Remo Notarianni is a British writer and filmmaker. Earlier this year, he won international awards for his documentary The Orphanage for records, featuring record collector Paul Au, who escaped from Vietnam to live in Hong Kong in 1975. Remo has worked on several independent films and published fiction. He has also written widely for Time out and South China Morning post. Remo's film making channel: https://www.youtube.com/@yinogo1The Orphanage for Records film: https://youtu.be/JFf...
Joseph E. Harrison is a British songwriter based in New Zealand. His latest album release, Therapy For A Cynic presses upon the conflictual aspects of life and love. In addition to this album, Joseph is the lead singer for rock band, Tower Of Flints. Previous bands include the shoegaze-inspired and Brave New Void (BNV) who supported international acts such as the The Lemonheads and Pop Will Eat Itself.Joseph is also co-organiser and producer for the Outland Sessions, an annua...
British Songwriter Jane Nicola Douglas delves into her musical travels in Asia. She dialogues into how creativity, truth and trauma can be a navigating tool. Jane Nicola shares three songs from her self-released albums and reflects upon her creative processes.Featured songs include Living Out Rough , Can you hear the World and Existence.About her: Songwriting has been a passion since a child and a large majority of Jane Nicola’s work was produced and engineered by Graeme Holdaway. Jane Nicola...
Ray Dio is a songwriter and promoter from Corpus Christi Texas. Speaking live from The Hole in the Wall, Ray shares some of his creative processes involved in writing his songs. Ray also discusses his ongoing work as a music promoter in Shanghai and more recently beyond. His new album is due out this year and this pod features three special acoustic tracks.Original songs featured:Paint it RedPearls and BonesParadise ParasiteRAY DIO:YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/bjr7gQUtllkSOUNDCLOUD: https:...
Nyameko Ishmael Bottoman is a writer currently based in China. As the editor of Ningbo Focus Magazine, he works to ensure that everyone within the Zhejiang community has their story told. Nyameko's published works include stories that are written for children as well as a book publication about South African folklore. Nyameko now specialises in preserving the Xhosa stories that were passed on to him by his grandma and he shares what has been the key to his success as a writer and an editor in...
Salad’s lead singer Marijne Van der Vlugt spins back to some of the earlier band recordings, which were produced at the Beat Factory studio by Graeme Holdaway. This led to a tour with Blur in the early 90s and a deal with Island Records. Now based in Brighton, a 2016 revival has led to a cacophony of gigs, multiple new releases and independent videography. Band members: Marijne van der Vlugt, Paul Kennedy, Donald Ross Skinner, Jon HuntWebsite: www.saladband.com A...
Tudor Ciocanel is a luthier and teacher from Romania. Since moving to China eight years ago, he teaches local students, and works from his home studio in his spare time. Tudor previously undertook a Masters in the translation of literary text from the University of Bucharest and he specialises in playing finger-style guitar. In this pod you will hear Tudor's original song - Flame Maple Parlor in White. If you would like to get in touch with Tudor:Tudor's Guitar Shop https://reverb.com/s...
Saskia Tomkins is a violinist and a nyckelharpista from the UK and currently living in Canada. Since studying for a B.A. Honours Performing Arts Degree (Jazz) at Middlesex University, London, she has worked as a musician with artists and bands such as Jimmy Bowskill, The Chieftains, Kim Doolittle, Tim Edey, Tim Garland, “Jabbour,” Sonja Kristina (Curved Air), Ron Korb, James McKenty, Crispian Mills (Kula Shaker), “Sultans of String”, Miranda Sykes, “Uriah Heep”, Steáfán Hann...
John Day is a bass player and an arranger and he talks about how he began to arrange music for the Deane Big Band in the UK. In 1996-1996, John studied at Leeds College of Music ( Leeds Conservatoire) and graduated with a Diploma in Jazz and Contemporary Music Degree. He has gigged for jazz festivals and musicals and plays a five string Warwick bass. John also attends yearly jazz courses throughout the UK such as Cardiff Jazz Summer School and CL Jazz weekend which attract a wide range of mus...
Lingxiao Qiu is a concert pianist from Shanghai who began playing at the age of 3 years old. After High School, Lingxiao passed an audition with the Royal Academy of Music and moved to the UK in 2012 where she studied with Nicola Eimer and Colin Stone. Lingxiao later studied with Victor Sangiogior at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She has specialised in playing solo recital and chamber music at many venues which have included Steinway Hall, Shanghai Music Hall, Nine Trees Art Cent...
