small WORLD podcast

Logan's Run LEGO Diorama

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 21:19:06 -0700

Hey, everybody, got a great show for you today! Our guest is Keith Goldman and he builds amazing LEGO dioramas. Today's show is an enhanced podcast so you'll get to see his dioramas on your iPad, iPhone, iPod or on iTunes and see for yourself how amazing they are.

Come to think of it, you might have already seen dioramas based on the Logan's Run movie last week on the web on blogs like Make and io9, which is how I found out about Keith.

I think the reason why people got so excited about Keith's LEGO Logan's Run diorama is because they combine to magical elements: LEGOs and Logan's Run.

LEGOs are magical because you can build your own toys and create your own stories around them. And then you can take them apart and create something new. And while there seems like an infinite combination of things you can make with LEGOs you're also challenged with building within the constraints of LEGOs plastic bricks, and that's part of the fun, too.

And Logan's Run?

If you recall, that was a movie where people lived in a domed city that was I'm complete ecological harmony but was essentially a shiny mall. Everyone was attractive and were complete hedonists. The only drawback to this utopia was that you had to die when you turned 30.

Some people didn't want to die and wanted to escape to a place called Sanctuary where they could live out the rest of their lives. These people were called runners and the people who hunted them down were called Sandmen. And one Sandman, Logan, our titular hero, decides to run with our heroinn, Jessica, which takes them outside the domed city to the real world.

Looking back Logan's Run seems kind of cheesy but there's a lot going on in that movie. Logan's Run is a retelling of the Garden of Eden story, but in reverse. Logan and Jessica are Adam and Eve who are kept infantilized in an artificial paradise. It's only until they flee into nature that they become adults and can have a mature relationship with each other.

Logan's Run can also be seen as a story about how civilization flattens us as individuals to better fit in a society. Logan's Run can also be seen as a retelling of Plato's cave story. When Logan returns from the natural world to the domed city to tell people that they don't have to die, that there is a world beyond the domed city, he, like the character from Plato's story, is regarded as crazy and a threat to their comfortable illusions.

Like a said there's a lot going on.

And finally, as fake as the domed city looks in comparison to our CGI generated movies, I wanted to live in that world. By sheer force of imagination that world became real to me as a kid, and that's kind of what it's like building with LEGOs.

And that brings us back to Keith. So let's go talk to him.

Songs heard on today's show:

The Daisy Riots "Girls Don't Play Lego"

Ultra Rigs of the World

Sun, 15 Aug 2010 13:42:35 -0700

Today on the Small World we'll talk with Roger Snider of Ultra Rigs of the World.

We'll talk about Dekotora and his project of photographing ultra rigs from around the world.

The Dekotora (or Decotora or Art Trucks) is an abbreviation for "Decoration Truck" that describe a kind of loudly decorated truck most commonly found in Japan.

These trucks are typically clad in neon or ultraviolet lights, flamboyant paints, and chrome and gold. These decorations can be found on both the cab and the trailer, and not only on the exterior but also in the interior.

Roger first became interested in trucks while working on shooting photo stills for Doug Pray's documentary, Big Rig.

This is an enhanced podcast so you will be able to see Roger's's photos of these amazing rigs on your MP3 player or browser.

Songs heard on today's show:

Asleep at the Wheel with Leon Rausch "Truck Driver's Blues (feat. Willie Nelson)" [FREE MP3 DOWNLOAD]
Kool Keith feat. KutMasta Kurt "Diesel Truckers Theme" [FREE MP3 DOWNLOAD]

Cory Doctorow & Ian McDonald

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 18:59:45 -0700

Hey, everybody, I've got a great show for you today!

We're going to talk with Ian McDonald about his book, The Dervish House, that will be released in July through Pyr.

The Dervish House combines Islamic mysticism, political and economic intrigue, a terrorist threat, and a nanotechnology with the potential to transform every human on the planet. The Dervish House takes place in Istanbul in 2027. The Dervish House is seven days, six characters, three interconnected story strands, one central common core—the eponymous dervish house, that pins all these players together in a weave of intrigue, conflict, drama, and a ticking clock of a thriller.

Ian is a science fiction novelist who's themes include nanotechnology, postcyberpunk settings, and the impact of rapid social and technological change on non-Western societies.

We'll also talk with Cory Doctorow about his latest novel, For the Win, a book about gamer kids all over the world who use multiplayer games to organize and fight back against abusive employers by forming a union. It's a wonderful book that I couldn't put down.

Cory is a blogger, journalist, and science fiction author who serves as co-editor of Boing Boing, a blog and directory of wonderful things.

You can download a free electronic copy of For the Win and Cory's other novels at his website but I encourage you to support Cory by purchasing at least one of his books at your local or online bookstore.

Music featured on today's show:

Futuristic Sex Robot "WoW" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
Backini "Istanbul" [FREE DOWNLOAD]

Next time on the small WORLD we'll talk with Corey Olsen, host of The Tolkien Professor Podcast. Corey is a professor at Washington College and a PhD in medieval literature and The Tolkien Professor Podcast has made me appreciate Tolkien in new ways. Even if you've never read The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings I think you'll enjoy The Tolkien Professor Podcast.

Chris Gondek

Fri, 21 May 2010 02:20:58 -0700

Today's show is unique for two reasons: I recorded it on location rather than over Skype in the small WORLD studios. Okay, that's not so unique but any excuse to get outside and get some sun is good enough for me. The other reason today's show is unique because my guest is Chris Gondek who is a net friend. We all have net friends these days but they are scattered across the country and across the globe that's rare that you'd ever meet any of them.

So let me tell you about Chris.

I moved to San Diego by way of Boston and like most transplants I try and keep touch with my hometown. Some people will read their hometown newspapers online or follow their hometown's sports team. Me? I listen to the MIT Press Podcast.

I never attended MIT but I was a regular patron of the MIT Press Bookstore. It's a great place! Where else are you going to pick up the Autonomedia's Jubilee Saints calendar, a copy of 2600: The Hacker Quarterly and books like a collection of essays about sampling digital music and culture like DJ Spooky's Sound Unbound under one roof? The MIT Press Bookstore, that's where!

So when I found out that the MIT Press Bookstore had launched a podcast I subscribed immediately.

The MIT Press Podcast was a reflection of the bookstore. The podcast featured interviews with various authors and the Podcasts were eclectic and erudite. I was also impressed with the podcast's host, Chris Gondek. Chris asked insightful and interesting questions. More importantly, it was clear that he has actually read the books by the people he was interviewing. That is unbelievably rare and as a fellow interviewer I appreciated that.

Later I started listening to a podcast called Twitterhood. I really enjoyed Twitterhood because the show feature informal and brief interviews with really interesting people like Guy Kawasaki and Jesse Thorn. I thought the host sounded familiar and when I sent out a request to be a guest I discovered that Twitterhood's host was none other than Chris Gondek, the MIT Press Podcast.

The interview with Chris was fun but I had even more fun afterwards talking to him about the art of interviewing. I almost never get to talk shop so it was a blast to be able to compare notes with a fellow interviewer. When I found out that Chris was coming to visit San Diego I simply had to meet him! I also wanted to return the favor and interview him.

