead – Feel Like A Stranger – 4/19/1986
0:49:15 – The Mars Volta – Cassandra Gemini: Tarantism
0:56:51 – Folkal Point – Lovely Joan
0:59:12 – Buck Gooter – Things
1:00:37 – Throbbing Gristle – D.O.A. (live at Goldsmiths 5-18-1978)
1:07:35 – David Bowie – London Bye, Ta-Ta (John Peel 13.5.68)
1:10:03 – Glenn Gould – Goldberg Variations, BMC 988: XIV Variation 13 a 2 Clav.
1:12:10 – RIchard Youngs & Simon Wickham-Smith – Everydayness
1:16:44 – Sumac Dub – Blundub
1:20:03 – Dom Cooper – Inlet
1:23:13 – Aleister Crowley – Thee Hymns For Man: At Sea
1:24:41 – Vanishing Twin – Language Is A City (Let Me Out)
1:29:05 – Sunburned Hand of the Man – The Obvious Moment
1:30:16 – Kaspar Hauser – Pencil Doings
1:33:37 – Cave In – Night Crawler
1:36:44 – Sunburned Hand of the Man – Pour Another One FOr Hamstring Jones
1:43:33 – Allegra Krieger – Telephone
1:46:39 – Michael Tanner – A Sussex Nocturne: Southease
The Dunza “Star Client” tape we just put out really set off a dub binge and following a dub-only poolside playlist, it felt like the time to do something different this month: WAS IST DUB? for our radio show!
Here is the tracklist:
0:00:00 – Augustus Pablo & King Tubby – Keep On Dubbing 0:02:45 – Black Market & Chudan – Dojo Dub 0:06:43 – Bomb The Bass – Bug Powder Dust (K & D Session TM) 0:14:01 – Scientist – Dance of the Vampires 0:17:23 – The Orb – Perpetual Dawn (Solar Youth mix) 0:20:46 – Easy All-Stars – Karma Police 0:25:17 – Black Market with Mired & WIse Owl – The Obsolete Man 0:29:01 – Dunza – Disowned 0:37:00 – The Pop Group – She Is Beyond Good & Evil (Dennis Bovell dub version) 0:42:57 – Killing Joke – Requiem (A floating leaf always reaches the sea mix) 0:53:54 – International Observer – Binman Dub 0:57:16 – Phil Pratt – Tower Dub 1:01:52 – Panchasila – Chao Na 1:06:22 – Fred Myrow & Malcolm Seagrave – Phantasm Dub (Black Market remix) 1:10:23 – The Upsetters – Zion’s Blood 1:14:10 – Al Cisneros – Carport Dispensary 1:17:35 – Massive Attack vs Mad Professor – Protection (Radiation Ruling The Nation) 1:25:56 – Primal Scream vs Adrian Sherwood – Wise Blood 1:30:53 – David Bowie vs Black Market – Let’s Dance 1:40:27 – Yabby You Meets Mad Professor & Black Steel – Dub Trap 1:45:16 – Serge Gainsbourg – Aux Armes Dub 1:49:23 – Sumac Dub – Old Man Willow 1:53:17 – Michael Jackson vs Black Market – Billie Jean
Nearly two hours of no talking, non-stop best new music releases and reissues!
Here we have the whole tracklist with timestamps (thank you G-Babbz). What a show! Always a pleasure to be able to play some Coil and Les Rallizes Denudes but what amazing new stuff to pair it with!
0:00:30 – Frankie “Close” from the album “Styx” 0:08:00 – Alabaster DePlume “Don’t Forget Your Precious” from the album “Gold” 0:22:58 – Asher Gamedze & Alan Bishop “Wild Cat Strike” from the album “Out Side Work” 0:28:16 – Lustmord “Er Ev Os (MONO)” from the album “The Others” 0:37:03 – David Colohan “Turnpike Lights” from the album “Night, North Paterson” 0:40:10 – The Order of the 12 “Against The Tide” from the album “Lore of the Land” 0:44:44 – Dogs Versus Shadows “Along The Electric Leys” from the album “The Lull of the Ley” 0:46:04 – Joyful Talk “Take It To The Grave” from the album “Familiar Science” 0:52:52 – Xpedient “E0006” from the album “787B” 0:57:22 – Dȁlek “Decimation (Dis Nation)” from the album “Precipice” 1:00:52 – Dikeman/Gonzalez/Hȧker Flaten “Midnight Photosynthesis” from the album “Texas Butt Biters” 1:09:33 – Reichmann – Weltweit (Bureau B edit) 1:14:13 – Water Damage “Reel 5B” from the album “Repeater” 1:21:18 – Zombie Zombie “12 Consortium” from the album “Vae Vobis” 1:23:56 – Cheb Terro vs DJ Die Soon “We Destroy The Family” from the s/t album 1:27:13 – Les Rallizes Dénudés “White Awakening” from the album “The Oz Tapes” 1:30:54 – Dunza “Disowned” from the album “Star Client” 1:38:12 – Coil “Batwings” from the album “Musick to Play in the Dark Vol 2” 1:55:25 – Murdock & Pat Fulgoni “Come Together” single
Ey up everyone! The March radio show is now streaming over on Camp’s Mixcloud page. Quite a mellow one this month for some reason.
0:00:59 – Suzuki Junzo – Se Una Notte D’Inverno, Un Viaggiatore – from the album of the same name
0:8:14 – Matchess – Almost Gone – from the album ‘Sonescent’
0:15:45 – Daniel Munkus – The Edge of High Trace (feat. Heather Sommerlad) (from the album of the same name)
0:24:33 – Preston.outatime – Focusing Out (from the album ‘Mirror Radius’)
0:29:24 – Carlton Melton – Hazel Heat (from the album ‘Microwavelengths’)
0:34:35 – The Owl Service & Alison O’Donnell – (Love is like a) Railway Station (Bandcamp single)
0:37:16 – Maya Shenfeld – Voyager (from the album ‘In Free Fall’)
0:41:10 – Ty Segall – Story of the Century (from the album ‘Whirlybird (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)’)
0:45:51 – Bagaski – Bad Songs II (from the album ‘Evoke*’)
0:48:55 – Suicide – Ghost Rider (from the compilation album ‘Surrender’)
0:51:22 – Mordant Music – Obituaries (from the album ‘Dead Air’)
0:55:18 – Gnod – Bad Apple (from the album ‘Hexen Valley’)
0:59:10 – Luke Stewart – 8 (from the album ‘Works for Upright Bass
1:04:42 – Lindy-Fay Hella & Dei Farne – Taag (from the album ‘Hildring’)
1:08:49 – L – Theme (from the album ‘Hiroyuki Usio – An Anthology’)
1:14:10 – Laibach – Ich will ein Deutscher sein (from the album ‘WIR SIND DAS VOLK’)
1:18:25 – Burial – ANTIDAWN (from the EP ‘ANTIDAWN’)
1:26:44 – Julia Gjertsen & Nico Rosenberg – Tilfukt (from the album “Paisajes Imaginerios’)
1:32:28 – J.R. Bohannon – Our Only World (from the album ‘Compulsions’)1:36:24 – Spaceship – Colden Clough (from the album ‘Ravines’) 1:48:15 – KEVIN – Yellow Desert (from their forthcoming debut album)
