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Happy New Year from Blind Duet! To kick off 2023, enjoy an amazing episode of Great Moments featuring Dr. Caspar Melville, professor of creative and cultural industries at SOAS, University of London. Join us to tour the London underground club scene, learn about sound system culture, and take a brief aside to explore a fringe dance cult of septuagenarians in northern England fueled by 70's fashion and meth. Neat stuff.Want even more Caspar? Buy his book here!Follow Blind Duet on InstagramEmail us: blindduetpod@gmail.com
IT'S THE JAZZ SPECIAL!This week we take some time to explore the incredible rise of UK Jazz over the last few years with celebrated music writer and academic Caspar Melville. UK Jazz has become one of the most vibrant and exciting genres around with new festivals like We Out Here showcasing a myriad of emerging talent, the likes of Emma Jean Thackray, Kokoroko and Ezra Collective all crossing over into the mainstream thanks to undying support from Giles Peterson, 6 Music, Jazz FM and even our own Deb Grant. How then has what was once seen as a niche style become so wildly successful? Following the DIY movements of dance and indie which dominated the last couple of decades the last thing many expected to see was the resurgence of a craft that takes so much skill and dedication? Casper Melville takes the time for an in depth discussion about how we got here and where music might go next. Whether you are a jazz aficionado or a complete novice it's a fascinating story for any music fan.Before all that Eamon gets the best present a boy could wish for and Deb shares some disturbing jams from her childhood.You can buy Caspar Melvilles brilliant book on club culture here:https://www.amazon.co.uk/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B082FJF9HR?_encoding=UTF8&node=266239&offset=0&pageSize=12&searchAlias=stripbooks&sort=author-sidecar-rank&page=1&langFilter=default#formatSelectorHeaderGet in touch and tell us what you think. Share the pod love with anyone you think might enjoy it and spread the pod love for us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
"I think it's all the same thing. I use the term Black Music. I think you could use the term Jazz. Or you could use the sociological term Afro-diasporic music. There is something continuous - even in terms of how it evolves and changes and brings new things in." The post 117. Caspar Melville – It's A London Thing appeared first on MTF Labs.
In this episode we interview Dr Caspar Melville (@CasparMelville) about the genesis, impact, mechanics and significance of Jungle / Drum & Bass music. Formerly a music journalist and editor of New Humanist magazine, Caspar Melville is a lecturer at SOAS, University of London, where he convenes the MA in Global Creative and Cultural Industries. His book 'It's a London Thing' is a record of the Black music culture that emerged in post-colonial London at the end of the twentieth century; the people who made it, the racial and spatial politics of its development and change, and the part it played in founding London’s precious, embattled multiculture. It tells the story of the linked Black musical scenes of the city, from ska, reggae and soul in the 1970s, to rare groove and rave in the 1980s and jungle and its offshoots in the 1990s, to dubstep and grime of the 2000s. Melville argues that these demonstrate enough common features to be thought of as one musical culture, an Afro-diasporic continuum. Core to this idea is that this dance culture has been ignored in history and cultural theory and that it should be thought of as a powerful and internationally significant form of popular art. For terms of use, please visit www.versushistory.com
How does music help us to understand the contemporary city? In It's a London Thing: How Rare Groove, Acid House and Jungle Remapped the City (Manchester UP, 2019), Caspar Melville, co-chair of the Centre for Creative Industries, Media and Screen Studies at SOAS, University of London, explores three music scenes to tell the story of modern London. In doing so it rethinks the story of crucial cultural moments, such as the birth of acid house, and brings new depth and detail to research on cities and music. The book draws on extensive empirical material, foregrounding analysis of space, race, and music to deliver both a comprehensive history as well as a significant contribution to urban studies. The book is essential reading for music and social science scholars, as well as for anyone interested in London and its culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How does music help us to understand the contemporary city? In It's a London Thing: How Rare Groove, Acid House and Jungle Remapped the City (Manchester UP, 2019), Caspar Melville, co-chair of the Centre for Creative Industries, Media and Screen Studies at SOAS, University of London, explores three music scenes to tell the story of modern London. In doing so it rethinks the story of crucial cultural moments, such as the birth of acid house, and brings new depth and detail to research on cities and music. The book draws on extensive empirical material, foregrounding analysis of space, race, and music to deliver both a comprehensive history as well as a significant contribution to urban studies. The book is essential reading for music and social science scholars, as well as for anyone interested in London and its culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How does music help us to understand the contemporary city? In It's a London Thing: How Rare Groove, Acid House and Jungle Remapped the City (Manchester UP, 2019), Caspar Melville, co-chair of the Centre for Creative Industries, Media and Screen Studies at SOAS, University of London, explores three music scenes to tell the story of modern London. In doing so it rethinks the story of crucial cultural moments, such as the birth of acid house, and brings new depth and