It’s finally the time to share our annual round up video!
Despite the challenges, it’s been another incredible year and we are grateful, as ever, to all our partners and funders for their continued support.
Of course we couldn’t do all this without the exceptional graft of our wonderful staff and advisory board, who contribute so much and remain passionate about shaping our organisation to be the best version of itself. To all our artists, DJs and residents, thank you for your patience and commitment, we are so happy to have you back. Finally, to our supporters, thank you, you don’t appreciate how much your input is valued.
The holidays are here and to celebrate the Christmas and the fast approaching 2022, our residents will be holding down the Reform airwaves with with these shows as we take a break.
So make sure you stay locked and get cosy with a hot drink and tune into these shows to keep you warm over the coming weeks.
Join Julie Wills in her Out Since Friday X-Mas Special, treating you to the best of disco, funk, soul, boogie Italo, house and more. This time with the input from listeners.
Celebrating another year of fantastic music, Infusion host Pintcan Papi invites Good Custard resident Mai Tai for a cheeky B2B. The two will be playing some of their favourite releases, diving into disco & electro with some other treats added for good measure.
Explore the sonic universe of Priceless Bodies, a new band with vintage taste. Twin sisters inspired by the 70’s and 80’s, PB spins their fave leftfield tracks around those eras.
Raise your bpm and jam out with London based Dj Elrobo as we explore a wide range of genres from breaks to techno, dnb to dubstep.
Reform Radio Presents: Xmas Special
24th December | 9PM-10PM
Tune in for an hour of Christmas inspired tracks selected by our very own staff! Xmas classics, the banger by RUN DMC, remixes of festive tracks & more…
Dj Val, aka la Jeva, has created a show dedicated to those that are not able to celebrate Christmas in Puerto Rico, and to anyone that is curious about Puerto Rican music and culture. Expect an hour of Puerto Rican and Caribbean Christmas music from Latin America and its diaspora, sprinkled in with salsa from Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe & Yomo Toro in Asalto Navideño, Ismael Rivera, and Cheo Feliciano.
Dive into Andrea’s passionate, open mind with deep house, disco, soul and funk at its core. Buckle up to hear a diversity of sounds from ‘80s soul to Brook Benton, all packaged nicely in a Christmas Special.
Music that touches body and soul? Melodic and Progressive Afro vibes? A perfectionist and energetic Dj? Experience this and much more in Red Owls Takeover.
The well-being focused workshops are guided by Reform’s very ownMental Health and Well-being Manager Dan Owens-Cooper. The main aim of these sessions is to help you navigate the many thoughts, feelings and experiences that life throws at us.
The two hour workshop will be be kicking off at 6PM on the 7th December, and subsequently returns every two weeks.
See the flyer below for more info & contact to get involved.
To wrap up our most recent MAES funded Music Course is Vibez@it’s_finest.pro. A show created by up and coming talent from the Manchester area.
Music Course gives participants the opportunity to learn and develop their skills in music production, radio productions, social media and creative writing.
Listen to the full show below. Expect a whole range of different sounds, interviews and personalities.
The HERchester Documentary is finally out on Reform’s Youtube Channel. An exclusive look into the BTS of the HERchester Cypher, a finale performance that wrapped up an 8 week long MCing and lyrical writing workshop.
The project was funded by Arts Council England and brought together women, non-binary people, transgender women and those that identify as women from 4 different cities: Manchester, Morecambe, Blackpool and Sheffield. We teamed up with RiteTrax, House of Wingz and More Music who accommodated and guided participants in their respective cities.
Guided by interviews and shots from the rehearsals and cypher, the documentary gives us all the opportunity to understand the appeal of this amazing project. Participants share why they joined, their highlights and what they gained from this workshop. From the project being a safe space to grow to feeling supported and inspired by one another, the documentary’s narrative emphasises the importance of creating a space for underrepresented individuals to develop their skills in the music scene.
Watch the full documentary below.
