Line Noise

Ben Cardew and Johann Wald spoke to Welsh electronic music sensation - and the nicest person in dance music - Kelly Lee Owens about dream states, pop music, synth spotting with Depeche Mode, death bed music and more. This episode of Line Noise was recorded live at Primavera Sound 2025. Line Noise is supported by Cupra. Photo by @leafhopperproject

Our guest on Line Noise this week is Egyptian-born, Montreal-based producer, vocalist, composer, and actor Nadah El Shazly, ahead of her Primavera a la Ciutat gig on Monday June 2. We spoke about Misfits covers, missing Cairo, Egyptian electronics and her gorgeous second album, Laini Tani. Line Noise is sponsored by Cupra

Ben Cardew and Sergi Cuxart bring you their picks of the best electronic music at the 2025 Primavera Sound festival, from Armand to Toumba, to help you plan out your listening. Line Noise is brought to you by Cupra.

On this week's Line Noise I spoke to returning house heroes Deep Dish, aka Ali “Dubfire” Shirazinia and Sharam Tayebi, about industrial house, their unique sound, loving drum & bass, Iran, DC, remixes and why getting back together in 2025 feels so right. Their new single Deep Dish x EYNKA feat. Wrabel - Midnight is out now, with more new music to come. Line Noise comes to you with the support of Cupra.

This week on Line Noise my guest is the humble titan that is Mark Pritchard, an English producer who has made everything from jungle to ambient, grime to techno. He has also teamed up with Thom Yorke for a new album, Tall Tales, that will be released on May 9. We talked about the added expectation of creating an album with one of the world's biggest rock stars and the fascinating creative back and forth of recording Tall Tales; we talked about the bassoon and the cor anglais, Leslie speakers, rock drums and so much more. Line Noise comes to you with the support of Cupra. I hope you enjoy it.

It's another vintage Line Noise episode this week, as I revisit an interview I did with Jean-Benoît Dunckel for Radio Primavera Sound in 2022, around the release of his solo album Carbon. (An excellent record, by the way.) Dunckel is perhaps best known as half of the iconic duo Air - one of my favourite bands ever - but he is also a solo artist and renowned soundtrack composer. We talked about ambiguity, space, Sex UFOs and, of course, Air. Photo by Bojana Tartaska.

This week on Line Noise I spoke to Thorsten Quaeschning, the musical director (and longest-standing member) of foundational German band Tangerine Dream, a group whose influence looms over ambient and electronic music. We spoke about black metal, where to start with Tangerine Dream, founder member Edgar Froese's plans for the band after his death in 2015 and how the current band (in which Quaeschning is joined by Hoshiko Yamane and Paul Frick) are carrying these out. Line Noise is brought to you by Cupra. The photo is from the band's recent Barcelona concert.

This week it is Mutek Connect in Barcelona and to celebrate, Line Noise spoke to Vincent Lemieux, who has booked artists for the festival since (almost) the very beginning, and weird house hero Guillaume Coutu Dumont, who has played Mutek more than any other artist. We spoke about what makes Mutek different and the mythical White Wale of festival booking. We also talked about their musical output as Flabbergast, sampling bagpipes, remixing Kool Keith and so much more. Line Noise comes with the support of Cupra.

My guest on Line Noise this week is Luke Solomon, a don of the UK's house scene, Classic Recordings co-founder, Beyoncé collaborator, A&R guru and an excellent producer in his own right. We talked about his new Powerdance album - which is out now - becoming an accidental pop star with The Freaks (and the artistic dangers that entailed), discovering house music, his role on an up-coming off-Broadway musical, the explosion of Honey Dijon and how Beyoncé's Renaissance changed house music. I hope you enjoy it. Line Noise comes to you with the support of Cupra.

Welcome to Line Noise. And we have another classic interview this week. Back in 2019, the Sprung team of Ben Cardew, Johann Wald and Mark Dix spoke to Steve Rutter and Mike Golding of the legendary electronic outfit B12 - one of the VERY best IDM groups - ahead of their gig at the Mira festival in Barcelona. We bring it back today for no other reason than B12 are brilliant - and what more reason could you want? Line Noise is supported by Cupra.

Hello and welcome to Line Noise. Today I am bringing you an old - or shall we say classic? - interview with Mark Clifford from Seefeel, which I did for Radio Primavera Sound in 2018, when the band were in Barcelona, performing Quique at the Mira festival. With the news that Seefeel are performing at this year's Primavera Sound festival still relatively fresh in my ears, I thought it was high time to bring back this interview with one of the most charming men in electronic music. Line Noise is supported by Cupra.

