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Primer

Maximum Fun

Primer is a music podcast about translation and illumination. Host Christian Dueñas is joined by a different co-host each season to explore a genre of music from outside the English-speaking world. In its debut season, music writer Yosuke Kitazawa (PBS SoCal, Light in the Attic) joins Christian and special guests to explore Japanese City Pop. They celebrate the lives of its artists, explore the cultural and historical context of the songs, and reflect on the impact that music had on listeners everywhere - including personally, as fans. Primer invites both newcomers and crate diggers alike to find their next favorite album and learn more about the music they already love.

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15 episodes
Avg 35 min
English

Episodes 15

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Aug 28, 2024 · 12 min
12. What We Slept On (teaser)
Christian, Producer Richard Robey and Senior Producer Kevin Ferguson all sit down to talk a bit more about the process of making Primer and get into a few artists we didn't get to cover during the regular season.
S1 · E12
Aug 6, 2024 · 33 min
11. What We Learned (Christian & Yosuke)
C & Y sit down in the studio one more time to discuss some of their favorite moments, songs the wish they covered, and finally take a crack at the question "what is city pop?"
S1 · E11
Jul 23, 2024 · 1 min
That's a Wrap! For Now
A special announcement from Christian Dueñas!
S1 · E10
Jul 16, 2024 · 46 min
10. Frogs, Insects, Birds, Harry (Pearl & The Oysters // Haruomi Hosono & Co.)
We sit down with indie-pop duo Pearl & the Oysters to talk about the plentiful homages and quotes on this album, the influence of this record on their sound, and the incredible musicianship on display.
S1 · E9
Jul 9, 2024 · 51 min
09. Music for the Dirt Roads (Wyatt Cenac // Tome Asagami)
Writer and comedian Wyatt Cenac sits down with us to talk about the art of sampling, music transporting us to different places, and the variety of influences on this record.
S1 · E8
Jul 2, 2024 · 40 min
08. Smells Like Fireworks (Jayson Chun // Tatsuro Yamashita)
Dr. Jayson Chun, Japanese and Korean pop culture professor, sits down with us to talk about why city pop resonates with Western listeners, CM songs, and Tatsuro's work with Charles Calello.
S1 · E7
Jun 25, 2024 · 44 min
07. They Lied to Us (Oscar Montoya // Anri)
Oscar Montoya, actor and host of the MaxFun podcast Eurovangelists, joins us to talk about the anime-to-city-pop pipeline, Anri's chances in Eurovision, and that iconic artwork for Timely!!
Jun 20, 2024 · 31 min
Lost Notes: How Fela Kuti Found Afrobeat in LA
We're doing a feed swap today! We would like to introduce you to Lost Notes from KCRW. A music documentary podcast that we feel is in conversation with Primer. This episode focuses on Fela Kuti's time in LA and the creation of his legendary Afrobeat sound. If you like the show, subscribe and tell em Primer sent you!
S1 · E6
Jun 18, 2024 · 42 min
06. Missed Connections (Mark "Frosty" McNeill // Yukihiro Takahashi)
DJ/Curator/Producer Mark "Frosty" McNeill joins us to talk about the European influence in Neuromantic, the process of creating the Pacific Breeze compilations, and how the boom of city pop has affected record labels and artists today.
S1 · E5
Jun 11, 2024 · 37 min
05. Nature Speaks Simply (UMI // Seiko Matsuda)
Singer-songwriter UMI joins us to talk about Matsuda's prolific career, how city pop influences UMI's work, and the joys of karaoke.
S1 · E4
Jun 4, 2024 · 45 min
04. Very 94.7 The Wave (Dam-Funk // Hiroshi Sato)
In 1982, Hiroshi Sato released the album Awakening; a synth-heavy, mostly solo record featuring Canadian-born singer Wendy Matthews. He had a few solo records out by then, but they didn't really pay the bills. He was a working studio musician, laying down piano/keyboard tracks for other artists. He got by, but there was something missing. Thanks partly to the introduction of the LinnDrum, the first commercially available drum machine, he found inspiration to cut another record. And what a legend
S1 · E3
May 28, 2024 · 45 min
03. I Hate the City (Patrick St. Michel // Taeko Onuki)
Music writer Patrick St. Michel joins us to talk about his experience interviewing Taeko Onuki, the incredible personnel on this incredible album, and how ahead of the game SUNSHOWER really was.
S1 · E2
May 21, 2024 · 43 min
02. Gravy Is Shaped Like a Heart (Devendra Banhart // Yasuko Agawa)
Singer-songwriter Devendra Banhart joins us this week to talk about how Gravy sells a beautiful fantasy of Los Angeles, Augie Johnson's work with Yasuko Agawa, and how City Pop affects his own work. Plus, we get on the phone to talk with singer Miki Howard about her work on Gravy and it's recent resurgence in popularity.
S1 · E1
May 21, 2024 · 47 min
01. Crying in the Club (Linda Marigliano // Miki Matsubara)
On our inaugural episode of Primer, radio/tv presenter Linda Marigliano joins us to discuss City Pop icon, Miki Matsubara and her debut record, Pocket Park. We get into the unexpected renewed interest in Mayonaka no Door, the story behind Miki's sudden departure from the music scene, and Linda's personal connection and discovery of City Pop.
S1 · E1
May 6, 2024 · 1 min
Coming soon from Maximum Fun: Primer
Primer is a music podcast about translation and illumination. Host Christian Dueñas is joined by a different co-host each season to explore a genre of music from outside the English-speaking world. In its debut season, music writer Yosuke Kitazawa (PBS SoCal, Light in the Attic) joins Christian and special guests to explore Japanese City Pop. They celebrate the lives of its artists, explore the cultural and historical context of the songs, and reflect on the impact that music had on listeners ev

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