Underscore
11 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 5 years ago - ★★★★★ - 17 ratingsUnderscore taps into an exciting space where the concert hall meets its boldest outer reaches. Our goal is to connect with curious listeners by presenting the works of modern composers and musicians blurring the lines between classical, electronic, ambient and beyond. Through podcasts, curated playlists and original content, we’ll discover a new soundtrack to our daily paces.
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Episodes
Weeds, Prison, and the Good Time Gang
March 05, 2019 15:30 - 36 minutes - 53.4 MBDescription: Gwendolyn Sanford is most famous as a composer for TV shows Weeds and Orange Is the New Black, but she got her start as a quirky children’s singer. In fact, it was because of her children’s band that she and her writing partner Brandon Jay scored the audition for Weeds in the first place. On this episode, we talk about how to craft suitable music for show characters, play some of Gwendolyn’s favorite TV cues, and learn more about her hilarious, unbelievably “L.A.” tale of sponta...
Operatic Meteor Shower
October 20, 2018 04:25 - 46 minutes - 53.4 MBDescription: Dorian Wood is a magical typhoon disguised as a humble singer-songwriter. LA Weekly calls them "a fearless artist and performer whose voice inhabits a room like a choir of ghosts," while Mondosonoro compares their concerts to "a meteor shower and the four elements." If we had to boil down the essence of Dorian Wood’s music, we’d call it a mixture of theatrical-experimental, folk, gospel-soul, and classical music, with a large dash of performance art. Speaking with Dorian was a r...
Bonus: Hindustani Vocal Serenade
September 13, 2018 23:39 - 4 minutes - 15.9 MBDescription: In our last episode, Washing Machine Revelation, we interviewed composer Reena Esmail, who talked about her unique blend of Indian and Western classical music, revealed her composing ritual, and told us about the washing machine that sparked a revelation. For this bonus episode, Reena treated us to a live Hindustani vocal improvisation. Find Reena Esmail online: Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter Credits: Hosts: Chrysanthe Tan and Thomas Kotcheff Guest: Reena Esmail ...
A Washing Machine in Dehli
August 30, 2018 01:00 - 39 minutes - 45.8 MBDescription: Reena Esmail knows she doesn’t look like a stereotypical composer, but that doesn’t prevent her from making a big impact. Known for her signature blend of Indian and Western classical music, Reena joins us in the studio to discuss stage fright, getting in touch with her heritage, how the #MeToo movement inspired her, and the washing machine that sparked a revelation. Playlist: Here is a Spotify playlist with hand-picked selections from Chrysanthe, Thomas, and Reena Esmail. Mus...
Bonus: Accordion Serenade by Isaac Schankler
July 12, 2018 06:36 - 2 minutes - 13 MBDescription: In episode 6, Goofy Baby Songs, we interviewed composer, accordionist, and electronic musician Isaac Schankler, who shared their inspirations and led us in a goofy baby jam session. For this bonus episode, Isaac treated us to an exclusive live studio performance on the accordion. Find Isaac Schankler online: Website / Twitter / Bandcamp Credits: Hosts: Chrysanthe Tan and Thomas Kotcheff Guest: Isaac Schankler Script: Chrysanthe Tan Recording engineer: Mark Hatwan Produce...
Goofy Baby Songs with Isaac Schankler
July 12, 2018 00:00 - 36 minutes - 43.8 MBPlaylist: Here is a Spotify playlist with hand-picked selections from Chrysanthe, Thomas, and Isaac. Music Featured in Interview: "Alien Warp Etude" by Isaac Schankler, performed by Aron Kallay (iTunes / Spotify) "Etudes, Op. 25: No. 1 in A-Flat Major ‘Aeolian Harp’" by Frédéric Chopin (iTunes / Spotify) "Mouthfeel" by Isaac Schankler (artist website) "Point of Origin" by Yanni (iTunes / Spotify) "Return to Forever" by Chick Corea (Amazon / Spotify) "Twirly Moustache" by The Shpil (iT...
Farm to Table Improvisation with Eyvind Kang
June 02, 2018 03:00 - 32 minutes - 38.5 MBDescribed by Pitchfork as a "musical polymath," composer/violist Eyvind Kang has created and collaborated on hundreds of recordings and countless tours, from his own solo masterpieces to his work with Laurie Anderson, Bill Frisell, Animal Collective, Sun O))), The Decemberists, and Blonde Redhead. On this episode, he tells us about his early inspirations, his favorite project, and the music his teacher thought was garbage. Playlist Here is a Spotify playlist to pair with Underscore Episo...
The Good, The Bad, and the Pineapple Mango
April 03, 2018 08:06 - 34 minutes - 45.8 MBDaniel Ho is a 6-time GRAMMY winning artist, producer, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and audio engineer from Honolulu, Hawai'i. Playlist Spotify playlist Guest Daniel Ho is a 6-time GRAMMY winning artist, producer, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and audio engineer from Honolulu, Hawai'i. He began his professional career in the ‘90s as the leader of Billboard-topping contemporary jazz group Kilauea and has since gone on to win innumerable awards, tour all over the world, and compose...
Alien Maps and Radiohead
February 28, 2018 23:31 - 37 minutes - 53.2 MBDerek Stein (Vitamin String Quartet, gnarwhallaby, wild Up) is a cellist with the ability to extract exciting, unusual sounds from his instrument. On this episode, he demonstrates his favorite sounds, reveals which audition he bombed, and joins us for a discussion on whether cell phones belong at concerts. Playlist Here is a Spotify playlist to pair with Underscore Episode B3! Co-hosts Chrysanthe and Thomas collaborated with our guest Derek Stein to curate an hour of tracks featuring ice-...
How to ruin a piano
February 22, 2018 23:24 - 39 minutes - 49.4 MBComposer/pianist Sarah Gibson shows us her bag of tricks, plays the melodica, and tells us why she composed a piano piece for just the left hand. Then, we discuss how different concert venues affect our concert-going experience. Playlist Here is a Spotify playlist to pair with Underscore episode #B2! Co-hosts Chrysanthe and Thomas collaborated with our guest Sarah Gibson to curate these tracks based on the conversations, recs, and vibes of this episode. Guest Composer/pianist Sarah Gib...
Why do metal musicians go classical?
January 22, 2018 23:35 - 36 minutes - 41.4 MBSean Hayward, a composer/guitarist with roots in extreme metal, illustrates the intersections between metal and classical music, shares his love for Javanese gamelan, and gives us his top metal recommendations for newbies. Then, we watch a viral music video and discuss whether expensive instruments truly sound better than cheap ones. Playlist Here is a Spotify playlist to pair with Underscore episode #1! Co-hosts Chrysanthe and Thomas collaborated with guest Sean Hayward to curated these ...