Spotlight On Lawrence Peryer

Today, the Spotlight shines On legendary writer, vocalist and digital culture commentator, Ken Goffman, better known as R.U. Sirius.
Most will know R.U. from his time as co-publisher and editor-in-chief of the 1990s cyberpunk magazine MONDO 2000. MONDO covered topics like transhumanism, virtual reality and smart drugs at a time when these things offered hope for a better or at least more interesting world, though the editorial tone always subversively poked at the soft white underbelly of technoculture. If Wired has become Kenny G, MONDO was Sun Ra, through and through.
R.U. is author or coauthor of books including Counterculture Through the Ages: From Abraham to Acid House, Everybody Must Get Stoned: Rock Stars on Drugs, How to Mutate and Take Over the World, and nearly a dozen more.
We covered a lot of ground, including but not only: online subcultures, societal repercussions of digital technologies, conspiracy theory, the shortcomings of transhumanism, post-scarcity philosophy, the limitations of irony, and a ton more.
Music is a big part of the R.U. experience, as you will hear in our talk. He’s been a lyricist and composer for projects including Phriendz, Party Dogs and Mondo Vanilli.
R.U.’s various works have served as a guidepost for me since I was a much younger man. It was a special treat to connect with him now, in this time of reckoning with what the digital and internet revolution has wrought, to talk about the state of life and affairs.
(all musical excerpts heard in the interview are taken from R.U. Sirius’s Infinite Gesture (A Work in Progress))
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Dig Deeper
Visit R.U. Sirius on his Bandcamp page and mondo2000.comFollow R.U. Sirius on Instagram, Twitter (X), Facebook, and LinkedInBe sure to peruse this episode’s extensive show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com–
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Today, the Spotlight shines On returning guest, the innovative musician and composer Markus Reuter.
Markus originally joined us for Episode 130 back in November 2022. He joins us now to discuss his project Sea of Hopeless Angels (Unsung Records), which began as several unedited studio solo improvisations by Markus on his electric touch guitar. Those recordings were turned over to mixer Stefano Castagna, whose sonic wizardry included not only mixing but fully collaborating with the recordings, adding new sounds and instruments as inspiration struck, including his own voice, various samples, bass, synthesizers, and other electronics.
There are other inspirations at work in this project, but we will leave those to be revealed in the course of our discussion. It is important to mention the final collaborator for Sea of Hopeless Angels, though, and that is Aldo Grazzi, an Italian painter and video artist, who, back in the early 1980s, made visual experimentations interfacing a video camera with a cathode ray TV screen. The resulting video retains every imperfection of what was then state-of-the-art technology. All of the pieces on Sea of Hopeless Angels feature video accompaniment drawn from these videos, which are in the Grazzi archives, with two of them also accompanied by studio footage of Markus’ original performances.
(all musical excerpts heard in the interview are taken from Markus Reuter and Stefano Castagna's album Sea of Hopeless Angels)
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Dig Deeper
Visit Markus Reuter at markusreuter.comDownload Sea of Hopeless Angels on Qobuz or Bandcamp, and listen on your streaming platform of choice.Follow Markus Reuter on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTubeSea of Hopeless Angels visuals + videosBe sure to peruse this episode's extensive show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com--
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• Check out Spotlight On's next live event at The Royal Room in Seattle on Saturday, June 22! More info here.

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Today, the Spotlight shines On Berlin-based electronic music composer and performer Hainbach.
I have come to view Hainbach as much an archeologist or audio specimen collector as he is a musician. While he makes beautiful music and soundscapes, they are often showcase pieces for the devices he works on, which include not only vintage and rare modular synthesizers but also tape machines, test equipment, and other industrial machinery. A particular highlight of his work is his YouTube channel, where Hainbach brings experimental music techniques and the history of electronic music to a wider audience, frequently displaying how he gets usable sounds from these forgotten devices. We have included a link to that in the show notes.
He is a fun and creative human, someone I am grateful to have spent some time with.
(all musical excerpts heard in the interview are taken from Hainbach's The One Who Runs Away Is the Ghost soundtrack)
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Dig Deeper
Visit Hainbach at hainbachmusik.com and on his excellent YouTube ChannelPurchase Hainbach's music on Qobuz or Bandcamp, and listen on your favorite streaming platformFollow Hainbach on Patreon, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter (X)Meet the German Producer Making Music With Salvaged Nuclear Lab EquipmentBe sure to check out this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com--
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• Check out Spotlight On's next live event at The Royal Room in Seattle on Saturday, June 22! More info here.

