Worldwide FM Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide FM Top 10 – Best of July (!!!)
Worldwide FM is a new global music radio platform founded by Gilles Peterson as an addition to his taste-making Worldwide brand. Broadcasting live from London, 10AM-6PM on weekdays, Worldwide FM is co-curated by Thris Tian, with satellite studios in Los Angeles and Tokyo and monthly shows from Motor City Drum Ensemble, Louie Vega, Channel One, Francois K and Lefto.
Gilles Peterson presents the Worldwide FM Top Ten for July, a monthly chart of ten tracks that sums up his favourite moments on the station, including music played, guest appearances, interviews, tributes and special broadcasts.
Listen to Worldwide FM on the move via the free app and keep up to date with the latest shows and other happenings at on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Mixcloud.
Worldwide Festival Moments
- BCUC – Asazani [Live from Worldwide Festival Sète] // South Africa
BCUC, standing for Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness, are a afro-psychedelic seven piece from the Soweto Township in Cape Town. Signed to Nyami Nyami Records, their music is as politically charged as their name suggests with tracks that far exceed the ten minute mark, building momentum with frenetic drumming and an intrinsic musical understanding between its members. Before they took to the stage at the Theatre de La Mer on the Thursday night at Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Festival, BCUC they were such unknown entities that festivalgoers could scarcely remember the letters that made up their name. After one of the standout sets of the festival, theirs was a name you couldn’t hear enough of for the rest of the week.
▹ Explore more: Listen back to BCUC’s set in the Best of Worldwide Festival catch-up. [27-07-17]
▹ Explore more: BCUC preceded Shabaka and the Ancestors during a South African themed evening at Worldwide Festival. Listen back to their set in the Best of Worldwide Festival catch-up. [27-07-17]
- Tom Ravenscroft interview about John Peel
Away from the main festival stages, Worldwide FM set up a daily lunchtime broadcast from Restaurant La Villa on the canal in central Sète. Hosted by the Worldwide family, guests included Motor City Drum Ensemble, Laurent Garnier and Mala. On the Wednesday before his set at the beach, Tom Ravescroft joined Gilles to select and discuss some current favourites. It’s widely know that the BBC 6Music presenter is the son of John Peel so it was with some trepidation that Gilles broached the subject of the late broadcaster, fearing he’d be bored of going over familiar familial territory. To the contrary, Tom was happy to talk in depth about his father, opening up about his extensive record collection, especially a highly sought after and valuable Sex Pistols promo that John gave away to Jack White.
▹ Explore more: listen back to WW Sete: Gilles Peterson with Tom Ravenscroft, Laurent Garnier, Alex Patchwork, Femi Koleoso & Poppy Ajudha [05-07-17]
Album of the month
- Roméo Elvis & Le Motel feat. Grems – Nappeaux, taken from Morale 2 [Universal] // France
Two shining lights for Belgium hip-hop, Roméo Elvis and Le Motel make a formidable pairing. The MC and producer, real name Fabien Leclercq, are also affiliated with the local L’or du Commun crew and have put out an album together titled Morale 2. Not refined to his role as an MC, Roméo takes a more melodic vocal approach, often singing along to the jazzy, bass heavy beats that Le Motel concocts. It’s a powerful combination that was showcased twice at Worldwide Festival on the first day, with surprise sets at Le Crac and Theatre.
▹ Explore more: Listen back to Le Motel and Romeo Elvis’ set in the Best of Worldwide Festival catch-up. [14-07-17]
Track of the Month
- Photay – Aura [Astro Nautico] // USA
It’s been five years since Brooklyn producer Photay last released an album and with Onism he sticks with his Astronautico family . Dropping hints in sets he’s played at the Worldwide Awards and Worldwide Festival over the last year, this one’s been building for a while and Gilles has taken to it as much as he was expecting. Referencing the word invented by John Koenig to mean the frustration of being stuck in one body that inhabits only one place at a time, Onism is reflection of personal conditions and a meditation on place and community, channelled through Photay’s vociferous appetite for beatmaking.
▹ Explore more: Photay hosted his own two hour show when he stopped by London earlier this year. [19-01-17]
▹ Explore more: Photay hosts a four-hour WW Brooklyn special on 9thAugust with Sam O.B. (Co-founder of Astro Nautico label), Yaeji (S. Korean DJ/Producer) and Barbie Bertisch & Paul Raffael (Most Excellent label, Love Injection magazine, Lot Radio, Classic Album Sundays).
Moment of the Month
- John Coltrane special with Tommaso Cappellato
Track chosen: John Coltrane – Peace on Earth [Impulse!] // USA,
17th July marked 50 years since the passing of jazz legend and master saxophonist John Coltrane. We devoted a whole day to celebrate his life and music, starting off with Italian drummer and composer Tommaso Cappellato who joined Gilles for his morning show. His standout pick was ‘Peace on Earth’, composed by John but post-produced by his wife Alice, which drew criticism from many of John’s devoted fans. Tommaso discusses this and more during an interview with Gilles, which you can listen to directly below.
