MusicSociety & CulturePhilosophy

Last Things

Charlie Looker

Realms upon realms of eccentric music, culture, and thought

Play

Open in

20 episodes
Avg 2 hr 3 min
English

Episodes 20

Newest Oldest Longest

All20 Unplayed20 In progress0 Played0

Sep 24, 2025 · 1 hr 45 min
Non-Attachment with Angel Deradoorian
Angel Deradoorian is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, member of Decisive Pink, and former member of Dirty Projectors, who explores the worlds of ambient, experimental, drone, and pop structures. We talk about non-attachment, traditional Armenian wind instruments, astrology, the gym above Stockhausen's studio, and genocides. Intro + outro music by Nothing Human 👉 Many thanks to my patrons! Consider becoming one here: https://bit.ly/lastthingspatreon 👉 If you'd like to join my Discord server, you can request an invitation here: https://www.charlielooker.com/join 👉 If you'd like to subscribe to the monthly Last Things newsletter, sign up here: http://eepurl.com/do92G5
May 31, 2025 · 1 hr 8 min
Riffs on the Right with Benjamin Teitelbaum
Benjamin Teitelbaum is an author and professor of musicology and international affairs at CU Boulder. His interests include music, the radical right and geopolitics, reactionary ideology and aesthetics, political theology, and Scandinavian folklore. He is author of War for Eternity: The Return of Traditionalism and the Rise of the Populist Right (Penguin, 2020) and Lions of the North: Sounds of the New Nordic Radical Nationalism (Oxford, 2017). His next book, "Limitless" is forthcoming from Verso. Benjamin and I talk White Nationalist reggae, Julia Kristeva, Swedish folk instruments, Steve Bannon's religiosity, the la-la-la-la-la of Death in June, and the inherent political leftism of language itself. 👉 Many thanks to my patrons! Consider becoming one here: https://www.patreon.com/lastthingspodcast 👉 If you'd like to join my Discord server, you can request an invitation here: https://www.charlielooker.com/join 👉 If you'd like to subscribe to the monthly Last Things newsletter, sign up here: http://eepurl.com/do92G5
May 19, 2025 · 1 hr 44 min
Memeing the pre-Baroque with Pablo Andoni Olabarría (@memieval.music)
Pablo Andoni Olabarría is a Spanish composer and conductor who runs @memieval.music, an Instagram page dedicated exclusively to memes about early music. We talk about Pablo's own drone-based music, the role of the conductor, notation, memory, music before and after the Western Canon, and Ren Faires. 👉 Many thanks to my patrons! Consider becoming one here: patreon.com/lastthingspodcast 👉 If you'd like to join my Discord server, you can request an invitation here: https://www.charlielooker.com/join 👉 If you'd like to subscribe to the monthly Last Things newsletter, sign up here : http://eepurl.com/do92G5
Mar 10, 2025 · 2 hr 2 min
The Horror of Virtuosity with Brandon Lopez
Brandon Lopez is an illustrious contrabassist whose music is known for its "bruising physicality", as well as its hyper-precise execution, exploring the harsh outer limits of his instrument's possibilities. We talk about Fred Moten, avant-garde strains in Latin percussion, the horror of virtuosity, and the evil vortex-apartment we shared a few years back. 👉 Many thanks to my patrons! Consider becoming one here: https://www.patreon.com/lastthingspodcast 👉 If you'd like to join my Discord server, you can request an invitation here: https://www.charlielooker.com/join 👉 If you'd like to subscribe to the monthly Last Things newsletter, sign up here : http://eepurl.com/do92G5
Feb 26, 2025 · 2 hr 7 min
Cursed Tuplets with Calder Hannan (Metal Music Theory)
Calder Hannan is the person behind the YouTube channel Metal Music Theory and the band Florid Ekstasis, and also plays guitar in Aphelion Entity. Calder recently completed his PhD in Music Theory with his dissertation "Tactus Transformations in Metal." He currently teaches music at Columbia and Fordham in New York City. Our conversation touches on the STEM to metal pipeline, how rhythm is viewed in academia, parallax head banging, and hiding your music theory power level. 👉 Many thanks to my patrons! Consider becoming one here: patreon.com/lastthingspodcast 👉 If you'd like to join my Discord server, you can request an invitation here: https://www.charlielooker.com/join 👉 If you'd like to subscribe to the monthly Last Things newsletter, sign up here : http://eepurl.com/do92G5
Feb 6, 2025 · 1 hr 38 min
Saints & Sand with Michael Olivo
