All aboard for a direct flight to the northernmost country in Africa, where we’ll discover what aural pleasures lie hidden amongst the mountains and deserts of Tunisia.  With one ear in Western Europe and the other in the Middle East, Tunisian musicians (Tusicians) are free to form their own free form sound.  The results are inter-spectacular, providing the soundtrack for revolutionary times.

Take, for instance, the cosmic rock of the Ursula Minor, who speak (mostly French) in this documentary about the importance of an alternative to mass culture – made possible by the beautiful/feudal internet:

Or this thumpin’ dance burner:

And don’t worry golden agers, you have not been forgotten.  Here’s a toast to the groovy old days:

AND: For the duration of the program, we are joined in-studio by Vancouver-based sonic manipulator Brandon ‘Blocktreat‘ Hoffman, who discusses the eccentricities of creating danceable sound-collages.  We also debut tracks from Blocktreat’s brand-new album, Traditionals (out April 17th on Jellyfish Recordings).  We’re calling it Post-grass… with all due respect to the recently departed king of bluegrass, Mr. Earl Eugene Scruggs.

It’s the last show in March 2012 folks! Spring has sprung and we’re bringing you…

(Bum-ba-baaaaaaaa… drum rollll…..)

Mongolian Music!

You can bet there will be lots of talk about throat singing.

If you have 15 minutes on your hands, please check out this video (Just ignore the dry editing work by the BBC):

ALSO on this week’s program – an interview with Moshe Denburg, visionary director and composer of the Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra.  Now in its 10th year, the VICO is an incredibly innovative ensemble that boldly bridges the gap between Eastern and Western musical universes as none have done before.  This is post-colonial music, and Vancouver truly is a cauldron for this large-scale test of openness.

This video will give you a taste of what the VICO is about… keeping in mind that it’s a beast of constant mood-shifts. Check out the danbau (ancient Vietnamese theremin) solo at the 2:00 mark, and then try and convince that magical Vietnamese woman to join your band.

We’re traveling to polar Europe this week to explore the modern musikk of Norway.  Experience beautiful, glacier-carved string-sections, avant-fuzz jazz grooves, tongue-twisting Norse-hop, experimental Sami folk, and try not to remain unchanged.

Tune in this week to discover the secret sounds hidden within the heart of South America — Everything from sublime ’60s jangle rock…

… to spine-tangling bilingual hip-hop:

And if you want to go deeper, drop off an ear at Random is Not Whatever!, a genre-busting new label showcasing innovative acts brewin’ in La Paz.  In Joy.

…there is a Kingdom called Belgium, host to a remarkably eclectic music scene.  Combined with the timeless push-and-pull between the traditions of the Dutch-speaking Flemish and French-speaking Walloons, there is also a strong global current (owing partly to Belgium’s colonial history in Africa) running through just about every style of music coming out of this small but potent European nation.  Here’s an idea of what you will hear on this week’s program:

Unbridled experimentation seems to be the norm in Belgium – an identity carved in the crossroads.  Why should we settle for anything less?

And please, do yourself a favour and check out Crammed Discs, an incredible Brussels-based record label that can do no wrong; fighting for a division-less future, and having entirely too much fun in the process.