Son enjoy today's show. And while you're at it, subscribe to Chris Gondek's main show, The Invisible Hand, where Chris interviews authors about business management books.

See you next time when my guests will be authors Cory Doctorow and Ian McDonald.

Until then, take care.

The Whuffie Factor

Thu, 06 May 2010 22:42:48 -0700

Today on the small WORLD we'll talk with Tara Hunt, the author of The Whuffie Factor: Using the Power of Social Networks to Build Your Business.

Unless you've read Cory Doctorow's novel, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, then you have no idea what Whuffie is.

Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom takes place in a post-scarcity world: energy is not just cheap, it's free, and all the necessities of life are also free for the taking. In the novel, Cory imagines that will all our basic needs met that a reputation-based currency emerges, and your worth as person is not measured by money or possessions but how valuable you are to society. Your value could be measured by how nice you are or if you are helpful to other people. Your value might also be determined on how much of a team player you are or how much of a team leader you might be.

Each person's value goes up and down and that value can be tracked through their Whuffie, which is a general measurement of their overall reputation.

Right about the same time I was reading Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom I was also re-reading Bruce Sterling's novel, Distraction. Hey, some people will watch movies or television shows repeatedly, I read books I like repeatedly.

Any, while Distraction is similar to Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom in that there is also a reputation-based economy Distraction is different in that Bruce imagines a world where the US economy is in the toilet. nearly everyone in the country is broke and once again a reputation-based currency emerges.

Like a lot of people, I wanted to see a world where something like Whuffie could exist.

The thing is, we've always lived in a reputation-based economy in one way or another. The only difference is now we're using tools like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to express the values of authenticity, trust and engagement, not just in business but in our community, both in the physical world and the online world. And Tara Hunt explores these ideas n her book, The Whuffie Factor.

To quote Tom Kelley, co founder of IDEO and author of The Ten Faces of Innovation, "Social capital may be the most powerful currency of the twenty-first century, and this book is a guide to its care and feeding. Bursting with energy and enthusiasm, Tara Hunt shows us how to win friends and influence people in a Web 2.0 world."

Speaking of social networks, you can find me on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/smallworld.

We're going to close out today's show with a track by MC Lars and YTCracker called "Facebook," which is perfect for today's show.

In the Belly of the Fail Whale

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:03:56 -0800

On today's show we're going to talk with Rob Gokee, author of In the Belly of the Fail Whale: How Twitter Changed My Life in One Year. But before we do I want to apologize for getting this week's show out so late.

I do freelance web design and social media strategies and thankfully work has been picking up. In fact, I'm almost at the point where I have too much work coming in. Unfortunately, I've been so busy that I wasn't able to get the show out on it's regular schedule. On top of that, last week I caught a cold which laid me up. I'm over the worst of it but I still have a lingering cough.

Check this out: last night I was I crouching by my desk trying to organize my various computer cables when I was hit with a coughing fit. I lost my balance and smacked my head against my desk. While I was flailing about I also mashed my hand against my desk and somehow managed to twist my ankle. I'm pretty banged up and I have a lump on my forehead the size if a ping pong ball.

Anyway, that's why the show is late. I hate to release shows late but it happens from time to time. I've made arrangements with Alterati's Joseph Matheny to pull a show out of the vault the next time I'm running behind but hopefully that won't happen to frequently.

But let's get back to today's show! As I mentioned, our guest is Rob Gokee and we're going to talk about his book, In the Belly of the Fail Whale: How Twitter Changed My Life in One Year.

I know at some point that Twitter is going to be as commonplace as instant messengers but right now Twitter is still a pretty exciting place to be and it certainly has changed my life.

I've been following Rob on Twitter for over a year now and when he published In the Belly of the Fail Whale I wanted to have him on the Small World because first of all, he's one of the friends I've made on Twitter and second of all, I wanted to find out how Twitter changed his life. In the Belly of the Fail Whale is a great read and is very funny even when Rob is revealing some very painful part of his life.

You can follow Rob on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/robgokeemusic. You can find me on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/smallworld

Rob Gokee "Terrace in the Rain

Michael Hayes, singer/songwriter

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:52:34 -0800

Today's guest on the Small World is singer/songwriter Michael Hayes.

I met Michael back when we both worked in the design team producing presentations for an investment company. Looking back, that team was the best group of people I've ever worked with. We were a tight knit group not only because each person's strengths made up for another person's weaknesses but because we all really liked each other and hung out with each other outside of work.

As you might imagine, because we were the design team we were all very creative people. Some of us were DJs, some of us were actors and some of us, like Michael, were musicians. Since then we've gone different directions with our lives and careers and moved to different locations around the country and around the globe.

Michael has been in several bands such as the Vinyl Skyway and Lemonpeeler and released several albums and recently put out a 22 song retrospective album called Diamonds Down the Drain.

When I found out about Michael's retrospective album I wanted to have him on the show not just as an excuse to catch up with him but also because the idea of a retrospective album intrigued me. A retrospective album by its very nature means looking back on his career as a musician and acts as a kind of summation of who he is as an artist today. And, of course, Michael's past is going to inform his future in many different ways.

Like most musicians Michael has a day job. He's also a husband and a father of two children. How does that influence how he sees the world and by extension, the songs he writes? And on a personal note I wanted to talk to Michael about his experiences because as I get older I can't help but reflect on my own life. What have I done? Where am I going? What is the meaning of my life? These are universal questions we all ask ourselves at various points in our lives. Neither of us have any answers but it's good to talk about these things.

It was great to talk with Michael and I know you will enjoy his music. See you in two weeks!

Songs featured on today's show are:

"Hangin' On"
"Rich Blood"
"Symphony"

Steampunk

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:00:01 -0800

Steampunk combines science fiction elements from the Victoria era with the edginess of Cyberpunk of the 1980s. So why is Steampunk exploding in popular culture in the 21st century?

To find out, today on the Small World, we'll talk with Bruce Sterling who, along with William Gibson, wrote The Difference Engine, the book that first pushed Steampunk into mainstream culture.

Photo credit: Kyle Cassidy. This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons.

We'll also talk with David Simkins, a writer and executive producer for Syfy's Warehouse 13 has been described as "part The X-Files, part Raiders of the Lost Ark and part Moonlighting."

Finally, we'll talk with Steampunk Tales Evelyn Kriete, a penny dreadful you can read on your iPhone.

Steampunk was originally a blend of 19th century science fiction from writers like H.G. Wells and Jules Verne and the 20th century Cyberpunk themes of rebellion and dystopianism.

Steampunk has steadily been growing in popularity. Some people modify their laptops or cellphone with polished brass, iron, and wood while some musicians are incorporating Steampunk elements into their music. There are even Steampunk conventions where people can gather and display their wares or dress in pseudo Victorian fashions.

My introduction to Steampunk was The Difference Engine, a novel by Bruce Sterling and William Gibson, back in the early 1990s. The Difference Engine explored an alternate history where computers existed in the 19th century and the impact they had on that world.

What better place to begin today's show than talking with Bruce Sterling?

