Stan Radio 04: PAM

PAM is part of the Antinote family in Paris, also known for 'Okonkole Y Trompa', website, Youtube channel, and radio show, which he co-hosts with Satoshi Yamamura. We asked him to contribute a mix for our Stan Radio series and this is what he came up with...

"I was in Denver earlier this year for a friend’s wedding. There, I went to a car boot sale in my friend’s neighbourhood. That’s where I found – amongst other things – a cassette with no other indication than 'California – August 89'. I asked the man who was selling it – and happened to be the tape’s previous owner – what it was.

Here’s more or less what he told me": 'A couple of friends from Uni and I drove all the way to San Diego via LA during summer break. One of them had a setting to record the radio in the car. We thought that recording the music we would listen while driving around would make a good souvenir of this summer trip.

That was a time when there was a lot of interesting independent radio stations that would play demos sent by local bands. I think we recorded one of them that was based in Los Angeles and that broadcasted great House tunes. It was probably one of the first times we heard House Music. That was not something popular on Denver radios yet. The scene here was mostly indie rock.'

"As he had no tape player anymore I offered him to rip the cassette and to send him the files. That’s what I did. I only edited the end of each side and the beginning of side B (basically fading out or cutting when I could to avoid little bits of songs). The levels are not very regular, but the overall sound is OK. The B-Side begins with what might be the house music show from Los Angeles he mentioned.

There are a couple of hits one may recognise. Other songs sound quite lo-fi and they probably are unreleased demos from local bands. Smooth Jazz was 'en vogue' – so were acid basslines – and records were still being played on the airwaves.

Attached is a picture of the cassette". - PAM

Listen here on Soundcloud.