Episode 88 - Jack Toft

My guest this week is Jack Toft. Jack is a rapper from Buffalo, NY. We first met when we shared a bill in Charlottesville, VA, and we’ve played many shows together since then.

He talks about his early stabs at writing fiction and poetry, and how he drifted into music by way of a noise band called The Next Syphilis. He breaks down his first solo album being compared to Waiting To Exhale, and we try to guess what happened in Waiting To Exhale. He talks about the strangeness of starting to tour later in life, and the beauty of being part of the underground music world.

Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to MC Rell & The Houserocker’s Into The Future. This episode is hosted by Splice Today.

Episode 87 - Flyin' Ryan Burke

My guest this week is Flyin’ Ryan Burke. Ryan is a professional wrestler from Ohio. Our paths first crossed when he took part in Pittsburgh Batman, a play written and directed by (previous Height Zone World guest) Lord Grunge. I’ve always been interested in learning the ins and outs of his hustle.

He talks about being driven to become a wrestler from a young age. He describes making his wrestling debut in a K-mart parking lot, as well as finding himself wrestling in front of thousands of people. We discuss the logistics of being a working-class wrestler, and the tenacity it takes to stay in it.

Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to Cash Money and Marvelous’s Where the Party At? This episode is hosted by Splice Today.

Episode 86 - BAG$

Height Zone World 86. My guests this week are BAG$, aka Jimmy Simard and Pete Rae. They’re a hip-hop duo from Kingston, Ontario. We first met when we all played a show together in their hometown in 2004. We’ve shared many bills over the years, and Pete has made several beats for my group Shark Tank.

They describe discovering hip-hop in 1980’s rural Canada, and unveiling their early projects in Kingston in the 90’s. They break down their initial forays into beatmaking via pause tapes and belt-driven turntables, and how Jimmy formed The Makeshift Beat Collective to highlight this oft-kilter aesthetic. We discuss their collaborations through the years, and what led to them teaming up to form this new duo.

Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to Luniz’s Operation Stackola. This episode is hosted by Splice Today.

Episode 85 - Ultimate Donny

My guest this week is Ultimate Donny, aka Richard Elmsworth. He was one half of Gil Mantera’s Party Dream, and he now plays with Sam Goodwill. We first met when we played a show together in Pittsburgh in 2003, and we’ve been pals ever since.

We talk about his first music projects, and the formation of Gil Mantera’s Party Dream. He explains how they made the leap from being a weekend warrior band to a full time touring act. We discuss the confusion he felt when the band broke up, and re-entering the music game as Sam Goodwill’s guitarist.

Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to Slick Rick’s Children’s Story. This episode is hosted by Splice Today.

Episode 84 - R.M. O'Brien

My guest this week is R.M. O’Brien. He’s a poet and a playwright and the main man behind Nuclear Power Pants. We’ve been friends since we first played a show together at Purchase College in 2004, and we’ve gone on several tours together throughout the years.

He talks about forming Nuclear Power Pants at Purchase College, and then reforming the band in Providence and then Baltimore. We talk about the inherent frustration of touring, and the point where touring with his band began to clash with his role as a family man. He explains his conversion to Sikhism, and how that’s affected his outlook on life and his approach to creative pursuits.

Mike Riley’s art this week is an homage to Def Jef’s Soul Food. This episode is hosted by Splice Today.