RATS: He's off the air again!!
Most of the time, the music I like lies somewhere near (but not exclusively limited to) "electronic techno" or "synth", what is usually found in "miscellaneous" or "new age" sections of less well informed CD stores. I prefer either instrumental music or, if there are words, I will abide them only if they are in a language I can't understand, so that my train of thought is uninterrupted. Background sounds, yes, but with an edge, an alien quality about them that encourages thinking in unusual directions, thus stimulating the creative juices and allowing my mind to roam.
--Nowadays sadly, radio stations tend to specialize and to categorize. There are different stations for classic rock, hard rock, soft rock, rap, hip-hop, etc. With few exceptions, songs tend to be short and sets of a few at most are interspersed with commercial breaks. If your favorite tunes are too long (and don't provide broadcasters with enough time for commercial breaks) you're out of luck. If the music you prefer doesn't fit in a named category, if it falls between the cracks so to speak, it doesn't get played! Naturally, most of the stuff I like fits in this "other" category.
Space Pirate Radio is that rare show that plays long pieces, long sets and strange, dare I say "foreign" sounds. But to get away with this on a commercial station, he has to buy blocks of air time in advance. Since he eschews commercial breaks he depends largely on listener support to survive without disruptions to the musical stream-of-consciousness.
Guy "Space Pirate" Guden has been on and off of various radio stations in the Santa Barbara, CA area for nearly 25 years. After the latest 3 year hiatus, the show has at last found a new home on KTYD. (WARNING: DO NOT LINK to their "News" area: I got hit by 33 cookies!!!) This station has an interesting history and it was some years ago that it fell behind the times musically speaking. The inclusion of Space Pirate in its line-up is great news!
In addition to music, Space Pirate Radio has an ample smattering of weirdness, including visitations from the infamous Micky Mafiosa and Chef Bruno Languini. Occasionally one can also hear snippets from The Goon Show and a number of colossally bad movies...
If you want to have a listen, set your FM dial to: 99.9 and tune in from Sunday midnight to Monday, 5:AM. If you like what you hear, let the station know (management is pretty clueless about this kind of music...)!
If you want a copy of the weekly Play Lists, you'll have to subscribe (hey, be nice: the show is getting by on a shoe string!!). To give you some idea of the kind of groups that are featured on the show, following are hyperlinks to a few of my favorites... Some have audio samples, too.
(By the way, webbies, Ghostland is a great place to go searching for URLs of progressive bands...)
To request information on becoming a listener-supporter, aka a "Space Pirate Radio Astronomer", which also entitles you to:
-OR- email me and I'll forward a printout to Guy when I get a chance (he had to sell his computer to keep the show going!!!)