Tomorrow I’m off to Beirut for the Share Conference, “a weekend-long public, free and non-commercial hybrid event blending an Internet culture and technology related daytime conference with dynamic cutting-edge music festival by night.” I’ll be doing double duty: a daytime artist talk on Sunday October 7th, and a conference-closing DJ set that night. First time in Lebanon, looking fwd!
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From there I head to Istanbul for the opening of the Istanbul Design Biennial, where we’re taking over a room to install Sufi Plug Ins & John Francis Peters’ Morocco photographs. Beyond Digital by the Bosphorus! Last time I was in Turkey was a dozen years ago, touring with Wax Poetic & Norah Jones before she was (the) Norah Jones. Everyone says the city has changed more than any other in this time, turned ‘hip’, skyrocketed.
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Lest we forget – Last night’s radio now streaming:
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And in today’s news – at 2pm EST I’ll be talking music/tech/tools with Robin Sloan on the occassion of his 24-hour book party live stream.
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Spirit creature from last night’s radio show, drawn by Talacha live in studio:
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Yes Istanbul is moving at lightning speed…I wasn’t there ten years ago but have travelled there every year in the past three, and have noticed massive gentrification, with its benefits and all the gaping pitfalls of rampant commercialization. But it’s a magical place with an overwhelming energy, if you can ignore the horrible politics going on in the backroom. Nevertheless I made some great friends in the music scene there and am currently producing a 48-minute radio documentary for Australia’s ABC Radio National called “Psychedelic Turkey: from Shamans to Nu-Disco”.