Alex has decided to call it a day on the Future Library series. It’s had a great run and we really appreciate everyone who’s been involved in it. He explains more in the final podcast.  

With Future Library coming to a close, it nudges me back towards blogging. I’ll see if I can get some momentum going again in that respect.

Until next time…

Download Episode #52 – Library

This Particular Podcast Series Ends On Episode 52

Alex speaks to Liverpudlian artist and musician Sean Wárs about Microsoft Paint, noise gigs, art school, local venues, and how there’s more to his hometown than The Beatles.  

Podcast presenter Alex cares not an ounce for football. Podcast guest Sean Wárs cares just as little about the beautiful game. If you’re expecting any 51st State jokes then you will be disappointed. Following on the previous episode around Dundee and Arbroath, this one delves into the current leftfield scene in the home of all things Scouse.

Enjoy!

Download Episode #51 – Sean Wárs

www.wwrrssddrrwwss.co.uk/

twitter.com/wwrrssddrrwwss

Liverpudlian Artist Talks Art on Podcast 51: Sean Wárs

In the fiftieth (or is it fifty first?) episode, Alex speaks to drummer turned performance poet Kieran McRobben. In a discussion that takes in intimate venues, cage fighting, Doctor Who, open source software, and geeks inheriting the Earth, Kieran proves that he’s not your average beat generator.  

What makes people tick? The armchair psychologist in me enjoys listening to people’s stories. Hailing from Arbroath and part of the Dundee music scene in Scotland, Kieran McRobben’s artistic journey is one for curiosity cats.  His move from behind the drum kit in metal bands to spoken word poetry, with nothing between him and the audience other than a microphone, is genuinely fascinating.

Great stories don’t always get the attention they deserve. This latest episode in the Future Library series is a timely reminder that music is never a competition and always about self-expression. How that expression begins and evolves is the journey many of us seek to embark on – no matter how daunting it first appears. Enjoy!

Download Episode #50 – Kieran McRobben

http://kieranmcrobben.bandcamp.com/

http://waxingsimulacra.blogspot.co.uk/

https://twitter.com/thekieran

From Metal Drummer To Scottish Poet on Podcast 50: Kieran McRobben

Karthik and Craig of Bahrain/London psych-jammers Flamingods speak to Alex about the economics of selling music, ‘Ben Hur’, recording an album over the internet, pizza, and what not to put in the DVD drive of a MacBook Pro. 

Before you jump ahead to the latest podcast link, I’d like to point out that there’s a reason why the economics of selling music keeps popping up. Time and money are always damaged in the process of recording and releasing music. Spotify like a lot of other conveniences makes us lazy. Embracing change and technology shouldn’t be at the expense of encouraging those who make music and art.

If you’re not going to buy music from an artist and you love their work, find another way to express that to them. Being reduced to a generation of people who won’t go further than clicking the ‘like’ button would be a fucking sad state of affairs.

Today we’re back from that far, far away galaxy as Alex chats with Flamingods. Enjoy!

Download Episode #49 – Flamingods

http://flamingods.com

http://flamingods.bandcamp.com

Recording An Album Over The Internet! Podcast 49: Flamingods

Film Director/writer Jon Spira discusses his movie ‘Elstree 1976’, a look at the lives of the men and women behind the masks and prosthetic alien faces in Star Wars.

Having been interviewed previously on the podcast for his ‘Anyone Can Play Guitar‘ documentary, Jon Spira is back again. This time he’s telling us all about his latest project – ELSTREE 1976 – which promises to be yet another fascinating insight into what makes people tick. If the previous one had music as the backdrop to its storytelling, this time our backdrop is cinema.

Exactly how did the extras in one of cinema’s most iconic films get on with life afterwards? You don’t need to be a Star Wars fan to enjoy this revealing look into the human psyche. Listen now and don’t forget to visit Jon’s KICKSTARTER campaign.

Enjoy!

Download Episode #48 – Jon Spira / Elstree 1976

Documentary trailer:

Podcast 48: Jon Spira Talks Elstree 1976 (Star Wars documentary)

Improvisers Colin Webster and Graham Dunning talk to Alex about playing live, art, and running record labels. Along the way we achieve two firsts for the podcast – a live set from the guests, and the whole thing being video as well as mp3.  

