What happens when music becomes so deeply personal that it reshapes the course of your life? Kali Malone joins me to explore this through the lens of The Sacrificial Code, the album that transformed her from an underground experimentalist into one of contemporary composition’s most vital voices.

Malone’s approach to the organ exists in a liminal space—both ancient and futuristic. She explains how recording on a 16th-century instrument for the album’s reissue created radically new interpretations despite the composition remaining unchanged: “The music is strictly composed, but the registration and delivery change its identity so much.” You could read it as a poetic parallel to human evolution—our core essence intact, yet constantly shifting.

We dive into the tension between intuition and discipline, a defining force in her work. In an era of relentless digital noise, Malone advocates for silence as a creative act: “Remove all the layers and all the noise, and you’ll slowly start to hear what you feel, what you want, what you believe in.” It’s a philosophy that resonates far beyond music, speaking to anyone searching for artistic clarity.

From Colorado’s DIY punk scenes to Stockholm’s experimental avant-garde, Malone’s journey reveals the role of artistic communities in shaping sound. Her deep collaborations with Caterina Barbieri and Maria W Horn (both previous guests on Lost and Sound) highlight how musical friendships create “secret languages” that transcend time, breaking down artificial boundaries between traditions.

And when asked what she’d tell her younger self? Without hesitation: “You’re not crazy.” A simple but powerful affirmation for anyone carving their own path—where instinct often feels irrational but, in the end, is the most honest route forward.

If you’re enjoying Lost and Sound, please do subscribe and leave a rating or review on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, or wherever you listen. It really helps to spread the word and support Lost and Sound.

Kali Malone on Instagram

The Sacrificial Code pre-order on Bandcamp

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Lost and Sound is sponsored by Audio-Technica

My BBC World Service radio documentary “The man who smuggled punk rock across the Berlin Wall” is available now on BBC Sounds. Click here to listen.

My book, Coming To Berlin: Global Journeys Into An Electronic Music And Club Culturet Capital is out now on Velocity Press. Click here to find out more.

Lost and Sound title music by Thomas Giddins

Tesfa Williams has been shaping the sound of UK underground music for over two decades. From his early days as Dread D in the Black Ops crew—helping define the sublow sound that fed into grime—to becoming a key figure in UK funky, his journey has always been about pushing bass culture forward.

In this episode of Lost and Sound, Tesfa breaks down the evolution of UK club music, from jungle and garage to grime and beyond. We talk about his early days in West London’s underground scene, the impact of pirate radio, and the industry challenges facing electronic artists today. He also shares the motivations behind his recent name change and how it connects to identity, culture, and artistic evolution.

We also get deep into his latest album, Raves of Future Past—a record that bridges the past and future of UK bass with Tesfa’s signature blend of raw energy and deep musicality. Plus, we explore the fragmentation of today’s music landscape, the struggle for meaningful connection in a digital world, and the importance of community and reclaiming spaces for underground music.

This is an essential listen for anyone passionate about UK club culture, sound system lineage, and the future of bass-driven music.

If you’re enjoying Lost and Sound, please do subscribe and leave a rating or review on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, or wherever you listen. It really helps to spread the word and support Lost and Sound.

Tesfa Williams on Instagram

Beyond Today EP by Tesfa Williams is available now on Heist Recordings, Bandcamp.

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Lost and Sound is sponsored by Audio-Technica

My BBC World Service radio documentary “The man who smuggled punk rock across the Berlin Wall” is available now on BBC Sounds. Click here to listen.

My book, Coming To Berlin: Global Journeys Into An Electronic Music And Club Culturet Capital is out now on Velocity Press. Click here to find out more.

Lost and Sound title music by Thomas Giddins

What happens when music and psychoanalysis occupy the same creative headspace? This week on Lost and Sound, I chat with Ezra Feinberg—composer, guitarist, and practicing psychoanalyst—about the deep interplay between experimental music, the subconscious mind, and the subtle forces that shape creativity.

We dive into Soft Power, his latest album—a lush, hypnotic fusion of minimalism, kosmische music, ambient soundscapes, and psychedelic influences and one of my favourite albums of the last 12 months. We talk about how intention and perception collide in music, whether the emotions a listener feels mirror what the artist originally set out to express, and what it means to truly trust the creative process.

