❉ This week: “Ultra-geek deep-dive high-octane Bowie chat par excellence”!
We’re big fans of podcasts here at We Are Cult, and we’re always looking for more shows to subscribe to. So if you’re looking for ear candy, we’re here to help!
This week: Arsalan Mohammad tells us all about his exciting new podcast: AlbumtoAlbum: The David Bowie Album Podcast!
What’s your podcast about?
It’s about David Bowie albums. I find an interesting person who has nominated a Bowie album of their choice to discuss. That’s basically it.
If you had to describe your show in 10 words or less, what would you say?
Ultra-geek deep-dive high-octane Bowie chat par excellence
Which episode would you recommend for a first-time listener? Do you have a favourite episode?
Personally, I would recommend all of them, but for a first timer, Nick Pegg on ‘Never Let Me Down’ would be my favourite, simply because he argues so passionately and entertainingly in defence of a Bowie album I’ve always thought ghastly.
What inspired you to create this podcast?
I wanted to listen to a podcast like this when out walking my dog, so I thought I better make it myself. I am a David Bowie fan and one of the things I like about him is that most of his albums have a unique identity and aesthetic. So when you talk to Bowie fans, they usually have their ‘own’ Bowie LP that was their gateway drug, so to speak. Mine were Low and Pinups. Bowienerds can usually wax eloquent on these albums and for me, as a typical middle aged music nerd, nothing is more pleasurable than chewing over anecdotes, amazing facts, arguing the toss over dodgy tracks, marvelling at our man’s haircut of the time and all that.
Which guests have you had on your podcast so far?
So far, Nicholas Pegg, Charlotte Hatherley and David Quantick. I’m preparing the second batch of podcasts now, and there’s a wonderful collection of people who will be appearing as well as a couple of welcome returning guests.
Who would be your dream guest?
I’d have loved to have Adam Buxton, who is one of my favourite Bowie nerds and would have been wonderful on Bowie’s 60s stuff. He very politely turned me down, unfortunately.
Which equipment do you use for your podcast set-up?
A Røde USB mic, a TASCAM digital 4 track, laptop with GarageBand and as backup, my iPhone mic
What would you say is the best length of time for a podcast episode?
I tend to get bored after about 30 minutes, on average. Need to hear something else after that point, unless the pod is very very good indeed
Which podcasts (other than yours) would you recommend we listen to?
It depends what you like! I can’t go wrong with the aforementioned Adam Buxton. Even if he’s chatting to someone I am not especially interested in, his conversations are always revealing and his jingles, songs and even adverts are hilariously brilliant. A friend recommended ‘The Beef And Dairy’ network which is fantastic as is The Alan Partridge podcast ‘Monkey Tennis’. I personally am the only person in the world who finds ‘My Dad Wrote A Porno’ and ‘Serial’ totally overrated, I think. The new A To Z of David Bowie is a splendid listen. I had no idea they were doing it til we both launched within a week or two of each other. It is wonderfully researched and presented. And I would recommend, for Beatles fans, I Am The Eggpod and sometimes ‘Something About The Beatles’ – the latter I used to enjoy as not only did the two presenter blokes delve into absurdly obscure minutae of Beatleology but they had a really fascinating relationship – I think they actually really disliked each other and would snipe at each other quite a bit. One of them has left now, it’s not half as entertaining to listen to these days.
Where is your podcast available to listen to?
On your usual platforms, Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Radio Public, Audioboom. It’s interesting, the amount of people asking where other than Apple Podcasts they can listen to it. I have to say as a podcaster, Apple are occasionally tiresome to work with. So fussy. My analytics consistently show, though, that the vast majority of listeners come via those chumps from Cupertino.
What is the future of podcasting as a creative medium?
We’re sitting on that point now, where tech for easy production and consumption are almost perfectly matched. Megatitles such as real life crime dramas, self help etc bulk up the numbers, allowing smaller indies a welcoming environment to try out new ideas. But this is the case in English language podcasts. Living in Germany, I am curious to see how non English language podcasts will grow – I find Europeans certainly more cautious about podcasting than people in primarily English speaking territories.
❉ Follow The David Bowie Albums Podcast on Twitter: @albumtoalbum
❉ Download past episodes or subscribe to future episodes of The David Bowie Albums Podcast on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/davidbowie-albumtoalbum/id1355073030?mt=2
❉ Have you got a podcast? Email wearecultcontent@gmail.com if you would like it to be featured.
