Diamond Seeds Radio Show and Podcast

We are looking for people to forward their music for a radio show which will be distributed via a pod cast every month, as a live stream.

Diamond Seeds Radio

(Disabled here!)
more info and working radio here

My idea for Diamond Seeds Radio is to grant exposure for musicians without making them sign away their rights. Each month a pod cast containing one hours worth of music will be broadcast and listeners will be able to follow links back to featured bands own sites.

Diamond Seeds Radio is now ready and waiting for artists to approach us so that we can play their music.

“My vision is for Diamond Seeds Radio to deliver a great opportunity for bands and a great listening experience for the people all over the world who are gonna tune in!”

About Diamond Seeds Radio and Podcasts

Ella Jo "Ella Jo on Diamond Seeds Radio"

It’s dangerous to ask a girl what she wants sometimes. In my case it was a radio show, to host music without prejudice on the web for everyone to hear.

We are looking for people to forward their music for a radio show which will be distributed via a pod cast every month, as a live stream.

We do not require payment and we cannot pay out to artists, we are purely offering the opportunity to expose your music on the internet. We are musicians ourselves and appreciate how difficult it can be to get radio play, so we have decided to set up a facility on the net for ourselves and others to play out our music. We do not discriminate between artists or genres; this is a genuine opportunity to get your music heard.

We guarantee that anyone submitting their material for us to play will retain their ownership and all rights to that material. Neither will we attempt to sell your material without prior permission; we will simply provide links to your own site.

Diamond Seeds will provide a streamed monthly radio show (with archives) that will become available as a pod cast. It will feature music provided by anyone who wants to submit their material. It will allow any musician to get their material on the internet, without prejudice, helping to create an interest in their music.

How to get your music played on our monthly show

Simply send us a copy of your material as an mp3 (128k, 44kz) and we will try to include it in our radio show.

We do reserve the right to disqualify material which we deem inappropriate.

Please send to diamondseed3 AT googlemail.com (and put “for Diamond Seeds Radio” in the title)

Where the worlds of drum ‘n’ bass and post-punk and goth collide, stands a man like Spon

Diamond Seeds talks to Steve Spon on matters Nostramus and UK Decay.

We recently caught up with Steve Spon to ask him about his re mastering of ‘Earthlights’ an album that he wrote and produced in 1997 for Nostramus. Steve Spon (aka ‘Spon’) has recently re-joined the re-formed legendary eighties post-punk-goth pioneers, UK Decay.
We were fascinated to gain a glimpse into the thinking behind the re mastering of the classic nineties ‘D ‘n’ B noir’ album.
Which, according to one reviewer is  “probably the best Drum and Bass album you have never heard

Where the worlds of drum ‘n’ bass and post-punk and goth collide, stands a man like Spon

Diamond Seeds interviews Spon

Where the worlds of drum ‘n’ bass and post-punk and goth collide, stands a man like Spon
We were intrigued…….

D.S.# You have returned to your punk roots playing guitar again with UK Decay, in your musical evolution how does that relate to your D ‘n’ B oriented Nostramus?

“Although it can be argued that the music of Nostramus is completely different from the music of UK Decay, I feel there are threads of similarities between the two. Born out of the alternative punk-post-punk-early goth mela of the early eighties and like many ex punk types, I moved with the musical underground into the heady nineties rave scene. I sacrificed my guitar and took the technological path. It was important for me to continue to create music with an alternative message to counter the commerciality of popular music.”

D.S.# Would Nostramus appeal to the average UK Decay fan given ‘drum and bass’ surely had so much bad press?

“I know Nostramus’s mix of Drum ‘n’ Bass, Dub and Electronica may not appeal to every UK Decay listener but I know it will to some. Most of the guys in UK Decay, actually love Dub and Reggae music and have done so since the 70’s so there is nothing new there. The D ‘n’ B scene has received a lot of bad press in the past. Understandably, for many, the tragic murder of Sophie Lancaster by ‘hoodie’ thugs has put some people off the musical tastes of these low-life monsters. But I believe that mutated minorities in any genre, should not be allowed to hold good music to ransom.”

D.S.# Drum and bass was cool back then?

“From my point of view, the early hedonistic nineties D ‘n’ B scene was an invigorating and exciting proposition for many who wished to carry alternative music forward. The development in recording and playback technologies opened up a new universe of musical exploration and possibilities. Earth shaking bass lines, impossibly tight drum structures, emotive complexity in keyboard sound-scapes and sampling, all led to a new excitement in the then stale music scene. I took the plunge into this maelstrom, as it’s part of my make-up to explore new musical adventures.”

D.S.# Surely being an ex-punk had drawbacks on the emerging drum and bass scene

Spon comming at ya!

Spon on the run

“The movers and shakers of this emerging British scene were young DJ’s who had no hack with the old ‘rules’ of creating music. Like many others, evolving from the former 80’s punk scene I moved into the D ‘n’ B at a early stage in its development.

I liked the anarchic approach to creating the music and found for a time comradeship and a sense of purpose and enjoyment in the underground party scene. Back then I found a refreshing openness and tolerance to the music and the people generally in the scene…anything went!”

D.S.# What gave you the idea, or set you on the journey to creating a drum and bass album?

“Drum and Bass as well as other so-called ‘rave-music’ was developing it’s own set of rules that related to the flux’s and flow of the dance-floor. My tastes were still on the darker, deeper and hopefully more thoughtful side. At that time I was a recording studio engineer/producer and that made me open to a wide input of styles. Steve Harle introduced me to the D ‘n’ B scene back in the very early nineties. He encouraged me to embark on the musical journey that would eventually create my first album under the name Nostramus.

I called the new album ‘Earthlights’ and it summed up four crazy years of my experience of the underground party scene at a time when the music was at its most vibrant, purist form.”

