Burner Podcast

Burner Podcast Network
  • 4.9 (39)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Weekly

Independently produced by a revolving team of volunteers and Hosted by founder (mr)Arash, Burner Podcast is the longest running traditional audio podcast in the extended international community of Burning Man. Focused on year-round Burner consciousness and topics of intracultural interest, explore 150+ episodes at burnerpodcast.com/previous-episodes. Burner Podcast host Arash Afshar is an Iranian-American SoCal-based professional photographer and community builder. Connect with him directly at arashafshar.com ​ Follow instagram.com/BurnerPodcast and facebook.com/burnerpodcast for wildly irregular updates.

  1. 3d ago

    So You're Going to Burning Man!

    Meet your mentors as you embark on your Hero's Journey through Black Rock City  Published: 8/20/26  Burning Man is a lot! It's overwhelming even for the veterans. But this particular episode is for the newest additions to our global community; those embarking on their first ever Burning Man. Welcome to your own personal Hero's Journey. In this episode, you'll meet your mentors: Superglue, Magician, and Sam. The guests on this episode are three Burners with years of large-scale camp experience. You may have already left your Ordinary World and Crossed the Threshold by committing to your first ever trip to Black Rock City. You will be tested, you'll meet allies, and you'll face ordeals. But fret not! You're never alone, and if you take some time to listen to the guidance of some of your many new friends, you'll return to the default world with something much greater than a random set of party memories. You'll be reborn.  Forward this one to your friends who are attending their first burn. Episode Info Burner Podcast | Episode B163 Featuring: Ann Pirone aka Superglue | instagram.com/beefreeandinflow Christopher Walton aka Magician Sam Finley | instagram.com/sam.b.finley Recorded in Las Vegas, NV, on 8/15/26 Contributing Producer: Superglue Closing DJ Set: Johnno The Rhino, founder of The Golden Gate art car, recorded on Wednesday night at AfrikaBurn 2026 instagram.com/therhino_inthemix instagram.com/goldengate.artcar Listen to Johnno The Rhino's full mix: https://soundcloud.com/johnnotherhino/the-rhino-space-cowoboys  Additional Links: Search for "The Ten Principles Episode" of "Burner Podcast" on your podcast platform of choice.  https://www.burnerpodcast.com/explore-episodes/episode-105-the-ten-principals-episode-finally https://open.spotify.com/episode/2atYq7RYngSmcCFwam11p9?si=OLtJGmztSWOXFCep7bkdMw Learn about AfrikaBurn: https://www.burnerpodcast.com/explore-episodes/episode-100-afrikaburn instagram.com/thetwilightlanguage     Standard Boilerplate For those who burn the other 350 days of the year Burner Podcast celebrates over a decade in production and is listed among the top 5% of podcasts in the world by ListenNotes. An independent gift to the Burning Man community, we are an artist-documentarian project dedicated to capturing the stories and heart-centered truth of our global population. Burner Podcast episodes feature audio memoirs, roundtables, and deep-dive conversations for and about those who identify as burners.  Explore 160+ episodes at: burnerpodcast.com Follow us for wildly irregular updates: instagram.com/burnerpodcast | facebook.com/burnerpodcast Episodes of Burner Podcast are produced by a revolving cadre of dusty maniacs. The 2026 team includes Music Director Chris Huber aka M.I.A. and New Media Editor Cable King, among others.   Burner Podcast's theme music is produced by Joman | jomanmusic.com | instagram.com/jomanmusic The Burner Podcast RSS feed is home to the flagship show itself, as well as other Burner Podcast Presents spinoffs including Burner Podcast Presents: Alkaline, a show featuring DJ mixes as the sonic documentation of the global burner community — the soundtrack to your burn. About the Host & Founder  Ārash Afshar is an Iranian-American writer, photographer, and cultural architect. He champions Artist Consciousness and views his mission as facilitating radical humanization through philosophical memoirs, documentary portraiture, and recorded conversations. Learn more at yesterdayiwasclever.com.

