A sprawling talk with record maker John Leckie. As a tape operator at Abbey Road, he oversaw the All Things Must Pass and Plastic Ono Band sessions and rolled tape on Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett, Kevin Ayers, Fela Kuti, and more. Soon he began producing records, and he’s gone on to work with Radiohead on The Bends, plus Dr. John, Spiritualized, My Morning Jacket, and many more. He joins host Jason Woodbury this week on Transmissions to discuss his extensive history and much more.
Category: Podcast
Melvin Gibbs :: Transmissions
A sit down with bassist and composer Melvin Gibbs. Emerging from the fertile New York scene of the early ’80s, he’s worked with a wide ranging roster of artists. He joins us for a talk about rock music, jazz, the George Floyd protests, playing with Sonny Sharrock, and more.
Anika :: Transmissions
This week on Transmissions: Anika. Best known for her work with Geoff Barrow and Mexico City’s Exploded View, she returns with Change, an album of subtle electronic pop, driving bass lines, and lyrics that veer from quixotic to inspiring. Anika joined us for a discussion about her time as a journalist, the shifting state of reality, and crafting an album amidst a global pandemic.
Rodrigo Amarante :: Transmissions
Today on the show, Brazilian singer/songwriter Rodrigo Amarante joins us to discuss his new album, Drama. A lush and enveloping listen, it blends gentle pop with cinematic flourishes. Reflecting on the confines of masculinity, his artistic relationships with Noah Georgeson, Devendra Banhart, Little Joy, Los Hermanos, and much more.
Rose City Band :: Transmissions
It’s a bonus episode for you as we head into the weekend. Today on the show we’re joined by Ripley Johnson of Moon Duo, Wooden Shjips, and most recently, Rose City Band, on punk minimalism, psychedelia, & the perfect rock & roll song.
Tom Scharpling :: Transmissions
Tom Scharpling of The Best Show joins us for a discussions about his new book, It Never Ends, his musical heroes—including Lou Reed and Brian Eno—zine making, mental health, and much more.
Transmissions :: Carlos Niño
This week on Transmissions, a heady conversation with Carlos Niño about spontaneous composition, the influence of hip-hop culture on his work, his radio roots, and his latest, More Energy Fields, Current. “…Frequently, I would say I’m doing some version of super-computing, where I’m completely free in the moment and I’m also bookmarking sections I know I want to get back to.” From his days at dublab to his partnerships with artists like Laraaji and Iasos and much more, we’re glad to have Niño on.
Six Organs of Admittance :: Transmissions
This week on the show, Ben Chasny of Six Organs of Admittance. His new album is called The Veiled Sea, out this week via Three Lobed Records. Six Organs records can often sound very different from each other—think quiet acoustic sketches or long, blown out psych epics—but this one is a whole new thing entirely, with wild glam inspired solos over wild riffs—plus there’s a Faust cover. Chasny stopped by to discuss the new album, his work with Comets on Fire, his trio with Sir Richard Bishop and Chris Corsano, Rangda, the dubious “freak folk” term and much more.
Jeffrey Silverstein :: Transmissions
Musician and writer Jeffrey Silverstein. His new EP of gently cosmic guitar music is called Torii Gates, and he’s the head behind the wonderful It’s So Easy (When You Know What You’re Doing), a tribute to the late cult folk musician Ted Lucas, featuring AD favorites like John Andrews & the Yawns, Julianna Barwick and William Tyler, Barry Walker Jr., Amelia Courthouse, and more. He’s also a teacher and a runner. We get into it all on this special bonus episode of Transmissions.
John Grant :: Transmissions
John Grant on his synth-dappled Boy From Michigan, produced by Cate Le Bon, full of Blade Runner synths pulsing underneath incredible melodies and vocal performances.
Colleen :: Transmissions
Our guest is electronic composer Cécile Schott, who records as Colleen. Her latest album of spacey synths and vintage drum machines is called The Tunnel and the Clearing and she joined us for a talk about its roots in heartbreak and personal rebirth.
Jim Jarmusch :: Transmissions
Director, musician, and artist Jim Jarmusch joins Transmissions for a wide-ranging talk about his movies, collaborators, and life in upstate New York, where he’s at work on art and music nearly all the time. “I have a kind of slow rhythm to the way I talk, to the music I make, to the films I make.”
Sarah Louise :: Transmissions
Guitarist, songwriter, and producer Sarah Louise joins us this week on the show to discuss her new album, Earth Bow, an interconnected eco-system of guitar, synth, vocals, and hypnotic rhythms. Though Louise is known for her 12-string folks fantasias, her work is wide ranging, evoking the soundscapes of Robert Fripp and the interlocked rhythms of electronic pop. Louise joins us for a return visit to Transmissions to discuss being off the grid, the perils of social media, and her spiritual and creative practice.
Wadada Leo Smith :: Transmissions
Composer, trumpeter, and theorist Wadada Leo Smith joins us to discuss year of releases centered around his 80th birthday, his blues roots, spiritual journey, and creative outlook.
Richard Thompson :: Transmissions
Our guest this week is guitarist and songwriter Richard Thompson. One of the founding fathers of British folk rock, he’s the author of a new book, Beeswing. It chronicles the early days of his band, Fairport Convention, the launch of his solo career, run-ins with Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, a lost jam session with Led Zeppelin, and his collaborations with Linda Thompson, Sandy Denny, Nick Drake, John Martyn. He joins Jason P. Woodbury to discuss it all and more this week on Aquarium Drunkard Transmissions.