A couple of points before we let you loose on the latest episode of Future Library. Thanks for the emails of late with music recommendations. I’ll check them out as soon as I have time and blog about any that float my boat. I do appreciate the emails so if you don’t get a reply, this is me saying that I do read them and I do my best to reply when possible. Unfortunately, my dayjob is keeping me insanely busy these days and I find myself catching up on music-related things on Sundays.

Here’s one of them – it’s Future Library episode 47. Enjoy!

http://grahamdunning.com/
http://colin-webster.blogspot.co.uk/

Download Episode #46 – Improvisers

Podcast Episode 47: Colin Webster and Graham Dunning

In the latest episode of the Future Library podcast, Alex speaks to Russian duo Love Cult about how long songs should be, punk gig booking, and adding more reverb.  

If I could code I’d be dangerous. It’s frustrating enough that the latest WordPress update has meant that adding a ten pixel border of space around an image now requires inputting the CSS directly as opposed to doing it via a menu. I mean, how dare the creators of this free software force me into doing any work. I end up having to go back to the previous post and copy pasting the CSS code I created the last time. How very dare they.

With June approaching, it’s about time this blog stepped up a gear and goes mad with the highlight pens. There’s so much to write about.

For now, relax in the company of Russian duo Love Cult. Enjoy!

Download Episode #46 – Love Cult

http://lovecult.net/
http://lovecult.bandcamp.com/

Podcast Episode 46: Love Cult

Alex talks to Úlfur Eldjárn about Punk, the history of music in Iceland, technology, on stage facial expressions, and much more.  

Blogposts have gone quiet of late due to having just set up my own company to deal with my dayjob. When you’re working 9am to midnight it’s impossible to have any sort of a life. Writing as ever is an escape for me and I sense I’m going to need a lot more of it over the next few months.

Listening to podcasts is part of my escapism and that’s why I continue to love and support the Future Library series. Today’s episode is yet again wonderfully leftfield with Alex chatting to Úlfur Eldjárn of Apparat Organ Quartet. I am continually in awe of Alex’s ability to find guests that I would never have thought of.

It’s time to delve into the unknown once again. Enjoy!

Download Episode #45 – Úlfur Eldjárn of Apparat Organ Quartet

www.apparatorganquartet.com

http://ulfureldjarn.com/

Podcast Episode 45: Úlfur Eldjárn of Apparat Organ Quartet

Alex speaks to Minnesotan musician Henry Faber about how his nascent career in music is coming together.  

Yes it’s Future Library podcast episode 44.

Download Episode #44 – Henry Faber

http://henryfabermusic.com/

Podcast Episode 44: Henry Faber

We’re back! The blog’s database has been fixed (huge thanks to Douglas Greenshields) and Alex has kept himself busy by chatting to even more guests worthy of your attention. Hey ho, let’s go.  

Yes it’s Easter Sunday as I write this and it’s a relief to have a blog that isn’t full of broken links. I won’t bore you with the technical details but I’m planning on moving to a new website host in the near future. If I can avoid screwing the database up further in the meantime that would be lovely. But enough jibber jabber, we’ve uploaded lots of new podcast episodes for you to listen to.

EPISODE 43

Alex and Kat talk to US rapping legend Doseone (CloudDead, Subtle, Themselves, 13 & God etc etc) about cats, getting high running, eggs, drive by shootings, Arnie, poop sex, and a whole load of other things – and a little bit about music.

Download Episode #43 – Doseone

http://doseonesite.tumblr.com/

https://twitter.com/doseonetweets

http://www.everythingisnewproject.com/

EPISODE 42

Alex speaks to Austrian musician and visual artist Dino Spiluttini about moving house, Vienna vs Berlin, local indie bands, loop stations, the legitimacy of programming music, and a whole lot of other stuff

Download Episode #42 – Dino Spiluttini

http://dinospiluttini.com/

http://visual.dinospiluttini.com/

https://www.facebook.com/spiluttinidino

http://www.umor-rex.org/

http://homenormal.com/

EPISODE 41

Aging, correct wallet location, public transport toilets, politics – all these and much much more are discussed with Matt Elliott (Flying Saucer Attack, Movietone, Third Eye Foundation, etc) in a cheerfully rambling instalment of Future Library.

Download Episode #41 – Matt Elliott

https://www.facebook.com/mattelliottthirdeyefoundation

http://www.thirdeyefoundation.com/

New Podcasts Featuring Doseone, Dino Spiluttini, Matt Elliott