  2. 5d ago

    Alkaline: Go South at Spice of Life

    Burner Podcast Presents: Alkaline The Soundtrack to Your Burn Session A072: Go South  Recorded live at Spice of Life Campout outside Sydney, Australia Based in Sydney, Australia, Go South is a melodic house and techno DJ on a single mission: make people melt down on the dance floor, captivating hearts, souls, minds and hips with melodies where resistance is futile. A Pete Tong DJ Academy graduate, Go South is a mainstay of the Sydney club scene and a veteran of Burning Man and Burning Seed, where she's played aboard art cars and camps including Mystic Flyer, Fluffy, Charlie the Unicorn, Bubble Camp and Spanky's Wine Bar. Beyond the decks, she co-founded Cirque de Nuit — nights of music, dance and circus magic where all proceeds go to charity, and Bikram Beats, bringing downtempo beats to hot yoga classes. Melodic house and techno is home, but Go South will branch into any genre the night calls for. This session was recorded live at Spice of Life, a camp fundraiser hosted by Spice theme camp, where all proceeds go toward their build at Burning Seed, Australia's oldest Burning Man regional. Performing one of the key slots of the weekend - Saturday, midnight to 2am, sandwiched between deep house and minimal techno artists - Go South wove a melodic thread through house, techno, electro, dance, pop and even a golden classic. Rumour has it the site owner left a warm bed for a dance. No higher honour. Connect & Learn More Full set: https://soundcloud.com/gosouth/the-spice-must-flow-spice-of-life Go South on Instagram: instagram.com/gosouthmusic Spice Theme Camp: instagram.com/spice.camp Burning Seed — Australia's Burning Man regional: burningseed.com | instagram.com/burning.seed Alkaline's 2026 season is Produced by Burner Podcast Music Director Chris Huber, aka M.I.A. Alkaline was founded by executive producers Navjeet Sarna, Amber Rose, and Ārash Afshar Cover photo by Eleanor Preger | instagram.com/eleanorpreger     Standard Boilerplate For those who burn the other 350 days of the year The Burner Podcast RSS feed is home to the flagship show itself, as well as other Burner Podcast Presents spinoffs including Burner Podcast Presents: Alkaline, a show featuring DJ mixes as the sonic documentation of the global burner community — the soundtrack to your burn. Burner Podcast celebrates over a decade in production and is listed among the top 5% of podcasts in the world by ListenNotes. An independent gift to the Burning Man community, we are an artist-documentarian project dedicated to capturing the stories and heart-centered truth of our global population. Burner Podcast episodes feature audio memoirs, roundtables, and deep-dive conversations for and about those who identify as burners.  Explore 160+ episodes at: burnerpodcast.com Follow us for wildly irregular updates: instagram.com/burnerpodcast | facebook.com/burnerpodcast

