Love is the Message: Dance, Music and Counterculture

Latest Episodes:

Flushing the Categories Away: Psychedelic Jazz Nov 18, 2021

Show notes

In this week's episode Tim and Jeremy describe the genres of psychedelic jazz and fusion. Drawing on rock, modal and free jazz and funk, as well as a wider pool of international musics, we hear how artists like Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and Weather Report created - through processes of fusion and fission - a new sound. Tim and Jeremy consider the impact hearing the Grateful Dead had on Miles, the virtuosity and immanence of his trio of fusion albums, and the struggles he had in marketing this new music (with little understanding or help from the label suits).
We also hear about the various psychedelic qualities of the music and musicians, how rock displaced folk and jazz as the countercultural music of the moment, and join the dots between American jazz musicians and the improvisatory brilliance of the Indian Classical tradition.
Tim Lawrence and Jeremy Gilbert are authors, academics, DJs and audiophile dance party organisers. They’ve been friends and collaborators since 1997, teaching together and running parties since 2003. With clubs closed and half their jobs lost to university cuts, they’re inevitably launching a podcast.
Produced and edited by Matt Huxley.
Tune in, Turn on, Get Down!
Tracklist:
Joe Harriott - Mishra Blues
The Grateful Dead - The Other One
Miles Davis - Shhh
Miles Davis - On The Corner
Dorothy Ashby - For Some We Loved
Weather Report - Orange Lady
Les McCann - The Lovers
Herbie Hancock - Raindance
Mahavishnu Orchestra - Birds of Fire

Books:
Phil Freeman - Running the Voodoo Down: The Electric Music of Miles Davis
Kevin Fellezs - Birds of Fire
David Toop - Ocean of Sound

LITM Extra - Afrofuturism pt.1 [excerpt] Nov 11, 2021

Show notes

This is an excerpt of a full length episode currently only available to patrons. To become a patron and support what we're doing from £3 per month, head to www.patreon.com/LoveMessagePod.
In the first few episodes of our new series on Afro-Psychedelia we've mentioned the concept of Afrofuturism a few times, so we wanted to take a moment to record this supplementary patrons-only two-parter outlining exactly what we mean by the term. Beginning with Mark Derry's 1994 book Flame Wars, Tim and Jeremy expound the aesthetic and political components of Afrofuturism to serve as a helpful supplementary text to our main episodes.

Tim and Jeremy cover Detroit Techno and the Belleville 3, the 'Golden Age' of Hip Hop, the particular position of Dub in the Afrofuturist imaginary, and the singular insights of Goldie, along with the antagonisms of Gangsta Rap, white libertarian cyberpunk culture and the politics and economics of the early '90s.

Tim and Jeremy will be back in a fortnight with part two. In the mean time, do leave us a review on Apple podcasts if you can, it really helps us reach more people. Produced and edited by Matt Huxley.

Tracklist:
M500 & 3MB - Jazz is the Teacher
Lee 'Scratch' Perry - Dub Revolutions
Goldie - Inner City Life

Books:
Mark Dery - Flame Wars
John Corbett - Extended Play
Michael Veal - Dub: Soundscapes and Shattered Songs in Jamaican Reggae
Paul Gilroy - The Black Atlantic
Films:
The Last Angel of History

A City Called Heaven: Afro-Psychedelia in Gospel, Reggae, Acid Rock and Funk Nov 04, 2021

Show notes

In the second episode of our third series, Tim and Jeremy describe a psychedelic aesthetic appearing in the transformative and rapturous musics of the American Black church, Rastafarian Jamaica and Nigeria, with reference to Gospel, Juju, Reggae and Funk. They counterpoint this with a strain of musical antipathy with roots in Plato and iterating in radical Protestant tendencies throughout history, while also pointing up the specific and slightly scary millenarianism to the utopias imagined through the tunes discussed.

Tim and Jeremy also spend a good amount of time on the West Coast Acid Rock scene, contemplating the edginess of the sound and it's representation of paranoid psychoactive experiences; the musical expressions of Caribbean Brits in the early '70s; and touch some more on Afro-Futurism, with specific reference to the playful childlike energy of space-facing Parliament-Funkadelic.

