Totallyradio genre: reggae

Startling track from 1973 by the Rail Band, straight outta Bamako, pure funk from the house band of Mali Railways! Followed by dusty desert blues guitar instrumental from a new set on Sahel Sounds. The Bug aka Kevin Richard Martin aka KRM has been hyperactive over the past year or so, here’s the debut of his collaboration with KMRU, both ex-pats based in Berlin. We visit Brasil, Ethiopia, East Java and other far flung places in search of fine tuneage! Also on the show tonight the second part of our session from Bhajan Bhoy aka Ajay Saggar an old pal who has been on the long ride with On the Wire since back in the 80’s when he arrived at Lancaster University, he’s on tour in April in the North, watch out for him! I’ll be at his gig at the Golden Lion in Lancaster on 27th April, see you there …. On the Wire’s log running website, with all audio links, is at www.otwradio.blogspot.com Our reggae&dub specials can be found at our YouTubeChannel @ https://www.youtube.com/@otwotw7299 and also with full playlists at http://otwradio.blogspot.com/2023/07/all-dubs-and-reggae-specials-updated_31.html On the Wire can be heard live on Slack City Radio: slackcity.org.uk at U.K. time 6pm to 8 pm every Sunday and via DAB radio in Greater Manchester, Portsmouth, Brighton and Norwich at the same hours. Steve can be followed/contacted on Twitter/X @SteveBarkerOtW and at stephenjbarker@gmail.com

A show dedicated to Marian Zazeela...an artist whose abstract drawings and light installations envisioned dream states. Her life and work with her partner La Monte Young is something we celebrate in the music on this show. In addition to music from Marian and La Monte, there are also pieces from Terry Riley, Steve Reich, Ghedalia Tazartes and KarlHeinz Stockhausen.

Last week on 4th April our dear pal Keith LeBlanc passed away. Keith was a guest on the first edition of On the Wire, together with Adrian Sherwood, back on Sunday 16th September 1984. He was already hip hop legend by then not only from playing his part in the rhythm machine behind the SugarHill Gang and many other contemporary rap acts but also for creating the breakthrough track “Malcolm X” for Tommy Boy in NYC, smashing the definitions of hip hop and laying a path both creatively and technically for others to follow. I last saw Keith at the On U Sound 40th Anniversary in April 23 when Tackhead played live with the original line up in front of Keith, Doug Wimbish, Skip MacDonald and Bernard Fowler. It was a great night. We will remember Keith always. Also on the show tonight the first part of our session from Bhajan Bhoy aka Ajay Saggar another old pal who has been on the long ride with On the Wire, he’s on tour in April in the North, watch out him! www.otwradio.blogspot.com Our reggae&dub specials can be found at our YouTubeChannel @ https://www.youtube.com/@otwotw7299 and also with full playlists at http://otwradio.blogspot.com/2023/07/all-dubs-and-reggae-specials-updated_31.html On the Wire can be heard live on Slack City Radio: slackcity.org.uk at U.K. time 6pm to 8 pm every Sunday and via DAB radio in Greater Manchester, Portsmouth, Brighton and Norwich at the same hours. Steve can be followed/contacted on Twitter/X @SteveBarkerOtW and at stephenjbarker@gmail.com

This week we have Part 2 of our tribute to Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett who recently passed to Zion; the photo on our totallyradio.com show site is courtesy of Dennis Morris who took so many great shots of Jah Bob and the Wailers. All vinyl selections from out longtime collaborator in things reggae and dubwise the eminent Dr. Noel Hawks. Also this week watch out for a new DJ Old Rat digiplate shout coming in from Blessed San at East African Records, Kampala and also a track from Christoph El Truento’s new album soon to arrive on Haymaker Records straight outta NZ! www.otwradio.blogspot.com Our reggae&dub specials can be found at our YouTubeChannel @ https://www.youtube.com/@otwotw7299 and also with full playlists at http://otwradio.blogspot.com/2023/07/all-dubs-and-reggae-specials-updated_31.html On the Wire can be heard live on Slack City Radio: slackcity.org.uk at U.K. time 6pm to 8 pm every Sunday and via DAB radio in Greater Manchester, Portsmouth, Brighton and Norwich at the same hours. Steve can be followed/contacted on Twitter/X @SteveBarkerOtW and at stephenjbarker@gmail.com

a show dedicated to Marian Zazeela...an artist whose abstract drawings and light installations envisioned dream states. Her life and work with her partner La Monte Young is something we celebrate in the music on this show. In addition to music from Marian and La Monte, there are also pieces from Terry Riley, Steve Reich, Ghedalia Tazartes and KarlHeinz Stockhausen.

