Super Sonic Chat

Machine learning and artificial intelligence. How is it being used in music today? How might it be used in future music? Is it music? Is it just a curiosity and gimmick?  Adrian and Leon hash out the sounds of the present and science fiction future discussing music from The Lost Tapes of the 27 Club, Beautiful the World by Uncanny Valley, Holly Herndon, Yacht and a couple of other tidbits thr...

So much music, so little time. Once again we seek to make good our misdeeds by listening to classic albums we have never previously pressed play on. In Rolling Stone's 2020 poll "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time", Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side of the Moon' and Neil Young's 'After the Gold Rush' were ranked number 55 and 90 respectively.  Embarrassingly, neither of your hosts had ever taken the t...

On 22nd April 2021 Leon and Adrian saw King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard play at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney, Australia.    The opening act was the equally incredible Tropical F%*k Storm.  We are very excited to tell you all about it. Originally sold as a seated and masked show as per COVID restrictions, we were very excited when restrictions were lifted the week of the gig....

There's a moment in a band room when one member turns to the rest and asks 'Does this work?' A new riff, a new sound, a new style. Is it fresh and new?  Dated or derivative? What will fans think?  Should an artist care? Should a band push the envelope or stay true to what made them successful? In this episode we explore bands that have changed sounds:  the good, the bad and the ugly...

In a world where 60,000 songs are uploaded to streaming services every day, it is easy for quality recordings to get lost in the flood. This episode places these songs in the spotlight so they can get some attention they deserve. Hear a song about Anna, a lonely boy with a twist, then groove to some mambo and bop to channel z. There is a song about someone with a big mouth, someone who wants to fl...

Is there anything that creates more fear and terror in a music fan than when their favourite band announces they are putting out a ‘concept album’. Ade says 'No.  It's terrifying'.  Leon says 'Hang on, I often listen to concept albums'. Thus the debate commences. Is it the sign of a desperately uninspired band to develop a song cycle based around a common theme? Or is it an intelligent a...

For an artist, their instruments are their tools of trade.  Voice, piano, guitar and more.  They provide the colours that artists paint with, the tools that give language to their art. It makes sense then that an artist can find fresh expression and explore new realms by simply reaching for a new instrument.  It's a new tool, a new colour giving way to new possibilities. In this epi...

So much music, so little time. Once again we seek to make good our misdeeds by listening to classic albums we have never previously pressed play on.  In Rolling Stone's 2020 poll "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time", Bob Dylan's 'Highway 61 Revisited' and Joni Mitchell's 'Blue' were ranked number 18 and 3 respectively.  Embarrassingly, neither of your hosts had ever taken the time to li...

Music is critical in determining the emotional experience of watching a movie. One great soundtrack changes everything. In this episode we chat about the science of the great soundtracks, the perfect music to pair with violence, how a movie took bluegrass to the big time and the action movie that took terrible songs and made them memorable. Of course we kick off the podcast by playing a game and i...

We bravely tackle what some have called 'the worst album of all time' and dissect what the hell happened! In 2011 two colossal icons of rock spent time jamming together.  Birthed from these sessions was Lulu: an album by Metallica and Lou Reed. Pitchfork called it 'especially repellent', NME called it 'baffling' and 'gruelling' yet David Bowie called it 'a masterpiece'. At the core of this ep...

What are the most provocative lyrics you know? When an artist seeks to deliberately provoke, how much is too much? Is there a line that should not be crossed? And what happened when teenaged Ade found his Mum reading the booklet to his Red Hot Chili Pepper's 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik' CD? Join in as we start by playing a game of "guess how Kidz Bop turned this extremely risque pop sing into wholesome...

When walking down the street why the hell does Leon wear noise cancelling headphones to block out noise only to listen to music that is pure noise?  There is beautiful noise in the distortion of rock music, but what about music that only consists of noise? Is this still music? Even without obvious structure?  Can a jackhammer make music? Why do we not enjoy the sound of an interrupting l...

Forgive us dear listener, for we have committed egregious wrongs.  In this episode we confess all and we set out to make amends.  In the canon of classic albums, of those albums any serious music fan must have listened to, there are some that we confess we have never pressed play on.  In this episode we visit two classic albums for the first time in our lives: 'The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust...

This episode is about musical awakenings and to be more specific, it’s about our own musical awakenings with the birth of grunge.  What the hell is grunge? How do you know it when you hear it? Get a little nostalgic with us as we debate the most important bands to dominate that beautiful era known as grunge.   We try to hash out who the three big names are and why.  As always,...

Musician's want more fans right? Can fandom be broken down scientifically? If so, can musicians use that information to move people to a deeper support and appreciation of their music? In this wide ranging chat Adrian poses a theory on how casual music fans can become super fans. The boys take you on a journey down a winding road past Damien Rice's special intimate fan experiences,  to Marina...

This is a community service announcement for you dear listener.  In the near future when the pandemic apocalypse is upon us and the internet is fried, when we need to seek shelter in our lockdown bunkers and isolate for 12 to 24 to 36 months we will all be required to select five, and only five physical albums to accompany us and sustain us through tough times. This is our take on the classic...

Consider this our gift to you, dear listener!  A sweet bonus episode full of the best new music we experienced in 2020. Adrian and Leon have each selected the top 10 albums that knocked on their door and followed them around this year leaving you, dear listener, with 20 albums worthy of your attention. To accompany this episode we have curated a sweet playlist that is compiled of two songs fr...

It's the most wonderful time of the year!  Or is it?  Is Christmas music a tawdry commercial sell out or a spectacular celebration? In this episode we order Michael Buble and Mariah Carey back into their Christmas cave and scratch a little further beneath the surface of Christmas music. We even manage to share the Christmas music that gets a spin in our houses each year, discuss the joys...

Naming your band, your art or your audio style seems as hard as packing a house into a suitcase.   Listen as we tackle the challenge in real time.  Twenty four hours prior to recording this episode we gave each other a fictitious band to name.    You are invited to be a fly on the wall as we reveal the names we have chosen for these fantasy bands and talk through the proce...

Album art sears itself in your mind. In this episode Adrian and Leon demonstrate that by describing an album cover for the other one to guess.  Play along with the game yourself and discover how an album's image is as recognisable as the tunes on it. 

This one is all about the magic of music videos. The videos that stay with you forever. The directors that break new ground. And a bit about the 'Rage game'. Let us know on Facebook your favourite music video of all time. Or send us an email at supersonicchat@gmail.com 

Is music is a medium for the ears only or do we also experience music with our eyes?  In this episode,  using only our voices, we compose the images in your mind as we paint a picture of how sound can colour our lives, in harmony with the visual realm.

Adrian has a confronting experience when listening to some new music and looks to Leon for help. Why do some people seem to only want to listen to music from a particular era? Why were the [60s/70s/80s/90s/00s] the greatest time in music history? Super Sonic Chat is here to help. You can reach us at supersonicchat@gmail.com

Vinyl records. Are they a big scam? Are they worth every cent? Why, in the age of access to an almost infinite streaming library, are people still compelled to buy a large, plastic disc and go to all that trouble to make that sound come out the speakers? 

Does the perfect album exist?  If so, how do you know when you are listening to perfection? Listen up as we saddle our horses, check our maps, find true north and gallop off to seek out the hiding place of the perfect album.