  3. Aug 12

    A Symphony of Steel

    Mutant vehicle creator Henry Chang on art, engineering, and courage in the face of cruelty   Published [8/11/26] Henry Chang can be described in so many ways and they'd all be accurate. Jazz-pianist-turned-electronic dance musician and self-taught mechanical engineer. Or a political scientist turned musician. Or a home builder turned sculptor. While most in Black Rock City recognize his iconic stainless steel creations like Valyrian Steel and the Flux Capacitor, this conversation dives deeper into the overall symphony of art, one of its many expressions being the machines most know him for.  A former student of political science and computer science, Henry eventually abandoned the "silos" of the default world to follow a calling that merges the precision of aerospace fabrication with the soul of a musician. In this conversation, Arash and Henry trace his journey beginning in Laramie, Wyoming, where Henry grew up as an 'oddity'. We follow him to university where he faces a life-altering event which leads to a paradigm shift in how he approaches his career. We explore how he integrated his music, his interest in engineering, and his calling as an artist.  Crucially, this episode also explores a side of Henry most do not know: his background as a war historian. The conversation is bookended by a deep look at the responsibility of artists and burners in a world at war.  Episode Info  Burner Podcast | Episode B162  Recorded at Henry Chang Design in Las Vegas on 8/09/26  Contributing Producer: Gordon Katz Learn More   Henry Chang Design – Explore his portfolio of "artgineering" projects, furniture, and minimalist architectural home designs: https://www.henrychandesign.com/ Soul in the Machine – Listen to the "art band" for which Henry built custom stainless steel drum walls and laser harps: https://soundcloud.com/soulinthemachine Beyond Thunderdome (Autocar) – A technical look at the 5.0-litre V8 engines and the World War II-era lathe used to build his sculptures: https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/features/beyond-thunderdome-henry-changs-insane-automotive-sculptures The Machine in the Man (Burning Man Journal) – An in-depth exploration of the three-axis Tourbillon and Henry's journey with Radical Inclusion: https://journal.burningman.org/2019/07/burning-man-arts/brc-art/the-machine-in-the-man-henry-chang-and-artgineering/ Inside Henry's studio with Area15: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI9BGitclY8 Henry's camp: instagram.com/miragegaragebrc     Standard Boilerplate A show for those who burn the other 350 days of the year Burner Podcast celebrates over a decade in production and is listed among the top 5% of podcasts in the world by ListenNotes. An independent gift to the Burning Man community, we are an artist-documentarian project dedicated to capturing the stories and heart-centered truth of our global population. Burner Podcast episodes feature audio memoirs, roundtables, and deep-dive conversations for and about those who identify as burners.  Explore 160+ episodes at: burnerpodcast.com Follow us for wildly irregular updates: instagram.com/burnerpodcast | facebook.com/burnerpodcast Episodes of Burner Podcast are produced by a revolving cadre of dusty maniacs. The 2026 team includes Music Director Chris Huber aka M.I.A. and New Media Editor Cable King, among others.   Burner Podcast's theme music is produced by Joman | jomanmusic.com | instagram.com/jomanmusic The Burner Podcast RSS feed is home to the flagship show itself, as well as other Burner Podcast Presents spinoffs including Burner Podcast Presents: Alkaline, a show featuring DJ mixes as the sonic documentation of the global burner community — the soundtrack to your burn. About the Host & Founder  Ārash Afshar is an Iranian-American writer, photographer, and cultural architect. He champions Artist Consciousness and views his mission as facilitating radical humanization through philosophical memoirs, documentary portraiture, and recorded conversations. Learn more at yesterdayiwasclever.com.

  4. Aug 4

    Alkaline: Tormenta at Spanky's Wine Bar

    Burner Podcast Presents: Alkaline The Soundtrack to Your Burn Session A071: Tormenta at Spanky's Wine Bar Recorded live at Spanky's Wine Bar, Black Rock City 2025 Based in Berlin, Germany, Shirin — aka Tormenta — is a regular in the European burn scene, including NoWhere in Spain. In 2025, she made her first trip to Black Rock City, where her playa initiation came complete with storms, mud, and cancelled gigs. Fittingly, tormenta means "storm" in Spanish. This set was recorded at the iconic Spanky's Wine Bar in BRC 2025: music for pleasure, self-determination, and moving like you mean it — "a little cheeky and a little filthy," with Tormenta's signature bouncy-dark sound.  Full set: soundcloud.com/tormenta_music/tormenta-at-spankys Follow: instagram.com/tormenta.music/ NoWhere, Spain Burning Man regional - goingnowhere.org | instagram.com/going_nowhere_burn Spanky's Wine Bar - spankys.org | instagram.com/spankysswinebar Alkaline's 2026 season is Produced by Burner Podcast Music Director Chris Huber, aka M.I.A. Executive producers Navjeet Sarna and Amber Rose Standard Boilerplate A show for those who burn the other 350 days of the year. Burner Podcast celebrates over a decade in production and is listed among the top 5% of podcasts in the world by ListenNotes. An independent gift to the Burning Man community, we are an artist-documentarian project dedicated to capturing the stories and heart-centered truth of our global population. Burner Podcast episodes feature audio memoirs, roundtables, and deep-dive conversations for and about those who identify as burners.  Explore 160+ episodes at: burnerpodcast.com Follow us for wildly irregular updates: instagram.com/burnerpodcast | facebook.com/burnerpodcast The Burner Podcast RSS feed is home to the flagship show itself, as well as other Burner Podcast Presents spinoffs including Burner Podcast Presents : Alkaline, a show featuring DJ mixes as the sonic documentation of the global Burner community — the soundtrack to your burn. About the Host & Founder  Ārash Afshar is an Iranian-American writer, photographer, and cultural architect. He champions Artist Consciousness and views his mission as facilitating radical humanization through philosophical memoirs, documentary portraiture, and recorded conversations. Learn more at yesterdayiwasclever.com.