Bruce not only co-wrote The Difference Engine with William Gibson, but he also put Cyberpunk on the map with the Mirrorshades anthology. Bruce has also written Zeitgeist, which is one of my favorite novels, as well as The Zenith Angle, and his most recent book, The Caryatids.

Warehouse 13 is a mashup of the The X-Files and Indiana Jones with our heroes Peter Lattimer and Myka Bering hunting supernatural objects.

I really enjoy the bickering and bantering on Warehouse 13 but what first got me interested in the show were the artifacts and devices that appeared on the show. There are gadgets like Tesla guns and archaic looking communication devices and supernatural objects like Lewis Carroll's mirror Harry Houdini's wallet. All of which is steeped of Steampunk.

You know, I almost hate to admit this, but I love my iPhone.

I listen to music and podcasts on my iPhone, I play games on my iPhone, I read blogs and books on my iPhone and sometimes I even call people on my iPhone.

The iPhone is such a 21st century device that I was surprised and charmed to find an application for the iPhone called Steampunk Tales.

Steampunk Tales describes itself as a penny dreadful for the iPhone and features Steampunk stories that you can read on Apple's nearly ubiquitous device.

Evelyn has been kind enough to give away a copy of the latest Steampunk Tales. Send me an email at smallworldpodcast@gmail.com for your chance to win a copy of Steampunk Tales for your iPhone.

The music heard on today's show is "Mr. Soot's Little Black Book" by the Unextraordinary Gentlemen and Hannah Fury's "No Man Alive."

The incidental music heard on today's show was "Sûrement" by Ez3kiel, "Cold Fuzzies" by Skerror, "Landlost" by In the Nursery, "Arcanum" by Ben Houge and "Yeesha’s Joyride" by Jack Wall.

Join us next time on the Small World when we'll talk with singer/song writer Michael Hayes about his retrospective album, Diamonds Down the Drain.

A/V

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 18:01:35 -0800

Happy New Year!

I hope you had fun bringing in 2010 because 2009 sure was a bitch, wasn't it?

For today's New Year edition of the Small World I was going to do a segment on Steampunk. The show was going to feature an interview with Bruce Sterling, who along with William Gibson, pushed Steampunk into the mainstream with their novel, The Difference Engine. We were also going to talk with David Simkins, one of the writers and executive producers of the Syfy channel's Warehouse 13 and also talk to Steampunk Tales Evelyn Kriete.

Unfortunately, what with the holidays and work I wasn't able to get around to editing all of those interviews. My fault, really. I could have easily done a show just featuring one of those people but no, I have to turn it into a grand project!

My apologies but I will have the Steampunk segment ready for you in two weeks.

In the meantime, I'm going to repodcast one of shows I produce called solipsistic NATION.

On solipsistic NATION I play the best of all genres of electronic music and I often interview musicians and music labels and other people from the electronic music community. If NPR did a show about electronic music I imagine it would sound exactly like solipsistic NATION.

I'm quite proud of the show. I took everything I learned from producing the Small World and applied it to solipsistic NATION. What's cool is now I'm taking everything I've learned from producing solipsistic NATION to the Small World.

The show from solipsistic NATION you're going to hear today was actually released October 16th of 2009 and features interviews with Amy Grill, director of Speaking in Code, Paul Owens, director of Blip Festival: Reformat the Planet, Hannes Stöhr, director of Berlin Calling, Katyá Guseva, editor of Big Up Magazine, Graham St. John, editor of Dancecult and Fernando Fonseca, founder of Public Spaces Lab.

As I said, I'm proud of solipsistic NATION and I'm particularly proud of this episode.

If you like what you hear then why don't you go to solipsisticnation.com and subscribe to the show. This week on solipsistic NATION I interview John and Paul Healy from Somatic Responses and play music from one of their live sets.

Okay, enough out of me. Here's the show show. I hope you like it!

Today on solipsistic NATION we'll talk with Amy Grill about her documentary, Speaking in Code. We'll also talk to Paul Owens, the director of Blip Festival: Reformat the Planet, a documentary about the Chiptunes movement. On the night of the debut of Berlin Calling in Hollywood, director Hannes Stöhr shares his thoughts about his new movie. From the big screen to the pages of Big Up Magazine, we'll talk to Katyá Guseva about bass driven music, art and culture and Big Up Magazine's one year anniversary. We'll also talk to Graham St. John about the newly launched Dancecult journal. Finally, Fernando Fonseca, the founder of the Public Spaces Lab, shares with us his experiences at the Net Audio Festival in Berlin.

Speaking in Code Speaking in Code is an intimate account of people who are completely lost in music and is a heartbreaking and lighthearted documentary, it's a vérité glimpse into the world of techno. Speaking in Code stars Modeselektor, Wighnomy Brothers, Monolake, Philip Sherburne, David Day and Amy Grill.

Blip Festival: Reformat the Planet is a feature length documentary which delves into the movement known as chiptunes, a vibrant underground scene based around creating new, original music using old video game hardware. Familiar devices such as the Nintendo Game Boy and Nintendo Entertainment System are pushed in new directions with startling results.Using New York as a microcosm for a larger global movement, Blip Festival: Reformat the Planet maps out the genesis of the first annual Blip Festival, a four day celebration of over 30 international artists exploring the untapped potential of low-bit video game consoles. With floor-stomping rhythms and fist-waving melodies, trailblazers of the chiptune idiom descend upon Manhattan to pen a new chapter in the history of electronic music.

Berlin Calling is about electronic music composer Martin (Paul Kalkbrenner), known as DJ Ickarus, is touring with his manager and girlfriend Mathilde (Rita Lengyel) from club to club around the globe and is about to release their biggest album to date. However, all of his plans are thrown out of kilter after Ickarus is submitted to the emergency ward of a psychiatric clinic high on drugs after a gig- A tragicomedy in Berlin of today. Berlin Calling is directed by Hannes Stöhr who has also directed One Day in Europe (Berlinale 2005 in Official Competition) and Berlin is in Germany (Berlinale 2001 Panorama Audience Award).

Big Up Magazine is a magazine dedicated to bass driven music, art, culture and people and celebrates its one year anniversary October 24th at the Paradise Lounge in San Francisco with Cyrus/Random Trio, Cluekid featuring Aurorah, Kutz, Samiyam and Darkiside of Get Darker TV.

Dancecult is a peer-reviewed, open-access e-journal for the study of electronic dance music culture and has launched the 1.1 edition 1.1 published and available at http://dj.dancecult.net.

The Net Audio Festival '09 took place from the 8th to the 11th of October and gathered the international netaudio community for a four-day music and conference festival in Berlin, under the title "East meets West." 2009 marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Iron Curtain. Net Audio Festival '09 recalled pictures of hands reaching out to pull people from both sides up onto the Berlin wall. The event will took place at Maria, a venue situated immediately on the former Berlin 'death strip' once dividing the city and the world into eastern and western hemispheres.

That's the show! Join us again next week when we'll do it all over again. But completely different.