to drown in beautiful sounds is all you could wish for and this episode allows you to do just that. Amazing new cuts from groundsound, Rosali, Arushi Jain, Kevin Coleman and SOMA amongst others. The Alice Coltrane concert in Carnegie Hall in 1971 is a mindblower...I could have played all 4 tracks (maybe I should have!) but chose side one. Just listen!

Last week we had a great night at the Golden Lion in Todmorden, ancestral home of the Barker clan, thanks so much to Louis & Gig for looking after us and also serving up the great Thai food. The image this week is a joint just down the road in Tod! Offloading a barrage of Nyege Nyege this week and could not wait to play a selection from the Alice Coltrane live at Carnegie Hall 1971 album, supported by an incredible line up of stellar players. Lots of good stuff in the show this week …… www.otwradio.blogspot.com Our reggae&dub specials can be found at our YouTubeChannel @ https://www.youtube.com/@otwotw7299 and also with full playlists at http://otwradio.blogspot.com/2023/07/all-dubs-and-reggae-specials-updated_31.html On the Wire can be heard live on Slack City Radio: slackcity.org.uk at U.K. time 6pm to 8 pm every Sunday and via DAB radio in Greater Manchester, Portsmouth, Brighton and Norwich at the same hours. Steve can be followed/contacted on Twitter/X @SteveBarkerOtW and at stephenjbarker@gmail.com

Back to what constitutes normal around these parts this week with a straight show of new releases and re-issues. But before that the image is of old apartments in Kowloon across the bay from Hong Kong, still worth a visit as one of the most remarkable cities in the world. Two remarkable women artists to start the show with Italian drum mistress Valentina Magaletti, one half of Holy Tongue with our pal Al Wootton, but here solo on a great, radical new label Permanent Draft. At last Nico’s two masterpiece album as are reissued and we have a great new album from old friend Gudrun Gut based on soundtrack written for a German series. Not to disappoint we have long dub techno tunes towards the end of the show from Carrier and Smooth. www.otwradio.blogspot.com Our reggae&dub specials can be found at our YouTubeChannel @ https://www.youtube.com/@otwotw7299 and also with full playlists at http://otwradio.blogspot.com/2023/07/all-dubs-and-reggae-specials-updated_31.html On the Wire can be heard live on Slack City Radio: slackcity.org.uk at U.K. time 6pm to 8 pm every Sunday and via DAB radio in Greater Manchester, Portsmouth, Brighton and Norwich at the same hours. Steve can be followed/contacted on Twitter/X @SteveBarkerOtW and at stephenjbarker@gmail.com

My set - Live and direct from Ghana from my performance at the AsaBaako Festival! I squeezed all sorts in…afrobeat, funk, disco, calypso, roots and a few other surprises…enjoy!!

a Robert Wyatt special. Why did I make it? Because I absolutely LOVE his music and I admire him as a person. Taking in his solo stuff, his work with Soft Machine, Matching Mole and various collaborations along the way (including with Jimi Hendrix). I hope you dig listening to it as much as I enjoyed making it.

Time for another reggae/dub show but this one is really special with the first half of our tribute to the recently passed Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett, a real reggae legend, key to the rhythm section of both the Upsetters and the Wailers and bass player extraordinaire on countless sessions supplying us with brilliant tunes over the years Before that we have new tunes with a cracker in from Dubkasm in partnership with Newham Generals don Footsie, coming to us via the ruling French label DubQuake. That’s followed by the great poet/dub poet/singer Roger Robinson also paying tribute to the ‘sound man’ on a new single that’s already sold out with no represses and no digital. Third up is Gavsborg with an extraordinary album on Equiknoxx Music that re-designs the way we hear Jamaican music and we close the segue with a digi revive from Pupa Jim on Jahtari. www.otwradio.blogspot.com Our reggae&dub specials can be found at our YouTubeChannel @ https://www.youtube.com/@otwotw7299 and also with full playlists at http://otwradio.blogspot.com/2023/07/all-dubs-and-reggae-specials-updated_31.html On the Wire can be heard live on Slack City Radio: slackcity.org.uk at U.K. time 6pm to 8 pm every Sunday and via DAB radio in Greater Manchester, Portsmouth, Brighton and Norwich at the same hours. Steve can be followed/contacted on Twitter/X @SteveBarkerOtW and at stephenjbarker@gmail.com

