We can’t control the weather but we can control the music

The above picture was the weather we had at the start of the week and by all accounts will return tomorrow. That’s all we need but the heating’s on at the moment and the stereo has been turned up high. The first tune of the night is Straight to Mad Professor’s head from the set Mad Professor meets Channel One: Round 2 by Mad Professor and Channel One. It is one subtle dub!

 

We heard a Hugh Mundell dubplate on this week’s excellent Rhythm Doctor’s Waiting Room on IDA Radio (Tallinn). While we were looking for it we found a great Augustus Pablo Dub of Feeling Alright.

 

And the best “out there” tune of the night is from a LP called Folk and Pop Sounds of Sumatra Vol.1 on the excellent Sublime Frequencies label from out of Seattle. No idea who it’s from or what it’s called, all it says on the notes is that it’s in the Sumatran Dangdut style. It has a hook that sounds like an interval signal from a numbers station which we can’t place, that is sometimes played on a rasping bagpipe sounding keyboard. The LP has a wonderful cover too, what more do you want? Wonderful stuff which will worm its way into your brain as it’s so catchy.

Let’s temporarily forget the crap weather and dark times and listen to some decent tunes to soothe, inspire us and give us a break so to speak.

Heavy (Dubwise) Showers

Blimmin eck, it didn’t half come down in the early hours today in London, so much so that the water in the pond is quite close to the top. If it rains any more those goldfish will be touching the pea netting which is there to keep the Lewisham Heron out.

Talking of showers or “music like shower” to be exact, a big shout goes out to Steve Barker of the excellent long running On The Wire radio show for getting back to us on the name of the mystery tune on the compilation from the Little Axe label. It’s called So long baby/An Irie Version by Derrick Morgan & Paulett/Prince Trinity and it’s a heavy tune!

If you want to hear a top show full of reggae and all sorts of great records tap into the latest shows of On The Wire on Totally Radio here or have a look through the archive on the blogspot here. You will enjoy it! Cheers again Steve!

Rocking all over this Earth

Here’s Sunday night’s transmission of Skybird Radio International which was broadcast through the services of Shortwave Gold. There’s tracks from all over the map and genre’s galore.

At 45 seconds in is One Deck Pete‘s third mix for Skybird Radio International and here’s the track listings:
Madtone – Diamonds in the Sky (Excerpt)
Les Maîtres Fous – La Mort d’Icare
Aselefech Ashine & Getenesh Kebret – Wegenne
Narcy – Nehaya
Wilmoth Houdini – Blow Wind Blow
Unknown Track off “Cantos Oscuros” from Little Axe Records (at 05.18 in on Side 1).

Enjoy the sounds from all around this Earth of ours!

 

On the shortwaves this weekend

The Imaginary Stations Crew present a couple of radio shows on those shortwaves of ours this weekend. On Sunday 8th October 2023 at 2000 hrs UTC on 3975 & 6160 kHz we have KPET beamed to Europe via Shortwave Gold. This show goes out to all pet owners and will feature lots of pet related tunes for collie dogs, guinea pigs and budgies owners everywhere. One Deck Pet(e) contributes a mix called A tribute to Fido, Twinkie and Sheba with tracks from oofoe, Naslah, Cat Stevens, Benhayyi Al Baghbaghan and Soothsayers/Victor Rice.

And via WRMI on Monday 9th October in the small hours we have WSTL first at 0200 UTC on 9395 kHz and then repeated at 0300 UTC on 9455 kHz . Expect tunes that feature whistling and we also have a choir of whistling sports referees coming in live doing a rendition of “Sitting at the dock of the bay”*. It should be a shrilling show!
*subject to availability

Stars on 45

Here’s the Imaginary Stations show WS7S – The Skybird Seven Inch Vinyl Special a show in praise of the humble seven inch single that was broadcast on Sunday 10th September 2023 via WRMI. There’s some gems on here with some light scratches and a little bit of off-centre pressing madness.

At a few seconds into the audio One Deck Pete brings you a mix called The Skybird Single Club. Here’s the tracks:
Rotary Connection – Like a rolling stone
Weekend – The view from her room
Earl Curry – One whole year baby
Felice Taylor – I feel love comin’ on
Toby Nelson – You don’t need me (Version)

Have a listen to the show and rediscover the world of the humble seven inch single.