Michael Olivo is an American cartoonist, designer, and host of the Blind Shovel podcast. He's been published by Cold Cube Press, Fantagraphics, and Never Press, to name a few. He's also a co-founder of Eternal Wealth, an art fabrication company centered around custom objects and furniture, and the Art Director of the Williams Center, a multi-venue art center located in Rutherford, NJ. We talk about Catholicism, fatherhood, black-and-white morality, respecting symbols, what it means to draw a line, and other beautifully unfashionable topics. Check out Michael's podcast, the Blind Shovel here: https://bit.ly/3WNIlij 👉 Many thanks to my patrons! Consider becoming one here: patreon.com/lastthingspodcast 👉 If you'd like to join my Discord server, you can request an invitation here: https://www.charlielooker.com/join 👉 If you'd like to subscribe to the monthly Last Things newsletter, sign up here : http://eepurl.com/do92G5
Sep 18, 2024 · 2 hr
Temporary Autonomous Zone with PICTUREPLANE
Musician, fashion designer, and visual artist, PICTUREPLANE (aka Travis Egedy) has made a major name for himself over the past decade in the outer limits of global pop culture. His music engages industrial dance, gothic hip-hop, and emotive New Age, while his clothing line, Alien Body, serves up a stylized study of symbology, the occult, and societal decay. We talk about ontological anarchy, DIY spaces, 1990s optimism, Witch House, and Travis' friendship with Lil Peep. 👉 Many thanks to my patrons! Consider becoming one here: patreon.com/lastthingspodcast 👉 If you'd like to join my Discord server, you can request an invitation here: https://www.charlielooker.com/join 👉 If you'd like to subscribe to the monthly Last Things newsletter, sign up here : http://eepurl.com/do92G5
Sep 12, 2024 · 2 hr 5 min
The Occult Source of Freedom with Conner Habib
Conner Habib is a writer and the host of the podcast, Against Everyone with Conner Habib. He's an activist and former porn actor, and he gives lectures around the world on topics as wide-ranging as occultism, James Joyce, sex work, and art. We talk about the cultural/political/economic triad, Freedom, alchemy, Carl Jung's charlatanism, and Conner's new PEN/Faulkner Longlisted debut novel, Hawk Mountain. 👉 Many thanks to my patrons! Consider becoming one here: https://www.patreon.com/lastthingspodcast 👉 If you'd like to join my Discord server, you can request an invitation here: https://www.charlielooker.com/join 👉 If you'd like to subscribe to the monthly Last Things newsletter, sign up here: http://eepurl.com/do92G5
Aug 11, 2024 · 2 hr 7 min
Horace and Pete with Jeremiah Cymerman
Jeremiah Cymerman, the great musician, and my long-time conversation partner, joins me to talk about Louis CK's crushing 2016 TV series, Horace and Pete. We get into fathers and sons, barflies, MeToo, and the N-word. 👉 Many thanks to my patrons! Consider becoming one here: patreon.com/lastthingspodcast 👉 If you'd like to join my Discord server, you can request an invitation here: https://www.charlielooker.com/join 👉 If you'd like to subscribe to the monthly Last Things newsletter, sign up here : http://eepurl.com/do92G5
Jul 26, 2024 · 3 hr 25 min
Hard-Panned Stimming with Uboa
Uboa is the musical vehicle of Xandra Metcalfe, who has spent the better part of a decade dipping into every corner of heavy music. From harsh noise to dark ambient, to glitch, to doom metal, Uboa's eclectic approach to dark music has led her to become a cult figure, particularly online. I talk with Xandra about her extreme compositional and mixing techniques, autism, parasites, Freud, dehumanization, and unwinding your bowels. 👉 Many thanks to my patrons! Consider becoming one here: patreon.com/lastthingspodcast 👉 If you'd like to join my Discord server, you can request an invitation here: https://www.charlielooker.com/join 👉 If you'd like to subscribe to the monthly Last Things newsletter, sign up here : http://eepurl.com/do92G5
Mar 18, 2024 · 2 hr 9 min
A Lifer in Death Rap with Necro
Necro is a true legend of underground rap, pioneer of the death rap sub-genre, renown producer, and inspiring entrepreneur. We talk about his new metal track, being white in rap, Metallica's note choices, jails in Europe, fake Hasidic crackheads, and his complex relationship with his Uncle Howie. 👉 Many thanks to my patrons! Consider becoming one here: patreon.com/lastthingspodcast 👉 If you'd like to join my Discord server, you can request an invitation here: https://www.charlielooker.com/join 👉 If you'd like to subscribe to the monthly Last Things newsletter, sign up here: http://eepurl.com/do92G5