Ezra shares how his twin worlds of music and psychoanalysis aren’t as far apart as they seem, touching on problem-solving, patience, and artistic intuition. We explore the realities of navigating a career in underground music alongside parenthood, and how New York’s evolving music scene has shaped his journey.

Plus, we get into formative influences, spontaneous collaborations and the long game of making music on your own terms. A conversation about sound, time, and the quiet forces that shape creativity.

If you’re enjoying Lost and Sound, please do subscribe and leave a rating or review on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, or wherever you listen. It really helps to spread the word and support Lost and Sound.

Ezra Feinberg on Instagram

Soft Power by Ezra Feinberg is available on Tonal Union, Bandcamp.

Follow me on Instagram at Paulhanford

Lost and Sound is sponsored by Audio-Technica

My BBC World Service radio documentary “The man who smuggled punk rock across the Berlin Wall” is available now on BBC Sounds. Click here to listen.

My book, Coming To Berlin: Global Journeys Into An Electronic Music And Club Culturet Capital is out now on Velocity Press. Click here to find out more.

Lost and Sound title music by Thomas Giddins

Alva Noto—aka Carsten Nicolai—has spent decades at the forefront of experimental electronic music and multimedia art. Growing up in East Germany, his work has been shaped by the country’s stark aesthetics, Leipzig’s bookmaking traditions, and the GDR’s Bauhaus-influenced design. In this episode, we talk about minimalism, sound as texture, the NOTON label and how his collaborations with Ryuichi Sakamoto (including The Revenant soundtrack) have redefined electronic music.

Carsten takes us back to the late ’80s and ’90s—a time when electronic music was shifting from analog to digital, opening up new creative possibilities. He shares how artists like Kraftwerk and Brian Eno paved the way for his work and how embracing imperfections in technology led to the birth of glitch.

We also explore how music distribution evolved from CDs to MP3s, how that shaped the way we experience sound, and what it means for artists today. Plus, Carsten reflects on his friendship with Ryuichi Sakamoto and their artistic journey together.

Listen in for a deep dive into sound, technology, and the art of pushing boundaries.

If you’re enjoying Lost and Sound, please do subscribe and leave a rating or review on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, or wherever you listen. It really helps to spread the word and support Lost and Sound.

Alva Noto on Instagram

Alva Noto Website

Follow me on Instagram at Paulhanford

Lost and Sound is sponsored by Audio-Technica

My BBC World Service radio documentary “The man who smuggled punk rock across the Berlin Wall” is available now on BBC Sounds. Click here to listen.

My book, Coming To Berlin: Global Journeys Into An Electronic Music And Club Culturet Capital is out now on Velocity Press. Click here to find out more.

Lost and Sound title music by Thomas Giddins

Turntablist, composer, and sonic explorer NikNak joins Lost and Sound to talk about pushing DJing into new dimensions. From layering ambient textures to weaving intricate narratives through sound, she’s redefining what turntables can do.

We get into her creative process, the influence of video game soundtracks, and how she’s carved a space in the UK’s experimental music scene. She shares stories from performing with Grandmaster Flash, winning the Oram Award in 2020, and navigating the realities of being an artist today—where financial pressures, privilege, and technology all shape the landscape.

This was a really fun chat and NikNak makes some great points about sound as storytelling, the tension between artistry and survival, and why embracing play and experimentation is more important than ever.

If you’re enjoying the show, please consider subscribing and leaving a rating or review on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, or wherever you listen. It really helps to spread the word and support Lost and Sound.

NikNak on Bandcamp.

Follow me on Instagram at Paulhanford

Lost and Sound is sponsored by Audio-Technica

My BBC World Service radio documentary “The man who smuggled punk rock across the Berlin Wall” is available now on BBC Sounds. Click here to listen.

My book, Coming To Berlin: Global Journeys Into An Electronic Music And Club Culturet Capital is out now on Velocity Press. Click here to find out more.

Lost and Sound title music by Thomas Giddins

Underground Bass culture never sits still and when it comes to forward momentum, Slikback is at the heart of it. With at least 28 projects since 2018, his sound is restless, urgent—pushing bass, distortion, and rhythm into new forms. In this conversation, we get into the discipline behind his experimental process, how fatherhood has reshaped his approach, and the impact of his latest release on Tempa.

