This week, Sam takes a look at the second studio album from American alternative rock band the Pixies "Doolittle." Released in 1989, this album quickly became a seminal record in the alternative scene and helped pave the way for many other alternative bands to follow.
This week, Sam takes a look at the cult classic from Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson "Winter in America." Released in 1974, this album was one of the seminal protest records of the mid-70s and is now considered as one of Scott-Heron's best albums.
This week, Sam and Geneva take a look at the debut album from seminal hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest "People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm." Released in 1990, this album helped usher in a new wave of east coast hip hop.
Each year Artspace Aotearoa orbits one question in the company of artists and through exhibitions. In 2024 they ask “do I need territory?” As an artist-led and artist-forward organisation they are beginning the exploration of this question from the perspective of the artist, launching their annual programme with the Aotearoa premier of work by seminal German sculptor Charlotte Posenenske and leading Ngāi Tahu artist Peter Robinson. To hear about 2024 for Artspace and their new show, Frances caught up with director Ruth Buchanan.
Jonny speaks to Danny Haimona (aka Danny D) of Dam Native about the re-issue of one of Aotearoa's seminal hip hop albums Kaupapa Driven Rhymes Uplifted, which happens to be our Album of the Week this week. Originally released in 1997, the album continues to shape approaches to reo Māori rap and contemporary music. Whakarongo mai nei!
Through the Lens: Gendered Reflections is an exhibition of photography by women artists, spanning a period of over 40 years.
The collection includes visual works by alumni of the University of Auckland Waipapa Taumata Rau, including Yvonne Todd, Lisa Reihana, Marti Friedlander, Ann Shelton and Fiona Pardington. The works highlight the seminal role that women have played in the evolution of photography in Aotearoa.
Beth spoke to Ross Deans, Jodie Yawa McMillan and Madi Macdonald about the exhibition and curatorial process.
RSVP to a special preview of Gendered Reflections at Old Government House on October 2nd, 5:30pm: through.the.lens.exhibition@gmail.com.
Happy New Year and with that Walao starts off strong with Co-Host Jaycee showing us demos and his top plays and discoveries from 2025. From Hyperpop to experimental, what a treat!
Tonight's show was actually entirely curated by bFM's own Samuel Harmony, who sent Oto and Jaycee, not just a playlist, but a stack of CDs and Casettes that he collected while he was in Indonesia as part of the New Zealand Delegation attending AXEAN Festival 2025. Whakarongo mai to experience 2 hours of Psych rock, folk, disco and more by Southeast-Asian artists playing at the festival!
On his first Jazz Show for 2026, after opening with a classic mid-70's ECM opus from guitarist Ralph Towner, Def Jim offers a feast of Free Jazz and free-ish jazz to delight the auditory senses of those with open ears and perhaps a little courage. From seminal mid-80's works by legendary Detroit pioneers Griot Galaxy and friends (incidentally featured in the December 2025 edition of UK magazine The Wire) through drummer Gerry Hemingway's 90's European Quintet, an outstanding mid-noughties live cut from the second incarnation of David Liebman & Richie Beirach vehicle Quest to new and recent releases from veteran Chicago reedsman Henry Threadgill, Shaman-guitarist Tisziji Munoz and piano visionary Matthew Shipp, this Show has a tilt at freedom in all its guises. And then there's the tracks in between... all in all, true nourishment indeed for intrepid musical souls.
In Hour 1 we're joined by Steven Rutter from B12, the label and production duo that also features Mike Golding, who were at the forefront of the UK Techno scene in the early 90's, inspired by the sounds coming out of Detroit at the time. They were signed by Warp featuring on the seminal Artificial Intelligence series (alongside Aphex Twin, Richie Hawtin, The Black Dog and Autechre) and their classic Electro-Soma from 1993 was reissued last year and he has a new album coming out on his FireScope label in March. He told us;
"When I was asked to do a mix ; I got kinda nervous as I have never done one of these before .. I am only a bedroom mixer … and certainly doing something like this was a bit frightening. I don’t pretend to be cutting edge or really listen to much new music. Although I own and run my label FireScope Records, this is not an issue for me personally. Anyhow, so I just allowed my mind to go back to the days of standing by the window in my bedsit, situated in Walthamstow east London and I dug out the tunes that I loved then and still love today. I also cheekily included 3 FireScope records tunes too :-) but none of my own recent solo releases !!!
I was no longer 51 years old ; but a bright eyes bushy-tailed music nut, and the mix just put itself together as my hand and ears were once again guided by my higher power. I hope you will enjoy this selection. Thank you to each and everyone that has supported me through the years as I start developing my own solo identity going forward.
I just played Berghain New Years Eve ; a massive club, it was wonderful and the people loved it. It was in the Halle AM ambient room and there were some B12 beats going on in there. In contrast to this, I will be playing a very small gig in May for my friends at Touched music where all proceeds go to McMillan Cancer Support - Touched is a cause I am constantly working with, having given them their first vinyl release last year :-)
November 2017 was a good month for me ; I released FS009 - Steven Rutter - From Me To You - on my FireScope records label and for the first time I used my name as the artist name it was well received ; and sometime probably March ; my solo album (cat no. FS012) will be out there."
In Hour 2 it's Bearcubs the solo project from 26 year old electronic artist Jack Ritchie. Over the past 3 years, Bearcubs has honed in on a distinctly unique blend of emotive electronic music, future garage and lofi house music in his meticulously crafted productions. With two singles and two highly acclaimed EPs ‘Chroma’ and ‘Underwaterfall’ that have seen him heavily championed by the likes of Annie Mac, MistaJam and Huw Stephens on BBC Radio 1, Bearcubs announces the release of his debut full-length album ‘Ultraviolet’ for a March 2018 release. He had this to say;
'The mix is a collection of dance music from the 90's to the present that is inspiring my own music making at the moment. There's some unreleased tunes in there and also some Memphis rap tunes that I've been listening to from dusty tapes posted on youtube. It's kind of supposed to be a late night London soundtrack with some unexpected moments.'
95bFM