The station takeover forms part of the Kaleidoscope radio series and competition from Polaroid Music and NTS.
Earlier this year, NTS and Polaroid Music launched a mixtape competition aimed at young curators and aspiring DJs. Applicants were invited to submit 60-minute mixtapes inspired by any one of the five themed stations heard on Polaroid Radio: Heatwave, Polychrome, Royal Pine, Iris and Itchy Teeth. A winning mixtape was selected for each theme with originality, flow and response to the sounds and mood of the relevant station in mind, and later broadcast on NTS. The five shows are available to listen back to here alongside earlier episodes from the genre- and era-hopping Kaleidoscope series, including conversations with archivist Sam Knee and photographer Hajar Benjida.
This weekend (13-14 October), the five winners will take over Polaroid Radio. Each winner will dig deeper into their respective theme through new 60-minutes mixes. The takeover will be broadcast three times across Friday and Saturday, starting at 3pm (BST) tomorrow, with listeners able to tune in via the Polaroid Music app or the Polaroid Radio site.
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The broadcast will start with sauli_sa‘s Iris mix. Real name, Saulė Savanevičiūtė, the Lithuanian film industry specialist adopts a curatorial approach that also factors in a background in philosophy. She’s described her mixtape as an “auditory voyage”, “contemplative meditation” and a “sonic guide” that draws from “the whispers of daily walks and bicycle journeys through the enchanting streets of Reykjavik, and the cherished memories from core relationships.”
Following sauli_sa, Vishnya takes over with a Royal Pine offering that leans into the characteristics of the station, where genres like folk, dream pop, soul and rock come together. He’s dubbed his mixtape “something I would listen to while driving through sunny, yellowish farmlands, forgetting about all the worries and reminiscing about the good things in life.” Continuing the takeover, Wasé Taiwo‘s will share a Heatwave mix. A 21-year-old visual artist, illustrator, DJ and archivist from Lagos, Taiwo’s mixtape was inspired by his current listening habits, and genres such as African funk, disco, Afrobeats and sounds from the Caribbean.
Penultimately, the Itchy Teeth theme winner PKC‘s mix will takeover for an “intriguing and uncharted listening journey”. The founder of independent online radio station Jigsaw Radio as well as a resident at Taipei’s party and events collective PURE G – and a regular at vital venues across the city, including Final – PKC gave further context to his track selecting process, stating: “I enjoy delving into music that makes me feel peculiar and prompts involuntary body movement, whether it’s experimental or reinterpretations of classic pop songs.”
The final mix, Polychrome, will come courtesy of Irish DJ, artist and Dublin Digital Radio mainstay Dåser. He has previously described his initial mix for the competition as an attempt to “synthesise what a rave in a kaleidoscope might feel like” and spoke of its higher tempo. His deeper dive, then, finds him taking a slower, more casual approach. “Again, I tried to recreate an audio kaleidoscope experience,” he said. “Shimmering synths and scratchy textures combine with bouncy percussion and warm pads, in a hope to create an ever changing displacement of light and sound. A bit scattered and disorientating, but mostly a lot of fun (hopefully)!”
To listen to the broadcasts, tune in at Polaroid Radio or via the Polaroid Music app from 3pm (BST) tomorrow.
