Hi, I’m Brooke Olsen, presenter of Ears Have Ears: Unexplored Territories In Sound – FBi radio’s award-winning experimental music program. Each week Ears Have Ears asks a musician working within the realms of forward-thinking, DIY or experimental music to create an original piece of audio for the show. Generally these come in the form of soundtracks, mixtapes or live in-studio performances. Ears Have Ears also broadcasts the best in new and unusual sounds from across the planet, with a large chunk of that being Australian.
The show has been on-air for almost 2 years and is a joint project/labour of love between myself and Scarlett Di Maio who also produces the show.
In May of this year Scarlett and I started curating ‘Ears Have Ears Presents’, a live series of music events. These run regularly in independent spaces across Sydney and feature a range of experimental musicians from across the country.
This year has really been about radio for me which makes a lovely change – up until ’13 I was Co-Directing independent warehouse space Dirty Shirlows and wrapping up a 2 year stint of Co-Directing Sound Summit festival of Independent and Innovative music. I’m off to the US after FBI’s 10th Birthday to celebrate my new found freedom!
Let’s start from the beginning, do you remember the first time you first heard radio?
The first time I remember hearing radio was in my dad’s car when I was incredibly young and still living in the UK. Catching up on all sorts of awful mainstream music via the internationally syndicated Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 Count Down was pretty commonplace for my younger sister and myself on Sunday night drives.
Incidentally a few months ago I found this rather embarrassing clip of Rick Dees in a show called ‘Dazzle Dancin’ .
For the record, I don’t listen to top 40 music anymore.
Your show Ears Have Ears Unexplored Territories in sound, is not your typical radio show, what does your weekly playlists normally consist of?
We try to feature as much forward-thinking, unusual, DIY and experimental music as we can.
Musically, our playlists span the whole gamut of ‘experimental’ (whatever that means these days) from meticulously constructed, internationally acclaimed sound art to lo-fi, gritty, weirdo drone recorded in a bedroom somewhere nondescript. We’ve played electro-acoustic music, contemporary classical, harsh noise, no wave, post-punk, primitive pop, ambient and many other ‘genres’.
A common thread for me, through all of the music we play is an exploration of new sonic possibilities (hence the tag line ‘Unexplored Territories In Sound’). I feel that all the musicians we play are working beyond traditional notions of ‘music’ or subverting them, even if there is a strong sense of ‘musicality’ to their work. Acts like Sky Needle, Cured Pink, Oneothrix Point Never, Scanner, Footy and Marina Rosenfeld and many others who we have aired on the show have this in common.
What is the longest or most unusual track you’ve played on the show?
Melbourne via Canberra trio Bum Creek’s ‘Radio Play Room 237’ a long-form piece made exclusively for Ears Have Ears is definitely one of the weirdest and funniest. They have a reputation for being as one of the strangest, stupidest and most amazing live bands in VIC.
‘Hur (Tar and Electronic)’ from the 2012 reissued ‘Electronic Music, Tar and Sehtar LP’ by Iranian Dariush Dolat Shahi is one that has really stuck with me. Dariush was creating incredibly contemporary music for his time, even back in 1985. This album blends Iranian folk music with modular synth compositions, radio-phonic work and musique concrete. I can’t even imagine how this would’ve sounded back in ’85 but it sits really well in our current playlists with newer artists working in modular synthesis and musique concrete. Well worth a listen!
When did the musical obsession begin? What did it stem from?
It stemmed from foraging through my mum’s immense record collection when I was a kid which included The Smiths, The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees and Joy Division – I got a pretty early musical introduction!
What was your first experience working in radio?
I was thrown in the deep end a few years before starting at FBi radio on community radio station 2RRR in Gladesville. I’d just completed a radio training course and was supposed to be sitting in on an all female music show appropriately titled ‘The Grrrly Show’ but the regular host was sick that week so I filled in. I stacked the playlist with Bikini Kill, Babes In Toyland, Sleater Kinney etc and ended up co-hosting after that for awhile.
How did you first get involved with FBI?
Originally I was a contributor for ‘Sunday Night at the Movies’ – a radio show which featured experimental audio, radio plays, spoken word on Sunday nights on FBi up until 2011.
The position of Executive Producer came up and I took it. Then I started hosting, formed Ears Have Ears with Scarlett and the rest is history…
After ten years, what would have to change for you to consider leaving FBI?
I never want to leave! FBi is incredible!
For me personally it would be related to what is best for Ears Have Ears and the station. Right now I feel like Scarlett and myself are connected enough to what is happening with experimental music and moreover music locally to be able to properly represent our community of interest on air. If that was to change we would hand the reigns over so that the show would continue to remain relevant!
What do you think separates FBI from other community radio stations?
All community radio stations are different so it’s hard to compare!
FBi volunteers are such a diverse and committed bunch. Every week when I come in to host my show or pop in to collect cds I’ll find a vollie editing an interview (generally at an unsociable hour) or manning the phones and working on the front desk, a presenter or producer labouring over a playlist or digging out info on artists or putting together runsheets. They do all these things for free and purely for the love of it! I think this is pretty amazing considering how busy most FBi-ers are.
FBi is really special in that is it very much connected to what is going on in Sydney. FBi genuinely supports music, arts and culture on air, online and via initiatives like FBi Social and FBi’s Music Open Day. I love this aspect of FBi!
What do you think the most important role of a radio presenter is?
Exposing listeners to new music and encouraging them to actively search it out.
Communicating info about artists, events and releases properly on air so that listeners can find and support these artists.
What do you like most about being a part of the Sydney music community?
It’s unique and constantly evolving.
What local artists should we be listening out for, that have pricked up your ears over the past few weeks?
Sydney based, most recently: Four Door, Ruined Fortune Band, Cassius Select, M.O.B., Teen Ax, Lucy Cliche, Horse MacGyver, Black Vanilla
Australian, most recently: Lakes, Angel Eyes, Sky Needle, Cured Pink, Bushwalking, Multiple Man, The Native Cats, School Girl Report, Regional Curse. (there are many more)!
For the FBI turns 10 celebrations coming up on Sunday 8th September, who are you most looking forward to seeing live? Is there anyone you haven’t seen live that you’re keen to see?
I’m actually really interested in seeing Carriageworks transformed into an FBi birthday party! Carriageworks is such a HUGE space. I can’t wait to see it full of FBi listeners and vollies!
There are so, so many acts on the lineup and it will be hard to catch them all! My picks would be Collarbones, Straight Arrows & Kirin J Callinan.
FBI Turns 10
Sunday 8th September @ Carriageworks, Sydney
First release: $49 or $39 for FBi Supporters
This is an 18+ event.
The Presets
Hermitude
Urthboy
Seekae
Decoder Ring
Spit Syndicate
The Laurels
Thundamentals
The Preatures
Sampology (AV Show)
World’s End Press
Straight Arrows
Collarbones
Naysayer & Gilsun (AV Show)
Zeahorse
Movement
Citizen Kay
HOOPS
Ro Sham Bo
Joyride
Simon Caldwell
Kato
Shantan Wantan Ichiban
Mike Who
Mealo & Space Junk
FBi DJs and more….