Photo Credit: Mitch Vega

The Field "Sun and Ice, Excerpt"
Speaking in Code Trailer
The Field "The Deal"
Interview with Amy Grill, director of Speaking in Code
Blip Festival: Reformat the Planet Trailer
Starscream "Gravity in Terms of Space-Time" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
Interview with Paul Owens, director of Blip Festival: Reformat the Planet
Paul Kalkbrenner "Gebrünn Gebrünn (Berlin Calling Edit)"
Interview with Hannes Stöhr, director of Berlin Calling
Cyrus/Random Trio "Mind Games"
Interview with Katyá Guseva, editor of Big Up Magazine
Dubatech aka Cold Form "Windless Dub (Havantepe's Breeze)" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
Interview with Graham St. John, editor of Dancecult
Zengineers "Passage to India" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
Interview with Fernando Fonseca, founder of Public Spaces Lab
Niteffect "Naked Swords" [FREE DOWNLOAD]

Natalia Paruz, the Saw Lady

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:00:22 -0800

Music Monday was a regular feature on the Small World where each week I'd interview a musician and feature three of their tracks of their choice. Since relaunching the Small World on Alterati I've wanted to return to that segment but was uncertain how to do it now that the Small World is a bi-monthly show. I still haven't resolved this problem but I decided to move forward anyway.

Today on the Small World our guest is Natalia Paruz who plays such novelty musical instruments as the musical saw, pitched Austrian cowbells, handbells, the glass harp, theremin and more.

Natalia has performed with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Zubin Mehta, with the Westchester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Air Moroccan Symphony Orchestra and at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall with PDQ Bach composer Peter Schickele and with the Little Orchestra Society. In 2007 she debuted as a musical saw soloist Carnegie Hall and in 2008 marked her Madison Square Garden debut. Natalia also performs in more modest locations on the streets and the subways of New York City

Natalia has recently released Hark! An Angel Sings with arrangements by composer and husband Scott R. Munson and with Christmas just around the corner I thought she'd be a perfect guest to have on today's Small World.

Happy holidays!

Natalia Paruz "Jingle Cowbells"
Austrian Cowbells with orchestra
Natalia Paruz "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"
Musical saw and piano
Natalia Paruz "O Little Town Of Bethlehem"
Musical saw with orchestra/ethnic instruments

As always, you can reach me at smallworldpodcast@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/smallworld

Science Fiction and New Media

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:05 -0800

We live in a world that increasingly resembles the science fiction stories of our youth.

For example, nearly all of us have mobile phones that are wery much like the communicators that appeared in the Star Trek television series in the late 60s. But in fact, our mobile phones are not mobile phones. They are hand-held computers that we can watch movies on or surf the web or check our email that also happens to be a phone.

The world we live in is pretty amazing and is rapidly changing in astonishing and unexpected ways thanks to our advancing technology. But if we are living in a world that seems straight out of a science fiction novel, then how is our current technology changing science fiction?

We'll explore that question on today's Small World.

We'll talk with Cory Doctorow of Boing Boing fame and author of his recent book, Makers, about eReaders and digital rights managemment. We'll also talk with Annalee Newitz, the editor-in-chief of the io9, a blog focuses on science fiction and futurism, about how we'll get our media tomorrow. J.C. Hutchins, the author and podcaster of 7th Son, will talk about the changing role of publishers and content creators. Steve Eley, the founder of the Escape Pod science fiction short story podcast, will talk about the possible demise of science fiction magazines.

The incidental music heard on today's show comes to us by way of the Soulphonic Soundsystem. We heard Soulphonic Soundsystem's "Motanica," "Catalina Sunset," "Mr. Sparkle," "The Ambassador" and "Nutmeg."

As always, you can reach me at smallworldpodcast@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/smallworld

Joseph Matheny, Alterati

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:17:19 -0800

On the last edition of the small WORLD I announced that the small WORLD had found a new home on Alterati. But what is Alterati? That's the topic of today's show.

Our guest on today's show is Joseph Matheny, the founder of Alterati.

Joseph has been on the small WORLD twice before: once to talk about The Incunabula Papers: Ong's Hat and once to talk about Grey Lodge. Joseph has also worked for Adobe. Joseph has also written and contributed to many books and magazine articles, is involved in theater, television, film and video and will soon be launching Hukilau.

We'll learn all about Joseph and more on today's show. Stay stuned!

As always, you can reach me at smallworldpodcast@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/smallworld.

Chris Lackey & Chad Fifer, H.P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:23:31 -0800

Hello! I’m back!

Yep, after nearly two years the Small World is back in action.

We just heard an excerpt from The H.P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast (http://www.hppodcraft.com), which is actually an excerpt from H.P. Lovecraft’s short story, The Picture in the House.

Chris Lackey and Chad Fifer are the host of the H.P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast and we’ll talk with them shortly. But before we talk with Chris and Chad I’m going to very quickly bring you up to speed with what I’ve been up to.

Back in late 2007 the Small World website was hacked. Hacked so badly that I had to nuke the entire database and start from scratch. That really took the wind out of my sails because starting from scratch meant updating the site with 496 shows.

And to be completely honest, I was more than a little burnt out. I had produced nearly 500 shows and the workload was taking it’s tole on me. I had to arrange the interview. do the interviews and then produce three shows a week. And remember, this is a labor of love, not a paying gig.

So when my site was hacked it was the final straw.

Since then I’ve been producing a show called Solipsistic Nation, where I play the best of all genres of electronic music. Along with playing great music I also interview people from the electronic music community: musicians, record labels, festival organizers, etc.

If NPR produced had an electronic music show then it would sound a lot like Solipsistic Nation.

Producing Solipsistic Nation is a lot of fun but I’ve always had that itch ti interview people about things that fascinate me that have nothing to do with electronic music. When Joe Matheny suggested that I archive the Small World on Alterati I thought it would be a perfect time to re-launch the Small World on a twice a month basis, which is a workload I can handle.

You’re probably asking yourself: what the hell is Alterati?

Alterati is like a word that you don’t know the exact definition of but you know what it means. Rather than try to explain Alterati to you right now, we’ll talk to Joseph Matheny, Alterati’s founder, on the next show and have him explain it.

So… let’s get to today’s show.

As I mentioned, our guests are Chris Lackey and Chad Fifer. Chris and Chad produce the H.P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast and H.P. Lovecraft was a science fiction slash horror writer who died in 1937.

You may or may not know Lovecraft but his writings have had an amazing impact on popular culture: from movies and comics like Hellboy to bands like Metallica and Black Sabbath. He’s also had a profound impact on writers like Stephen King, Jorge Luis Borges and Neil Gaiman.

The H.P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast treats the work of Lovecraft with a deft touch. Each week features excerpts from one of Lovecraft’s stories accompanied with insightful and often hilarious commentary from Chris and Chad.

Today’s incidental music was provided by Veil of Thorns with the track “The Reflection” from their album, Necrofuturist. You can hear more of their Necrofuturistic music at http://www.veilofthorns.com

We’re going to keep with the funnier side of H.P. Lovecraft and close the show with a bit from Smart Bomb Radio with “Cthulhu Is My Co-pilot” and Tom Smith’s “Cthulhu Fthagn.”