Today on Line Noise, something of a Krautrock special as we speak to Wolfgang Seidel L, the former drummer in Eruption, a group founded by (former Tangerine Dream member and then current Kluster member) Conrad Schnitzler, that was once described as “a thinktank for the then explosive Krautrock scene”. Seidel is also the author of a new book: Krautrock Eruption – An Introduction To German Electronic Music 1970-1980, which I thoroughly recommend. Obviously, we spoke about Krautrock, its influences today, about alternative histories, Kraftwerk, capitalism and more. Enjoy it and just remember - Line Noise comes to you with the support of Cupra.

Today, on a slightly chaotic Line Noise, I talked to DJ Spinn and Traxman from the Teklife Crew, ahead of their Barcelona gig on March 1. Both men are legends in the house / juke / footwork scene and we talk about that scene, about dancing, history, partying, the importance of a crew - and lots more. As I mentioned the audio is a little funny at times but these are two legends so I hope you enjoy it. Line Noise comes to you with the support of Cupra.

Line Noise spoke to London jazz artist extraordinaire Nubya Garcia ahead of her Barcelona gig in February 2025. We discussed loving yourself, the Odyssey odyssey, the visceral appeal of the saxophone, bespoke incense, Andre 3000 and more. Line Noise is supported by Cupra.

Ralph Moore is a veteran dance music journalist and manager, formerly of NME, Muzik and Mixmag, who has been to Ibiza more times than you've visited the dentist; once went on tour with Underworld for a week; and got Fatboy Slim to write a foreword to his new book, in which he compares him to an embedded journalist of dance. That book - On Tour: A Wild Ride in the Dance Music Press - will be published by Velocity Press on March 7. Ahead of that we talked Sunscreem, covermount mix CDs, the state of the dance music press, 2025 cover stars, Pet Shop Boys and why I - at 47 - should go to Ibiza. Line Noise is sponsored by Cupra.

Welcome to Line Noise. Today our guest - on what is the 200th episode of Line Noise (kind of) - is Mr. Wolfgang Voigt one of the most important producers in the history of German electronic music and the cofounder of Kompakt Records. On this episode, though, we are largely taking about Gas, his sublime ambient / psychedelic techno project, under which name Voigt had come to Barcelona to play a live gig. We talked about dub, forests, LSD, Krautrock, gabber hits and so much more. I hope you enjoy it. Line Noise is supported by Cupra.

This week on Line Noise a genuine legend makes his return to the show: Wolfgang Flür, who was an integral member of Kraftwerk, during the group's glory yeas and is now an inspired solo artist. In a wide-ranging conversation, we spoke about his new solo album, Times, which is released in March 2025; about working with Daft Punk's Thomas Bangalter and former New Order bass player Peter Hook on the record; we spoke about humour and optimism (and why Kraftwerk could do with a bit more of the former); about pacifism, Yello, Emil Schult and much more. Line Noise comes to you with the support of Cupra.

Today on Line Noise we speak to Tesfa Williams, the artist formerly known as T. Williams - and before that Dread D - a British producer who has passed through grime on his way to Funky, house and everything in between. Obviously, we talk about that name change and the very personal reasons behind it; we also dig into everything from his excellent debut album Raves of Future Past to innovation in dance music and Williams' favourite house producers. His new single, the Beyond Today EP, drops on February 14 on Heist Recordings. Line Noise comes with the support of Cupra.

Hyper-talented Bristol producer Bruce - aka Larry McCarthy - is one of the most honest, entertaining interviewees I have encountered in a long while. We spoke about his pivot to pop music, how it worked (and how it didn't), why he is back to club music, James Blake, major labels, the state of four four doof, “bad dubstep”, the power of shuffle, his future plans and a lot more, in a very wide-ranging interview. Line Noise comes to you with the support of Cupra.

February 17 will mark the fifth anniversary of Andrew Weatherall's tragic death. Three days before that, Material Music will release A Love from Outer Space, a compilation compiled and mixed by Sean Johnston, who DJed and ran the A Love from Outer Space club night with Weatherall. It features 19 songs that capture the essence of the club night, many of them exclusive. I spoke to Sean about the new album, about London 88 Acid House madness, 122 BPM limits, all-time ALFOS anthems and DJing at ALFOS days after Weatherall's passing. I hope you enjoy it. Line Noise comes to you with the support of Cupra.

