Super Sonic Chat

Think of those places you visit that are cool. Do you remember what music they were playing last time you were there? We take on a physical challenge to see what the music gods will serve up to us. The challenge: contact 5 cool places and find out what music they are playing at that moment. The results were surprising, refreshing and a whole bunch of fun. Listen to find out what new favourites we...

Today Adrian and Leon pay penance. They admit that they have never listened to the albums, Last Splash by The Breeders and Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen in their entirety. Have they listened to songs from those albums? Of course, but to know an artist, you have to hear an album from start to finish. What did they think? What was the verdict of these universally acclaimed albums? Listen to find...

"Dear Adrian and Leon, Help me. My Father-in-law is a jazz nut. I don't hate jazz but would describe myself as jazz ignorant. I need some helpful insights and interesting talking points about jazz so I can relate to my father-in-law and not look like an ignorant jazz hater. What have you got for me?" Dear listener, Don't worry, we've got you covered. In this episode we've...

Do you ever look at someone and just know they are a fan of a certain band? Have you ever met someone and just know they'd be into a certain artist? This chat is about the weight of expectation. Adrian kept having a certain band recommended to him by many people, including Leon. 'Oh you'd love them!' many people would say. 'I can't believe you've never listened to them...

It's NAIDOC Week in Australia, a time when we celebrate the culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people indigenous to this great continent. In this episode we dive into a bunch of music from award winning artists such as King Stingray, Thelma Plum, Gurrumul, Budjerah, Baker Boy, A.B. Original, Mo'Ju, Birdz, The Warumpi Band, Christine Anu and Yothu Yindi. We chat about the unique and s...

One of life's greatest pleasures is discussing music with a mate and that is what we do here on this show. And whether we are recording or not, we ask each other, "What have you been listening to lately?" We sum up the last 6 month's new discoveries; whether they are new to the world, or just new to us, we offer each other a 5 course meal on what we have been digesting, musically...

Where do you start with that classic or cult band that you seem to have avoided over the years? It's a big ask to dive in to a full album or a lengthy playlist. It's dangerous to ask a superfan to give you a simple overview. In this episode we do the heavy lifting for you on an introduction to perhaps the most influential alternative rock band of the 90s: Faith No More. Listen in real time...

How does a musician take unrestrained, red hot rage and contain it within a carefully composed set of sounds? Adrian and Leon explore a range of musical styles and approaches that capture this feeling through a range of lyrical and sonic tactics. Language warning: Lyrics of rage often contain expletives of a very colourful nature. Socials: Fb: https://www.facebook.com/supersonicchat Electronic mai...

There’s a story about Ernsest Hemmingway, famous author, taking a bet that he couldnt write a story in 6 words. Needless to say, when he read out six simple words, everyone paid up. It got us thinking about the simple songs. Not the songs loaded with lyrics. Not those dense and lengthy songs. But those songs that manage to say so much with so little. If you will, what are some great ‘6 word’ type...

When two good mates see different bands in different cities on the same night, then a sharing of experiences becomes inevitable. This is a simultaneous event, but which is separated by 900 kilometres. The bands are different, but within a congruous genre. This is the concert experience of Leon watching Black Midi in Brisbane while at the same time, Adrian watches King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard...

Sometimes you need to talk about the things you can't see or touch. For millenia the role of the artist has been, in part, to touch the sublime, to transcend the every day, to access something bigger than themselves and invite us to be a part of that. In this chat we tackle this uplifting role that music plays in our lives whilst visiting the cathedrals of the everyman: the pub and the sportin...

Here's the challenge:  how do you distill an artist down to 5 songs for a first time listener? When introducing someone to an artist or band they've never heard, it can be tricky to pick a playlist. Too many songs can overwhelm the listener - so Adrian and Leon have developed the technique of choosing five for the unfamiliar. Five songs that impart a sense of what the artist is about. Not...

There are many well regarded, classic albums that neither of us have listened to. Our Confession Booth series is designed to get us out of our musical lanes and dive into these albums for the first time. Will we love it? Will we hate it? Either way, we now have an informed opinion and a new listening experience. In this episode we listen to: The Cult 'Love' (1985) Tracy Chapman 'Tracy Chapman' (19...