detail to research on cities and music. The book draws on extensive empirical material, foregrounding analysis of space, race, and music to deliver both a comprehensive history as well as a significant contribution to urban studies. The book is essential reading for music and social science scholars, as well as for anyone interested in London and its culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How does music help us to understand the contemporary city? In It's a London Thing: How Rare Groove, Acid House and Jungle Remapped the City (Manchester UP, 2019), Caspar Melville, co-chair of the Centre for Creative Industries, Media and Screen Studies at SOAS, University of London, explores three music scenes to tell the story of modern London. In doing so it rethinks the story of crucial cultural moments, such as the birth of acid house, and brings new depth and detail to research on cities and music. The book draws on extensive empirical material, foregrounding analysis of space, race, and music to deliver both a comprehensive history as well as a significant contribution to urban studies. The book is essential reading for music and social science scholars, as well as for anyone interested in London and its culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How does music help us to understand the contemporary city? In It's a London Thing: How Rare Groove, Acid House and Jungle Remapped the City (Manchester UP, 2019), Caspar Melville, co-chair of the Centre for Creative Industries, Media and Screen Studies at SOAS, University of London, explores three music scenes to tell the story of modern London. In doing so it rethinks the story of crucial cultural moments, such as the birth of acid house, and brings new depth and detail to research on cities and music. The book draws on extensive empirical material, foregrounding analysis of space, race, and music to deliver both a comprehensive history as well as a significant contribution to urban studies. The book is essential reading for music and social science scholars, as well as for anyone interested in London and its culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How does music help us to understand the contemporary city? In It's a London Thing: How Rare Groove, Acid House and Jungle Remapped the City (Manchester UP, 2019), Caspar Melville, co-chair of the Centre for Creative Industries, Media and Screen Studies at SOAS, University of London, explores three music scenes to tell the story of modern London. In doing so it rethinks the story of crucial cultural moments, such as the birth of acid house, and brings new depth and detail to research on cities and music. The book draws on extensive empirical material, foregrounding analysis of space, race, and music to deliver both a comprehensive history as well as a significant contribution to urban studies. The book is essential reading for music and social science scholars, as well as for anyone interested in London and its culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How does music help us to understand the contemporary city? In It's a London Thing: How Rare Groove, Acid House and Jungle Remapped the City (Manchester UP, 2019), Caspar Melville, co-chair of the Centre for Creative Industries, Media and Screen Studies at SOAS, University of London, explores three music scenes to tell the story of modern London. In doing so it rethinks the story of crucial cultural moments, such as the birth of acid house, and brings new depth and detail to research on cities and music. The book draws on extensive empirical material, foregrounding analysis of space, race, and music to deliver both a comprehensive history as well as a significant contribution to urban studies. The book is essential reading for music and social science scholars, as well as for anyone interested in London and its culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Black music culture: Laurie talks to Caspar Melville, Lecturer in Global Creative and Cultural Industries at SOAS, about his study of the musical life which emerged in post-colonial London at the end of the twentieth century – from reggae and soul in the 1970s, to rare groove and rave in the 1980s and jungle in the 1990s. They're joined by Kim-Marie Spence, Post Doctoral Student at Solent University, Southampton, who explores the mixed fortunes of reggae and dancehall within Jamaica and beyond. Producer: Jayne Egerton
Professor Playlist is a new podcast series on SOAS Radio, which invites SOAS academics into the studio to share their personal journeys in research, interspersed with five of their favourite pieces of music. Frederik Molin and Almira Farid are the hosts of this first season, taking listeners through the first five guests of the series. In this first episode, Fred chats with Dr Caspar Melville, convener of the MA Global Creative and Cultural Industries. He walks listeners through 5 of his favourite records and how they informed his research for his upcoming book: 'It’s a London Thing: How Rare Groove, Acid House and Jungle Remapped the City'. Connect with Caspar: https://www.soas.ac.uk/staff/staff86379.php https://twitter.com/CasparMelville https://www.waterstones.com/book/its-a-london-thing/caspar-melville/9781526131256 Full Playlist: https://bit.ly/2EvtjWj
Dubplate Pearl, DJ and selector, full length interview with Dr. Caspar Melville
GDP - Laurie Taylor talks to Lorenzo Fioramonti, Professor of Political Economy at the University of Pretoria, and author of a new book which exposes the flaws of an economic system which values this statistic, above all others, as a measure of prosperity and growth. They're joined by Douglas McWilliams, Deputy Chairman of the Centre for Economics and Business Research. Also, Mali music - Caspar Melville, Lecturer in Global Creative and Cultural Industries at SOAS, discussed his study into the ways in which Eurocentric copyright is impacting on African musical traditions. Producer: Jayne Egerton.