D.S.# What was your aim in creating Earthlights your first album, how did you go about determining what it would be?

“The album was written using Atari computers, but I wanted it to have a live feel. I invited guests to contribute spoken and sung performances. The tunes included obscure iconic samples to create light and dark moods to give a sense of meaning. My aim was to create the most organic quality as possible, to create a journey for the listener. I wanted something that was easy to listen to, yet also had a deeper, substantial level. As a ‘non’ DJ, I even broke the dance mix rules, making it virtually impossible for DJ’s to mix the album with other tracks. I wanted to make ‘Earthlights’ stand out in a crowd.”

D.S.# Sum up Earthlights message?

“‘Earthlights’ takes the listener on a journey through themes, ranging from our pagan past, to future space travel. It questions and studies the doubts and optimisms of the human race.”

D.S.# How many did Earthlights sell back in the nineties, how did it fit in with the drum and bass scene?

Earthlights original 1997 released in the UK by Recordings of Substance

Recordings of Substance version of Earthlights originaly released in 1997

“I released this album first in the UK in 1997, on ‘Recordings of Substance’, and then licensed it to ‘Shadow Records’ for the US market in 1998. In total, there were 6000 sales worldwide. It didn’t make the top ten, but it sold steadily over a period of time and some of the feedback from reviews and emails have been fantastically encouraging. A review a couple of years back summed it up quite nicely “Probably the best Drum and Bass album you have never heard!”

D.S.# What led you to re-mastering Earthlights?

The new Earthlights 2010 re-mastered

Earthlights 2010 re-mastered CD front

“Although I was reasonably happy with the original mastering of Earthlights, I’ve since become more fluent with audio mastering techniques. In the new edition of Earthlights, I reworked the source master tapes, taking care with every step of the process in order to retain the original concept and flow. I feel I’ve now created a much more considered dynamic to the sound-scape, hopefully bringing the whole thing up to today’s audio standards and listen ability.”

D.S.# Did you just re-master or is there anything else added or taken away?

“Aside from the re-mastering, I have re-edited and re-mixed ‘Babel’ the opening track to the album, mixing in some new warped-up a-men from the un-released Jungle version of Babel. There are also one or two other new samples, subtly crafted into some of the other pieces to spice up the mix. Overall, I am much happier now with the sound and flow of the re-mastered album and I hope the listener will enjoy it even more”

D.S.# What about the rumours of Earthlights II any chance soon?

“I have had most of the material for this sitting on my shelves now for a good few years. Now with the help of Diamond Seeds work is in progress to see this project through. I shall be editing and remixing some of the material and with the addition some new performances and samples, I will collate into the final cut. I am hoping for around March April 2010.

D.S.# UK Decay are famous for being one of the first eighties post-punk bands, to make the crossover from ‘punk’ to ‘goth’
What are your future plans with UK Decay, are you enjoying their revival?

UK Decay on their Italian Tour spring 2009, Spon on the left

Spon back with UK Decay in Milan, May 2009

“I am really enjoying playing live with Decay again. It’s a real buzz playing guitar in a live situation, I had forgotten about that.

Because of commitments however, Decay can only play a few times a year, which is fine by me. UK Decay are currently working on a new album, which is an exciting challenge. Getting wild sounds out of my guitar is refreshing to me after so many years of programming songs together. The guys in UK Decay between them have a wealth of new ideas and experience to draw upon. At the end of the day UK Decay were adventuress in seeking out new sounds, we were ‘dark’ back in the day and that’s partly my fault, so they tell me! I look forward to mashing it up with them.”

D.S.# Any future Nostramus beyond Earthlights II?

“We shall have to wait and see!”

Click here for Earthlights Re-mastered 2010 £10.00 inc. shipping

Click here for Earthlights Re-mastered 2010 £10.00 inc. shipping. thru Paypal

Nostramus is now signed to Diamond Seeds Productions.

Review of Earthlights

Ella Jo At Diamond Seeds

Diamond Seeds are pleased to announce the hosting of Ella Jo’s albums on our site through our on line services.
Ella Jo's three albums signed to Diamond SeedsEJ has written and produced four albums to date, each with ten original songs. Limits Of Milkweed, Alter Ego, Attitude is Everything and Almost Anglo Saxon. These albums span the genres as she embraces neo folk to unapologetic popular music but also incorporates drum and bass grooves, acapella, and classic vibes of bond movie stature. All the songs are woven together with al fresco style singing and strong lyrics. The albums are enhanced by amusing sound-scapes, using interesting concepts and montaging techniques.

 https://www.facebook.com/ellajo.musicpage

Nostramus back-catalouge available soon on Diamond Seeds

The Nostramus back-catalouge, will shortly be available on Diamond Seeds via online fulfillment service.Earthlights UK version
This will include a re-tweaked and mastered version of the 1997 release of ‘Earthlights’.
Also included will be the ‘Bomb Babylon’ album material, which came out to mark the artist performance at the legendary ‘Free The Spirit Festival’, hosted by the ‘Exodus Sound System’ in 1999 at the Long Meadow farm, Charlton, north Luton. This legendary live performance will become available on the new service.

The ‘Bomb Babylon’ album was scheduled as a follow-up to ‘Earthlights’ and there were only 50 copies ever made, the process was beset with problems. Since then, Nostramus has moved onto other projects including the 2003 ‘Hero Of Bamboo Stick’ EP and many remixes that have seen the light of day on various releases. Nostramus is now consolidating this ‘lost’ material into format for fresh release utilising the latest ‘web 2′ fulfillment technology.

Nostramus director Steve Spon, shall also be presenting the earlier ‘Dark-Ambient’ ‘THC’ (The Hidden Corporation) archives on the new Diamond Seeds website in the near future.