Author Archives: Dylan Hundley

I spoke with author and filmmaker Jamie Taylor about his new book Studio Electrophonique, which is the amazing story of the home studio in Sheffield that helped launch some of Britain’s most beloved bands.

Sheffield mechanic Ken Patten’s makeshift home studio became the launch pad for a group of young musicians who would shape the futuristic sound of 1980s pop. The Human League, Heaven 17, Pulp, ABC and others made their early recordings with Ken, whose DIY ethic was the perfect fit for a city facing industrial decline but teeming with ideas. Jamie tells his story vividly and beautifully. It’s a real love letter to Sheffield and the era.

Studio Electrophonique arrives in April via the Manchester University Press. I encourage you to visit their site. If you are US based you’ll have to visit an online retailer to find it.

Radar features discussions with artists and industry leaders who are creators and devotees of music and is produced by Dylan Hundley and The Vinyl District. Dylan Hundley is an artist and performer, and the co-creator and lead singer of Lulu Lewis and all things at Darling Black. She co-curates and hosts Salon Lulu which is a New York based multidisciplinary performance series. She is also a cast member of the iconic New York film Metropolitan.

When two artists, a label manager, and a PhD in chemical engineering (who is also one of the artists) start a vinyl pressing plant in Pittsburgh and call it Hellbender, it’s pretty cool.

On this episode of Radar I sat down with Pittsburgh native Jeff Betten (Misra Records) and musician/ entrepreneur Matt Dowling (SWOLL, bassist of Burial Waves) who recently opened up a new vinyl plant in Pittsburgh, PA. They both have interesting backgrounds in music, business, and science which are uncommon combinations. They are keeping things artist-friendly at Hellbender by pressing smaller quantities of records and engaging the community by hosting events such as live shows, listening parties, film screenings, and more at the plant.

For more information go to hellbendervinyl.com where you find out more about pressing with them and upcoming events.

Radar features discussions with artists and industry leaders who are creators and devotees of music and is produced by Dylan Hundley and The Vinyl District. Dylan Hundley is an artist and performer, and the co-creator and lead singer of Lulu Lewis and all things at Darling Black. She co-curates and hosts Salon Lulu which is a New York based multidisciplinary performance series. She is also a cast member of the iconic New York film Metropolitan.

PHOTO: GODLIS | I recently spoke with Cynthia Sley, the iconic frontwoman of Bush Tetras, the legendary NYC art-punk band that helped define the downtown underground scene of the late ’70s and early ’80s.

Cynthia’s distinct image and half-spoken, sharp delivery have undeniably influenced current artists like Florence Shaw of Dry Cleaning.

The band’s overall sound—blending funk, punk, and No Wave with elements of dub and groove—has echoed through every era of post and art-punk revival. Bush Tetras blazed the trail with this sound that can still be heard today.

Cynthia and I discussed her journey from Ohio to New York, the electric energy of the late-’70s East Village where art thrived with no limits, and the evolution of Bush Tetras up to today. For more information, upcoming show dates (when announced), and vinyl, visit Wharf Cat Records.

Radar features discussions with artists and industry leaders who are creators and devotees of music and is produced by Dylan Hundley and The Vinyl District. Dylan Hundley is an artist and performer, and the co-creator and lead singer of Lulu Lewis and all things at Darling Black. She co-curates and hosts Salon Lulu which is a New York based multidisciplinary performance series. She is also a cast member of the iconic New York film Metropolitan.

PHOTO: STEPHEN ZEIGLER | Julia Gorton started her career as the photographer, creative director, and publisher of the No Wave fanzine Beat It!, which offered an insider’s view of the downtown New York music scene, 1976–1980.

She recently published a compilation of issues and her book, Nowhere New York offers a visceral view of the scene through her photographs, writing, and guest essays.

She was an integral member of this era and photographed the gritty and electric energy of James Chance, The Dead Boys, Devo, and Lydia Lunch plus many more all within the context of the scene as a whole.

Julia and I sat down recently and discussed when she first picked up a camera, her evolution as an artist and member of alt culture, along with her time on the downtown music scene of New York in the prime punk and No Wave era. We also discuss current perspectives on her continuing work.

Dylan Hundley is an artist and performer. She is the co-creator and lead singer of Lulu Lewis and creator of all things at Darling Black. She co-curates and hosts Salon Lulu which is a New York based multidisciplinary performance series. She is also a cast member of the iconic New York film Metropolitan.

On this episode of Radar I had the distinct pleasure of speaking with Marshall Allen of the Sun Ra Arakestra.

Marshall was born on May 25th, 1924 and is coming up on his 101st birthday. He is a multi-instrumentalist and the most revered and distinctive free jazz, avant-garde alto saxophone player. He also performs on flute, oboe, piccolo, and the EVI. Marshall is best known for his work with Sun Ra, having recorded and performed mostly in this context since the late 1950s, and having led The Sun Ra Arkestra since 1995.

We talked about performing for Eisenhower in World War II, his meeting with Sun Ra that resulted in him devoting his life to this work with Sun Ra’s music, plus his philosophies and what Marshall attributes his longevity to.

You can find the Arkestras most recent release, Lights on a Satellite, wherever and however you find your music. You can find Marshall’s new release, New Dawn, in all the same places. Please visit sunraarkestra.com to find tour dates plus much more.

Long live the Sun Ra Arkestra. Space is definitely the place.

Radar features discussions with artists and industry leaders who are creators and devotees of music and is produced by Dylan Hundley and The Vinyl District. Dylan Hundley is an artist and performer, and the co-creator and lead singer of Lulu Lewis and all things at Darling Black. She co-curates and hosts Salon Lulu which is a New York based multidisciplinary performance series. She is also a cast member of the iconic New York film Metropolitan.

