Devil’s Dancers (2016-Present)

An episodic history of synthesized sounds with Nina Kehagia, broadcast monthly.

Nina’s Notes:

“Devil’s Dancers" began as a one-off 5-episode series with the tagline "Whatever comes tomorrow, happened yesterday” (whyyy?!). For those who aren’t aware, the title is inspired by the song with the same title by Oppenheimer Analysis (which was also the first release on the New York-based Minimal Wave label).

The idea was to investigate various eras of synthesizer music in different locations around the world, featuring interviews with pioneers, specialists, and music lovers. After the 5 episodes came to an end, I realized that I had missed being on the radio, but I also knew that running a weekly show was quite demanding, so I continued to run one-off episodes when I had the time. Many of these early episodes were quite geeky, so I decided to tone down the ‘Let the Synths Begin’ tagline and stop broadcasting as if it were an academic journal.

Since 2018, the episodes have been broadcast more regularly, and in 2019, the show began airing monthly on the 2nd Monday of each month. I figured it was time to tone down my obsession with Retromania and 80s synths and spotlight what’s happening in the present- kinda like how I kicked off my early shows on Resonance FM back in 2005.

Today, Devil’s Dancers delivers new electronic music monthly and features conversations with both emerging talent and established artists.

Selected Episodes

  • With Veronica Vasicka (Minimal Wave/Citirax)

    Nina chats to radio and club DJ and founder of Minimal Wave Records, Veronica Vasicka.

    [Interview with Veronica starts at 12:46]

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  • With Kokoko! (Sònar 2018)

    KOKOKO!, is an incredible group project that fuses DIY constructed instruments and synthesizers with African and Arabic sounds. The project involves a group of musicians from the Ngwaka neighbourhood, a psychedelic electronic formation playing repetitive patterns crafted on self designed string instruments and other percussive inventions made from recycled scrap material.

    Listen

  • With Laurent Garnier (Sònar 2016)

    French producer Laurent Garnier discusses the reason that 1980s electronic music contributed to the evolution of electronic music. This episode is a a ride through Synth Music; From Minimal Synth and Italo Disco, to House and Techno.

    [Interview with Laurent Garnier starts at 20:19]

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  • With Lena Platonos

    Platonos and the Re-issues; Greek electronic music pioneer Lena Platonos sends messages from her studio in Greece.

    Dark Entries, Minimal Wave, Mannequin Records. How record labels revived and promote 80s electronic music. Why are re-issues expensive and who is buying them.

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  • With Dr Susan Rogers (Sònar+D 2018)

    Devil's Dancers episode 13: music, cognition and the synth sounds of Prince. Tonight's show hosts an interview with Susan Rogers, former sound engineer for Prince, recording sessions for albums including Sign 'o the Times and Purple Rain, and producer for artists such as David Byrne and Tricky. Currently a lecturer and researcher at Berkeley University, Rogers is focusing on the perception of musical signals, auditory development and how brain interacts with music.

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  • With DJ Scotch Egg & Lord Spikeheart (DUMA)

    Nina speaks to DJ Scotch Egg and Lord Spikeheart (DUMA) about their collaboration on DJ Scotch Egg's new album, Tewari, conceived in a residency in Uganda at Nyege Nyege - a collective in Kampala that promotes outsider music, primarily electronic, by African artists. Plus, a brand new track from Agoria, What if the Dead Dream (feat. Ela Minus).

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Nous Talks

(2013-2019)

“Nous Talks" was a series of music and cultural events, talks, and workshops curated by Nina. Some of these events were held in association with Half Baked. The name transitioned from HBW to Room44 before finally settling on NT. Artists were invited to engage in open discussions, exploring music, social, and cultural topics, and sharing their personal and professional experiences. The topics were selected by the guests or developed collaboratively and the sessions included video presentations, readings, and music production dive-ins. The audience also had the opportunity to interact directly with our guests through Q&A sessions. Guests included Daniel Miller, Matthew Herbert, Andrew Weatherall, Perc, Kate Simko, Mike Huckaby, and Patrice Scott. Nina has also curated talks and workshops with music industry executives, music archivists, DJs, and producers for a well-known music education institution.

  • Matthew Herbert (Accidental)

  • Daniel Miller (Mute Records)

  • Kate Simko

  • Andrew Weatherall

  • Mike Huckaby

  • Kate Simko

  • Matthew Herbert

  • Mike Huckaby (Workshop)

  • Andrew Weatherall

  • Perc

Process:Minimal (2005-2010) & Nous Talks (2011-2015)

Nina’s Notes:

The Process: Minimal show aired weekly on Resonance FM from 2005 to 2010, featuring new electronic music, DJ mixes, interviews, and live sessions. Most of the interview archives reside in my old mini disks, as the one-hour-long shows were lost during Resonance's studio move. On Saturdays, I regularly requested interviews with artists, primarily from London's fabric club, and was fortunate to interview emerging and established names, including John Tejada, Octave One, Juan Atkins, Richie Hawtin, Magda, A Guy Called Gerald, Billy Nasty, Isolee, Benno Blome, Pan-Pot, Âme, DJ Sneak.

Additionally, the show featured interviews with a diverse range of artists, such as The Liars, Dalek, Barbara Morgenstern, Pole, Stephen O'Malley (of Sunn O)))), Senor Coconut, Argenis Brito, Schneider TM, Tracey Thorn, Spatial, Luomo, Brandt Brauer Frick, Cornelius, Mouse On Mars, Tiger & Woods, Yosi Horikawa, Little Dragon, and many more.

Process: Minimal ended when I left my job at Resonance FM as a studio assistant in 2010. After the end of the show, I continued to produce one-off shows as Nous Talks. It is important to note that the show's inclusion of guests was limited in representation, particularly lacking in women and non-binary artists, something that I try my best to always be mindful of.

  • With Juan Atkins (Metroplex)

    Interview recording with Juan Atkins before is set at fabric in September 2009.

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  • With Tevo Howard

    First broadcast 7 May 2013, Nina Kehagia meets Tevo Howard, one of Chicago's top music producers. He addresses the problems and issues of the community in his neighbourhood in Chicago.

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  • With AYBEE (DEEPBLAK Music)

    Oakland’s producer and visual artist Armon Bazile aka Aybee (Deepblak Recordings)

    First broadcasted: May 16th 2014

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  • Conversations at Freerotation 2015

    Greetings and music picked by Freerotation artists, punters and regulars; Japhy Turner, Rory Donohue, Cary Grace, Wallflower, Tripcode, Dennis Verschoor, Hakim Murphy, Earthdoctor, Dan Bean, XDB, Franklin de Costa, Kirsti Weir, Yuli & Callum, J-lab.

    Listen

  • The Black Dog Interview (for Inverted Audio)

    Martin Dust speaks to Nina about The Black Dog’s 2013 album Tranklements; body of work created as 16 unique and individual tracks.

    Read

  • Process:Minimal event with Jamie Jones & Akiko Kiyama (Athens, 2007)

  • Process: Minimal show with Richie Hawtin & Gaiser mentioned on Resident Advisor

  • Resonance FM

  • Interview: Robert Henke aka Monolake presents Ghosts in Surround at Fabric London | March 1st 2012