Oct 30, 2023 · 1 hr 35 min
Of Runes and Love with Sean Ragon
Sean Ragon has been active in industrial, and experimental music communities for over fifteen years, and in DIY punk in general going back to the 90s. He's primarily known as the frontman of neofolk collective Cult of Youth, which triumphantly returned from a long hiatus last year. Sean also makes electronic music as Venerence. He's deep in the culture, and his contributions over the years have been truly original and widely respected. Sean and I talk about runic yoga, Asatru, attempting to remain apolitical in polarized scenes, being married by Genesis P-Orridge , Cult of Youth's comeback album, "With Open Arms", and why Sean had to flee America to Berlin. Buy Cult of Youth's recent double LP 'With Open Arms' : https://hospitalproductions.bandcamp.com/album/with-open-arms 👉 Many thanks to my patrons! Consider becoming one here: patreon.com/lastthingspodcast 👉 If you'd like to join my Discord server, you can request an invitation here: https://www.charlielooker.com/join 👉 If you'd like to subscribe to the monthly Last Things newsletter, sign up here: http://eepurl.com/do92G5
Sep 26, 2023 · 2 hr 42 min
Magick and Melodic Morality
Kavus Torabi is a British guitarist, vocalist, and composer, with a long and prolific career in the world of avant-garde rock music. He is known for his collaborative work in the 90s with Monsoon Bassoon, and the 00s with cult math-rock heroes Cardiacs, as well as his solo work as Knifeworld, and under his own name. He's also a member of the current line-up of legendary psych rock band Gong. Kavus and I have been fans of each other's musics for years. Our fun conversation gets into the vibrant artistic family surrounding Cardiacs, melodies that make us angry, psychedelia, autism, and coming to the occult later in life. 👉 Many thanks to my patrons! Consider becoming one here: https://www.patreon.com/lastthingspod.... 👉 If you'd like to join my Discord server, you can request an invitation here: https://www.charlielooker.com/join 👉 If you'd like to subscribe to the monthly Last Things newsletter, sign up here: http://eepurl.com/do92G5
Sep 4, 2023 · 1 hr 45 min
Aesthetics of Annoyance with Justin Pearson (the Locust, Deaf Club)
Justin Pearson has been a vital and prolific force in underground music since the 90s. His many bands, including the Locust, Dead Cross, Head Wound City, and Retox, have made an indelible mark on the canon of heavy music, and his long-running label, Three One G, has been an important platform for numerous like-minded experimentalists. We talk about "Annoying" as a genre, healthy inter-band competition on tour, the uniqueness of the 90s San Diego hardcore scene, and our different experiences at the same Marilyn Manson afterparty. 👉 Many thanks to my patrons! Consider becoming one here: https://www.patreon.com/lastthingspod.... 👉 If you'd like to join my Discord server, you can request an invitation here: https://www.charlielooker.com/join 👉 If you'd like to subscribe to the monthly Last Things newsletter, sign up here: http://eepurl.com/do92G5
Aug 28, 2023 · 2 hr 24 min
Parenthetical Girls' 'Safe As Houses' with Sophie Leetmaa
Musician, visual artist, and actress, Sophie Leetmaa joins me to talk about Parenthetical Girls' art-damaged baroque pop cult classic, 'Safe as Houses' (2006). We get into bloodletting, the Tumblr era, listening to Tori in the bath, music from Popeye, and lore from the unsung 00s micro-scene that spawned P Grrrls. 👉 Many thanks to my patrons! Consider becoming one here: https://www.patreon.com/lastthingspodcast. 👉 If you'd like to join my Discord server, you can request an invitation here: https://www.charlielooker.com/join 👉 If you'd like to subscribe to the monthly Last Things newsletter, sign up here: http://eepurl.com/do92G5
Aug 23, 2023 · 1 hr 46 min
Hydrating the Desiccated Legions in Phonographic Evaluation with Wyattxhim