I sat down recently with my friend Ryan Lee Crosby who is a Rhode Island based musician, songwriter, producer, and teacher who is best known for his uncanny ability to channel 1930s Mississippi blues as if he arrived to us through a portal.

He combines Hill Country and Bentonia style blues with sounds from India and Africa, and as such is expanding the tradition. He is an incredible musician, a deeply spiritual human, and a good friend.

Ryan and I first met in 2024 while participating in preview shows for the Meadlowlark Festival, including a deeply memorable evening at the hallowed ground of the Levon Helm Studios. We have been friends since meeting and have performed together a few times.

“Of all the world’s musical traditions, the one that speaks to me most directly is the Bentonia style of Delta blues. Something I love about the blues is its timeless ability to express the entire range of the human experience: its brightest joys, deepest sorrows, and everything in between. By listening to the blues, we can learn how to have compassion for ourselves and others. Its lessons are endless.”

Our discussion managed to encapsulate a wide range of the human experience. This is what time with Ryan will produce for anyone who sits to talk with him, spends time with his albums, or attends a show.

Dylan Hundley is an artist and performer, and the co-creator and lead singer of Lulu Lewis and all things at Darling Black. She co-curates and hosts Salon Lulu which is a New York based multidisciplinary performance series. She is also a cast member of the iconic New York film Metropolitan.

Parthenon Huxley is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer largely known for his work with the band ELO Part II (The Orchestra).

Born in Louisiana and raised in Greece and North Carolina, Huxley began his career in the late 1970s, gaining recognition for his solo work as well as collaborations with various artists.

He spent time in the 1970s as staff writer for MCA in New York, released his first solo album on Columbia, spent many years in LA working with a wide range of artists as a producer and guitarist including extensive work with Mark Oliver Everett of The Eels. He has released over ten studio albums and has recently released his memoir entitled Electric Light Odyssey.

Radar features discussions with artists and industry leaders who are creators and devotees of music and is produced by Dylan Hundley and The Vinyl District. Dylan Hundley is an artist and performer, and the co-creator and lead singer of Lulu Lewis and all things at Darling Black. She co-curates and hosts Salon Lulu which is a New York based multidisciplinary performance series. She is also a cast member of the iconic New York film Metropolitan.

PHOTO: DEVON BRISTOL-SHAW | On this episode of Radar, I speak with Oliver Ackermann who is the founder and creator of the Brooklyn-based effects pedal company Death By Audio, and is the guitarist and lead singer for New York-based punk/noise/shoe-gaze band A Place to Bury Strangers.

They have released seven LPs, fourteen EPs, a live album, and more singles than I can count. They are prolific and committed to the cause. Their most recent is called Synthesizer (Dedstrange). It is a wonderful record that also comes in a limited edition series of LPs where the album cover itself doubles as a circuit board and functional synth for curious and enterprising fans. “It’s pretty messed up and chaotic. But it feels really human,” says Oliver. “In an era of making music where so little is DIY and so much is left up to AI, never setting foot in a practice room or a home studio, making something that feels deliberately chaotic, messy, and human, is entirely the point.”

I had a wonderful time talking about the record with Oliver along with his approach to live shows, his love of art, community, and mixtapes.

Radar features discussions with artists and industry leaders who are creators and devotees of music and is produced by Dylan Hundley and The Vinyl District. Dylan Hundley is an artist and performer, and the co-creator and lead singer of Lulu Lewis and all things at Darling Black. She co-curates and hosts Salon Lulu which is a New York based multidisciplinary performance series. She is also a cast member of the iconic New York film Metropolitan.

Best known for their 1980 hit “Turning Japanese,” The Vapors are a band that formed in 1979 in Guildford, UK which is also home to The Stranglers.

They were brought to a larger UK audience with a support slot on The Jam’s iconic 1979 “Setting Sons” tour, and were by then managed by The Jam’s Bruce Foxton and Paul Weller’s father John. Their debut album spawned several hits including “News At Ten” and” Waiting for the Weekend.” They put out a second album, Magnets in 1981, toured extensively and then broke up. In 2016, they played their first gig in 35 years and have been making records and playing again ever since. I spoke with lead singer and songwriter Dave Fenton about all these things.

The Vapors are releasing their fourth album Wasp in a Jar on February 28, 2025 and have an extensive tour planned. If you go to the band’s website you’ll be able to view the calendar and all other Vapors happenings

Dylan Hundley is an artist and performer. She is the co-creator and lead singer of Lulu Lewis and creator of all things at Darling Black. She co-curates and hosts Salon Lulu which is a New York based multidisciplinary performance series. She is also a cast member of the iconic New York film Metropolitan.

PHOTO: STEPHEN ZEIGLER | Julia Gorton started her career as the photographer, creative director, and publisher of the No Wave fanzine Beat It!, which offered an insider’s view of the downtown New York music scene, 1976–1980.

She recently published a compilation of issues and her book, Nowhere New York offers a visceral view of the scene through her photographs, writing, and guest essays.

She was an integral member of this era and photographed the gritty and electric energy of James Chance, The Dead Boys, Devo, and Lydia Lunch plus many more all within the context of the scene as a whole.

Julia and I sat down recently and discussed when she first picked up a camera, her evolution as an artist and member of alt culture, along with her time on the downtown music scene of New York in the prime punk and No Wave era. We also discuss current perspectives on her continuing work.

Dylan Hundley is an artist and performer. She is the co-creator and lead singer of Lulu Lewis and creator of all things at Darling Black. She co-curates and hosts Salon Lulu which is a New York based multidisciplinary performance series. She is also a cast member of the iconic New York film Metropolitan.