Now Playing: dj void - reconnected (pfradio.com)
Topic: my podcasts
in less than 24 hours, what is arguably the biggest edition of Radio BSOTS will take place. for those that don't know, i am participating in a podcast premiere for THE GRAMMYS alongside fave nite of friday favecast, doug fresh of sunday soundtrack, and todd kelley from flowink.com. i was originally contacted on twitter by a member of the recording academy. using artists and songs nominated, they were looking for genre-specific shows and thought i'd be interested in covering hip-hop artists. honestly, considering most of the names in that category who are up for a grammy, i didn't think i could do it without compromising the show's integrity. i'm not about jockeying artists i have no interest in and i'm not about to start now.
i was already thinking it, but it took my wife's prompting for me to ask about the possibility of a mixed genre show. while i didn't feel comfortable going all in on rap, there were a number of artists within the dance/electronic category that i was more than happy to represent for, namely daft punk, hot chip, brazilian girls, and moby. things started coming together after that, especially when i heard relief from the recording academy's side about finding someone to get down with the electronic dance side of things. two weeks ago, i'm on the phone with a grammies rep during my lunch break, pitching to them an idea: GRAMMYS ON SHUFFLE. it didn't even feel like a pitch while i was doing it, although it was definitely a pitch. i really thought i could make a mixed genre show work relying heavily on electronic selections, then seguing into some alternative and closing out on a hip-hop note. to my surprise, the pitch was convincing.
the thing that's been on my mind this week was how my regular listeners are going to take to this show. right from the opening monologue, it feels different. truth is it's supposed to be different. it's a potential introduction to my show for people who follow the grammies on twitter and facebook and frequent grammy.com. yesterday, the anxiety kicked in after working on the show the night before and only getting 2.5 hours of sleep. what if the longtime listeners don't dig it? what if this show marks the end of what Radio BSOTS was intended to be? a lot of questions came up in my obviously sleep-deprived state. not being alert and low on energy allowed the devil to grab a foothold in my situation and mess with me. upon telling this to my wife, she was loving, supportive, and told me to do my thing, as well as confirming my doubts being the devil doing what he always does.
so yes, this is definitely on some "best foot forward" type stuff. not like that isn't the case any other time on the BSOTS channel, but it's especially so now. i'm trying not to make this a big deal, but it is in a way. the idea that the recording academy's even taking the time to acknowledge podcasting as a viable source and promotional tool is a big deal. the fact is that there are a lot of categories and a lot of lesser-known artists that are nominated for a grammy. a podcast is a great way to shine the spotlight on talented men and women that aren't getting the shine that they should, but have gotten the grammy nod.
things are changing. a bad economy allows people to think outside the box, i guess. so here we are. it's almost time. the show is complete. ten songs, just under 49 minutes, featuring the biggest artists that i've been able to play on my show so far. the episode's nice and compact and hopefully sensible in its sonic twists and turns. "GRAMMYS ON SHUFFLE" premieres tomorrow. as it reaches new listeners and potentially a new audience, i certainly hope that longtime residents of camp lo-fi will dig it as well. like i said, it feels different, but all of the artists featured are those that i listen to and greatly respect. and since that's the case, the integrity remains intact. that was my biggest concern in all of this. i hope and pray that the lost hours of sleep and hard work brings you a well-produced episode that you will enjoy.
thursday, january 29, 2009. RADIO BSOTS episode #79: GRAMMYS ON SHUFFLE. the podcast premiere jump-off, if you will. i'm ready. and i hope you are, too...