We are very excited to announce that this Thursday 16th December at 12PM we will be taking over Arts Council England Instagram stories to shout about this amazing project.
This radio show is a collection of memories and advice from the young people of Tameside. The group have filled in this one hour with their own unique experiences of finding the Comedy in Life. Expect a conversation on all things queer, an exclusive interview with founder of Tameside’s Global Grooves and more.
The show was created by the participants of Tameside Futures, a project in partnership with the Prince’s Trust and Tameside City Council.
Raise the Baris a video series that showcases artists delivering freestyles or live performances on our resident’s shows.
Taking the stage for this episode of Raise the Bar is SINDYSMAN, a 23 year old music student and rapper who guested on Jorgy and Cheech‘s most recent show. SINDYSMAN gave us an exclusive performance of his unreleased track ‘It’s Ready for the Weekend’.
Watch the full performance below.
This artist is by no means a stranger to Reform Radio. This year, SINDYSMAN featured alongside artists such as China Lilly, Micco and Elias, on Rhythm Lab Record’s ‘Roots’ release. This album was part of the Sonic Synthesis series, which brought together artists that had never met before to create a track independently, and subsequently swap each other’s STEMS to create a unique re-work of each other’s original track.
Listen to the tracks below.
Listen to the full show here packed with chats on the artist’s collective SINDYSPLACE, upcoming events, projects and releases.
We have been blown away by the number of nominations and wins this year. From Podcasting to Projects, the awards have shone a light on Reform’s multiple departments.
Youth Music Awards 2021
The Youth Music Awards celebrates the most forward-thinking projects and individuals making, learning and earning in music. From artists and entrepreneurs to grassroots projects and young leaders, the event recognises an exciting range of trailblazers from across the scene.
Reform Radio were nominated for 3 Youth Music awards; Outstanding Project Award, Outstanding Act Award & Live Performance Award. Scroll down to find out more about each category.
WINNER : OUTSTANDING PROJECT AWARD
The Outstanding Project award celebrates organisations that push the boundaries and promote inclusive music education. We had two projects nominated this year, Soundcamp and Rhythm Lab Records‘ Career Starter and we are very excited to say that we won in both categories.
8 finalists of the first Soundcamp project with their mentors – Jenna G, Danny Fahey (Thirty Pound Gentleman) and Werkha.
A bit of background about the two projects. Soundcamp is a programme in partnership with Thirty Pound Gentleman and Youth Music, aiming to discover talent in Greater Manchester. The bootcamp aims to find 12 young people who have shown the potential of making a career in the music industries. They embark on a three-month intense mentorship with working musicians, to create their brand, new music and showcase at an industry event. Since the project began, they have collaborated with Mr Scruff, performed at We Out Here Festival and MIF Festival Square, and tracks have been broadcast on BBC.
Rhythm Lab Records
Rhythm Lab Records is Reform Radio’s in-house record label, that was originally an Arts Council funded project which strived to explore the art of collaboration and foster new creative relationships. As part of the Career Starter project, Reform Radio handed over their record label to five young people for six months. Having a budget of £400 per artist for five artists that they sign to the label, the group have taken on the roles of A&R, Business Affairs, Talent Development and PR and Marketing. With 100% control of the social media platforms, signings, budget, and key decision making, this truly is a ground-breaking project, offering the young group a once in a lifetime opportunity that will propel them into the Manchester music industry.
WINNER : OUTSTANDING ACT AWARD
Snatching a win for the Outstanding Act Award was Bolton born rapper Superlative. Recognised as being one of the best young rappers in the UK scene right now, Superlative aka Corey Brown, has been making waves in the industry for a while now. We are very proud to say that Corey joined our first Soundcamp project in 2018, made it to the final 8 and has been absolutely unstoppable. In 2020, the rapper collaborated with Manchester legend Mr Scruff on Reform Radio’s Co-Lab Theory programme, and has featured on multiple major festival line ups such as Green Man and Castlegate.