  5. Jun 13

    Alkaline: DJ Priscilla on El Pulpo Magnifico

    Based in the Bay Area of California, Priscilla Hernandez (aka DJ Priscilla) is a pillar of the burner community.  She is a resident DJ with the Heavy Petting Zoo, a Burning Man camp and mutant vehicle dedicated to building a community of creative dancers and free spirits. In addition to DJing great sets around Burning Man and Regional events, Priscilla hosts a mini camp within the Illumination Village theme camp where she holds daily 'Learn to DJ' classes on playa during Burning Man to help aspiring DJs learn the art of mixing. This session was recorded on the El Pulpo mutant vehicle during UnScruz 2026. It was the first time a DJ has performed live on El Pulpo. Burner Podcast Presents: Alkaline The Soundtrack to Your Burn [6/13/26] Session a070 Produced by Chris Huber (aka M.I.A.). Connect & Learn More The DJ set on Priscilla Hernandez's Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/priscilla-hernandez-895926277/live-on-el-pulpo-unscruz-2026 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/priscillathedj/ El Pulpo Mecanico: https://www.instagram.com/elpulpomecanico Illumination Village: https://www.instagram.com/illumination_village Heavy Petting Zoo Art Car: https://www.instagram.com/hpzartcar Standard Boilerplate Burner Podcast is an independent gift to the community, not a PR wing for the Org. We are an artist-documentarian project dedicated to capturing the stories and heart-centered truth of our global population. Reality is a conversation, and the conversation must continue. The project serves the community through three distinct channels: Burner Podcast: The original traditional interview show featuring audio memoirs and deep-dive conversations. Alkaline: The DJ mix show and sonic documentation of the global Burner community—the soundtrack to your Burn. The Dispatch: A space for remote check-ins, time-sensitive updates, and direct addresses to the International Burnersphere. About the Host Arash Afshar is an Iranian-American, SoCal-based artist and oral historian. He champions Artist Consciousness and views his mission as facilitating radical humanization through the medium of recorded conversations, written words, and photography. 🔗 Explore projects: arashafshar.com 📸 Instagram: @mrarash Support the Gift This show is a decommodified project. We grow only through your word-of-mouth—if this story resonates with you, please share it with a friend. You can also support the continuation of this conversation on Patreon. 🔗 Patreon: patreon.com/c/mrarash

  6. Apr 13

    Alkaline A069: Black Velveteen on the ¡AXOLOTL!

    Born on the South Side of Chicago and based in Seattle, Chris Offutt (aka Black Velveteen) is a pillar of the Pacific Northwest creative community and the founder of the Sage Rites record label. Her musical foundation, built on a childhood range of Motown to Mozart, manifested in a career navigating the cultural textures of San Francisco and Seattle, including her 2011 London-based radio show Progressions in House. This session, recorded at sunrise on ¡AXOLOTL! Art Car, Burning Man 2024. Black Velveteen first appeared on Burner Podcast with the closing set for Episode 88 (Post Burning Man 2018 Chat with Halcyon). Currently a resident at Habitat Seattle, Caravan, and Reflect, Chris continues to capture the heart-centered truth of the community through her sound and commitment to community building and collaboration. Burner Podcast Presents: Alkaline  The Soundtrack to Your Burn [4/12/26]  Session a069 Connect & Learn More The DJ set on Black Velveteen's Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/blackvelveteennow/burning-man-sunrise-on-axolotl-art-car-2024 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djblackvelveteen Proton Radio: https://www.protonradio.com Airpusher Collective: https://www.instagram.com/airpushercollective axolotlartcar.com instagram.com/axolotlearthguardian Standard Boilerplate Burner Podcast is an independent gift to the community, not a PR wing for the Org. We are an artist-documentarian project dedicated to capturing the stories and heart-centered truth of our global population. Reality is a conversation, and the conversation must continue. The project serves the community through three distinct channels: Burner Podcast: The original traditional interview show featuring audio memoirs and deep-dive conversations. Alkaline: The DJ mix show and sonic documentation of the global Burner community—the soundtrack to your Burn. The Dispatch: A space for remote check-ins, time-sensitive updates, and direct addresses to the International Burnersphere. About the Host Arash Afshar (aka Miraḡe the Pluronaut) is an Iranian-American, SoCal-based artist and oral historian. He champions Artist Consciousness and views his mission as facilitating radical humanization through the medium of recorded conversations, written words, and photography. 🔗 Explore projects: arashafshar.com 📸 Instagram: @mrarash Support the Gift This show is a decommodified project. We grow only through your word-of-mouth—if this story resonates with you, please share it with a friend. You can also support the continuation of this conversation on Patreon. 🔗 Patreon: patreon.com/c/mrarash