What makes a great love song?  By chatting about our favourites maybe we can find the common elements.  We were inspired by recording our 69th episode in the middle of February which felt like the right convergence of events to talk about songs that express a sentiment of love.   Not lust. Not fleeting moments of teenage attraction. Not a rendezvous at the local discotheque.&nb...

Artificial Intelligence has arrived en force . 'Chat GPT' has set the world abuzz with the potential of Artificial Intelligence in our lives. What does this mean for the music industry?  What about for consumers and producers? Leon and Adrian ask the tough questions about the current impact and future potential of AI in music and art.  The discerning listener will pick out key clues thro...

Experience a radical paradigm shift that changes the way you think and feel about art and music. We chat about context and use a little experiential storytelling to make a point about how context creates a paradigm shift that can unlock art and music in new ways. Have you looked at modern art and thought 'a six year old could've done that!'? We chat about that scenario, about artists intent and ab...

Nostalgia.  The sentimental longing or the wistful affection for a period in the past.  When everything old is new again. Have you noticed cassette tapes are back? Have you noticed bands are touring album anniversaries? Have you watched any of the myriad documentaries spruiking the glory days of yore? Nostalgia is powerful and wonderful and alluring, something marketers are fully aware o...

Have you noticed there's a terrifying abundance of music out there? A. Terrifying. Abundance. How do you find new music?  How does new music find you? The choice can be both overwhelming and paralysing. Join in on this week's challenge.  It's a simple one: go out and find new music that you love. We gave ourselves a week to do this.  The only rule was we could not ask each other! &n...

In the life of a music obsessive there are unwritten responsibilities. There are albums that at some point in your life you must listen to. In particular, when you are faced with a wrong, you must take all necessary steps to right it. In this semi-regular series we call Confession Booth, we publicly confess our wrongs and take corrective action.  We present this subsequent recorded chat as ou...

This is part two of Adrian's therapy program where we go from saxophone aversion to saxophone acceptance to possibly saxophone love.  We've called in a bona fide sax expert Kirk Hamilton for a second opinion.  Kirk is an expert on not only the sax but contemporary music as a whole, and is the host of the great music podcast Strong Songs.  We were extremely excited to be chatting wit...

In this episode we present to you our chef's selection, our 'amuse-bouche', our tasting plate for King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. Here's the challenge:  how do you distill a band down to 5 songs for a first time listener? Imagine you're chatting with someone and it becomes apparent they have no idea about a band you've loved for a long time. You have a choice to make: Do you hit them with the...

Is suffering necessary to create good music? Is it necessary to create good art? We felt that this question needed exploration, so we jumped in for a classic Super Sonic Chat.  This episode is part debate, part philosophical deep dive and part song reviews with a healthy sprinkling of art theory. We chat about Joy Division, Prince, Joe Cocker, Kurt Cobain, Sinead O'Connor, Jackson Pollock, Janis J...

Have you ever invented a game?  We chat with the very creative, super innovative and absolutely fascinating Eran Thomson, creator of Song Saga: the #1 music and memory game that rocks! In a moment of inspiration, Eran created the game, developed it and took it to market. He walks us through the process from idea to product and fronting up to game fairs to pitch Song Saga to distributors. He c...

Why is Adrian so averted to the sound of the saxophone? Not the sound of sax in jazz or an orchestra, but when he hears sax as part of a rock band, Adrian cringes. As a former saxophonist, Leon takes on the role of sax therapist and attempts to help Adrian overcome these feelings of disgust. Will they make a breakthrough?  Will they be able to reclaim the saxophone's place in modern music? Wh...

In another of our semi-regular Confession Booth series, Adrian and Leon have something to get off their chests: never in their lives have they ever heard the following albums in their entirety - The Clash by The Clash and Dusty In Memphis by Dusty Springfield.  It is a blight on their listening record which has thankfully now been rectified with repeated, deep listening. Hear what they have t...