In this podcast, Jane Nicola discusses the deeper meaning behind four songs from two different albums. Jane Nicola is a Soul-Folk Artist (UK) and the Producer of The Jane Nicola Soundvibe show (founded May 2022) and is currently based in Shanghai, China. She has lived in the countries of the UK, China, Singapore and Hong Kong. Her 6th independently released album 'Railtrack’ (2018) produced by Graeme Holdaway was recorded at Sky Production studios in Hong Kong. Jane Nicola initial...
This podcast is the second part of a two part series about Music Dish. In this 2nd pod, I speak to Eric De Fontenay, the founder of Music Dish, founded 1997. Eric has booked and toured numerous foreign bands and been involved in numerous cultural arts missions with exportation from Taiwan, Paris and Toronto to New York. Now based in Beijing, Music Dish curates and advocates for local bands. In addition to this, Eric has worked with Mando acts such as May Day and Jolin Tsai a...
This podcast is the first part of a two part series about Music Dish. In this 1st pod, I speak to Eric De Fontenay, the founder of Music Dish, founded 1997. Eric has booked and toured numerous foreign bands and been involved in numerous cultural arts missions with exportation from Taiwan, Paris and Toronto to New York. Now based in Beijing, Music Dish curates and advocates for local bands. In addition to this, Eric has worked with Mando acts such as May Day and Jolin Tsai an...
In this podcast, I speak with Dr. Ryan Thorpe from a quaint teahouse in Shanghai. Thorpe shares what bought him to China and how he founded the Inkwell, a literary collective that holds creative writing workshops in China. In addition to this Thorpe is the director of the writing program at the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute and he also teaches humanities and writing courses. Thorpe has a dual focus PhD from Oklahoma State University in creati...
In this pod, I speak with Dominic Garcia and Jonathan Zhang from Yanyue. Both are currently living in Changzhou, China and they have been working on their new album due out early next year. Inspired by heroes such as Black Sabbath, Metallica, and Pantera, they have stayed true to their origins, but successfully fused Western influences with a Chinese aesthetic. IMPORTANT: Some of the lyrics in this pod are explicit, so if you feel this is not right, please skip this po...
In this podcast, Jane Nicola shares her own journey as an international musician and singer-songwriter from the UK moving out to Asia. In 2009, Jane Nicola left the UK as a means to challenge and inspire her way of being. In this pod, Jane Nicola shares how she lived in the countries of China, Singapore and Hong Kong and continued to create record, gig and create a total of six music albums. Jane Nicola is a Soul-Folk Artist (UK) and the Producer of The Jane Nicola Soundvibe show ...
This podcast is part of a three part series about the work of producer Graeme Holdaway. In this third and continuing pod, Sonja Kristina (Acid Folk/Curved Air) shares her story of how she met and worked with sound engineer Graeme Holdaway, as well as her earlier memories of the Beat Factory Studio, and The Troubadour in Earls Court, London. It all began when Graeme came to meet Sonja in her home with Stewart Copeland (Drummer of the Police). Hear how the first recordings of Acid Folk were cap...
In this second podcast of a (three part series), Marijke Bergkamp and Alex Holdaway, the wife of Graeme and mother of Finlay Holdaway, further reflect upon the life and work of Graeme Holdaway. For several years, Bergkamp and Holdaway co-owned the Beat Factory studio in London which independently oversaw many creative projects. However, a changing market later led Holdaway to excel as a sound technician for venues such as Wigmore Hall and the Houses of Parliament. In addition to this, Holdawa...
In this first pod of a special three part series, I speak to Alex Holdaway and Marijke Bergkamp about producer Graeme Holdaway. Alex was married to Graeme for more than twenty years, up until his death in 2020 and the mother of Finlay Holdaway. In 1984, Marijke co-created the Beat Factory studio in London (with Graeme) that facilitated the beginnings of a variety of musical movements that are still going strong today. This included working with artists such as Damon Albarn (Blur/Seymour...
Indie songwriter John Carroll comes from Limerick, Ireland. However he lives in his newly adopted home Hangzhou, China. In this pod, he candidly shares his story and his music. John has toured throughout the country magnetising audiences around him like that of a Seanchai. Having recorded four albums with Medic records, John skilfully weaves influences of Chinese language and life into his work. Inspired by bands such as Nirvana, Black Sabbath, David Bowie and grunge music, John t...