Shabaka Hutchings, now known simply as Shabaka, is one of the most important jazz artists of his generation, a brilliant saxophone and clarinet player who turned his attention to the flute on his fantastic debut album, Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace. I spoke to him ahead of his Barcelona gig, about two years of change, switching instruments, emotional strain and the power of an intro.

Today's guest is someone I had interviewed two times previously but always wanted to get on Line Noise: Chicago house master Ron Trent. Trent has done so much in electronic music, from composing the classic Altered States at the tender age of 14 to producing the dazzling album What Do The Stars Say To You? as Warm in 2022, that sometimes even he doesn't remember what songs he's featured on. We spoke about the follow up to What Do The Stars Say To You?, learning percussion from his father, recording Altered States, Erykah Badu, the state of house music and so much more. Line Noise is with the support of Cupra.

Welcome to Line Noise. My guest this week is Catherine Backhouse aka DJ Bunnyhausen aka Xylitol, aka the winner of the first ever Line Noise album of the year for her absolutely divine Anemones. And a very worthy winner she is too. We talk about “Gutter Kosmische”, prog jungle, Gesamtkunstwerk, Yugoslav pop culture, the Belgrade Bananarama and everything in between. I hope you enjoy the interview. And do give Anemones a spin. Line Noise is with the support of Cupra.

For the tenth and final Line Noise episode celebrating Nitsa's 30th anniversary, Radio Primavera Sound director - and Nitsa veteran - Marta Salicrú shared her memories of (nearly) three decades dancing at Nitsa, with the spotlight on the early 2000s and electroclash. Line Noise is supported by Cupra.

We got all up close and geeky about Aphex Twin in company with Disco Pogo's Jim Butler, the editor of the new book: Aphex Twin - A Disco Pogo Tribute. We talked about our favourite Aphex myths, Richard James' enduring appeal, Wolfgang Tillmans and the power of the Jockey Slut archive. Line Noise comes to you with the support of Cupra.

As part of our ongoing series of Line Noise episodes to celebrate Nitsa's 30th anniversary, I spoke to M8NSE, Felipe and Colomba from Latineo, a FLINTA collective created by queer migrants from Latin America in Barcelona that aims to be a safe space for dancing for women and non-conforming individuals. In a wide-ranging conversation we talked about the rise of Latin Club (for want of a better name), what the club space means to Latineo, creating safe spaces, anthems, their Nitsa parties (of course) and so much more. Line Noise is supported by Cupra.

This week on Line Noise my guest is Cameron Leslie, the co-founder of London's iconic fabric, a club at which I have spent many a happy night and which is currently celebrating its 25th birthday. We talked about survival, keeping on top of trends, being very London, his favourite Fabric night out and the new photographic artwork based on the club's CD mix series. I hope you enjoy this show and lots of love to fabric for so many happy nights out. Line Noise comes to you with the support of Cupra.

My guest on Line Noise this week is legendary Japanese producer and DJ Ken Ishii, a man who did more than anyone to bring techno music to Japan, bridging the gap with old school Japanese electronic music as he did so. We spoke about the 30th anniversary of his classic Reference To Difference album, the joy of weird noises, appearing on the cover of Newsweek, Pac Man, anime and more. Line Noise comes to you with the support of Cupra.

Jane Weaver has been making music for three decades now and her excellent new album Love in Constant Spectacle is her 12th solo record.I caught up with her after her Barcelona gig this autumn to talk about Australian punk, bohemian households and constant inspiration. Line Noise comes to you with the support of Cupra.

My guest on Line Noise this week is Teisha Matthews aka TSHA, whose new album Sad Girl is out now. We spoke about wedding DJs, being sad, Cher's Believe and so much more. I hope you enjoy it. Line Noise comes to you with support from Cupra. Photo by Nicole Ngai.

Tomorrow Comes The Harvest are Detroit techno pioneer Jeff Mills, Indian tabla player Prabhu Edouard and Guyanese keyboardist Jean-Phi Dary. Together they create a transcendental mix of live improvisation, wild rhythm, electronic and acoustic wonder. I spoke to them ahead of their Barcelona gig, on November 2 at Jazztronica, about reading a crowd, Tony Allen, spiritual process and going on forever.