  7. Mar 31

    Burner Podcast: From Earth With Love

    Ben Haldeman is backing up our collective memories across the stars Published [3/31/26] Ben Haldeman is an engineer, explorer, and the visionary founder of LifeShip — designing pyramids filled with DNA archives and cultural time capsules to send to the Moon and beyond. A former early employee at Planet Labs, Ben left to follow a calling that crystallized during a vision quest through the forests of Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. In this conversation, Arash and Ben look past technical specifications to explore the existential heart of why we document ourselves as a species. If the Burn is an exercise in the ephemeral, building a temporary city only to let it go, Ben's work represents the ultimate counterbalance: a community-driven effort to ensure the human story survives among the stars. From his hippie parents' Volkswagen van in Nova Scotia to landing a pyramid on the Moon in March 2025, this is an audio memoir of a man following the signs through ayahuasca ceremonies, dusty sunrises at Robot Heart, and asteroid missions - dedicated to preserving the seeds of Earth and spreading life into the cosmos. Episode Info Burner Podcast | Episode B161 Recorded at Emerald Village on 3/19/26 Featuring: Ben Haldeman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benhaldeman Black Velveteen – DJ whose session was recorded live on the AirPusher art car at Burning Man 2025: https://linktr.ee/blackvelveteen Full set: https://soundcloud.com/blackvelveteennow/burning-man-2025-airpusher-on-the-playa AirPusher Collective – The art car and community behind Black Velveteen's set: https://www.instagram.com/airpushercollective/ Connect & Learn More LifeShip – Organization sending biological and digital archives to space: https://lifeship.com Planet Labs – Earth-imaging satellite company where Ben designed the initial camera systems: https://www.planet.com Firefly Aerospace – Built the Moon lander for the Life Ship mission: https://fireflyspace.com AstroForge – Asteroid mining company focused on reducing destructive mining on Earth: https://www.astroforge.io AstroLab – LA-based company building the Moon rover "Flip": https://astrolab.space Places & Events Burning Man – Annual event and the "capital city" of our global community: https://burningman.org LA Tech Week – The default world collision point where Arash and Ben first met: https://www.tech-week.com/la Svalbard Global Seed Vault – The "Doomsday" seed bank referenced in Ben's work: https://www.croptrust.org/work/svalbard-global-seed-vault/ Key Topics & Concepts LifeShip Moon Pyramid – The cultural time capsule and DNA archive that landed on the Moon: https://lifeship.com/pages/mission-updates Asteroid Mining – The process of utilizing space resources to protect Earth's environment: https://www.astroforge.io/mission Egypt Solar Eclipse 2027 – Total solar eclipse event near Luxor: https://www.eclipse2027.org 🌟 Standard Boilerplate About the Show Burner Podcast is an independent gift to the community, not a PR wing for the Org. We are an artist-documentarian project dedicated to capturing the stories and heart-centered truth of our global population. Reality is a conversation, and the conversation must continue. The project serves the community through three distinct channels: Burner Podcast: The original traditional interview show featuring audio memoirs and deep-dive conversations. Alkaline: The DJ mix show and sonic documentation of the global Burner community—the soundtrack to your Burn. The Dispatch: A space for remote check-ins, time-sensitive updates, and direct addresses to the international burnersphere. Opening theme by Joman https://jomanmusic.com Closing sets: https://soundcloud.com/burnerpodcast/sets/burner-podcast-closing-sets About the Host Arash Afshar (aka Miraḡe the Pluronaut) is an Iranian-American, SoCal-based artist and oral historian. He champions Artist Consciousness and views his mission as facilitating radical humanization through the medium of recorded conversations, written words, and photography. 🔗 Explore projects: http://arashafshar.com 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrarash Support the Gift This show is a decommodified project. We grow only through your word-of-mouth—if this story resonates with you, please share it with a friend. You can also support the continuation of this conversation on Patreon. 🔗 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mrarash

