Ear Expansion Podcast

Ear Expansion with Yaw Agyeman

In this episode of Ear Expansion, Yaw delves into his musical journey, influenced by his Ghanaian heritage and his father's diverse record collection. He discusses the evolution of his sound, drawing from experiences in the Chicago Children's Choir, R&B influences, and music from around the globe. Yaw reflects on incorporating the Twi language into his work and addresses the emotional weight in the voices of artists like Donny Hathaway and Nina Simone. He shares insights on his collaborative experiences with Khari Lemuel and Theaster Gates' Black Monks, highlighting the importance of voice and chant in his artistic development. Yaw also explores his engagement with archival materials, turning historical and, at times, grotesque imagery into reflective and transformative music. Personal anecdotes about his family's immigration story and early sound memories further enrich the conversation, illustrating how his past continues to shape his artistry.

Ear Expansion with Luke Stewart

This episode of Ear Expansion features a deep conversation with musician Luke Stewart, discussing his sonic background and influences. Stewart recalls his formative years in both Mississippi and Washington D.C., highlighting experiences from playing in school bands and a punk group to his exposure to jazz and experimental music. He elaborates on the transition from saxophone and electric bass to the upright bass and the physical and spiritual connection he felt with it. Stewart shares insights into his solo work, 'Works for Upright Bass and Amplifier Volumes One and Two,' and his recent album 'Unknown Rivers,' touching upon themes of historical connections, improvisation, and feedback techniques. The discussion also covers his involvement with various bands, his method of integrating different musical influences, and his reflective process of creating music. Stewart reflects on the impact of these experiences on his growth as a musician and his multifaceted artistry.

Ear Expansion with Nicholas Galanin

In this episode of Ear Expansion, Brother Nicholas engages in a profound discussion with the host about the early influences on his sound work, particularly focusing on the impact of his father, David 'Strummin' Dog' Galanin. They explore how his father's passion for Delta blues and early musical education helped shape his artistic path. The conversation also delves into the symbolic and cultural significance of canoe construction, the rhythmic and ceremonial nature of indigenous practices, and the importance of the Tlingit language. They discuss how his sonic projects, like 'Silver Jackson', 'Indian Agent', and 'Ya Tseen', illustrate different phases of his personal and artistic evolution. Emphasis is placed on the deeply rooted cultural connections within his music, the role of collaboration, and the powerful messages behind projects like 'Neon American Anthem'. The dialogue is enriched with personal anecdotes, reflections on ancestral memory, and thoughts on the future of indigenous languages and cultural practices.

Ear Expansion with Morgan Craft part two

In this continuation of the two part episode of "Ear Expansion with Morgan Craft", LaMont Hamilton and Morgan Craft delve deeper into the intricacies of Craft’s musical journey, his philosophies, and his distinctive approach to live performance and studio work. They explore Craft's method of blending mathematical concepts with improvisational music, particularly highlighting his live performance and its philosophical underpinnings. Craft discusses his fascination with the intersection of music, physics, and incompleteness theory, elaborating on how these elements inform his creative process and live performances. The conversation also touches on Craft's belief in the transformative power of sound and its potential to navigate between the finite and the infinite, with Craft sharing his aspirations for future explorations in music. The dialogue is rich with Craft's reflections on the dynamic interaction between performer and audience, his rigorous approach to his studio albums, and an underlying quest for a deeper, almost spiritual engagement with sound, emphasizing his commitment to pushing the boundaries of musical expression.

Ear Expansion with Morgan Craft part one

In this first of a two part episode of Ear Expansion, host LaMont Hamilton engages in a deep and sprawling conversation with musician Morgan Craft. Morgan shares his journey of musical evolution, from being an isolated metalhead in Minneapolis, discovering a passion for avant-garde and improvised music, to his adventures in New York City, where he encountered his heroes and eventually found his unique voice through solo electric guitar improvisation. Morgan's narrative is one of relentless curiosity and dedication to pushing the boundaries of music, a journey marked by moments of personal transformation, including a significant stint in Italy to redefine his artistic path. Throughout the episode, Morgan reflects on the influence of key figures like Greg Tate, Butch Morris, and the impact of the Black Rock Coalition, while also delving into his philosophy on improvisation, the importance of progression in the arts, and the struggles of being recognized in the contemporary avant-garde scene.