RUNNER UP : LIVE PERFORMANCE AWARD
The Live Performance Award is allocated to an artist from a Youth Music project who has delivered an outstanding live performance. Nominated for this award was Soundcamp 20′ alumni Sarah Angel who has performed multiple times in Reform’s studios.
The quote from Sarah Angel’s nominator perfectly encapsulates her intoxicating stage presence – “You can feel her getting lost in the power and emotion of her own music, it is utterly compelling and truly beautiful. This sort of performance without an audience is tricky yet Sarah creates her own atmosphere, making you feel instantly like it’s a live experience. It’s a really amazing achievement and a real skill.”
Manchester Culture Awards
Showcasing Manchester’s best in culture, arts and creativity, the Manchester Culture Awards celebrates the city’s creative heroes. Among awards like Best Performance, Best Event and Young Creative of the Year, Reform have been nominated for the People’s Choice Award and the Promotion of Environmental Sustainability Award.
WINNER : PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
Reform Radio have been recognised for helping young people across Manchester through 618 sessions covering employability, digital and creative skills. Another contributing factor to the nomination was Reform’s free wellbeing support for their projects’s participants and community of over 300 DJs. We were really thrilled to receive this award and are grateful to everyone who has been working with us.
WINNER : PROMOTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AWARD
Sustainability has become one of our key focuses here at Reform over the last 2 years. As an organisation and as individuals, we were able to use our passion and energy about climate change in ways that make meaningful, effective change. It means a lot to us that our work is being recognised by the Manchester community and beyond.
Audio Production Awards
WINNER : BEST NEW PODCAST PRODUCER
The APAs, organised by AudioUK, celebrates the craft and skills behind audio production. There are 21 categories in total spanning audiobooks, podcasting and radio.
Reform Radio’s very own Podcasting Manager Olivia Swift has been nominated for Best New Podcast Producer and ended up snatching the award.
This is another award to add to her books, as early on this year the Tough Talks podcast series Olivia produced won BestSex & Relationships Podcast at the British Podcast Awards.
Reform Radio wants to once again thank everyone that has been involved in these projects. These achievements wouldn’t have been accomplished without our amazing participants, staff, partners and funders. It is a blessing to be supported by so many people and organisations and we only want to share gratitude to those contributing to our journey, so thank you.
With ‘High Rise’, Hermanito reworks samples from Werkha (Brownswood; Tru Thoughts) taking us on a crafted journey through his Latin American and Jazz influences, keeping one foot in the past with his sample of live instruments whilst exploring modern lo-fi chillhop beats.
On ‘By Day’ Hermanito blends his contemporary dream-like beats with signature guitar work and world music samples to create a track that stretches across cultures.
Dulcet Panoply by Nymad
With layers upon layers of arpeggiated synth and modulating rhythms reminiscent of Ostgut Ton’s Barker, ‘Some Sun’ makes you picture a utopian world at sunrise – a psychedelic, ambient autumn anthem.
Ruskin by Notchyy
This captivating blend of field recordings and bouncing, elasticated synthesis makes a sonic escape like no other. As the nights begin to draw in, here is contemplative deep house that’ll take you from dark to dawn; its masterful simplicity is the indisputable sound of clouds parting.
Oort Clod / Priceless Bodies – Split EP by Alphaville Records
A-Side – Oort Clod
Oort Clod is a Manchester based five-piece band, whose blend of indie pop/rock, post-punk and kiwi-pop is both timely and timeless.
Rather than anything distinctly Mancunian, Oort Clod sounds more like Australian contemporary indie music.
B-Side – Priceless Bodies
Priceless Bodies are a Manchester based lo-fi project consisting of twin sisters Viv & Bianca Pencz. The duo have created their own musical vision with a multidisciplinary approach, and playing everything from new wave and no wave to post-disco from the ’70s and ’80s..
Their new EP, mastered by Oort Clod’sMatt Fortunati, is an eclectic exploration of working-class & female-forward living, with references to mental health, Soviet heritage, and American New Wave cinema all coalesced into a sound uniquely theirs: guitar, analogue synth, sampling, and idiosyncratic percussion – from sleigh bells to kitchen knives – are all incorporated.
