Andrew Field, in his new book Rocking China (Earnshaw Books, 2023), documents one of the most exciting moments in the history of Chinese indie music. Through interviews with key players in these scenes over a period of two decades, Field explores the meanings of rock music in Chinese society as well as the many challenges and obstacles to the development of ... Show More
Yesterday
Sharon White Rewires Disco
At the center of 1970s New York's most iconic clubs—from the celebrity-studded Studio 54 to the premiere lesbian discotheque Sahara—stood a queer Black woman on the turntables: Sharon White. With a sound she describes as "edgy, deep, aggressive, tech, synthy, percussive and lush, ... Show More
1h 8m
Nov 15
Lucy Caplan, "Dreaming in Ensemble: How Black Artists Transformed American Opera" (Harvard UP, 2025)
Recently, musicologists and others have started writing about Black participation in opera. Lucy Caplan’s Dreaming in Ensemble: How Black Artists Transformed American Opera (Harvard UP, 2025) is a major new publication on this topic. Caplan examines what she calls a Black operati ... Show More
59m 59s
Aug 2022
Yacine Boulares, Meera Dugal, Kinan Azmeh & Alex Knowlton at Habibi Fest 2021 | Live at Joe's Pub
<p>In this Quartertones event in collaboration with Habibi Festival held at Joe's Pub, we talked to Festival Co-Founder and Musical Director Yacine Boulares, Festival Co-Founder Meera Dugal, clarinet player Kinan Azmeh, and Joe's Pub Director Alex Knowlton about the ethos of the ... Show More
41m 15s
May 2025
Palestinian Resistance Music & Cultural Heritage | With Legendary Composer Issa Boulos
<p>In this episode of Quartertones, we're joined by Palestinian composer and musician, Issa Boulos who tells us about his deep connection to Jerusalem and Palestine, and how his upbringing influenced his approach to music and life. Boulos recounts his unique experiences growing u ... Show More
1 h
Aug 20
Decoding Empires: Akala on Hip Hop & South-South Solidarity
<p>Rapper, writer, and thought leader Akala joins us on Quartertones live at Sole DXB to talk about his early career steps in London, the city's unique blends due to its history, and his drive to connect with diverse audiences. He shares insights into the impact of colonialism an ... Show More
32m 15s
Feb 2024
Steve Ferzacca, "Sonic City: Making Rock Music and Urban Life in Singapore" (NUS Press, 2021)
The basement of a veteran shopping mall located in the central business district of Singapore affords opportunities to a group of amateur and semi-professional musicians, of different ethnicities, ages, and generations to make a sonic way of life. Based on five years of deep part ... Show More
1h 6m
Jun 2023
Hip Hop, the Lahme Song & Making Beats From Old Syrian Vinyls | Thanks Joey
<p>In this episode of Quartertones, Thanks Joey takes us on a journey through hip hop, Brooklyn music, and his Syrian grandfather’s old records. We talk about working with Omar Offendum and Narcy, his music making process, and what inspired his Lahme song.</p><p>He gives us a sne ... Show More
1h 17m