Wednesday 17 July 2019

Joo Yeon Sir - Expression and Confession



Joo Yeon Sir 
Award-winning violin virtuoso & composer Joo Yeon Sir on this A World in London!

Within the first few bars of Joo Yeon Sir’s opening piece on AWIL it became apparent that we were in the presence of greatness. To be honest, we experience that feeling on a regular basis given the great tide of tremendous talent that walks into our studio, but even so, Joo Yeon’s powers of expression and violin virtuosity was extra special. Even more remarkable was her humble confession that she doesn’t yet see herself as a composer, but we’re hungry for more of her original work having heard ‘My Dear Bessie’ which was her first commission. But what of Joo Yeon the performer? Well she’s a multi-award winning musician that has toured the globe, gracing the most prestigious venues in the classical world, and does all of this as a solo artist outside of the orchestral realm. The day we met her she’d just taken a train back from the Lichfield festival with her pianist partner Irina Andrievsky, who also happens to be the only other instrumentalist featured in Joo Yeon’s second and brilliant album, ‘Chaconnes, Divertimento, & Rhapsodies’. Arriving fresh as daisy to give a genuine and candid interview plus live session on AWIL, Seoul born Joo Yeon frequently speaks of her love for the violin, and when she plays it, cradled as a fifth limb, it sings from her heart. Fortunately she was never tasked with having to learn an instrument unwillingly, and instead her amateur pianist mother upon recognising her talent, sought out the best school she could find. That turned out to be the Purcell school in London and so the entire family relocated to the UK when Joo Yeon was just nine. The rest is history and the future is deliciously tantalising – hear all about Joo Yeon on this AWIL – and see her on stage in the capital at St. James Piccadilly on August 23rd! Find her full concert schedule at http://www.jooyeonsir.com/page2.htm

10/7/19 – AWIL 218. Online: https://www.mixcloud.com/Resonance/a-world-in-london-10th-july-2019/ Production & pics by Norman Druker, Sophie Darling, Lucas Keen, artist Alban Low. Also this week Sophie Darling & Strut Records’ Quinton Scott at SOAS Radio. Next week Hanitra at SOAS Radio & Samba Azul at Resonance. Download the AWIL Album Wonderland 2018 from #Spotify! Top 50 global CDs handpicked by#AWorldinLondon – Click here: https://open.spotify.com/user/34igi7n6p14p56303se0gtkyj/playlist/5hjexMuYohZ6d4zjuoGIfm?si=Gy0ckfI_QaWw4xqKQ-VGhw  #TheSoundofDiverseLondon #ConnectingCulturesThroughMusic – thirteen years - #DJRitu. Live on Wednesdays 6.30pm Resonance 104.4 https://www.resonancefm.com/ & 4pm SOAS Radio https://soasradio.org/  Online worldwide at #Mixcloud. Join us on Twitter & Instagram @aworldinlondon @djritu1 http://www.djritu.com  


Appropriate appropriation - Sophie Darling & Quinton Scott

Sophie Darling

Appropriate appropriation with musician/radio producer Sophie Darling & Strut Records CEO Quinton Scott on this A World in London!

AWIL producer, Sophie Darling, has just compiled a fantastic and innovative chapbook in conjunction with superlative artist Alban Low, titled ‘Darling’s Global Record Labels’. It’s an essential & beautifully illustrated guide to uber-cool labels like Habibi Funk, AnalogAfrica, Teranga Beat, Glitterbeat, and  Far Out Recordings, based on Sophie’s groundbreaking interviews & dissertation for her degree at SOAS. Catch the AWIL team roundtable discussion about crate-digging, vinyl revival, record-collecting, and the unprecedented success of independent labels that are propelling world grooves into the mainstream! Also on this AWIL, an exclusive sneak preview of the forthcoming Strut Records vintage compilation ‘Alefa Madagascar’, brought in by special guest Quinton Scott from Strut Records! Darling’s Global Record Labels chapbook is available from Sampson-Low publishers https://sampsonlow.co/2019/07/08/darlings-global-record-labels-sophie-darling/

