NTS Radio
Our visit to London’s discerning indie station and its musical marauders
Operating out of a tiny hut in the center of Dalston is NTS Radio, now one of London’s most influential pirate radio stations. Founded just over a year ago by locals Femi Adeyemi and Clair Urbahn, the station provides a daily range of unfiltered content by a host of ultra passionate people, from jazz enthusiast and Babel record label founder Oliver Weindling to some of Boiler Room‘s top talent, like DJs Thristian bPm and Nic Tasker. Even the Tate Modern has taken notice of the station’s cultivated programming. NTS recently co-curated “A City Symphonic” with ISYS Archive, a soundscape at the TANKS which captured the essence of London.
We recently checked in with Brixton-based DJ and pirate radio veteran Marshmello—”Marsha by name Mello by nature”—whose NTS show, Morning Marauders, lights up every Monday and Tuesday with an array of smooth vibes. As both one of the original NTS crew and founder of 7s Unda The Stairz, a weekly gig in Shoreditch dedicated to 7-inch records, Marshmello has developed a cult following for her discerning musical tastes. Recent guests have included renowned Swiss producer Gilles Peterson, South African musician Morrokka and London singer on the rise, Jessie Ware. Each episode Marshmello asks her guest to bring something new (of theirs), something borrowed (a musical interest of theirs) and something blue (a soulful tune), taking the interview from the usual business plug to a place of discovery. Ware made everyone’s ears perk up both in the booth and out with her something blue—a heartfelt demo by her own bass player’s sister, Fabiana Palladino, called “Young Thing.”
One to keep an eye on, check Marshmello’s Morning Marauders archive on her blog, or listen live to her show or others’ at NTS Radio.
