Episode 68 - James Nasty

My guest this week is James Nasty. He’s a DJ and a Baltimore club producer. He’s a mainstay in Baltimore, and his music has made noise all over the world.

He talks about learning to record at UMBC studios, and turning his college dorm room into a night club every weekend. We talk about his early days working in studios and producing for rappers, and why he made the transition to DJing and making club music. We talk about his recent EPs, and the full-length album he wants to complete in the future.

Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to Black Moon’s Enta Da Stage. This episode is hosted by splicetoday.com.

Episode 67 - Seth On Gray Street

Height Zone World 67. My guest this week is Seth on Gray Street. Seth is a solo MC and also one half of the group Human Speakers. We first met when I saw his group open for Ghostface in Manchester, NH, and we’ve played many shows together over the years.

He talks about growing up in Farmington, NH and getting his hip-hop education by listening to WUNH’s hip-hop show. He tells me about cutting his teeth by tagging along with NH’s Def Rock, and forming Human Speakers with Eyenine. I spin a few of my favorite Seth of Gray Street tunes.

Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to ED O.G and Da Bulldog’s Life of a Kid in the Ghetto.

Episode 66 - Darsombra

Height Zone World 66. My guests this week are Ann Everton and Brian Daniloski of Darsombra. They’re an audio/visual rock duo from Baltimore. Ann and I are old pals, and I was delighted to get a chance to catch up with them.

Brian tells me about his early days with Baltimore’s Meatjack, and explains how that led to him starting Darsombra as a one man band. Ann talks about being a graffiti writer, and going from graffiti to video work. They explain how they began collaborating and doing Darsombra as a duo. I ask them about their recently completed 111-city tour, and their unique approach to touring.

Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to Rammellzee and Shockdell’s Death Command. This episode is hosted by splicetoday.com.

Episode 65 - Neru (No More Isis)

My guest this week is Neru. She’s an MC and singer from Baltimore. I saw her perform at The Windup Space last winter, and I’ve wanted to learn her history ever since.

She talks about feeling like a black sheep as a kid, and gradually finding her way into music. She lets me know about her first group, and how she became a solo artist. And we talk about her Enlightenment Era album, and her other forthcoming projects.

Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to Pure Poverty, by Poor Righteous Teachers. This episode is hosted by splicetoday.com.

Episode 64 - Joshua Emmitt (Something Complex)

My guest this week is Joshua Emmitt. He’s one half of the group Something Complex, as well as a photographer, a video director and a part of the Reverb Collective. We met when he first moved to Baltimore in 2011. I’ve always dug his work ethic and passion, and I’ve been wanting to get him on the show for a while.

He tells me about growing up in Pine Island, Florida, and his early art and music experiments. He talks about his days in FL metal bands, and his transition from metal to making beats with his bandmate Drew Scott. We discuss the difficulty and the rewards of moving from a small town to a city.

Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to MOP’s To The Death. This episode is hosted by splicetoday.com.