Dear friends,
When the weather is amenable, birds begin to congregate right outside my window. Despite living on what I often joke is one of the more South Philly blocks of West Philly—for its high volume of concrete, lack of porches, and abundance of trash vortexes that take flight on windy days—my window is directly above a tiny, grassy, overgrown alley, adjacent to a few tiny, grassy, overgrown backyards. This thin sliver of lush greenery becomes a tiny private aviary come springtime, as the little creatures gather to share in some spirited discourse. I’ve been in the city for years now and am quite used to its particularly chaotic soundscape, but it’s still nice to have a more tranquil ambience to greet me when I wake up and accompany me throughout the work week. I think we often talk about the warmer, sunnier weather’s role in lifting us out of seasonal depression, but the way spring’s chorus wakes us up from winter’s oppressive silence can’t be overlooked either. I know this seasonal musing might seem a little late since we’re already well into spring, but the birds have quite a bit to share today and I’m happy to listen.
Yours,
Hugh (and Adam and Kevin)
SCHEDULE
all times EST, tune in at https://mixlr.com/real_deep_radio/
Sunday, 4/18
8:30-9:30PM – Toxic Dogs with Ivana Ng
An ode to Ivana's radio show in her college days, Toxic Dogs is an exploration of avant-garde jazz from around the world, with the occasional soul, funk and R&B. This is music for deep listening, introspection, and joyous movement.
Wednesday, 4/21
7-9PM - Deep Trough with Lucas Knapp, Jack Washburn & Hugh Wilikofsky
It’s been a freakin’ minute, but it’s time for us swine to go B2B2B once again. As is tradition here in the trough, we’ll be trading tracks back and forth to collectively weave a coherent but eclectic mix with no preparation whatsoever. If someone derails the vibes they will be shamed on air and the vibes will be reset. Turn on, tune in, call us out; slop in the trough with us.
RECOMMENDED
KEVIN: I really do hope that anybody reading this takes thirty minutes this week to watch A Film About Listening, a new documentary portrait of Annea Lockwood made by Sam Green for the Counterflows festival. Lockwood is one of my favorite composers alive today, and this short film is a perfect introduction to her life and work. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a movie that understands music or listening as well as this one does. A Film About Listening feels like a song in its own right.
ADAM: Perhaps the boredom of late stage pandemic is getting to me, but this week I've been listening to more abrasive and high energy music. I listened to Hecker's 2006 album Sun Pandemonium, which completely blew me away. It's a noise album but completely unlike other noise I've heard. It has a playfulness that makes its long suites fun and terrifying at the same time. He pushes the limits of sound into places I hadn't gone before. I've also been listening through the complete works of Regis. Along with Surgeon, Regis helped pioneer the "Birmingham Sound" which is a type of UK Techno that is fast, cathartic, and grimey. The complete works is a revelatory album that will get your inner being moving again.
HUGH: I picked up a couple of Abdullah Ibrahim albums yesterday from a man selling records out of a suitcase in the park and they’ve provided some ideal Sunday morning/afternoon of listening (now that the birds have quieted down). Water from an Ancient Well is an old favorite I’m happy to finally add to my collection, but Cape Town Fringe is a lovely new discovery. Going to round things out with another recent acquisition, Jacqueline Humbert & David Rosenboom’s Daytime Viewing, an “extended narrative song” meditating on isolation and fantasy as a coping mechanism, refracted through the lens of early ‘80s daytime TV.