Tim Lawrence and Jeremy Gilbert are authors, academics, DJs and audiophile dance party organisers. They’ve been friends and collaborators since 1997, teaching together and running parties since 2003. With clubs closed and half their jobs lost to university cuts, they’re inevitably launching a podcast. Produced and edited by Matt Huxley.
Tune in, Turn on, Get Down!
Tracklist:

Mahalia Jackson - A City Called Heaven
The Staple Singers - This May be the Last Time
The Voices of East Harlem - Shaker Life
Love - Revelation Santana - Toussaint L'Ouverture
Cymande - Dove
King Sunny Adé - 365 Is My Number / The Message
Nairobi Sisters - Promised Land
Parliament - Mothership Connection (Star Child)
and some reading for this week's episode:
Jayna Brown, Black Utopias: Speculative Life and the Music of Other Worlds, Duke UP 2021
Christopher Waterman, Juju: A Social History and Ethnography of an African Popular Music, University of Chicago Press, 1990
Craig Werner, A Change Is Gonna Come: Music, Race and the Soul of America, Canongate 2002

LITM Extra - What We're Listening To, Oct '21 [excerpt] Oct 28, 2021

Show notes

This is an excerpt of a full length episode currently only available to patrons. To become a patron and support what we're doing from £3 per month, head to www.patreon.com/LoveMessagePod.
In this patrons-only bonus episode, Jeremy and Tim have a conversation about what music has been on their turntables recently.
In line with the themes of our new series, Tim and Jeremy have been on an Afro-Psychedelic tip recently. In this show they discuss the relational philosophies of early '70s anti-colonial Africa, the UK's brilliant current strain of psychedelic jazz, and link Floating Points' new release to Vangelis, prog rock and 'Hooked On Classics'.
We also hear excerpts from the only record Hendrix ever produced, consider the importance of vocal records to a party, and hear some sublime House selections to lift your spirits as the weather gets colder. This is part of a rough series of more conversational, unplanned episodes reflecting on what's been on our record players recently and what we've been up to that we'll be releasing to patrons to say thank you for your support.
Produced and edited by Matt Huxley.
The tracks discussed are:

Miriam Makeba - I'mm You'mm We'mm
Floating Points - Promises mvt. 4
Sly & the Family Stone - Everyday People
Bunn Debrett Quintet - Someday
Cat Mother & the All Night Newsboys - Track in A (Nebraska Nights)
Soma World - Want This (feat. Falle)
Phenomenal Handclap Band - Judge Not (Ray Mang Special Mix)
Guided Souls - Freedom's Light
Sofia Kourtesis - La Perla

American Afro-Psychedelia Oct 21, 2021

Show notes

Love is the Message returns with series 3! In our last cluster of episodes, Tim Lawrence and Jeremy Gilbert took a deep look at the musical, social and political currents flowing through New York City from the late '60s to around 1975. This time, they're turning their attention outwards, expanding their analysis of this crucial period of time to include South America, the Caribbean, West Africa and parts of Asia.
In this opening episode of the series, Tim and Jeremy are exploring American examples of Afro-Psychedelia. They begin by defining the term, alongside its close cousin Afro-Futurism. They then discuss the psychedelic experiences of a number of Black American musicians, and interrogate the often misrepresentative history of Black America's involvement in Acid culture. Taking in great musicians like Sun Ra and Hendrix, Tim and Jeremy talk about how both Ancient Egypt and outer space recur as images of alternative and utopian possibilities, and consider the esteem with which jazz musicians of the time held Indian Classical music. We end the show by thinking about the different yet huge legacies of John and Alice Coltrane as spiritual musical innovators.
Tim Lawrence and Jeremy Gilbert are authors, academics, DJs and audiophile dance party organisers. They’ve been friends and collaborators since 1997, teaching together and running parties since 2003. With clubs closed and half their jobs lost to university cuts, they’re inevitably launching a podcast.
Produced and edited by Matt Huxley.

We are committed to making Love is the Message free to everyone who wants it, but if you have the means, please become a supporter by visiting www.patreon.com/LoveMessagePod for as little as £3 a month so we can stay free.
Tune in, Turn on, Get Down!
Tracklist:

Sun Ra - Space is the Place
Robert Johnson - Crossroad Blues
Sun Ra - UFO
John Coltrane - Om pt.1
Jimi Hendix - Valleys of Neptune
Alice Coltrane - Journey in Satchidananda

LITM Extra - 'Love Saves the Day' Reading Series - Chapter 1, part 2. [excerpt] Oct 14, 2021

Show notes

This is an excerpt from a patrons-only LITM Extra episode. To hear the whole thing, as well as conversations between Tim and Jeremy about what they've been listening to, intermittent lectures, listeners' questions and more, visit www.patreon.com/LoveMessagePod to become a patron from £3 a month.
Continuing our ongoing patrons-only reading series, Tim picks up where he left off in his 2004 book 'Love Saves the Day: A History of American Dance Music Culture 1970-1979'. I'm sure you'll all have heard him reference the book the show, and many of you will have read it, so here we present a reading series of the book to compliment the Love is the Message project.
In Chapter 1 part 2, we hear about 'Le Club' and the first discotheques of New York; how a converted church came to be known as The Sanctuary nightclub, and how Francis Grasso scored the gig of DJing there; and we dig into the NYC underbelly to hear about the involvement of the Mafia in the gay bars and clubs of Manhattan.
Thank you for your continued support of the show - we couldn't do it without you.