I spoke to singer, songwriter, session musician and so much more Fabiana Palladino ahead of her gigs in Barcelona and Madrid this month. We touched on musical families, the power of persona, Jai Paul the boss and telling your dad to shut up. Line Noise comes to you with the support of Cupra.

As part of our ongoing series of Line Noise episodes to celebrate Nitsa's 30th anniversary, I spoke to Marea Stamper aka The Blessed Madonna, an American, DJ and producer who holds Nitsa close to her heart. We talked about her memories of playing the club, Mid-West raves, being massive by stealth, calls from Kylie and taking Chicago house into the major-label system. “I might be early but i'm not wrong,” she says. Amen to that. I hope you enjoy it. Line Noise is supported by Cupra.

At the start of October 2024 Uffie and Princess Superstar did their first back-to-back DJ set at Nitsa in Barcelona, as part of Nitsa's 30th anniversary celebrations. I caught up with them for a Line Noise interview that proved an absolute riot. We talked about everything from Saltburn to ska, MySpace to Charli XCX. I hope you enjoy it. Line Noise comes with the support of Cupra.

My guest on Line Noise this week is New York city mainstay Junior Sanchez, a man who really has done it all in dance music since he started DJing at the tender age of 11: he's remixed Madonna, formed house supergroup Da Mongoloids with Daft Punk, Basement Jaxx, Armand van Helden, DJ Sneak and more; and even worked with Katy Perry. His new record Art-O-Fact (Detroit Remix) arrives on Carl Craig's Planet E label on October 11 and we talked about that; about Detroit and Miami; about Da Mongoloids' album plans; his love of The Prodigy and even Tatu. It was a wonderful, far-reaching conversation (albeit with a slightly raspy sound) and I hope you enjoy it. Line Noise is brought to you by Cupra.

Today on Line Noise our guest is Morgane Lhote, aka Hologram Teen - and, yes, once of Stereolab, one of my favourite bands. We talked about music and tech, humour, her biggest melody, being in a band with James Ford, 80s French music, Downtown LA and being on the cover of Common's Electric Circus.

My guest on Line Noise this week is jungle producer extraordinaire Tim Reaper (aka Ed Alloh), whose new album with Kloke, In Full Effect, is out now on Hyperdub (and very good indeed). We talked about first raving experiences, obsessive behaviour, jungle vs. drum & bass and DJing a wedding with Aphex Twin. Line Noise comes to you with the support of Cupra.

On Line Noise this week our guest is Valentina Magaletti, a brilliant drummer, percussionist and composer, who has just made one of the most intriguing, drum-heavy albums of the year in Estradas, made in collaboration with the great Kuduro producer Nídia. We talked about her favourite drummers (and drum machine programmers); about ceramic drum kits, playing live, collaboration and more. They play Italy's ROBOT Festival on October 11 (https://robotfestival.it/en/tickets/valentina-magaletti-nidia/). Line Noise comes to you with the support of Cupra.

Welcome to Line Noise, which comes to you with the support of Cupra. For this week's episode I was very happy to speak to House Gospel Choir, a group who combine the gorgeous vocal skills of a choir with the best house and garage beats. Their new album Love is the Message was released in August and is very much worth your listening time. We spoke before their Barcelona gig, which was equally stunning. We talked about the best vocalists in house, the crossover between church and club, working with Todd Terry and so much more. I hope you enjoy it.

Hello and welcome back to Line Noise. We sort a summer break and now we are very much back. And who better to welcome us back than DJ Flight one of THE leading drum & bass DJs for more than two decades, coming via legendary clubs such as Metalheadz and Swerve? We talked about that; about jungle versus drum & bass; about EQ50 and working with Nia Archives; about revivals - or not - about telepathic relationships with MCs and more. DJ Flight plays the Creekside on Saturday September 7 and you can get your tickets here.

The last time Sofia Kourtesis visited Line Noise she announced that she was planning her debut album. When she returned, at Primavera Sound 2024, that incredible debut album, Madres, had eaten the world, becoming one of the most loved and critically acclaimed dance music albums of the past few years. We spoke to her about the incredible reaction to Madres, emotion in dance music and taking a neurosurgeon to Berghain. Picture by Cecilia Diaz Betz.

This week on Line Noise, I spoke to one of the funkiest men in house music - God Made him Funky, after all - yes it is Mike Dunn, the Chicago house producer, DJ and supreme vocalist. We talked about recording at his grandma's house, working with Armando, turning down French Kiss and the relaunch of his Dance Mutha label. Picture by Dom Martin.