The Musicians Union: Laurie Taylor explores the history of musicians efforts to be seen as workers, as well as entertainers. Martin Cloonan, Professor of Popular Music Politics at the University of Glasgow, drew on extensive archive and interviews with Union employees and members to provide a comprehensive assessment of the role of the MU in the nation's ballrooms, orchestras, recording studios and radio stations. They're joined by Caspar Melville, Lecturer in Global Creative and Cultural Industries, SOAS, University of London. Also, women heavy metal fans. Rosemary Hill, Lecturer in Sociology at University of Leeds, examines the tensions between being a 'metal' fan and being a woman. From the media representation of women rock fans as groupies to the widely held belief that hard rock and metal is masculine, being a music fan is an experience shaped by gender. How do female fans negotiate their place in a male dominated music scene? Producer:Jayne Egerton.
Dance halls: a social and cultural history. James Nott, Lecturer in History at the University of St. Andrews, talks to Laurie Taylor about the origins, meaning and decline in a ritual which was once central to many young people's romantic lives and leisure time. He's joined by Caspar Melville, Lecturer in Global, Creative and Community Studies at SOAS. The 'Seduction Community': a study into the mores and codes of self styled, male 'pick up artists'. Rachel O'Neill, Phd graduate at Kings College London, interviewed men whose attitudes to women have attracted considerable condemnation in the wake of the banning of Julien Blanc, US 'pick up artist', from the UK. Producer: Jayne Egerton.
Behind The Music Special featuring music from the new album by Kasse Mady Diabate to be launched at SOAS on Monday 24th November. Caspar Melville talks to Karen Boswall about issue of music copyright and ownership of traditional music and some of the other themes to be addressed at the event by publisher and writer Joe Boyd, Malian music expert Lucy Duran, Kasse Mady himself and chaired by Caspar Melville.
Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Dennett & Sam Harris are all figures at the vanguard of the "New Atheism". The books have sold well, but where does this form of confrontational and outspoken atheism have to go next? Alister McGrath is Theology professor at Kings College London and regularly speaks and writes against Atheism. He says that there's nothing "new" about New Atheism and that it exhibits all the signs of being a religious form of belief itself. Caspar Melville is editor of the UK's New Humanist magazine. He says that "New Atheism" has been good for business and is provoking a debate that needs to be had. They debate whether there is a historical naivety to the movement, Dawkins' claim that "I just believe in one less god than you" and much more besides. For Alister McGrath see http://users.ox.ac.uk/~mcgrath/ For Caspar Melville see http://www.newhumanist.org.uk/ For more Christian/non-Christian debate visit http://www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the podcast at http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or via Itunes If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy: Unbelievable? 14 Nov 2009 - Alister McGrath on Atheism, theology and defending the faith Unbelievable? 12 Dec 2009 Richard Dawkins debate on "Atheism is the New Fundamentalism" - review with interviews Join the discussion at the Unbelievable? group of the Premier Community. http://www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable
In memory of Stuart Hall: a special programme paying tribute to the leading cultural theorist and former director of the Birmingham Centre for Cultural Studies. A pioneer of 'multiculturalism', he documented the changing character of 'post Imperial' British society. Laurie Taylor is joined by Caspar Melville, Lecturer in Global Creative and Cultural Industries at SOAS, Baroness Lola Young and Jeremy Gilbert, editor of the journal, New Formations. They explore Stuart Hall's life, influence and legacy. Producer: Jayne Egerton.