▹ Explore more: listen back to Tommaso’s John Coltrane tribute with Gilles [17-07-17] and
▹ Explore more: listen to the rest of the day’s Coltrane tributes with Binker Golding and the Worldwide FM staff.
▹ Explore more: Tommaso Capellato hosted his own two hour Drummers Inc show. [25-04-17]
▹ Explore more: listen to Tommaso’s set at Worldwide Festival Leysin as part of our two hour highlight show, including music from Steve Spacek, Mark de Clive-Lowe, Nia Andrews and Jameszoo. [29-03-17]
Reissue of the Month
- Shina Williams & His African Percussionists – Agboju Logun [Strut] // Nigeria
Described by Gilles as the perfect disco track, Shina William’s ‘Agboju Logun’ has enjoyed another resurgence recently thanks to a second reissue from Strut. Originally released in 1979 on Phonodisk, the Nigerian disco producer and composer is joined by Tunde Martins on bass, Biddy Wright on synth and production, Fred Fisher on trombone and Saliu Alabi on talking drum. The track was included on Strut’sNigeria 70 compilation in 2001 and helped stay relevant over a decade later thanks to DJs like Hunee. Strut honour Shina again with a double sided 12” single release.
▹ Explore more: Strut boss Quinton Scott has hosted shows with Strut compiler Duncan Brooker [08-02-17], African record collector Temi Kogbe [05-12-17] and Manana Cuba [28-06-17].
Compilation of the Month
- Various Artists – Afro-Centric Visions in the Age of Black Power: Underground Jazz, Street Funk & The Roots of Rap 1964-79 [Soul Jazz]
Chosen track: Oneness of Juju – African Rhythms
To coincide with the opening a new exhibition at The Tate Modern, Soul of a Nation, Soul Jazz have released a 13 track compilation from the age of Black Power. While the exhibition focuses on artists who responded to the period of social and cultural upheaval, Soul Jazz look to their musical counterparts. Gil Scott-Heron’s politicised poetry, Sun Ra’s afro-futurism, James Brown’s street funk and John Coltrane’s conscious spiritual jazz all feature, as do early signs of nascent rap scenes in New York.
▹ Explore more: Dave Okumu of The Invisible hosted a Gil Scott-Heron tribute with poet Lemn Sissay and singer-songwriter Jono McCleery. [30-03-17]
▹ Explore more: Gilles Peterson interviewed Sun Ra original member Marshall Allen. [29-11-16]
Moment of the Month
- Madison Washington selecting influential record
Track chose: Junie Morrison – Super Spirit [Westbound Records] // USA
Madison Washington is the trans-Atlantic pairing of MC Malik Ameerand Sheffield producer thatmanmonkz. The former is an internationally published poet, well known on the circuit of his native New York and host of Poets Live in Paris. Scot Moncreiff run the Shadeleaf label, known their soulful house excursions. Their recently released Code Switching EP on Def Presse sees Monkz turning his hand to hip-hop beats with Malik’s conscious verses on top. They both joined Giles for an interview, then took over the rest of his show playing influential records, the highlight being ‘Superflight’ by Junie Morrison, Ohio Players member and Parliament Funkadelic musical director.
▹ Explore more: listen to the Madison Washington show with Gilles in full. [19-07-17]
WW LA Moment
- Mark de Clive-Lowe and Sudan Archives live session
In another jam-packed month from the weekly LA broadcasts, the standout came from the monthly 11th House show, hosted by Mark de Clive-Lowe and Seano. Violinist, producer and singer signed to Stones Throw, Sudan Archives joined the pair for an improvised session at the Red Gate Recorders studios.
▹ Explore more: listen to the full 11th House show, where Sudan Archives was joined by Josef Leimberg. [19-07-17]
▹ Explore more: browse the archive of all WW LA shows.
Documentary of the Month
- I Called Him Morgan, directed by Kasper Collin
Track chosen: Lee Morgan – Search For The New Land [Blue Note] // USA
Alongside the icons of jazz music, Lee Morgan is someone who perhaps hasn’t been credited as much as he should have. Not for a lack of talent, for he is regarded among his peers as one of the greatest jazz trumpeters ever; rather because he never lived long enough to realise his full potential, shot dead by his girlfriend at the age of 33. Directed by Kasper Collin, I Called Him Morgan retells the story of Morgan’s life and death through the eyes of those who knew him best – among them Wayne Shorter – and his widow and killer Helen Morgan, through a grainy interview recording conducted by jazz DJ and her adult education class teacher Larry Reni Thomas. A story within a story, this unconventional documentary draws its power in the telling, rather than the outcome, which is easily found on Google. One of the standout of the year.
▹ Explore more: Kasper Collin joined Gilles to discuss his documentary. [28-07-17]