Marco Woolf
Francine, i by Marco Woolf, Phlexx Records
Over the last 3 years, Malawian-born singer-songwriter Marco Woolf has developed a penchant for storytelling, at most of his live performances the audience has come to expect strange and intriguing poetic anecdotes.
Statik aka El Statiko is an eclectic DJ from Manchester playing genres including Hip Hop, Bass, Jungle, Funk, Disco and Breaks. Statik is a six-time UK Turntablist champion and has competed in international competitions (IDA and DMC) since 2013. When performing, Statik likes to marry technical skill with musicality and uses a variety of equipment and production softwares to manipulate music live.
Machine Learning is Imaginary Part debut LP. The Italian producer takes inspiration from a mathematical notion via his alias, as in mathematics complex numbers are made from a real part and an imaginary part. Imaginary Part is an escape from reality, taking inspiration from ambient, downtempo and abstract soundtracks.
Quantum Index
The 4 tracks of Quantum Index are inspired by the contemporary experimental electronic music scene happening in the UK and have a strong sci-fi direction. Using a combination of digital and modular equipment Imaginary Part creates a work of the highest elegance.
Mind EP
Mind EP is an immersive sound experience into three states of the mind : Strike, Pressure and Release.
Mr Mustard is the lovechild of Ruben Sheridan (Hunrosa, Lovescene) and Jack Duckham (Secret Night Gang, Lovescene). Together they make experimental noises under the mantra “vibes over quality”, though their jazz, hip-hop and electronic-inspired duo has excelled at delivering both.
Wednesday 1st December marks World AIDS Day. A unifying day where we remember the 36 million people who’ve lost their lives to HIV, to stand in solidarity with the 38 million people who live with the virus, and remind the public and government that HIV is still very present.
A few years ago, we kickstarted the Open Forum radio series made in partnership with Gaydio and funded by Audio Content Fund. This was an hour-long round table discussion, that brought together a melting pot of artists, experts and those that just want a good old chinwag about that month’s Open Forum topic.
The second episode was aired on World AIDS day in 2019 and explored the topic of sex. As well as a lively discussion, award-winning HIV+ theatre-maker, writer and performer Nathaniel Hall graced us with a performance of a poem. Nathaniel shone a light on the complicated nature of sex and shared his story.
Listen to the full show below.
The poem performed during this episode inspired Nathaniel to write ‘First Time: A Show About Staying Positive In A Negative World’. The autobiographical story is a one man show that seemingly combines heartbreak and comedy to showcase what it is like to grow up positive in a negative world.
The show ‘First Time’, which has received raving reviews from The Guardian, Northern Soul and more, is produced by the award-winning LGBTQ+ theatre company Dibby Theatre. The company’s strive and passion for social change is not only demonstrated through their theatre, but also through their workshops, exhibitions, debates, short films and post-show parties.
Head to the North Wall Arts Centre’s Youtube channel and watch their most recent film project ‘HIV+ME’. The series of 3 beautifully shot short films showcases three Mancunians living with HIV and their extraordinary stories. Watch the trailer below.
For those living in Manchester, ‘First Time’ will be on the stage from 30th November till 4th December at CONTACT theatre. For further information on the play’s touring dates and locations, head to Dibby Theatre’s website.
Accompanying the 4th December performance is ACT UP + Get Down. This official post-show afterparty will be thrown to celebrate 36 yrs of HIV activism in Manchester. You can also catch Reform residents Supernature Disco and Mix-Stress providing the tunes and vibes for this celebratory night.
We would like to take this moment to state that this day can be both empowering and triggering for individuals. We encourage all to keep this in mind during discussions and when sharing assets and words on social media.
Let’s work together, continue this movement throughout the year and stand in solidarity. Head to the Wold AIDs Day’s website to learn more about the day, their campaigns and fundraising opportunities.
