Digging with Flo

We’re back on the plot for another bumper crop of Digging interviews. Today Flo is joined on the allotment by Laraaji: meaning "beautiful divine sun being," Laraaji is a fitting guest for this episode, which is infused with both the warmth of London sunshine and Laraaji’s divine positivity.Born Edward Larry Gordon in Philadelphia in 1943, Laraaji is a pioneering American musician, composer, and mystic, widely recognized for his contributions to ambient and new age music.In this episode, Laraaji reflects on his early years spent growing vegetables with his sharecropper grandparents in Southern Virginia, shares memories of his brief stint as a stand-up comedian in 1970s New York City and the spiritual journey that led him to become one of the most enduring pioneers of new age music. He also discusses his role as a laughter therapy practitioner. This episode of Digging is sponsored by Niwaki: the go to destination for functional, durable Japanese gardening gear. For 10% off your Niwaki purchase, head to Niwaki.com and enter the code DIGGINGWITHFLO at the checkout. Presenter - Flo Dill, Producer - Lizzy King, Editing - Omar Serge, Sound Recording and Mastering - Sophie EllisonA video version of this episode is also available on YouTubeMusic - Cleaners from Venus - The Artichoke That Loved Me, courtesy of Martin Newell & Captured Tracks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Flo’s joined today by the godfather of Memphis rap, DJ Spanish Fly. Fly is celebrated for his influential role in the early sound of Southern hip-hop, and known for his lo fi, distortion heavy musical style. In this conversation with Flo he recalls his childhood in the church, his arrival in Memphis as a country boy from rural Illinois and his role in the development of bucking, a dance style which emerged from his DJ sets at Club No Name in the late 80s and 90s. It was at these daily DJ sets at Club no Name that DJ Spanish Fly pioneered the Memphis sound, which is, in Flo’s words, spooky. The pair discuss the surprising merits of this spooky sound as they plant out cucumbers on the allotment.  Presenter - Flo Dill, Producer - Lizzy King, Editing - Omar Serge, Sound Recording - Connor Gani, Sound Design and Mix Mastering - Sophie EllisonA video version of this episode is also available on YouTubeMusic - Cleaners from Venus - The Artichoke That Loved Me, courtesy of Martin Newell & Captured Tracks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back on the allotment today with Lias Saoudi, best known as the frontman of the heavily mythologised South London band Fat White Family. For the uninitiated, FWF are a controversial band born out of a Peckham squat in 2011: they became known initially for their riotous, electric live shows, as well as their unapologetic attitudes - depending on who you talk to, FWF are post punk heroes or “horrible little scrotes”. Now in 2024, the band sit at an interesting juncture, with a new album out but with certain members absent, decades of excessive drug use having taken their toll. During today’s episode Lias talks about his experience of growing up in Cookstown Northern Ireland and troubling family ties, as well as new found health and semi-sobriety. Flo and Lias’s mutual disdain for musician-turned-cheese magnate, Alex James also comes up, as they successfully plant out butternut squash, which it turns out is Lias’ least favourite vegetable. Presenter - Flo Dill, Producer - Lizzy King, Editing - Femi Oriogun-Williams, Sound Recording and Mastering - Sophie EllisonMusic - Cleaners from Venus - The Artichoke That Loved Me, courtesy of Martin Newell & Captured Tracks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the plot Flo’s joined by multidisciplinary artist and musician Duval Timothy. Duval’s work blends his musical and cultural influences with the piano at the centre of his practice. His work spans food, painting, sculpture, textiles and more. Recent collaborators include fashion designer Grace Wales Bonner and rapper Kendrick Lamar.Flo and Duval talk about fatherhood, Lewisham’s Mr Pink, Duval’s commitment to the colour blue, his early experiences of making art, and some of his more recent music. Duval proves himself to be a fantastic digger and planter of courgettes, which was today’s task.  Presenter - Flo Dill, Producer - Lizzy King, Editing - Femi Oriogun-Williams, Sound Recording and Mastering - Sophie EllisonA video version of this episode is also available on YouTubeMusic - Cleaners from Venus - The Artichoke That Loved Me, courtesy of Martin Newell & Captured Tracks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Flo and her guests are back on the allotment for the summer. In this first episode she’s joined by NYC based Molly Lewis, who is probably the world’s most famous whistler. In this episode of Digging, Flo and Molly will be planting potatoes whilst chatting about cane toads, the weird and wonderful world of competitive whistling - and Flo gets a whistling lesson. Presenter - Flo Dill, Producer - Lizzy King, Editing - Femi Oriogun-Williams, Sound Recording - Sophie Ellison, Mastering - Felix Stock.Music - Cleaners from Venus - The Artichoke That Loved Me, courtesy of Martin Newell & Captured Tracks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Not only are we off the plot today, we aren’t really gardening either. In this special edition of Digging, Flo is spending time with Penny Rimbaud in his garden. Penny is a founding member of the anarcho-punk band Crass and performance group EXIT, as well as a poet, writer and philosopher. In this episode Penny gives Flo a tour of the garden and ‘sheds’ at Dial House, the radical open house he established in the 1960s. They discuss his approach to meditation and philosophy as well as Penny’s various tattoos. They talk about the formative power of Paul Rep’s book on Zen, the early influence of the film The Inn of the Sixth Happiness and the fact that Valerie Solanas’s Scum Manifesto was the book most often stolen by Dial House guests. Featured track - The Casimir Connection - Forgiveness from the as yet unreleased Caliban Sounds album 'REFLECTION'. Credit to Dianne McLoughlin/soprano sax. Alcyona Mick/piano. Kit Massey/violin. Tim Fairhall/bass. Written and arranged by Diane McLoughlin. Produced by Dianne McLoughlin and Penny Rimbaud.Presenter & editor - Flo Dill, Producer - Lizzy King, Sound Recording - Giulia Campanella,  Audio production - Felix Stock. Music - Cleaners from Venus - The Artichoke That Loved Me, courtesy of Martin Newell & Captured Tracks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today Flo’s off the plot and into the garden of English musician Tirzah. One of the most enduring exponents of weird and wonderful music, Tirzah has released a string of acclaimed albums, and works in close collaboration with other musicians, namely school friend Mica Levi. In this episode Flo and Tirzah are planting onion seeds and broad beans into seed trays to be grown inside, until they’re ready to be planted out on the allotment. Whilst they set about this task they discuss the delicate business of karaoke, the musical impact of exiting Jehovah’s Witnesses, motherhood, and the art of collaboration. Discover more of Tirzah on NTSPresenter & editor - Flo Dill, Producer - Lizzy King, Sound Recording - Sophie Ellison,  Audio production - Felix Stock. Music - Cleaners from Venus - The Artichoke That Loved Me, courtesy of Martin Newell & Captured Tracks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Flo is back on the allotment for another season of Digging. In this first episode, she’s joined by English contemporary artist Jeremy Deller. The Turner Prize winner often weaves music and pop culture into his art, which tends to be politically focused and collaborative in nature. In this episode of Digging, Deller and Flo attempt to bridge the gaps between Take That, William Morris and the lost magic of the jumble sale, whilst planting out strawberries to overwinter on the plot. Presenter & editor - Flo Dill, Producer - Lizzy King, Sound Recording - Jennifer Walton, Audio production - Felix Stock. Special thanks to Dimitris Mylonas. Music - Cleaners from Venus - The Artichoke That Loved Me, courtesy of Martin Newell & Captured Tracks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.