Smart Bomb Radio can be found at http://www.myspace.com/smartbombradio and Tom Smith can be found at http://www.tomsmithonline.com

You can reach me at smallworldpodcast@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/smallworld

Music Monday! The Varimezov Bulgarian Ensemble

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800

Long-time listeners of the Small World know that I've only done a handful shows in the last few months. The Small World website was hacked by some kids in Turkey a while back and no matter what i did they kept hacking back into the site.

That was a headache but on top of that, the Small World website acts as a kind of calling card when I invite people to be guests on the show. By viewing the website they can get an idea of the kind of show I produce as well as getting a sense of the history of the Small World. Without the website people take me less seriously and so it's difficult to get guest to appear on the show.

Earlier this month I made the deciion to nuke the website and build it up from scratch, which was painful to do because I lost over two and half years of entries into the Small World database. But in the end I had to do it because the database was crrupted and that's what allowed the hackers to keeping getting into the website.

I'll have things back in hand in January and I want to thank oyu for being patient and remaining subscribed to the Small World.

In the meantime, I wanted to put out one more show until that happens and today we're going to listen to the music of the Varimezov Bulgarian Ensemble.

I saw the Ensemble Saturday evening while attending the2007 Yuletide Celebration at the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Los Angelese with my friend Leah. Ever since I first met Leah she's been raving about the Museum so when she invite me to attend the celebration I jumped at the opportunity.

While I was there I had the pleasure of listening to the music of the Varimezov Bulgarian Ensemble and I recorded a few of their songs on my iRiver. The audio isn't great but it's good enough that it captures the spirit of their performance.

Marilyn Johnson, The Dead Beat

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800

A journalist who's written obituaries of Princess Di and Johnny Cash, Johnson counts herself among the obit obsessed, one who subsists on the "tiny pieces of cultural flotsam to profound illuminations of history" gathered from obits from around the world, which she reads online daily—sometimes for hours. Her quirky, accessible book starts at the Sixth Great Obituary Writers' International Conference, where she meets others like herself. Johnson explores this written form like a scholar, delving into the differences between British and American obits, as well as regional differences within this country; she visits Chuck Strum, the New York Times' obituary editor, but also highlights lesser-known papers that offer top-notch obits; she reaffirms life as much as she talks about death. Johnson handles her offbeat topic with an appropriate level of humor, while still respecting the gravity of mortality—traits she admires in the best obit writers, who have "empathy and detachment; sensitivity and bluntness." The book claims that obits "contain the most creative writing in journalism" and that we are currently in the golden age of the obituary. We are also nearing the end of newspapers as we know them, Johnson observes, and so "it seems right that their obits are flourishing."

Music Monday! Most People Are DJs

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800

This episode is work safe.
The title comes from the song "Most People Are DJs" by the Hold Steady. A lyric from the song goes "Everyone is a critic and Most People Are DJs" which has become the tagline and mantra. For 30-35 minutes a week Mikel O.D. plays great indie music - usually with an electronic/new wave influenced beat while reviewing the media latest from the outer edges of pop culture.

Music Monday! subQtaneous

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700

This episode is not work safe.

Described as a "stick of dynamite strapped to reality," (Scenery Zine), subQtaneous is a diverse conceptual, collaborative album. It carves new soundscapes ranging from brutal, pounding industrial to sarcastic hip hop set over carnival music to delicately layered trance. It has been compared to Pigface, probably due to its format, as well as Coil, Mr Bungle, the Tapeworm project, and Frank Zappa.

Interview with James Curcio and P. Emerson Williams of subQtaneous

We discuss the lyrics of P. Emerson Williams; how subQtaneous helped create relationships; the many versions of "Double Bind"; why it took so long to release their CD, Some Still Despair In A Prozac Nation; why subQtaneous ws formed when so many of the musicians live all over the country; similaritues to Pigface; the members who make up subQtaneous; the Abyss of Hallucinations; the complicaitons of working with so many people; what was surprisingly easy recording Some Still Despair In A Prozac Nation; recording "Wake Up"; why the recorded the album in so many different studios; the guitar stylings of Scott Landes; post-punk political commentary; Mythos Media; the influence of Joseph Campbell.

Featured songs are:

"Double Bind"
"Equinox"
"Wake Up"

Music Monday! Kraddy

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 21:18:41 -0700

Known for his intuitive ability to carve beats out of the bits, Kraddy has made a name for himself internationally as a producer and a DJ. His releases on Muti Music, Bless Records, Blunted Funk, Digital Distortions and his own label, Refiner Records have set him apart as a producer with a truly extra-ordinary sound.

Music Monday! Domino Records

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700

This episode is work safe.

Domino Recording Company, generally known as Domino Records, is an independent record label based in London. There is also a wing of the label based in the United States, releasing Domino artists' music from the label's Brooklyn offices. In addition, Stephen Pastel presides over the subsidiary label Geographic Music, which releases more unusual British and World music.

Interview with Morgan Lebus of Domino Records.

We discuss doing today's interview at a grocery store; working with recently signed artists, Cass McCombs; what kind of label Domino Recors is and how the label began; founder Laurence Bell, Sebadoh, the Arctic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand; how Morgan came to work for Domino Records; Geographic Records; how Domino Records chooses which bands and musicians to bring into the label's fold; how he works with bands who are just beginning and bands that are well established; Domino Records relationships with their roster of artists; the Young Marble Giants' forthcoming double CD relase on Domino Recors; other upcoming releases on Domino Records.

Featured songs are:

"That's That (Main Mix)" by Cass McCombs
"Fireworks" by Animal Collective
"Tieta" by Bonde Do Role
"A Beautiful War" by Robert Wyatt

Music Monday! Kush Arora

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700

This episode is work safe.

Bubbling out of the S.F. underground, From Brooklyn to SF is an adventure of Dread Bass,dubstep/dub, and desi dancehall featuring North America's most adventurous vocalists.The singers on this release are Juakali, Zulu, N4SA, Blacksmith, and Gurmeet - this diverse group of talent coming together for this project. This follows the recent release of MC Juakali's 12" EP, where Kush appears alongside dubmasters Alpha & Omega and NYC's Drop The Lime. Kush teams up with 3 other Bay Area producers, in dub. "Surf's Up" with Luke Argilla is an Indian surfing dubstep anthem, "Surya Dub" with Maneesh The Twister explores UK Digital steppers with Gurmeet on vox, and "Boss Strut Dub" with Process Rebel enters the world of sound design and idm. Kush has shared the bill with Dr. Isreal, SF's Dhamaal Soundsystem, opened for Thievery Corporation, and regularly plays the 10 year long running Dub Mission in San Francisco. Currently he holds a monthly residency at Surya Dub located at SF's Club 6 with contemporaries forging the Dread Bass movement internationally.

Interview with Kush Arora.

We discuss how I met Kush through the Grimestep show I did on solipsistic NATION; recording "Spread The Word" with Zulu; a brief explanation of dubstep, digital bashment and dancehall; From Brooklyn to SF making top 20 on the CMJ's New Word Reggae charts; how people from island communities like Jamiaca react to his music; how From Brooklyn to SF is different form his previous releases; my interview with Vivian Host, editor of XLR8R Magazine; what is it about the different genres of music he loves so much that goes so well together; recording "Surf's Up" with Luke Argilla; recording artist Cheb I Sabbah; the people he works and records with; the Dhamaal Soundsystem and Surya Dub; his upcoming performances; how he went from being a drummer to an electornic musician and producer; RecordLabelRecords.

