Hello all, time for that midweek update !
As promised, more brand new Album Zone programmes are now in the ether, on our very own Pod to be precise, available 24/7 for you, whether you feel like playing them, or downloading, it's entirely your own choice. You can, at :
http://www.4shared.com/dir/391612/be81ca22/sharing.html
So, what have we got ? Well, 2 brand new shows, one from our man in NJ, Rich Phoenix, and one from Barry De Foyle. Go check them out ! Neither are due to be 'officially' aired until March 2008 is well under way, so our Pod gives you an exclusive preview or two, once again.
Time for the next set of Q and A's, and as his brand new opus is available, what better time than now than to feature the opinions of Barry De Foyle.
All the news that's unfit to print from him, is here for you below.
I'll be back at the weekend, with more Programme news.
Have a great week,
Steve
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Barry De Foyle : The Q and A Session :
If you were in charge of making the environment better what would you
do?
Stop Reecey drinking so much tea for a start ! Oh, you mean the global
environment ? Ah, well, I'd set about capturing all the methane
produced by the world's cattle - did you know, the average cow produces
enough methane to inflate an airship in 144 minutes ? Now THAT would make
a difference to the ozone layer.
In your career with the Album Zone and the thousands of songs that
you've played have you ever played anything that changed a listeners life?
I don't remember anyone mentioning it - so I guess if I did, it wasn't
for the better ... ooops !
Have you ever considered quitting AZ ? And why ?
If people stopped listening, I might get to thinking 'hey what's the point ?',
but that would be the only reason. It's really heartening when you
get feedback. A big 'thank you' to those that do, by the way - if you
haven't already, then please do drop us a line !
In any case, it's good therapy and it keeps me reappraising my CD
collection.
Anything you've done that you have really regretted ? Care to tell ?
I met Dana once, at BBC Radio Ulster in Belfast when I was reading out
listener's requests live on Gloria Hunniford's mid-morning show. I had
to shake her hand and I regret not having the nerve to tell her what I
REALLY thought of her rotten songs !
Erm ... actually, I probably shouldn't have mentioned Gloria Hunniford
- I can feel my 'street cred' draining away .. :)
It doesn't pay. Why do you do it ?
Well, I do have a day job as well, but it isn't particularly creative
or musical. On the Album Zone there's something very satisfying in
putting together a selection of records with virtually nothing in common,
yet making the whole thing feel like a natural progression.
What's the best thing about doing AZ ?
Getting positive feedback on music people have heard for the first time
on the show.
And the worst ?
Until recently, it was the amount of time it took to record and prepare
a show for broadcast - it may sound insane, but it used to take 12
hours' work simply to record and convert each show for broadcast, burning
them onto CDs for Reecey to then convert to MP3 and upload !
Now, I record on to a small silver box the size of two iPods, mixing
and converting the show directly to MP3 in one go which I can upload
directly, which is waaaaaaay faster than the old way and means I can record
almost anywhere (so look out for some outside broadcasts 'on location'
once the weather improves !)
Favourite city or town - and why ?
In the UK it has to be Edinburgh - always been a great place to visit
and work. I could see myself settling down there some day (although the
current Mrs de Foyle isn't that keen, 'cos it can get a bit
'cauld'...)
Elsewhere: the city of Nara, near Kyoto, in Japan. Like Kyoto, it's an
ancient capital which features some fantastic shrines and temples -
for example Todai-ji is the largest temple in Japan (and reputedly the
largest wooden building in the world). Nara also has roaming herds of
cute little sika deer all over the place that will pick your pockets for
biscuits if you don't give them any.
Do you miss doing 'Live' Shows ?
Never experienced it. However, there is sometimes a sense that there's
no-one actually out there listening and the pre-recorded aspect of the
show means you can't make topical comments about the weather or even
the time of year but then I don't see myself as a "personality DJ" (heh,
that's a relief ! - Ed.) - the music's easily the most important
thing.
Do you have a favourite record of all time - or are there just too many ?
Crikey, hundreds (quite literally), but off the top of my head, I would
have to include:
'801 Live', 'Playing the Fool' - Gentle Giant, '(no pussyfooting)' -
Fripp and Eno, 'Rubycon' Tangerine Dream, 'Listen Now!' Phil Manzanera,
'Music For Airports' and 'Music For Films' Brian Eno, 'Red' King
Crimson, 'A Live Record' Camel, Peter Gabriel's third solo album, 'The Toy
Matinee' Toy Matinee, 'Ommadawn' Mike Oldfield, 'The Black Balloon' John
Renbourn, 'Visionary' Gordon Giltrap - oh and every album by Roxy Music
(except 'Heart Still Beating' of course ... !)
Where have you never travelled - but really want to visit ?
Some of the Japanese islands - mainly Hokkaido and Kyushu. I've been
to the mainland (Honshu) a couple of times now, but there never seems to
be enough time to do the rest. I'd also love to visit Sado island,
home of the Kodo drum troupe and Okinawa, home of Shoukichi Kina &
Champloose, Nenes and Shang Shang Typhoon - so much exuberant music. Kanpai !
Ever thought of doing 'all talk' programmes ?
Not thought about it before - it would have to be live with some
interesting people to talk to, or a decently scripted documentary type show -
maybe a history of electronic music or progressive rock ?
Do you ever listen to any of the other AZ Presenters shows ?
If so, which ones and why ?
I do sometimes, but not regularly and not specifically any one
presenter. I like to check the playlists occasionally to make sure that I
don't overlap too much in the choice of music I play. Truthfully, I just
plain don't have the time to listen to whole shows - mainly because I
work away from home all week. What spare time I have at weekends is
taken up with family activities and trying to play the guitar and drums - I
also like to find time to play games (Wii and XBOX 360) and listen to
new CDs I've bought that have been delivered at home during the week :)
Got pets ? What ?
Years ago, I inherited two goldfish from former flatmates - Saatchi and
Saatchi (that's the goldfish, not the flatmates). But nothing since
then.
Who's the sexiest girl / boy singer for you ?
Coo, a toughie - probably Liane Foly, in both the 'sound' and 'vision'
departments. A voice like ermine - it both soothes and excites,
sometimes at the same time ! Otherwise Patricia Kaas, although she can be 'a
bit of a tart' as a female Australian colleague of mine once remarked
(a tad jealously, I thought ... !) Ute Lemper can make me all shook up
too, with the right notes ...
Please tell us something about your biography, we don't know much about you... where are you from, where are you now ?... and where are you going ?
Born and bred (or 'reared', as we say locally) in Northern Ireland,
migrated to England in my late teens to go to college and decided to stay.
The Ulster accent disappeared quite quickly, which suprised everyone
at the time (me included). Now, I can drop in and out of it at will,
but I don't use it in the show as it might confuse everyone !
Would you like a job with a national radio station ?
Only if I had the sort of freedom to play the music that I want to play
- I think that's pretty rare, even among the big names.
Favourite Album ?
Oh all right, if we're talking a 'burning building : one album'
scenario, it would have to be 'For Your Pleasure' by Roxy Music.
Does a lot of advance planning go into your programmes, or do you just
sit down and get on with it ?
Perhaps surprisingly, I do spend quite a lot of time in preparation,
mostly in 'auditioning' music to play, mainly for the running order and
ensuring a mix of styles. The thing about the running order for me is
that even a great song can sound lifeless if played back to back with
the wrong tune - I think of it as having to do with the 'pulse' (as
opposed to the BPM) of the music.
AZ has been going 10 years. Will you still be doing it in 10 years time ?
If it'll have me !
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