Height Zone World 61. My guest this week is Jumbled, aka John Bachman. He’s an excellent producer and the man behind the Harford and Reckord tape label. He’s also a Baltimore City high school teacher. We’ve known each other for a while, and I was amped to get him in the mix.

He tells me about growing up on a farm in Harford County, and the unique perspective he gained from his upbringing. We talk about his shift from playing in punk bands to rapping, and another shift from rapping to producing. We also talk about his entry into the world of Baltimore club music, by way of his new Club Classics album.

Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to Channel Live’s Station Identification. This episode is hosted by Splice Today.

http://www.splicetoday.com/music/splice-presents-height-zone-world-ep-61-jumbled-harford-and-reckord

My guest this week is Matt Greenfield. He recently directed Destroy Cleveland, a documentary about the Cleveland hardcore scene in the 80’s. Matt has spent years making music as MC Homeless and as Peaks, Ohio. We first met when our tours crossed paths in Pittsburgh in 2005, and I was amped to get the scoop on his whole career.

He tells me about his early years playing hip-hop shows in the rust belt, and the surprise success of his debut full-length. We discuss the brutality of DIY touring, and his indefinite hiatus from the rap game. We talk about him switching gears to new forms of creativity, and the process of putting this new documentary together.

Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to Schoolly D’s Smoke Some Kill. This episode is hosted by splicetoday.com.
http://www.splicetoday.com/music/splice-presents-height-zone-world-ep-60-matt-greenfield-destroy-cleveland

My guest this week is the legendary Sha-Rock, of Funky Four Plus One. They were one of the biggest hip-hop groups in the era before rap records, and they went on to release classic singles in the late 70’s and early 80’s. She was the first female MC in hip-hop, and they were the first hip-hop group to play on Saturday Night Live. She’s one of my favorite MC’s in the history of rap, and it was honor to have her on the show.

She talks about her initial entrance into hip-hop as a B-girl, and her pioneering use of the echo chamber (which Run-DMC would later cite as an influence). We talk about their journey from packed shows in the Bronx to a sold-out nationwide tour with Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, Sequence, Sugarhill Gang and more. She explains their role in bringing rap shows to the punk rock world for the first time, and the influence they had on groups like The Beastie Boys.

Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to James Brown’s There It Is. This episode is hosted by splicetoday.com.

http://www.splicetoday.com/music/splice-presents-height-zone-world-ep-59-sha-rock-funky-four-plus-one

My guest this week is Dylijens. He’s a member of the Llamadon collective, and the main guy behind Baltimore’s Beet Trip night. We first met at a show in his hometown of Frederick, MD, and I’ve admired his grind ever since.

He tells me about Llamadon’s formation in a defunct Jewish frat house in Pikesville, MD. We talk about their unique approach to touring, and he recaps their recent west coast tour. He breaks down the future he sees for LLamadon, and for Baltimore’s music scene as a whole.

Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to MC Shan’s Born To Be Wild. This episode is hosted by splicetoday.com.

http://www.splicetoday.com/music/splice-presents-height-zone-world-ep-58-dylijens-llamadon-collective

Height Zone World 57. This is part two of my interview with Tom Kessler. Tom is the man behind She Will Rise Media, through which he’s documented hundreds of Baltimore shows. I first met him when he appeared with a camera at my record release show. Tom is a tireless documentarian and supporter of Baltimore music and arts, and I was happy to get his perspective on things.

We talk about some of the local photographers and videographers he admires, and discuss his insecurities about measuring up to them. He explains the game-changing experience he had while filming Acme Corporation’s 24-hour marathon of Samuel Beckett’s “Play.” He breaks down his long-term plan for She Will Rise, which involves Tom writing and directing his own plays. Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to House of Pains’s self-titled debut. This episode is hosted by splicetoday.com.

http://www.splicetoday.com/music/splice-presents-height-zone-world-ep-57-tom-kessler-part-two