Ear Expansion with Akeema-Zane

In this episode of "Ear Expansion," the host LaMont Hamilton engages in a rich and reflective conversation with Akeema-Zane, exploring her multifaceted journey as an artist. The conversation delves into Akeema-Zane's formative years, her hesitant embrace of her artistic identity, and the development of her unique sound, heavily influenced by her background, community connections, and the intersection of literature, poetry and sound in her work. Akeema-Zane shares insights into her creative process, highlighting the role of introspection, the influences of her matriarchal family lineage, and her experiences in New York City that collectively shape her approach to art and sound. The discussion also touches on themes of mourning, rebirth, and community, providing a window into Akeema-Zane's personal and artistic evolution. Through the dialogue, the episode paints a portrait of an artist deeply connected to her roots, striving to create meaningful and transformative sonic landscapes.

Ear Expansion with Maria Luiza de Barros

This conversation between LaMont Hamilton and Maria Luiza de Barros on Ear Expansion delves deep into the intersections of sound, space, and Black diasporic practices in Maria’s work. Maria, sharing her journey from Brazil and her engagements with various sonic and spatial practices, emphasizes the significance of sound in understanding and interacting with urban environments and architecture from a perspective deeply rooted in Afro-diasporic traditions. The dialogue navigates through Maria's academic pursuits, her personal history with sound, and the development of her platform, vi.bra.tions, as a space for exploring critical perspectives on city planning, architecture, and sound. The discussion also touches upon partying (festa) as a form of resistance and expression of Black joy and resilience, underpinning the theoretical and practical dimensions of Maria's work. LaMont and Maria explore the layered relationship of sound to personal memory, collective identity, spatial politics, and the potential for future engagements, emphasizing the integral role of sonic experiences in shaping our understanding of space and community.

Ear Expansion with Zekarias Thompson

In ttheir episode of Ear Expansion, host LaMont Hamilton engages in a profound conversation with artist Zekarias Thompson, exploring Thompson's multifaceted relationship with sound, spanning their communal practice in Oakland and Reykjavik, to their artistic journey through the saxophone and immersive soundscapes. Thompson shares insights into their creative process, highlighting the importance of community, spontaneous composition, and the transformative power of sound to navigate and articulate complex emotional landscapes. Through discussing projects like the Musele Project and their albums "Goodnight Shiva" and the forthcoming "The Meeting Place," Thompson reveals their commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound and music, fostering spaces for communal creation, and exploring the sonic embodiment of emotions and cultural narratives. The episode is a rich tapestry of reflections on personal growth, artistic exploration, and the communal aspects of musical improvisation.

Ear Expansion with Nelson Nance aka Nelson Bandela

In this episode of Ear Expansion, host LaMont Hamilton is in conversation with Nelson Bandela. This dialogue traverses the multifaceted landscape of Bandela's creative journey and philosophies. From discussing Bandela's formative years influenced by a rich artistic family background in Dallas, Texas, where his parents and siblings were and currently are immersed in artistic endeavors, to exploring Bandela's multifarious creative outputs that span music, filmmaking, and beyond, the dialogue delves deep. It further explores Bandela's work, particularly focusing on his experimental and healing sound projects like MedMuse and 7thSense, aiming to connect with listeners on a somatic level through specific frequencies for healing. Bandela shares insights into his artistic process, his aspirations to influence and change the sound of music through a communal yet individuated approach, and his thoughts on creating music that aims to transform.

Ear Expansion with Sholeh Asgary

In this episode of Ear Expansion, host LaMont Hamilton is in conversation with multi-hyphen artist Sholeh Asgary. In this expansive and engaging conversation, Asgary delves into her artistic transition from visual mediums to sound, exploring the profound influence of her cultural background, personal experiences, and philosophical musings on her work. Asgary articulates her journey through the realms of photography, installation and sound, as she reflects on her early works, and discusses the thematic and conceptual connections between various pieces and installations. This discussion brings to light Asgary's contemplative engagement with sound as a medium to navigate and express the complexities of identity, displacement, and creative exploration. Through her thoughtful responses, Asgary reveals the depth of her practice, blending the sonic with the visual and memory, uncovering the connectivity of sound, space, and self.