Letter #137 🎛
Love Will Save The Day
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21.05.21
Hey, hello, hi, hi...
How are you? I hope you’re good. The sun is out! The rain is out! The wind is out! The UK is currently experiencing at least three seasons every day. I hope you're all staying cool / dry / sheltered wherever you are.
Before I get started, I wanted to mention my little, erm, experiment last week. Overall feedback from you; written story = good, audiobook version = weird. Gotcha. Won't do that again in a hurry! Hahaha. Although I might come back with more fiction in the future, but just less invasive next time. Bit more discreet, maybe.
I've been really busy the last few weeks, after accidentally launching Common People, an initiative aimed at making common people more common in the creative industries. So if you're working class or from a working class background and working in the creative industries / wanting to work in the creative industries, please get in touch, I've got something great for you.
Now, the next news; the Love Will Save The Day party is on. On the 2nd of July, to be specific. In a tiny basement with a red light, and a ridiculous sound system. There's no poster, no social media, nor flyers, no cover to pay, and it's super limited on space. The capacity is max. 50, and already we're down to a dozen spaces left. If you'd like to come and have a dance with us, please message me here ASAP. You'll have to make your own way there (it's in Essex, right by a train station), but there'll be a bus running back to London on the night. I'd love us to all have a dance together ❤️.
This week we're incredibly lucky to be joined by none other than DJ, producer, and writer Harold Heath, who's put together a brilliant mixtape full of bangers (from Yusef Lateef, to Fleetwood Mac, and on to Crooked Man!), and spent some time chatting to me on the podcast about his life in music (and going from an unknown DJ to a small-time DJ), as well as talking about the music that he's chosen, and his brilliant new book, Long Relationships. He made for amazing company, and his book is excellent, so come through and have a listen and a read!
Stay safe, stay happy, and stay in touch.
See you on the dancefloor,
Jed x
PS. If you're new then this is how it works. Here’s what you’ve missed so far. And this is me.
PPS. If you're still reading this bit here, then would you mind sending this email on to a few friends that might like it? Or tweeting or posting on on Facebook about it?
🌪 TL;DR Section 🌪
The TL;DR Section is a little different at the moment, as I've been trying to read more books, so naturally my other reading has shrunk a little.
What I've just read
What I'm about to read
Some extras
Lockdown FM: Broadcasting In A Pandemic charts the cultural response to lockdown across worldwide.fm and the extensive global community of musicians, DJs and artists that surround it. Do not sleep! (support worldwide.fm here)
Kai Alce is one of my favourite producers, and he's put together an excellent Larry Heard tribute mix for Stamp The Wax (buy Kai Alce's work here)
This Soul Bamboo show on NTS looks at the introduction of traditional Japanese instruments into jazz (support NTS here)
Alif Ibrahim has put together a great primer on NFTs for It's Nice That (support INT here, follow Alif here)
This weekend I'll be watching Sisters With Transistors
Adam Quarshie's interview with Sons of Kemet for tQ is great. (Buy Sons of Kemet here, support tQ here)
I also loved Marcus J. Moore's feature on Shabaka Hutchings for Esquire, too
Tajah Ware uncovers the realities of music industry jobs for Pigeon's and Planes
MidnightRoba's latest show for worldwide.fm was real nice (support MidnightRoba here)
Ray Philp has gone long on Leon Vynehall's Rare, Forever as part of the On Cue series for DJ Mag, with bonus mention of Max Sztyber (hi Max!), and a mix from Vynehall too (buy Vynehall's work here, follow Ray Philp here)
The wonderful Jaymie Silk goes through his new album track by track for Attack Magazine (buy it here, support Attack Magazine here)
Daisy Brown has written about her experiences as a working class student at CSM, for Elephant (follow her work on Instagram here, subscribe to Elephant here)
The team behind Black Bandcamp have relaunched it as Black Artist Database (support here)
Anti-racism resources
Akala’s Native’s
Reni Eddo-Lodge’s Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race
Afua Hirsch’s Brit(ish)
🙋🏻♂️ Driving Change 🙋🏻♂️
Platforming; If you are black, a POC, or you're a person that has been marginalised, and you would like to guest edit an edition of Love Will Save The Day, please get in touch with me. I want to ensure that your voice is heard. Just reply to this email.
Mentoring; As a senior white man in a media agency, I hold a very privileged position. If you, or any one that you know, is interested in a career in advertising or media and needs a mentor and/or a leg-up, please contact me / get them to contact me at jed.hallam@initiative.com
📖 Old notes 📖
Notes on culture
Rebuilding culture: fixing the asymmetry of art, culture, and commerce
A response to the argument that culture is boring these days
Notes on music
Notes on mental health
📃 The tracklist 📃
Yusef Lateef - Like It Is
Archie Whitewater - Cross Country
Nina Simone - Tell It Like It Is
Luke Temple - Florida
Matthew Jay - Please Don't Send Me Away (bent remix)
Common Saints - Lovesong
Blood Orange - Charcoal Baby
Khruangbin - Time (You and I)
The Dynamics - Miss You (long edit)
Mayer Hawthorne - Maybe So, Maybe No
Joe Bataan - Call My Name
Odyssey - Battened Ships
Fleetwood Mac - Keep On Going
The Hollies - Draggin' My Heels (special disco version)
Chaka Khan - Love Has Fallen On Me
David Harks - Susta (Emperor Machine vocal mix)
Session Victim - Over and Over
The Phenomenal Handclap Band - Judge Not (Ray Mang's special mix)
Amy Douglas - Never Saw It Coming (Crooked Man remix)
Bruise - Grand Hi
YSE - Bounce Back
Bassfort - Last Night
Blunted Dummies - House For All (Eddie Richards mix)
Make Some Break Some - Nightshift
Fila Brazillia - The Light Of Jesus
Tame Impala - Patience
Folamour - Parfums D'Aurore
Sven Libaek - Solar Flares
Paul Hunter - Peaceful Morning
The Albert - One Life
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See you on the dance floor.
Love Will Save the Day