Talking of radio shows this Sunday 17th September 2023 we have two imaginary station related programmes on the shortwave. At 2000 hrs UTC on 3975 & 6160 kHz via Shortwave Gold we have DJ Frederick’s Shortwave Music Library where he picks some choice classics and rarities not usually aired heard over the wireless. Expect all sorts of eclectic stuff.

Talking of wireless, at 2200 hrs UTC on 9395 kHz via WRMI the Imaginary Stations crew bring you WTAB. A trip back in time where trebly voices and music flowed through horn type loudspeakers and when it got too loud a spare sock would dampen the sound. Expect some old tunes from way way back in the day!

One radio show is never enough

This Sunday 3rd September 2023 the Imaginary Stations crew bring you two shows via the ionosphere on shortwave. The first transmission will be beamed to Europe via the services of Shortwave Gold in Germany at 2000 utc on 6160 kHz and it will be WTBR, tea and biscuits radio.

Expect a teatime assortment of tunes, some musical crackers (without cheese) and a urn full of the finest tea money can buy!

Then later at 2200 hrs UTC on 9395 kHz  via WRMI we bring you another episode of CTRN for all of us who love that wonderful mode of transport, the train.

So tune in, make yourself comfortable, please don’t put your feet on the seats, do have your tickets ready for inspection and enjoy a nice ride across the country by shortwave radio.

Around the world, around the world – Part 3

A recording of this evening’s Skybird Radio International is now up online on mixcloud. The show was beamed to Europe via the services of Shortwave Gold from Germany and features a mix of sounds from around the world and is a great listen if you want to hear some interesting international tunes.

At 9 seconds in is a mix from One Deck Pete in a worldwide style. Here’s the tracklistings:
Madtone – Diamonds in the sky (Excerpt)
Huamansara – Cazador Huanca/Orq. Ayllus Del Centro
The Yamasuki’s – AIEAOA
International Dub Ambassasadors – La Cascada dub
Wimeanacas Cambodian Band – Flower In The Lake
Frank Gutowski Trio – Night Owl Polka

So tune in and enjoy an hour of travelling around this world of ours without baggage or a ticket!

Around the world, around the world

This Sunday 27th August 2023 at 2000 UTC (that’s 9pm UK time) tune in your shortwave radios to 6160 or 3975 kHz via Shortwave Gold for Skybird Radio International featuring the Imaginary Stations crew who bring you an hour of great music from around this planet of ours.

At 9 seconds into the show there’ll be a mix from our very own One Deck Pete with tunes from Huamansara, The Yamasuki’s, International Dub Ambassadors, Wimeanacas Cambodian Band and the Frank Gutowski Trio. So tune in via a shortwave radio or by using the online SDR here on Sunday evening and enjoy the international world of radio!

 

Calling the world, calling the world

Here’s last night’s broadcast of Skybird Radio International which was beamed to Europe thanks to Shortwave Gold on 6160/3975 kHz at 9pm UK time.

There’s an hour of a mix up of music from around this globe of ours including a mix at 23.36 from One Deck Pete. Here’s the tracks which was played on the said mix:
Madtone – Diamonds in the sky (excerpt)
Unknown – Berceuse (off John Peel’s Archive Things LP)
Minyo Crusaders – Cumbia del Monte Fuji
Cyril Diaz & his orchestra – Taboo
Brno Radio Folk Orchestra – Cymbalom Dance (off John Peel’s Archive Things LP)
Sam Carty – Bird in hand

Enjoy!

COOL down the pace

Last weekend’s transmission of Imaginary Stations (the show that features music you probably won’t hear elsewhere on shortwave) is now up on Mixcloud. This episode is the station COOL “Cool tunes for Summer moods” featuring some music that evokes sunshine even though London last weekend wasn’t experiencing much of that.

23 minutes into the broadcast in is a mix from One Deck Pete called a “Seven Inch Single Summer Special” featuring
Earl Brown – Get Together
Stereolab – Miss Modular
Freda Payne – Unhooked Generation
Anthony Johnson – Zuggi Zeng Version/Roots Radics Dedication To Flabba Holt 2 Martel Robinson – Follow you

So get out in the garden, perch yourself on a deckchair, stick some headphones on and blast the show for maximum pleasure. “Summertime and the living is easy” as Our ‘enry once sang.