Wyattxhim's YouTube channel is a rich, one-of-a-kind resource for commentary on black metal, death metal, and all related genres of heavy music. From his album reviews, to iceberg charts, to nuanced video essays, Wyatt's depth of knowledge, humor, and elite taste have been attracting a rapidly-growing following of extreme music cognoscenti. Wyatt and I talk about crying to Peter Sotos, left-wing black metal that's actually good, the purity of old-school YouTubing, and the importance of challenging one's own beliefs. 👉 Many thanks to my patrons! Consider becoming one here: https://www.patreon.com/lastthingspodcast 👉 If you'd like to join my Discord server, you can request an invitation here: https://www.charlielooker.com/join 👉 If you'd like to subscribe to the monthly Last Things newsletter, sign up here: http://eepurl.com/do92G5
Aug 14, 2023 · 2 hr 3 min
Practicing Loss with Nick Podgurski
Nick Podgurski is a musician, artist, educator, and contemplative mentor interested in transformation and the nature of creativity. Since the 00s, he has been growing a truly unique body of work and thought, with his own projects Feast of the Epiphany and New Firmament, and as a collaborator with GRID, Lydia Lunch, Extra Life, and Yukon. Nick and I go way back, to the original line-up of Extra Life. Nick and I talk about practicing loss, George Gurdjieff, and the importance of Something Else. 👉 Many thanks to my PATREON patrons! Consider becoming one here: https://www.patreon.com/lastthingspod... 👉 If you'd like to join my Discord server, you can request an invitation here: https://www.charlielooker.com/join 👉 Sign up for the Last Things Newsletter here : http://eepurl.com/do92G5
Aug 2, 2023 · 2 hr 4 min
The Possessed Synthesizer with Heinali
Heinali is the moniker of Oleh Shpudeiko, a composer from Kyiv, Ukraine, whose work reimagines Medieval music with a modular synthesizer, borrowing techniques from contemporary analog synthesis, generative music, and improvisation. His recent activities have been a highly acclaimed live performance from inside a bomb shelter, and a new Heinali record, Kyiv Eternal. His past projects have included installations and collaborations around the world, and the award-winning music for the video game BOUND. We talk about the hollowed-out sacred, Ukrainian artistic identity, possessed synthesizers, generative music as a garden, the deflation of ambient, music education, and trauma. Check out the new Heinali record here: https://heinali.bandcamp.com/album/ky... 👉 Many thanks to my PATREON patrons! Consider becoming one here: https://www.patreon.com/lastthingspod... 👉 If you'd like to join my Discord server, you can request an invitation here: https://www.charlielooker.com/join 👉 Sign up for the Last Things Newsletter here : http://eepurl.com/do92G5
Jul 24, 2023 · 2 hr 10 min
The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea, with Sam Mickens
Sam Mickens is a singer, guitarist, composer, and performance artist based in Los Angeles, whose powerful, idiosyncratic work brings together sweet soul, glam rock, classical music, comic books, and professional wrestling. His many projects include The Sam Mickens Ecstatic Showband & Revue, his '00s art-rock band, The Dead Science, the theater piece "Kayfabe: Game of Death", and his many recent solo records. Sam and I go deep here on one of our favorite books, Yukio Mishima's "The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea", grappling with death, glory, being a touring musician, capital punishment, The Great Cause, and working out your Seppuku muscles. 👉 Many thanks to my patrons! Consider becoming one here: https://www.patreon.com/lastthingspod... 👉 If you'd like to join my Discord server, you can request an invitation here: https://www.charlielooker.com/join 👉 If you'd like to subscribe to the monthly Last Things newsletter, sign up here: http://eepurl.com/do92G5
Jul 20, 2023 · 2 hr 12 min
Social Death with Patrick Higgins
Patrick Higgins is a composer of experimental music, including works for chamber orchestra, string quartet, percussion ensemble, and his own virtuosic and unique language on guitar and electronic processing. He's been a member of the classic New York avant-garde band ZS since 2012, and his music has been performed around the world. Our conversation gets into Pat's amazing string quartets, the meaning of narrative in instrumental music, opening up space to think differently, his concept of "social death", and the moral valence of making experimental music. 👉 Many thanks to my patrons! Consider becoming one here: https://www.patreon.com/lastthingspodcast 👉 If you'd like to join my Discord server, you can request an invitation here: https://www.charlielooker.com/join 👉 If you'd like to subscribe to the monthly Last Things newsletter, sign up here : http://eepurl.com/do92G5

Showing 1–20 of 20 episodes