Sound Field

Dreamcrusher is a rising star in the world of noise and experimental music. Here our host Linda Diaz meets up with them to talk about their sound and the diverse history of experimental music. From artists like Sun Ra and Julius Eastman to musicians like Wendy Carlos and İlhan Mimaroğlu. We also got to see a socially distanced, life changing Dreamcrusher performance.

Bomba is an ancient genre of resistance from Puerto Rico created by enslaved people on the island over 400 years ago. Recently, bomba music has been a staple of Black Lives Matter protests calling back to its roots as a music of resilience. Linda Diaz & LA Buckner break down bomba's musical and cultural elements. Ivelisse Diaz teaches Linda about bomba singing, and LA learns bomba drum rhythms.

Jersey club is a style of dance music created by Black DJs from New Jersey. Like many other dance genres the music production used to be dominated by men, but today the women of New Jersey are helping to push this genre to new heights. Our host, LA Buckner gets introduced to the world of club music by UNIIQU3. Also, icon DJ Tameil talks us through the historical roots of the Jersey club rhythm.

Hip hop’s foundation and evolution owe itself to jazz. And it’s reciprocal. Jazz has borrowed from all facets of hip hop culture and musical contributions, showing that one of the country’s oldest genres is still young at heart. LA Buckner talks to Karriem Riggins about the Dilla formula. Linda Diaz interviews Lakecia Benjamin about the ways hip hop has influenced her as a jazz saxophonist.

Fela Kuti has inspired musicians from all over the world from Burna Boy and Beyoncé, to Miles Davis. Sound Field dives into the musical genius of Fela's cultural funk. Host LA Buckner speaks to Fela's son and grandson, Femi and Made Kuti about carrying on the legacy of Afrobeat.

Für Elise has become one of the most widely recognizable classical pieces in the world. It has appeared in commercials, movies, and even garbage trucks in Taiwan. So how did it get so popular, and is it overrated?

When we think of editing in music, we might think of quantizing lining up rhythm in an R&B song or autotune fixing the vocals of a pop singer. Many people don’t realize that editing exists in classical recordings as well.