For World Radio Day 2014 Kashfia Arif sits down with Dr. Caspar Melville, lecturer in the Center for Media & Film Studies at SOAS. Throughout the podcast Melville speaks about the influence radio had on his childhood in London and how radio has changed over the years. In this busy world filled with social networking sites and other media platforms, “one of the great things about radio” says Melville, “is the intimacy of it”. Through colourful descriptions, listeners can travel back in time with Dr. Melville and listen to John Peel on BBC Radio 1, experience the race wars of the 1980’s and party hop with the DJ’s of Kiss FM. Presenter: Kashfia Arif; Speaker Dr. Caspar Melville
Why Music Matters: David Hesmondhalgh, Professor of Music and Media Industries, examines the role of music in our lives and the ways in which it enriches people and society, or fails to do so. What is music's political and social significance beyond the pleasure it brings? He's joined by Caspar Melville, Lecturer in Global Creative and Cultural Industries. Also, 'Bhangra and Belonging': Falu Bakrania, US lecturer in Race and Resistance Studies, discusses her research into the social life of British Asian musical culture in the late 90s. From Bhangra to Asian underground, she talked to the male artists and female club goers. What impact did this musical explosion have on British Asian identity? Producer: Jayne Egerton.
Jeremy Seabrook talks to Caspar Melville about life in Muslim communities in the slums of Kolkata, and paints a powerful and shocking picture of people who have suffered centuries of expropriation, loss, driven migration and involuntary separations and now find themselves at the wrong end of globalisation. The conversation draws on the study by Jeremy Seabrook and Imram Ahmed Siddiqui, People Without History (Pluto Press) Caspar started by asking Jeremy to describe the Kolkata slums. Jeremy Seabrook: The first thing you notice in the poorest part of Topsia is the canal – which is the channel for waste water. So the first thing you notice is the smell. The smell of decaying garbage and sewage. It is overwhelming. The second is the way houses have been constructed out of industrial debris, old bamboo, wood, boxes, and old bags of fertiliser and phosphate, all kinds of stuff. It is a very improvised looking place. It is very stony, the houses are very close together. There is just about room to trundle a cart from which people are selling mouldy bananas, specked oranges, the very poor quality goods that are on sale for the people who live here. This is perhaps one of the worst places in Kolkata. It is very crowded, very densely populated. As you walk in the thoroughfare, you see many people who are addicted to drugs. It is a major outlet for opium, ganga, heroin. People are seriously addicted. You only have to open one of the curtains in front of the huts and you can see 6,7 or 8 men who are stoned out of their minds. It is all done in the daylight, in full view of the officials – the police, the local authority, the local communist party (though of course they have just been defeated in the elections, but it won't make any difference to these people). The huts have very sparse interiors - maybe an old tin chair, a trunk, a string with changes of clothing across the room, a bed roll. Sometimes a huge wooden bed fills the whole room, on which the whole family sleeps. And what strikes you is that everybody is working. They are sitting on the threshold, women especially, and they are cutting away the rubber from sandals moulded in local factories. Or they are making and selling snacks in the streets. Everybody is doing something, even young children. The slum areas of Kolkata have changed considerably over the 10-15 years I have been going there. Topsia in Kolkata is an archaic form of dwelling - made of industrial rubbish. At one time all slums were like this, but now people have got a bit better off, and they are making their houses out of tin, metal or rough brick. Or they are renting rooms in roughly made and illegally built brick-built slums – they are illegal and could be demolished at any time. So although it apparently looks as though the worst of the slums are being eliminated – poverty has been stacked up inside high rise dwellings. Inside they are just as crowded, insanitary, dark, fetid and unpleasant as the things they replaced, but they are no longer so visible to the visitor from outside, who thinks ‘oh they are buildings, they must be OK’. Two things are happening with the urban poor. Firstly they are being stacked up vertically. And secondly, compression. They are being squeezed into a smaller and smaller area of the city’s base. As the middle class expands, so new areas are taken over for development. You get all these building sites with artists impressions of places called ‘Mayfair Towers’ or ‘Berkley Villas’,they're idealised views of what these places will be. They are rising up in slum areas but whoever moves in won’t want the eyesore of the poor people living close. So you can see that the next lot are ripe for eviction. There is a constant process of movement and change. Slums are not static. They are in a ferment of economic activity and also of social upheaval. People are removed either shoved out to the far periphery or put into rented high rise.
Live music - from Dance Hall to the 100 Club.The social history of music in Britain since 1950 has long been the subject of nostalgic articles and programmes, but to date there has been no proper scholarly study. The writer and Professor of Music, Simon Frith, is one of the co-authors of the first in a three volume series which addresses this gap. He talks to Laurie Taylor about how the organisation and enjoyment of live music changed between 1950 and 1967 offering new insights into the evolving nature of musical fashions; the impact of developing technologies and the balance of power between live and recorded music businesses. The first volume draws on archival research, a wide range of academic and non-academic sources, participant observation and industry interviews. Dr Catherine Tackley, musician and lecturer, and Caspar Melville, lecturer in Global Cultural Industries, join the debate.Producer: Jayne Egerton.