Featured songs are:

"Spread The Word Featuring Zulu"
"Surf's Up Featuring Luke Argilla"
"Music A Mi Cultcha Featuring N4sa & Blacksmith"

Music Monday! Rob Szabo

Mon, 03 Sep 2007 15:00:00 -0700

This episode is not work safe.

Rob tours across North America in his beat up '89 Dodge whose odometer he recently pushed past 450,000 kms (281,250 miles). He plays well over 100 dates a year in Canada and the U.S., from Toronto to Vancouver to the Alaska Highway, from San Francisco to New York City to Washington D.C. ... and everywhere in between. His live shows are garnering him an increasingly devoted fanbase of hardcore music lovers who often travel great distances to see him play in person. His fans always mention Rob's ever-present wry smile, and how he makes you feel like you’re in on a shared secret...

Interview with Rob Szabo.

We discuss his song, "Breaking Even"; the video for "Breaking Even"; the DVD version of his album, Like A Metaphor; director Cal Brunker; how the documentary made him write news songs or re-write old songs; dealing with hecklers; how he spends his time when he's not on tour; weird tour stories; the musicians who appear on Like A Metaphor; what his album means to him; the power of the internet for independent musicians; his troubles as a youth; is being a musician and tour on time antithetical to "growing up"; does touring make it difficult to write songs; his upcoming performances; becoming a lyricist.

Featured songs are:

"Breaking Even"
"Good Son"
"Beautiful"

Music Monday! Robert Rich

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700

This episode is work safe.

Robert Rich is an ambient musician and composer based in California, USA. With a discography spanning over 20 years, he is widely regarded as a figure whose sound has greatly influenced today's ambient, new age, and even IDM music.

Interview with Robert Rich.

We discuss the msuic he created for the film Atlas Dei; his revious works that were incorporated into Atlas Dei; what Atlas Dei is about; how he and artist Dan Colvin through Global Mindshift; his relationship with science, philsophy, art and religion; accompanying Atlas Dei with a live performance; the Morrison Planetarium; designing music and sounds for movies such as Behind Enemy Lines, Pitch Black and Crazy Beautiful; his musical vocabulary; building and programming his own music; working with just intonation; composers LaMonte Young, Terry Riley and Harry Partch; Young's The Well-Tuned Piano 81 X 25; Robert's Sleep Concert series; 9 Beet Stretch; working with artist Michael Somoroff which resulted in his album Illumination; how he would like people to listen to his music; how his collaborative works are differrent from each other; his favorite collaborative effort; why he sometimes re-explores his previous themes and music; how he has grown as a musician; how he injured his hand; how his injury has changed the way he approaches his music; the overall theme to his work; his forthcoming release.

Featured songs are:

"Mythos"
"Temple"
"Reductive"

Music Monday! Genius of Soul

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700

This episode is work safe.

Sleep Now is a refreshingly jazzy album that illustrates how powerful talented live instrumentation can be in hip-hop.

Interview with Id and Timeless of Genius of Soul.

We discuss their song, "Sleep Now"; how Genius of Soul is different and siliar to Id's solo work; what led to the formation of Genius of Soul; Stop Paving Roads; how being in a band has changed Id's lyrics; how the sound of Genius of Soul has changed since the band first formed; why Timeless orgianly wanted to expolore funk and soul in Genius of Soul; the arguments the band has gone through; opening for Jazzmatazz; did appearing on KPBS expose them to a wider audience; what has made the blend of electornci dance music and live instrumentation more possible and more desirable for bands to perform; their nomintation for best hip hop act in San Diego; their upcoming performances.

Featured songs are:

"Sleep Now"
"The Jerk"
"Simply Mad"

small WORLD Weekend Mix 78: The Synth Pop Edition

Sun, 19 Aug 2007 14:27:29 -0700

The Synth Pop Eidtion

This episode is work safe.

Kick off the weekend by kicking out the jams with the small WORLD Weekend MIX!

This edition of the small WORLD Weekend Mix features the following artists...

Von Iva "Do It!"
Space March "About To Explode"
I, Synthesist "Red Clouds"
Oliver Future "Happiness Machine"
Alan Replica "A Broken Eve"
The Calculators "Dead Is Dead"
Charlie Slick "I Know You Love My Synthesizers"
Thomas Dolby "Europa and the Pirate Twins (Live)"
Gary Numan "Me, I Disconnect From You (Live)"

Aimee Baldridge, The Camera Phone Book

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700

This episode is work safe.

Marketing experts predict that by 2009, nearly 90% of all cell phones will contain a camera, as manufacturers race to create cheaper, easier-to-use models with more sophisticated cameras, more pixels, flash units and even multiple lenses. Already revolutionizing audiovisual communication, it's a trend that will only grow more explosively—and who better than National Geographic to create a how-to book aimed directly at the millions who carry a camera phone everywhere and want to make the most of it?

Interview with Aimee Baldridge, author and narrator of the The Camera Phone Book: How to Shoot Like a Pro, Print, Store, Display, Send Images, Make a Short Film.

We discuss how The Camera Phone Book; photographer Robert Clark; how she came to write about photo technology; the explosion of camera phone technology; where her love for photography began; analogue photography versus digital photography; her access to photographic technology at CNET; hot to take photos like a pro with a camera phone; third party software you can use with for your camera phone; the limitations of camera phones; how to recover lost or erased photos; the phones to purchase to take the best photos; the camera phoens she and Robert use.

Featured song is "We Forgot the Camera" by The Camaromance.

Music Monday! Beatropolis

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700

This episode is work safe.

San Francisco natives Beatropolis lay down soulful downtempo perfect for the hippest clubs and lounges in the nation. "Drop" is something that DC downtempo group Thievery Corporation would absolutely covet. With ethereal and otherworldly vocals, inventive rhythms, and magnificent song arrangements Beatropolis layers on the soulful bleeps and blips with bubbly bass lines that keep it all intact. Dub heads will love songs like "Cowboy Song" while drum&bass kids will relax with the uptempo rolling beats of "Mysterioso". Easily a crew that's destined to light up the floor with a sexy and sultry sound, Beatropolis will soon be known for more than just their popular monthly residency "Future Soul" at Amnesia in San Francisco.

Interview with Chris Horgan of Beatropolis.

We discuss the song "Crayons"; vocialists Audio Angel and Ben Ax!om; the lyrics of "Crayons"; the many styles of music the members of Beatropolis enjoy; the other artists they perform with at concerts; why they remixed Shingo's "Embrace"; how Beatropolis came together as a band; how they incorporate the sound of electronic dance music into their music; capturing their live sound; their revamped stage show and their upcoming performances; collaborators who peform with them at their concerts; how the song "Heavy" made it on to their CD, A Life in Color.