Quinton Scott
Also on AWIL this week virtuoso violinist JooYeon Sir at Resonance FM - Listen here: https://www.mixcloud.com/Resonance/a-world-in-london-10th-july-2019/
Next week Hanitra at SOAS Radio and Samba Azul at Resonance FM.
10/7/19 - AWIL 308. #AWorldInLondon is podcast on #Itunes & #Mixcloud:   http://www.mixcloud.com/SOASradio/playlists/a-world-in-london/ A World In London – #thesoundofdiverselondon#connectingculturesthroughmusic - THIRTEEN YEARS! Live on Wednesdays, 4pm, from SOAS Radio: https://soasradio.org/  and AWIL at Resonance 104.4fm at 6.30pm, repeat Monday 8am, online, DAB & on Resonance Extra 5pm Wednesdays. https://www.resonancefm.com/  Production by #DJRitu, Norman Druker, Sophie Darling, Lucas Keen, and artist Alban Low. Join us on Twitter & Instagram @aworldinlondon @djritu1 http://www.djritu.com   https://www.facebook.com/DjRitu


Wednesday 3 July 2019

Chocolate Hills - A Pail of Air

Alex Paterson

Chocolate Hills
Alex Paterson
Paul Conboy

26th June 2019 - A World in London, London, UK

Alex Paterson from The Orb and Paul Conboy from Metamono, present their new combo project Chocolate Hills on this A World in London! 

If Chocolate Hills were edible, they would be rich creamy morsels of cocoa and praline with a melt in the middle centre. The kind you take time over whilst contemplating and retreating from the world into a dreamlike state of bliss. That’s how their music is, not rushed and not rushing anywhere. Just laid back and delectable to be savoured slowly.

In this AWIL interview with The Orb’s Dr. Alex Paterson and Metamono’s Paul Conboy, there was so much that got talked about that it’s hard to unpick it for a write up. But conversation flowed about their forthcoming tours which must include churches- the album launch was at Old St Pancras Church. ‘Just 6 dates should do it’ says Paul. Truthfully every show would be unique given the unplanned unpredictable and improvisational nature of how these guys work. Then there were anecdotes about how they met - over a mountain of pancakes cooked up by Paul in Bali. Whatever he’s cooking up relates to his relationship with analogue synths using real and fresh ingredients - only the best will do - while Alex holds on to his vinyl roots and realness. Sampling, looping, blending, mixing and creating - it’s all a natural experience and second nature for Alex and Paul. They spoke about the radio station they run in a local record shop where they can play nonstop music without any speech.
Paul Conboy
Alex casually mentions some of his long-time mates from the music industry - KLF, Andy Weatherall, and of course Killing Joke producer Youth who’s really more like a blood brother to him. Youth’s record label Painted Word is a true home for Chocolate Hills’ debut album in more ways than one. Ravensbourne School of Art graduate Alex designed the cover for ‘A Pail of Air’, and when I asked him about the evergreen appeal of ambient music since the 90s, he replies emphatically: ‘ethereal music that grabs you by the soul. And testicles’.
Catch these two legends, or ‘leg-ends’ as Alex humbly corrects me, together as Chocolate Hills on this AWIL, because these guys are the most delicious sound to come out of south London in years!

26/6/19 – AWIL 216. Online: https://www.mixcloud.com/Resonance/a-world-in-london-26th-june-2019/ Production & pics by Norman Druker, Sophie Darling, Lucas Keen, artist Alban Low. This week Aino Moonga at SOAS Radio, Radio and Youth, Violeta Vicci, and Toby Andersen atResonance. Download the AWIL Album Wonderland 2018 from #Spotify! Top 50 global CDs handpicked by #AWorldinLondon – Click here:https://open.spotify.com/user/34igi7n6p14p56303se0gtkyj/playlist/5hjexMuYohZ6d4zjuoGIfm?si=Gy0ckfI_QaWw4xqKQ-VGhw #TheSoundofDiverseLondon #ConnectingCulturesThroughMusic – thirteen years - #DJRitu. Live on Wednesdays 6.30pm Resonance 104.4 https://www.resonancefm.com/ & 4pm SOAS Radio https://soasradio.org/  Online worldwide at #Mixcloud. Join us on Twitter & Instagram @aworldinlondon @djritu1 http://www.djritu.com