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Today, the Spotlight shines On saxophonist/composer Kevin Sun.
Kevin joined us to discuss, among other things, his dramatic double album from 2023, The Depths of Memory, which was released in two halves: From All This Stillness in July of that year and The Depths in Slow Motion in October of that year.
Kevin’s an intense yet accessible player and composer—and a true working musician. He leads an ensemble most Tuesday nights at Lowlands Bar and appears regularly at Bar Bayeux and Ornithology, all three in Brooklyn, NY.
In the time since we recorded this talk back in January, Kevin has released a new record, a live one, recorded at Lowlands. Fate of the Tenor has him leading a trio which, to my ears, gives more than a passing nod to Joe Henderson’s great 1985 live trio recordings with Ron Carter and Al Foster, State of the Tenor. Even the cover art seems a bit of an homage. The saxophone trio is one of my favorite configurations, and Kevin’s new record is a terrific contribution to the canon.
(all musical excerpts heard in the interview are taken from Kevin Sun's double album The Depths of Memory)
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Dig Deeper
Visit Kevin Sun on kevinsun.comPurchase Kevin Sun's music on Qobuz and Bandcamp, or listen on your favorite streaming platformFollow Kevin Sun on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter (X), and YouTubeFifteen Questions with Kevin SunKevin Sun Quintet plays Ryuichi Sakamoto's "Riot In Lagos" at LowlandsBe sure to peruse this episode's extensive show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com--
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• Check out Spotlight On's next live event at The Royal Room in Seattle on Saturday, June 22! More info here.

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Today, the Spotlight shines On Will Barnes, leader of the Will Barnes Quartet, who joins me to talk about his life in music and, specifically, his ongoing collaboration with landscape artist Erin Hughes.
Their first album together, Source of the Severn, is a 21st-century take on classic bebop-era sounds. Erin’s nine original works of art respond to Will and the Quartet’s music, using her own hand-marbled papers as a palette to create collages that evoke the Mid-Wales landscape in which the participants all dwell.
The Will Barnes Quartet, featuring Erin Hughes, will tour throughout the year. At each performance, Erin will provide a special live visual show, leading to unique interactions between her, the band, and the audience.
(all musical excerpts heard in the interview are taken from the album Source of the Severn by the Will Barnes Quartet)
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Dig Deeper
Visit Will Barnes and the Will Barnes Quartet at willbarnesmusic.co.ukVisit Erin Hughes and check out her artwork at erinlaurahughes.comPurchase Source of the Severn by the Will Barnes Quartet on Bandcamp or Qobuz, or listen on your streaming platform of choiceFollow Will Barnes on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTubeFollow artist Erin Hughes on InstagramRob Williams — Truly Inspiring Hand Crafted Guitars and BassesBe sure to peruse this episode's extensive show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com--
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• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Mastodon.
• Check out Spotlight On's next live event at The Royal Room in Seattle on Saturday, June 22! More info here.

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Today, the Spotlight shines On in a much different way than usual, as I am turning the microphone over to guest host Miriam Boulos.
Miriam has been a guest contributor to Bonus Tracks, the official blog of Spotlight On, since August 2023. Miriam publishes with us frequently, and her work has included interviews with and essays about a diverse array of artists like James Walsh of Starsailor, Chappell Roan, Fuera, Ella More, Chagall, and most recently PEPTALK. As an international contributor, MIriam consistently broadens our view and uncovers new voices for us. Even more importantly, she is shining the spotlight on gender inclusivity and other forms of diversity that we are very grateful for. It has been a privilege to share our platform with her.
Miriam is joined in conversation for this episode by Swedish alt-pop artist Lucky Lo. This bit about the artist, quoted from her bio, gives a glimpse of what to expect in their talk: “Lucky Lo unites people through her music by shedding light on the dark side of existence and turning trauma into triumph.” As a mission statement, it’s pretty strong.
Enjoy MIriam Boulos's conversation with Lucky Lo.
(all musical excerpts heard in the interview are taken from Lucky Lo's album The Big Feel)
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Dig Deeper
Visit and learn more about Lucky Lo at luckylo.netLIsten to Lucky Lo's latest album, The Big Feel, released by TAMBOURHINOCEROS, on Bandcamp or your favorite steaming platformFollow Lucky Lo on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTubeFollow MIriam Boulos on Instagram--
• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. • Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice. • Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Mastodon.

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