Sound Field

What do DJ’s do? It’s a question that’s plagued the internet for years. Are they just pressing buttons or is there more to it? Linda Diaz explores the history of DJing and DJ culture from radio to music festivals. Linda interviews DJ Jarreau Vandal, to discuss the roles DJs fill in music. And Jojo, Sound Field producer and DJ, demonstrates the techniques DJs use to blend songs into each other.

Black musicians have deeply shaped country music, from the banjo’s African roots to modern hits by artists like Beyoncé, Lil Nas X, and Shaboozey. Despite its diverse origins, country music has often overlooked these influences, but that’s changing as more voices are recognized.

How did the theremin go from science fiction movie soundtracks to influencing pop and electronic music as we know it today? Linda Diaz chats with Michelle Moog-Koussa on how the theremin influenced Robert Moog and led to the invention of the first portable synthesizer. Linda also explores how the theremin works and how it is being utilized today with musician Caroline Scruggs.

Sylvester's gospel roots, combined with jazz, rock, and disco, created unforgettable hits like "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)." From his iconic collaborations with Patrick Cowley on tracks like "Dance (Disco Heat)" to his fearless self-expression, Sylvester's legacy as a trailblazer for both music and LGBTQ rights has made him a pioneer in disco music.

Linda Diaz and Joey Hays chat with members of the legendary bands Gwar and Impaler to uncover how metal drew inspiration from horror movies and dark themes to create a theatrically dark vibe.

Diaz and Hays also dig into the 1980s Satanic Panic, when media hysteria and conservative backlash made bands like Black Sabbath and Judas Priest the targets of controversy.

From disco's golden era to its resurgence in modern pop, Jojo and Linda trace the four-on-the-floor pattern's journey through rock, funk, and beyond. They uncover how a beat popularized by drummer Earl Young set the stage for disco and its transformation through electronic instruments in house and techno. They also explore the rhythm's nu-disco revival and its influence on contemporary pop music.

Join Linda Diaz as she ask how modern listening algorithms have impacted our relationship with music we listen to. In this episode, Linda chats with Derrick Gee, a music lover with an online following, to understand how these changes affect listeners. Plus, she explores a record store and a cozy listening bar in NYC, discovering new ways to fall in love with music all over again.

Discover the deep historical roots of Hmong folk singing, a tradition that originated in China and migrated through Southeast Asia to America after the Secret War. We explore Hmong cultural preservation through music, focusing on the styles of lug txaj and kwv txhiaj, which are performed and cherished at community gatherings like the Hmong New Year and weddings.

Linda Diaz sits with the Latin Grammy-nominated Yahritza Y Su Esencia, a band poised to take the Sierreno genre to new heights with their fresh perspective and unique sound. In Watsonville, CA, Linda interviews the rising stars of Revolucion, uncovering the roots and evolution of Sierreño music from its origins in Mexican regional music like banda, corridos and mariachi.