Fenster’s Funky Sevens

Ep 39 - A History of the Remix (1955 - 1992)

A history of the remix; from the avant garde tape loop experiments of the 50s, to the creative expansion of the standard three minute song in the late 60s. And the innovations in DJing and dancefloor dynamics of the 70s, through to the current situation when a remix is now more a statement of the remixer's musical expression that a reinterpretation of the original producer's work.
Featuring  interviews with many of the key characters like Tom Moulton, Mel Cheren and Walter Gibbons,  plus lots of the pivotal tracks that shaped the sound of dance music today. 
Norman Whitfield playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6bRq6ju63svO3C7eSBTW4Q?si=aT-KAms3RYuw9m-1ObNs8Q&pi=sXT7KBhdSdGDO

Ep 38 - Dude Hop Revisited

An update of episodes 24 and 26, where I introduced the genre of Dude Hop, mid 90s alternative rock infused hip hop made by white dudes with hangovers, with some more dude hop songs I've discovered over the last year or so 
 
The Dude Hop Timeline playlist on Spotify
 
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4dNXabIDPDFwQ00UwK06Gr?si=TKt2fWXTQmOkkGSgdsHo3A&pi=idkD9sKhTGeYH
 
The Dude Hop sub Reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/DudeHop
 

Ep 37 - Novelty Rap of the 80s

A selection of sometimes cringe, sometimes cool comedy rap tunes from the early to mid 80s, featuring tunes from England, Scotland, Ireland and The Netherlands

Ep 36 - The Grove Social Club (1967 to 1997)

The Grove was a teenage disco in the Northside of Dublin, Ireland that ran for 30 years, from 1967 to 1997.  and thanks to Cecil Nolan, who was the DJ for that entire time, and the music he played, The Grove became an essential part of the formative years of the tens of thousands of young Northsiders who attended.
In this episode, many of those who were lucky enough to have gone to the Grove share their stories and the music they heard there. 
Links 
Joe Kearns - What is the Grove? 
https://thegrove-jk.blogspot.com/p/memories-of-grove-1973-to-1975-from-2025.html?m=1
The Grove Facebook group 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/4512479386/?ref=share
The Grove radio show on NearFM
https://nearfm.ie/the-grove-show/
Eamonn McCormack's "Kindred Spirits" album
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7IYQbgnmiFhHdnp5WESEQV?si=hYYbsEFpTuWxxMuCwaFtiw
"More Than A Feeling" - RTE documentary on the Grove
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iccATMMFBtM
32a - Irish Film
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPA8aUK3q80
 
 

Ep 35 - CRASH!!

Just in time for Halloween, I cover a dark subject in this episode; the stories of seven plane crashes and the famous musicians who lost their lives in them.

Ep 34 - Spelling Songs

Seven songs thar feature spelling in the lyrics

Ep 33 - From Motown to Boystown: A History of Hi-NRG (1957 to 1989)

From Motown to Boystown: A History of HI-NRG (1957-1989)
 
In this episode I look at the genre of electronic dance music known as Hi-NRG, and how innovators like Giorgio Moroder, Patrick Cowley, Bobby Orlando,  Ian Levine and Fiachra Trench took this form of electronic disco from the dancefloors of gay nightclubs to the pop charts around the world. 
We also trace the origins of this sound back to Hitsville. USA, the home of Motown Records.
Featuring tonnes of music and interviews with the main characters.

Ep 32 - Sound System Culture and its influence on British Music - 1950 to 1991

Jamaican Sound System Culture and its influence on British Music 1950 - 1991 
Using Soul II Soul's massive 1989 hit Back to Life as a starting point we trace how Sound System Culture has played a fundamental part in shaping British Music; taking in early Jamaican Sound Systems and the American RnB t hey preferred, through Ska. Reggae, Roots. Dub, Lover's Rock, and Dancehall. Northern Soul, Jazz Funk, early Electro, Rare Groove, Acid House,  Street Soul, acid Jazz and Trip Hop
Contained lots of great music and interviews with the Musicians,  DJs, Producers. DJs, promoters and Soundmen involved. 

Ep 31 - The Evolution of Dubstep; 1991 to 2011

The story of how dubstep developed; from US Garage to UK Garage, through speed garage, two step, break step and on into grime and dark garage until the underground dubstep sound went overground around 2005 and how it continued to develop into the 2010s.
 
The podcast features tonnes of music, and interviews with the people who created the sound .

Ep 30 - The Origins of Disco: 70s Boston Gay Club Scene

In this episode we explore the origins of disco music in the early 1970s, in the gay dance clubs of Boston; The Other Side and the 1270. 
The episode features excerpts from a series of interviews with first generation disco DJs conducted by Brian Halligan of Boston LGBTQ organisation, the History Project.
In particular I focus on one DJ, Jimmy Stuard, I feel Jimmy's contributions to the craft of DJing have been overlooked. 
 
The History Project YouTube
 
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFZZB_pNhTXOlRAt0i_2Tg
 
Brian Halligan on Bluesky
 
https://bsky.app/profile/briandhalligan.bsky.social
 
 
 
The Other Side Facebook
 
https://www.facebook.com/share/1FiCasptnX/
 
1270 Facebook group
 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/803649106339832/?ref=share
 
 
Steven Burke's Podcast
 
https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/djstevenburke
 
Carol Mitro's podcast
 
https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/carilmitro
 
Bobby Busnach's Mixcloud
 
https://www.mixcloud.com/bobbybusnach/
 
Wendy Hunt's Mixcloud 
 
https://www.mixcloud.com/djwh8/
 
Jimmy Stuard - Live at 12 West - New Year's Eve 1976 (6 hour set)
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6bCL0VB_G8
 
Danae Jacovidis - At Midnight Melody 2
 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wItGs9Dzdxk