Featured songs are:

"Crayons"
"Embrace (Beatropolis Remix)"
"Heavy"

J.C. Hutchins, 7th Son

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 01:03:08 -0700

This episode is work safe.

7th Son is a free serialized audiobook. It chronicles the story of seven strangers who have been brought together after the recent assassination of the U.S. president. These men quickly discover they all appear to be the same man ... with identical childhood memories.

Interview with J.C. Hutchins, author and narrator of the 7th Son podcast.

We discuss the story so far of 7th Son; the unknown motivations of the novel's antagonist, John Alpha; meeting the real John Alpha; the addition of sound engineer Sean Bishop; what J.C. has been up to since the last time I interviewed him; how his life has changed with the success of 7th Son; how recording chapters of 7th Son and getting feedback from the listeners has changed the structure of his novel; characters that he found the most fun and the most difficult to portray; an excerpt from Book Two of 7th Son; what's changed in the world of books on podcasts since the inception of Podiobooks; what he did between releasing Book two and Book Three of the novels; listener response to his girlfriend's surgery.

Featured song is "Clones Were Made For Them But Not For Us" by The Foundry Field Recordings.

small WORLD Weekend Mix 77: The Hip Hop Edition

Sat, 28 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

The Hip Hop Edition

This episode is work safe.

Kick off the weekend by kicking out the jams with the small WORLD Weekend MIX!

This edition of the small WORLD Weekend Mix features the following artists...

Tableek - NY Minute
Panama, Big Dan, Rico aka Filthy Rich - Mi Barrio
Serengeti & Polyphonic - Puppydog Love
Infinito 2017 & Unagi - A Day That Don't End
Wise Intelligent - I'm Him
Grand Analog - I'll Walk Alone
Simon T aka Young Ivy, Will Bracy, Divas Harmony - Rise Up
Binky Mack - Amerika

Kay Kenyon, Bright of the Sky

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

This episode is work safe.

Kay Kenyon, nominated for the Philip K. Dick and the John W. Campbell awards, began her writing career (in Duluth, Minnesota) as a copywriter for radio and TV. She kept up her interest in writing through careers in marketing and urban planning, and published her first novel, The Seeds of Time, in 1997. She is the author of numerous short stories, including those in I, Alien; Live Without a Net; and Stars: Stories Based on the Songs of Janis Ian. She lives in Wenatchee, Washington, with her husband.

Interview with Kay Kenyon, author of Bright of the Sky.

We discuss her move to Wenatchee, Washington; the plot of Bright of the Sky; why she thinks the good old fashioned hero has been missing from science fiction; why the protagonasit, Titus Quinn, suffers from amnesia; the two universes of Bright of the Sky; why the denizens of The Entire refer to Earth as The Rose; why she chose to emulate ancient Mandarin culture in her book; other cultures she has incoporated into her stories; my interview with Lou Anders of Pyr books; Flash Gordon; writing the scene of Titus Quinn's heinous crime; the challenge of developing Titus Quinn's daughter, Sydney; themes she will be exploring in future books in the series; why she began writing fiction and science fiction; why she thinks more women are writing and enjoying science ficiton.

Featured song is "Rainin In Paradize (Andrew Scheps Mix)" by Manu Chao.

Music Monday! Ooah

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

This episode is work safe.

Ooah the turntable junkie is a master at the art of turntablism and a wizard on the wheels of steel. He's a southern fried kid from New Orleans bombing the west coast underground with style and grace. Residing in Los Angeles and now connected with the Los Angeles Breakbeat Association, he rocks the dance floor hard with a mix of original tracks along with the hottest cuts out on wax. Dropping a variety of flavors from bass grinding mid-tempo tech-hop to electronic mindbending breakbeats to feet-stomping drum & bass and jungle to psycedelic dream-rthythms and intellectual glitch frequencies. Don't miss out on this highly energetic performance as he tears it up on three turntables, killing it with his out-of-control mixing abilities and unstoppable scratch rhythms. Ooah has been blowing up sound systems up and down the west coast and across seas to the Hawaiian Islands keepin' the crouds hyped and the subs bumpin'!!

Interview with Ooah.

We discuss why he moved to Los Angeles; the Los Angeles Breakbeat Association; incorporating sounds from his garage door into his song, "Hacksaw"; his minimialist approach to composing music; collecting sounds; his reservations about appearing on compilation CDs; Interchill Records; releasing music on CDs versus MP3s; the inspiriation behind "Stomp the Yard"; his hip hop appraoch to Glitch; Glitch Mob members Kitty-D, Boreta, edIT and Kraddy; my upcomogn Glitch show on solipsistic NATION; his upcoming performances; his full time gig as a musician; Alpha Pup Records; drinking a lot of scotch and writing music.

Featured songs are:

"Hacksaw"
"Stomp the Yard"
"Tuesday Again"

Mayor Mike Haeg, Mount Holly (Population 4)

Fri, 20 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

This episode is work safe.

You can find Mt. Holly on Google Maps, one lonely dot near the center of Shakopee. Zoom in and see that the city resides entirely on the corner of Third Avenue East and Holmes Street, across from the Scott County Jail. The town consists of a tidy 1940s bungalow and a single pine tree. Until very recently, Mt. Holly had but one resident: its mayor, Mike Haeg. The minuscule municipality experienced a three-hundred-percent population increase when Haeg’s wife and two children were granted citizenship by the mayor, also the town’s leading advocate of population control.

Interview with Mike Haeg, Mayor of Mount Holly.

We discuss the landscape of Mount Holly; living modestly; travelling abroad in Europe; how Europe helped shape his politcal views; the founding of Mount Holly; the citizens of Mount Holly; the state of Godzilla; how a post on Boing Boing helped spread awareness of Mount Holly; the 'I Kissed A Stranger' project; the city's major imports and exports; his early political ambitions; how being the mayor has reinforced his politics; the upcoming presidential elections; his political struggle with Ungabunga, a wooden idol; the Mount Holly Public Library; the Mount Holly Municipal Records Department; the band Bridgeclub; how he met Mac Dawg.

Featured song is "We Get It On" by Mac Dawg.

Music Monday! Walt Ribeiro

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

This episode is work safe.

On October 4, 2006, Ribeiro's CD I.I debuted, and in such a short time created an incredible buzz in the greater Philadelphia area. Over the years Walt has taught over a hundred students - everything from orchestration and ear training to guitar and recording techniques. "You don't know something well enough unless you can teach it to somebody, and that's where I learned things the most, was through my students."

Interview with Walt Ribeiro.

We discuss why he had the score for an 80-piece orchestra perfromed with samples on a computer; how he came to write and perform classical music; themes and ideas he wanted to explore on I.I; his most difficult task scoring I.I; why some critics say his music is not "academic" enough; general reactions to his score; suggestions he got that he incorporated into his music; themes and ideas he wants to embelish on his next CD; adapting I.I for guitar; writing for full intrumentation; has the release of I.I opened any doors for Walt; are composers changing their attitudes to having their music performed by a computer; would people's expectaitons about classical music performed on a computer change if they knew how much editing and overdubs are done in traditional classical performances; composers that write strictly to have their music performed by a computer that he enjoys and admires.