Perhaps this week’s image from Spanish photographer was taken in 1950’s Spain, an early version of “The Hand of God” perhaps? Good news for all Martin Rev fans is that his debut album is being reissued on vinyl by the German label Bureau B, I had the honour of writing the sleevenotes for the 90s reissue on CD by ROIR of NYC; we play “Mari” a tribute to Rev’s late wife and also tracks from the Strangeworld and Demolition 9 albums – we really should do a special! Little Annie is back on the show with a single in the company of her old On U Sound spar David Harrow, now resident in L.A. A great reissue from the ever interesting InFine French label is a revival of Bernard Szajner’s brilliant 1979 album Visions of Dune inspired by Frank Herbert’s great novel. Also here new releases from Al Wootton, Om Unit, Dave Clarkson and Bianca Scout. www.otwradio.blogspot.com Our reggae&dub specials can be found at our YouTubeChannel @ https://www.youtube.com/@otwotw7299 and also with full playlists at http://otwradio.blogspot.com/2023/07/all-dubs-and-reggae-specials-updated_31.html On the Wire can be heard live on Slack City Radio: slackcity.org.uk at U.K. time 6pm to 8 pm every Sunday and via DAB radio in Greater Manchester, Portsmouth, Brighton and Norwich at the same hours. Steve can be followed/contacted on Twitter/X @SteveBarkerOtW and at stephenjbarker@gmail.com

Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru's album "Souvenirs" blew me away so much that I play two tracks from the album. New cuts from Giuseppe Ielasi, Robert Lippok, toechter, Buck Curran, and Human Adult band keep the mood eclectic. To celebrate Mark E Smith's birthday on 5 March, I play a live track from my all time favourite group The Fall, and go back to back with a brilliant new track from my current favourite group Water Damage, taken off their forthcoming album. Plus plenty of cricket chat!

Image this week is a panoramic view of the Eildons, three munros in the Scottish Borders taken from the other side of St.Boswells village where we have been resident for the past two weeks – also known in Latin as Trimontium, the three hills, the name of the Roman fort to be found nearby. Bonkers start to the show this week with crazy riddims from Nyege Nyege Tapes, we got a little jazz slot in the show too, but watch out for the stunning posthumous vocal album from the Ethiopian nun Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru brought to us by that most marvelous of instituions Mississippi Records. www.otwradio.blogspot.com Our reggae&dub specials can be found at our YouTubeChannel @ https://www.youtube.com/@otwotw7299 and also with full playlists at http://otwradio.blogspot.com/2023/07/all-dubs-and-reggae-specials-updated_31.html On the Wire can be heard live on Slack City Radio: slackcity.org.uk at U.K. time 6pm to 8 pm every Sunday and via DAB radio in Greater Manchester, Portsmouth, Brighton and Norwich at the same hours. Steve can be followed/contacted on Twitter/X @SteveBarkerOtW and at stephenjbarker@gmail.com

Another part in our tribute series to the late and most certainly great Crown Prince of reggae, Dennis Emmanuel Brown, this time we visit his work at Studio One with Clement Dodd and his move to work on the Musical Chariot with Derrick Harriott. There will probably be further episodes to come with Dennis’ productions whilst at Joe Gibbs and also, of course, his own brilliant self-produced sides. Not much time for other stuff but we do have dub influenced sets from Argentina and VietNam in the show, once more from the abstract to the orthodox! www.otwradio.blogspot.com Our reggae&dub specials can be found at our YouTubeChannel @ https://www.youtube.com/@otwotw7299 and also with full playlists at http://otwradio.blogspot.com/2023/07/all-dubs-and-reggae-specials-updated_31.html On the Wire can be heard live on Slack City Radio: slackcity.org.uk at U.K. time 6pm to 8 pm every Sunday and via DAB radio in Greater Manchester, Portsmouth, Brighton and Norwich at the same hours. Steve can be followed/contacted on Twitter/X @SteveBarkerOtW and at stephenjbarker@gmail.com