  8. Mar 18

    Alkaline A068: Shamiran (Camp YOUniversal)

    Alkaline A068: Shamiran (Camp YOUniversal) 📅 [3/18/26] The Soundtrack to Your Burn In this session, we welcome a true sonic ambassador of the global community. Born in Iran and based in Los Angeles, Shamiran is an artist, musician, and sonic selector who has become a mainstay at Camp YOUniversal, known for their Persian Tea House (designed by the legendary Gregg Fleishman). A community activator and human rights activist to the bones, Shamiran can usually be found on playa with the sound and production team for Distrikt and coordinating Woman Life Freedom events in the default world. If she sounds familiar, it's because she was a part of Burner Podcast's 2025 Pre-Playa Planner crew. This set, recorded on Wednesday at Camp YOUniversal in Black Rock City during Burning Man 2022. Full Set: https://on.soundcloud.com/BaFGFP6y4cbj3yhRWr 🌎 Connect & Learn More Instagram: instagram.com/shamiran_sateri SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/shamiransateri Camp YOUniversal Distrikt: instagram.com/distrikt_org 🎧 Listen & Context Hear Shamiran in conversation: Burner Podcast Episode 159 The Alkaline Archive: Explore a decade of sonic documentation at burnerpodcast.com/alkaline. Burner Podcast Episode 136 with Gregg Fleishman: soundcloud.com/burnerpodcast/136-accidentally-spiritual 🌟 Standard Boilerplate Burner Podcast is an independent gift to the community, not a PR wing for the Org. We are an artist-documentarian project dedicated to capturing the stories and heart-centered truth of our global population. Reality is a conversation, and the conversation must continue. The project serves the community through three distinct channels: Burner Podcast: The original traditional interview show featuring audio memoirs and deep-dive conversations. Alkaline: The DJ mix show and sonic documentation of the global Burner community—the soundtrack to your Burn. The Dispatch: A space for remote check-ins, time-sensitive updates, and direct addresses to the International Burnersphere. About the Host Arash Afshar (aka Miraḡe the Pluronaut) is an Iranian-American, SoCal-based artist and oral historian. He champions Artist Consciousness and views his mission as facilitating radical humanization through the medium of recorded conversations, written words, and photography. 🔗 Explore projects: arashafshar.com 📸 Instagram: @mrarash Support the Gift This show is a decommodified project. We grow only through your word-of-mouth—if this story resonates with you, please share it with a friend. You can also support the continuation of this conversation on Patreon. 🔗 Patreon: patreon.com/c/mrarash

See All (176)

4.9
out of 5
39 Ratings

About

Independently produced by a revolving team of volunteers and Hosted by founder (mr)Arash, Burner Podcast is the longest running traditional audio podcast in the extended international community of Burning Man. Focused on year-round Burner consciousness and topics of intracultural interest, explore 150+ episodes at burnerpodcast.com/previous-episodes. Burner Podcast host Arash Afshar is an Iranian-American SoCal-based professional photographer and community builder. Connect with him directly at arashafshar.com ​ Follow instagram.com/BurnerPodcast and facebook.com/burnerpodcast for wildly irregular updates.

Information

  • Creator
    Burner Podcast Network
  • Years Active
    2014 - 2026
  • Episodes
    176
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright (Mr)Arash, 2016
  • Show Website
    Burner Podcast

You Might Also Like