Despite its small size, a 100-square-foot grilled cheese shop-turned-radio station in Gastown is making plenty of space for Vancouverites to be heard in town and abroad. The online-only (NFR), which started streaming out of the old Hi-Five sandwich window at the end of September, is already a booming hub, and airs programs from folks involved with the experimental and longtime . The talent runs deeper than reliable faves, though, with new voices getting equal playtime among the veterans.
Our Pleasure host Paisley Nahanee tells Westender that she only started spinning records for the public a few months ago, first learning on-the-spot at one of the 鈥檚 bring-your-own-vinyl Turn Tuesdays events. But the rush she got after seeing people dance to her post-punk collection led the music-lover to book more gigs around town under the name Paisley Eva. Still, the DJ didn鈥檛 think hosting her own program was an option when she first learned about the community-geared No Fun Radio.
鈥淚 thought it was super interesting, but I also thought that I didn鈥檛 have the skills set or years of experience that the other people who were doing it had. I was just watching it from afar, admiring it,鈥� she says. After being encouraged by a friend, Nahanee pitched Our Pleasure, a program which invites local bands like Fake Fruit to both spin and talk about the music that inspires them. 鈥淣ow I do a weekly show for two hours every week, which is more than I expected, but also just absolutely amazing.鈥�
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Derek Duncan is one of four co-founders running the eclectic non-profit, which funds day-to-day activities through annual membership fees of $100 and fundraisers. Whether its house and hip-hop DJs Syd Woz, Donna C and Roxy Motorola growing their Switch brand with a bi-weekly show, guitarist Kevin Keegan ramping up the thrash through South of Kevin, or Duncan himself spinning boogie cuts on his Pacific Spirit program, he says the station went live 鈥渢o provide Vancouverites with a platform to reach outside of their sphere.鈥� And unlike traditional stations competing for radio signal space in the city, you just need a web browser to hear the hits through NFR (if you鈥檙e a mobile listener, an app is expected to show up before the end of the year). Duncan also plugs the fact each of its shows are archived and uploaded onto music-hosting service Mixcloud the next day.
So far, dozens of weekly and monthly programs have premiered, but the station is still growing. Even if you鈥檝e never touched a set of turntables or a CDJ, if you鈥檝e got a good idea for a show, the team is interested in showing you the tricks of the trade in-studio. No Fun Radio also plans to run workshops in the future to get more people involved in DJing, either on-air or in the clubs. Duncan explains, 鈥淭hat鈥檚 definitely something that we want to cultivate, because I feel like there are a ton of people in 麻豆传媒映画who have amazing taste in music, or really extensive record collections.鈥�
Nahanee, meanwhile, is already paying it forward with another new project being broadcast on No Fun Radio: a monthly event at the Fox called Dame. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all girls, all vinyl,鈥� she explains. 鈥淚 think the reason that No Fun really likes it is that it鈥檚 also based in community building.鈥� Set for the last Thursday of every month, Dame鈥檚 rotating roster of talent will include emerging female DJs whom the host hopes push forward into other parts of 麻豆传媒映画nightlife. The more options in the city, the merrier.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very nerve-wracking to go in and be this girl in her early 20s who is DJing vinyl out of a vintage suitcase with these dudes that have been doing it for 30 years,鈥� Nahanee says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also just about creating diversity in the scene, making the pool bigger to the point where I hope that after a few Dames, there鈥檒l be so many new female DJs that you鈥檒l never have an excuse to have an all-male bill.鈥�
Tune in live in at , or check out the archive at . 听