Featured songs are:

"TLM"
"SQ III"
"Airies"

View my Bastille Day photos.

small WORLD Weekend Mix 76: The Reggae Edition

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 15:30:00 -0700

The Reggae Edition

This episode is work safe.

Kick off the weekend by kicking out the jams with the small WORLD Weekend MIX!

This edition of the small WORLD Weekend Mix features the following artists...

Country Speng - Intellect & Charm
Bob Marley & The Wailers - Soul Shakedown Party
AJ Brown - Real Rock
Nadine Sutherland - Big Tingz
Ras Kimono - Natty Get Jail
Burning Spear - Marcus Garvey
Sugar Minott - Half A Love

Sean Gailey, J!NX Clothing Company

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

This episode is not work safe.

Formed on 29 December, 1997, Jinx.com is an online store targeted at gamers, geeks and hackers. The site features a wide variety of T-shirts, "hoodies", stickers, and other apparel. It is also well known for its forums. The company publicizes themselves with their name stylized as "J!NX", and the tagline "Clothing for Gamers and Geeks".

Interview with Sean Gailey, co-founder of J!NX Clothing Company.

We discuss how J!NX began and why he decided to create clothing specifically for geeks and gamers; the differnece between a geek and a nerd; why he believes it is now more acceptable to be a geek; why they removed "hackers" from their previous tagline; the creative strategies they dveloped to promote J!NX; how their relationship with Digg, Blizzard and Dungeons & Dragons began; the point when J!NX went from being a hoppy to being a carrer; how they are promoting themselves now that they are a successful company; the redesign of their website; how they are growing the J!NX community; how they develop ideas for their t-shirts; the staff at J!NX; where he would like J!NX in the next few years; his favorite video game of all time; the geekiest thing he has ever done; keeping up with geek and gaming culture.

Email me at smallworldpodcast@gmail.com or leave a voice mail at 1-619-377-0538 and you could be a lucky winner of a J!NX t-shirt of your choice.

Featured song is "Always the First to Die" by Sean Gailey.

Music Monday! Extreme Records

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

This episode is work safe.

Extreme releases genre defying experimental works that dip into and out of electronic, soundtrack, world/ethnic, ambient, free jazz, noise and musique concrete, often mixing and matching combinations of all of these styles. Extreme has a catalogue numbering over 60 titles. All are notable for their high standard of audio production and design, in conjunction with innovative music that often eludes categorization.

Interview with Rogers Richards of Extreme Records.

We discuss his association with the band, Soma; David Thrussell of Snog; finding out about Extreme redorcs through their X-X Section compilation CD; how Ulex Xane began Extreme Records and how Roger came to manage the label; the direction Roger wanted to go with the label; the scope of artists and genrs found on Extreme Records; his aesthetics for artists who he chooses to release on the label; how Merzbow's musical career began in a bondage club; the Merzbox release; how Merzbow's music has evolved over the years; how his relationship with Bryn Jones of Muslimgauze began; the consequences for Extreme Records for Bryn's politcal views; how he found discovered C-Schulz; the first cassette release he heard from Extreme Records; what has happened with the Noise music scene;making music from Extreme Records available to podcasters; digital distribution of music.

Featured songs are:

"Stygian Vista (Radio Controlled)" by Soma
"Ropes in Tears" by Merzbow
"Gridlike" by Terminal Sound System

Jeffrey J. Kripal, Esalen: America and the Religion of No Religion

Fri, 06 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

This episode is work safe.

Esalen Institute is a combination alt-think tank, academic community and sensual retreat perched on the Pacific-facing cliffs of Big Sur, California. Its thinkers formed the leading edge of American culture for decades. Here was ground zero of the 1960s social revolution: the sweaty hot-tub commingling of free love, tantric yoga, Buddhist meditation and Gestalt therapy-as well as the academy for the propagation of the human-potential movement. Outlaw all-stars like Aldous Huxley, Allen Ginsberg and Hunter S. Thompson felt the pull of the place. Now scholar Jeffrey Kripal has produced the first all-encompassing history of Esalen: its intellectual, social, personal, literary and spiritual passages. Kripal brings us up-to-date and takes us deep beneath historical surfaces in this definitive, elegantly written book

Interview with Jeffrey J. Kripal, author of Esalen: America and the Religion of No Religion.

We discuss what is the Esalen Institute and what is >Esalen: America and the Religion of No Religion about; what he felt he needed to expand upon from his last book, On The Edge Of The Future: Esalen And The Evolution Of American Culture; the myths and reality of Esalen Institute; what initially attracted him to the Esalen; ideas that came form the Esalen Institue that have become mainstream; balancing science and religion and how to incorporate the two in life; does science try to encapsulate divinity; Frederic Spiegelberg; the connection between sexuality and spirituality; how America is dealing with questions of gender.

Featured song is "Concerto No. 1 for Tabla and Percussion Quartet" by Shawn Mativetsky.

Music Monday! Aja West and Friends + Foot Foot

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

This episode is work safe.

Aja West, producer of hybrid funk jazz and soul presents his long awaited masterwork, Total Recall 2012. After leading super group The Mackrosoft through ten fantastically successful albums, Aja West takes a solo turn bringing along his most talented and prestigious friends.

Interview with Aja West.

We discuss vocalist Reggie Watts; mastering Total Recall 2012 at Capitol Records; recording with Fred Wesley, Mike Clark and Paul Jackson; musicians he'd love to record with; how I came to love Steely Dan; the use of sampling; Defunkt and Stereo MCs; where his love for funk came from; who is waving the freak flag of funk and r&b; the boon and bane of the Red Hot Chili Peppers; the difference between Aja West and Mackrosoft; The Cheebacabra.

Featured songs are:

"Penny in a Fountain"
"The Getaway"
"Clouds Imitate Life"

Up the church hill, a short ways from the Pacific Ocean, Robin and Carrie Dietz grew up in a family compound, surrounded by overgrown gardens, foul language and folk music. In the summer of 2004 some close friends joined the two sisters and the band Foot Foot was born. Starting out as mostly guitars and harmonies, the band grew to include banjos, mandolins, broken accordians, and melodicas.

Interview with Foot Foot.

We discuss their new album they've recorded that is due out in October; why Robin's sister didn't come to San Diego; their upcoming fall tour; The Loyal Sons and Daughters and Red Pony Clock; playing bongos for a disco beat; the direction of their new album; the addition of their new drummer; their plans for the weekend.

Featured song is:

"Criminal Wealth"

small WORLD Weekend Mix 75: The Afrobeat Edition

Sat, 30 Jun 2007 20:30:00 -0700

The Afrobeat Edition

This episode is work safe.

Kick off the weekend by kicking out the jams with the small WORLD Weekend MIX!

This edition of the small WORLD Weekend Mix features the following artists...

Fela Kuti - Swegbe & Pako
Seun Kuti & Fela 'Egypt80 - Na Oil (Radio Edit)
Mr. Something Something - Di Bombs (Ft. Ikwunga)
Tony Allen - Progress (Ft. Fela Kuti)
Gecko Turner - Afrobeatnik
Afrobeat Down - Yemaija