Another part in our tribute series to the late and most certainly great Crown Prince of reggae, Dennis Emmanuel Brown, this time we visit his work at Studio One with Clement Dodd and his move to work on the Musical Chariot with Derrick Harriott. There will probably be further episodes to come with Dennis’ productions whilst at Joe Gibbs and also, of course, his own brilliant self-produced sides. Not much time for other stuff but we do have dub influenced sets from Argentina and VietNam in the show, once more from the abstract to the orthodox! www.otwradio.blogspot.com Our reggae&dub specials can be found at our YouTubeChannel @ https://www.youtube.com/@otwotw7299 and also with full playlists at http://otwradio.blogspot.com/2023/07/all-dubs-and-reggae-specials-updated_31.html On the Wire can be heard live on Slack City Radio: slackcity.org.uk at U.K. time 6pm to 8 pm every Sunday and via DAB radio in Greater Manchester, Portsmouth, Brighton and Norwich at the same hours. Steve can be followed/contacted on Twitter/X @SteveBarkerOtW and at stephenjbarker@gmail.com

An explosion of funk fusion, blues, jazz, retro and original sounds awaits you and special news on Afrocat’s Lost Tracks: Accra to Addis album, recorded on the road from Sicilia!

brand new tracks from somesurprises, Lou Reed, Ariel Kalma + Jeremiah Chiu + Marta Sofia Honer, Danielle Boutet, Joe Davies, Charlie Butler. And plenty of cricket chat

Taking advantage of Fenny being away on his holiday (again!) – doing a reggae/dub show this week, probably next week too as we got to catch up with our tribute series on Dennis Brown. In celebration of Chinese New Year, the Year of the Dragon (see our image this week) we open with a genuine Chinese rocksteady gem from Stephen Cheng, something to do with Bunny Lee reputedly, and maybe Byron Lee too! I used to play this tune out at gigs in China and the crowd always went bonkers. Check the Restless Mashaits tune, their latest album is a collection of dubplates and it’s a total killer. Fred Locks classic Black Star Liner album is revived and we got newly reissued archived material from Lloyd Charmers and Max Romeo. Up from also are new shots from Luke Own at 333 with an Ujama rarity and a killah from Mad Indian Records with Cooly in charge. www.otwradio.blogspot.com Our reggae&dub specials can be found at our YouTubeChannel @ https://www.youtube.com/@otwotw7299 and also with full playlists at http://otwradio.blogspot.com/2023/07/all-dubs-and-reggae-specials-updated_31.html On the Wire can be heard live on Slack City Radio: slackcity.org.uk at U.K. time 6pm to 8 pm every Sunday and via DAB radio in Greater Manchester, Portsmouth, Brighton and Norwich at the same hours. Steve can be followed/contacted on Twitter/X @SteveBarkerOtW and at stephenjbarker@gmail.com

Taking advantage of Fenny being away on his holiday (again!) – doing a reggae/dub show this week, probably next week too as we got to catch up with our tribute series on Dennis Brown. In celebration of Chinese New Year, the Year of the Dragon (see our image this week) we open with a genuine Chinese rocksteady gem from Stephen Cheng, something to do with Bunny Lee reputedly, and maybe Byron Lee too! I used to play this tune out at gigs in China and the crowd always went bonkers. Check the Restless Mashaits tune, their latest album is a collection of dubplates and it’s a total killer. Fred Locks classic Black Star Liner album is revived and we got newly reissued archived material from Lloyd Charmers and Max Romeo. Up from also are new shots from Luke Own at 333 with an Ujama rarity and a killah from Mad Indian Records with Cooly in charge. www.otwradio.blogspot.com Our reggae&dub specials can be found at our YouTubeChannel @ https://www.youtube.com/@otwotw7299 and also with full playlists at http://otwradio.blogspot.com/2023/07/all-dubs-and-reggae-specials-updated_31.html On the Wire can be heard live on Slack City Radio: slackcity.org.uk at U.K. time 6pm to 8 pm every Sunday and via DAB radio in Greater Manchester, Portsmouth, Brighton and Norwich at the same hours. Steve can be followed/contacted on Twitter/X @SteveBarkerOtW and at stephenjbarker@gmail.com