No Tags

Latest Episodes:

03: CCL, international selector of mystery Dec 21, 2023

Show notes

A true DJ’s DJ, CCL is typical of the kind of artist we both admire: someone with reassuringly broad taste, a lifelong affinity with the underground and a winningly self-deprecating sense of humour.

After obsessing over their recorded mixes for ages we realised we knew almost nothing about Ceci the person. Turns out, there’s much to tell – with past lives in Moscow, Rome, Bristol and Seattle, their life story veers from elite dance schools to cider-swilling student nights via stints as a festival booker, trainee coder and crisis hotline staffer.

We sat down with Ceci between two London gigs for a great IRL conversation, going deep on the intricacies (and flaws!) of Rekordbox, the politics of DJ collectives, the dynamics of queer dancefloors, the importance of digital archiving and more, all threaded through their unique life story.

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02: Sorry Records, keepers of the dance music flame Dec 07, 2023

Show notes

For the second episode of No Tags, Chal & Tom meet Nick Boyd and Tony G, the duo behind one of the underground’s best dance labels.

We talked about why a record label in 2023 needs to do more than just release good record, the increasing corporatisation of the underground, acid epiphanies, Boiler Room, the music press and this episode’s main theme: the network of underground dance music in North America that ultimately drives Nick and Tony's mission. This is the Sorry Records story to date — but it’s also much more than that.

Thanks for listening to No Tags. If you like what we do, consider following us on Substack and social media (we're @notagspodcast everywhere) - or rating, subscribing and reviewing No Tags on your podcast app of choice.

Get full access to No Tags at notagspodcast.substack.com/subscribe

01: JK & Bempah, chronicling UK street music Nov 30, 2023

Show notes

For the first episode of No Tags, Chal and Tom meet JK & Bempah, hosts of NTS's go-to rap show and true scholars of street music.

Early champions of everyone from Pop Smoke to Jim Legxacy, their weekly radio show is a must for anyone with even a passing interest in rap music from either side of the Atlantic. We spoke about their story so far, the Met Police’s treatment of drill artists, whether Central Cee can go all the way, the lack of breakout stars in 2023 and something called The Theory of Him, which you’ll just have to let them explain.

Get full access to No Tags at notagspodcast.substack.com/subscribe