We also talk about the move from traditional labels to self-releasing on Bandcamp—a decision that cracked open new creative freedom, especially during the pandemic. For Slikback, aka the very charming Freddie Mwaura Njau, it’s not just about breaking industry norms; it’s about the raw energy of finishing ideas, pushing sound forward without losing the impulse that made it exciting in the first place.

From early influences growing up in Nairobi to global collaborations, from DIY scenes to Nyege Nyege’s cultural force, this episode traces the connections that shape his music. We talk process, community, and the balance between instinct and refinement in electronic music today.

If you’re enjoying the show, please consider subscribing and leaving a rating or review on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, or wherever you listen. It really helps to spread the word and support Lost and Sound.

Data by Slikback is out now on Tempa, listen or buy here.

Follow me on Instagram at Paulhanford

Lost and Sound is sponsored by Audio-Technica

My BBC World Service radio documentary “The man who smuggled punk rock across the Berlin Wall” is available now on BBC Sounds. Click here to listen.

My book, Coming To Berlin: Global Journeys Into An Electronic Music And Club Culturet Capital is out now on Velocity Press. Click here to find out more.

Lost and Sound title music by Thomas Giddins

Emo ambient? That’s just one way to describe the ever-evolving work of boundary-pushing artist Mari Maurice, better known as more eaze. Her prolific output defies the norms of the music world, blending ambient, noise, autotune, and pedal steel with a deeply personal, human touch. In this episode, Mari shares her unique approach to making music that dissolves the lines between pop and what’s considered, in inverted commas, „serious“ music. Her collaboration with claire rousay on Never Stop Texting Me beautifully exemplifies this artistic ethos.

We talk about the challenges Mari faced in Austin’s experimental scene and the creative freedom she‘s discovered since relocating to New York. Immersed in the city‘s rich musical landscape, she’s embraced collaboration and opened up new dimensions in her sound, drawing from both minimalist and maximalist influences to reshape her approach to composition.

Mari also reflects on the joy of making experimental music more accessible, sharing how a live performance sparked her own musical journey and shaped her ethos as an artist. Along the way, we explore the serendipitous nature of sound creation and the growing acceptance of pop elements in avant-garde music.

If you’re enjoying the show, please consider subscribing and leaving a rating or review on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, or wherever you listen. It really helps to spread the word and support Lost and Sound.

Kinda Tropical by more eaze and claire rousay is out now on Thrill Jockey, pre-order the album No Floor here

Follow me on Instagram at Paulhanford

Lost and Sound is sponsored by Audio-Technica

My BBC World Service radio documentary “The man who smuggled punk rock across the Berlin Wall” is available now on BBC Sounds. Click here to listen.

My book, Coming To Berlin: Global Journeys Into An Electronic Music And Club Culturet Capital is out now on Velocity Press. Click here to find out more.

Lost and Sound title music by Thomas Giddins

What happens when a rock and roller decides to venture into clubland? Singer, songwriter and author Lias Saoudi, the charismatic frontman of the Fat White Family, joined me initially to explore this question. Lending his seductive, slinky and sleezy tonsils to techno supergroup, Decius: their second album "Decius Volume 2: Splendor and Obedience,” absolutely pumps and you can see why they were picked to play at Berghain’s 19th Birthday.

The Fat White Family have a rep. As Lias says in our conversation, they were a band made up of some of the five worst people in England, yet I found him to be a charming, erudite gent. From the psychological chaos of band dynamics to the romanticized notion of the tortured artist, our conversation touches on the existential struggles of maintaining artistic integrity. Lias offers a raw and honest perspective on balancing creative freedom with the pressures of performance, sharing humorous anecdotes about societal expectations and generational quirks along the way.

If you like the show and you havn‘t already, please give it a subscribe and consider leaving a rating and a review on Apple, Spotify, Amazon or wherever you listen. It all really helps build the show.

Decius Vol. II (Splendour & Obedience), released 31st January 2025 on The Leaf Label

The Moonlandingz — The Sign Of A Man, listen here.

Follow me on Instagram at Paulhanford

Lost and Sound is sponsored by Audio-Technica

My BBC World Service radio documentary “The man who smuggled punk rock across the Berlin Wall” is available now on BBC Sounds. Click here to listen.

My book, Coming To Berlin: Global Journeys Into An Electronic Music And Club Culturet Capital is out now on Velocity Press. Click here to find out more.

Lost and Sound title music by Thomas Giddins