Expect to hear much more from the book in the coming months, as well as more patrons-only content and a new series of the main show.

Tune in, turn on, get down!

LITM Extra - Listeners' Questions, Oct '21 [excerpt] Oct 07, 2021

Show notes

This is an excerpt from a patrons-only episode. To hear the whole thing, along with accessing lots more LITM Extra content, go to www.patreon.com/LoveMessagePod to become a patron from £3 per month.
In this patrons-only episode of LITM Extra, Tim and Jeremy take questions from you, the listeners. They talk about the portrayal of disco as synthetic music, the misplaced protest of rock musicians and fans against the genre, and dig into the odd phenomenon of the novelty disco single.
Tim and Jeremy also share with us the system components David Mancuso used at the Loft, including amps, turntables and cartridges, and respond to the accusation of retro behaviour.
And to close out, we hear some of our favourite modern disco remixes and learn the how to talk about bangers in Seventies lingo.
Tracklist:
Rick Dees - Disco Duck
Gorillaz - Dare (DFA Remix)
Sandy's Gang - Hungry (Sean P Re-edit)
Loose Joints - Is It All Over My Face (Kon's Duet Mix)
Sister Sledge - Lost in Music

[UNLOCKED] LITM Extra - What We're Listening To, Aug '21 Sep 30, 2021

Show notes

We've unlocked this patrons-only bonus episode from August, in which Jeremy and Tim have a conversation about what music they're listening to at the moment. To hear more of these conversations, along with book readings, lectures, Q&As and (soon) interviews, become a patron from £3 per month by visiting www.patreon.com/LoveMessagePod.
Tim and Jeremy discuss New Orleans hip hop, big edits of legendary tunes, reissue culture, online digging, playfulness in music, and getting back into the saddle of DJing again.
This is part of a rough series of more conversational, unplanned episodes reflecting on what's been on our record players recently and what we've been up to that we'll be releasing to patrons to say thank you for your support.
The tracks discussed are:
Mario Rui Silva - Kazum-zum-zum
Sylvester & the Hot Band - Southern Man
The Invisible Session - People All Around the World, Can Make It
Butch - LSD-25
79ers Gang - 79ers Bout to Blow
Ash Ra Tempel - Ain't No Time For Tears (The Sacred Rhythm Mix)
Muckers - Out of County
If you like the clips we played, we'd encourage you to support the artists and buy the tracks, most of which are available on bandcamp, starting with Out of County! https://muckers.bandcamp.com/releases
Produced and edited by Matt Huxley.

LITM Extra - Live Conversations Recording 10th Sept. [excerpt] Sep 23, 2021

Show notes

This is the an excerpt from the audio of our first patrons-only 'Live Conversations' between ourselves and our patrons, which took place over Zoom on the 10th September. To hear the whole thing, and to participate in the next one, along with accessing lots more LITM Extra content, go to www.patreon.com/LoveMessagePod to become a patron from £3 per month.
Tim and Jeremy discussed and took questions on Acid, Ecstacy, and the 'downer' drugs; talked about the particulars of the Japanese listening bar culture and it's impact on both their own soundsystem and David Mancuso; and gave their top tip on what is the best amplifier for the Klipshorn speakers.
We also chatted about the role of early internet culture, hear a funny anecdote about David being trolled on Deep House Forum, and reflect more broadly on the Love is the Message project.
Produced and edited by Matt Huxley.
Tune in, Turn on, Get down!

LITM Extra - 'Love Saves the Day' Reading Series: Chapter 1, part 1. [excerpt] Sep 21, 2021

Show notes

In Chapter 1 part 1, we hear about David Mancuso's childhood in the children's home in Utica, New York; his early employment after leaving home; and his first forays into throwing parties in the mid-1960s, featuring two recurring characters from our show, Timothy Leary and Richard Long.

Thank you for your continued support of the show - we couldn't do it without you.

Expect to hear much more from the book in the coming months, as well as more patrons-only content and a new series of the main show.

Tune in, turn on, get down!

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