We Speak Music
Earl Gateshead Shares Reggae Music Through Innovative Podmixing in ‘The Huge Reggae Show’
Reggae DJ Earl Gateshead has launched a new monthly podmix ‘The Huge Reggae Show’ on SoundCloud. The series are being released monthly with the twelfth instalment having launched on Monday, 12th of September 2022. The podcast, which Gateshead refers to as a ‘Podmix’, was created with the idea to spread knowledge of Reggae as a way of giving people access to the music and to explain the details of the music in an entertaining and non-judgemental way.Already a well-established name in the UK Reggae Music scene, Earl Gateshead’s career began in the late 70s, when he built his own Sound System, one of the first built by a European. He installed it at the world famous Dive Bar, in Soho, London where he had a 23-year weekly residency. Alongside this, Earl was the co-founder and selector for Trojan Sound System, The Sound System of Trojan Records, the world’s leading and best loved Reggae label, and one he toured with for 14 years. Additionally, mysterious graffiti artist Banksy asked Earl to DJ the first three exhibitions of his work. To this day, Earl is the only DJ that Banksy has ever worked with.Following his residency at Dive Bar, Earl began to organise and perform at a series of events called “Reggae Nights” at seminal London club “Plastic People.” This series of concerts received worldwide attention with legendary performances from Alton Ellis, Dennis Alcapone, Sugar Minott to name a few. The success of his “Reggae Nights” series boosted Earl’s career, making him one of the must-see Reggae DJs in the world. Subsequently, he was invited to lecture on Reggae DJing at the prestigious Red Bull Music Academy.The ‘Podmix’ is created to bring out a listener’s own spirituality which Gateshead believes is lacking in more Western cultures and he aims to do this through Reggae music, as he believes it is rooted in human spirituality. Through ‘The Huge Reggae Show’ Gateshead states: “My intention is to share my own feelings about Reggae Music, in the hope that others may feel it too. The music here is entirely positive. It’s all about helping people who struggle in life. To provide comfort and support to those that find it difficult to live in our current society. That could be anybody of any colour, race or religion.”Earl Gateshead had a series of shows this Summer, with appearances at Boomtown Fair, Outlook and Lindisfarne. Follow his social media to keep up to date with the tour and podmix.
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/earlgateshead
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/EarlGateshead
- Twitter: twitter.com/EarlGateshead1
- SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/earlgateshead
No stranger to the music industry, Earl has spread his artistry in a variety of ways. A residency at the prestigious Dive Bar, co-founding Trojan Sound System, one of the biggest reggae labels in the world and various appearances at major music festivals in the world such as Boomtown Fair, Victorious Festival and Lindisfarne to name a few.
We Speak Music
Mané’s ‘The Goddess in the Room’ Turns Self-Discovery Into Sonic World-Building
There is a remarkable sense of intention running through The Goddess in the Room, the latest project from Swiss artist Mané. Blending alternative electronic pop with ritualistic percussion and spiritual symbolism, the album presents itself as both a personal statement and a carefully constructed narrative. Across its nine tracks, Mané explores identity, healing, queerness, and empowerment with impressive clarity of vision.
The opening track, “The GODDESS in the Room,” functions as both invitation and thesis statement. It introduces listeners to a world where intuition and self-trust become guiding principles, while establishing the atmospheric production style that shapes much of the record. The song’s spacious arrangement creates room for reflection, a quality that becomes one of the album’s defining characteristics.
That introspection deepens on “perles de sang” and “sappho.” The former grapples with inherited pain and bodily experience, while the latter offers a moving celebration of queer identity. Throughout these songs, Mané avoids reducing complex themes to slogans, instead allowing emotional nuance to emerge through carefully crafted songwriting and evocative imagery.
Musically, the album reaches some of its most intriguing moments on “)O(” and “moonstones.” Both tracks highlight Mané’s growing confidence as a sonic architect, blending electronic textures with organic rhythmic elements inspired by shamanic practice. The resulting sound feels immersive and transportive without losing its emotional immediacy.
Meanwhile, “j’serai tjr là” and “chocolate con sangre” provide some of the record’s most vulnerable moments. Here, Mané strips back some of the conceptual grandeur to focus on connection, memory, and emotional endurance. These songs reveal an artist equally capable of intimate storytelling and ambitious world-building.
The penultimate track, “Witches,” injects a surge of collective energy into the album’s narrative. Drawing on themes of resistance and feminine power, it stands as one of the project’s most direct statements while retaining its atmospheric sophistication. It is both politically resonant and emotionally charged.
By the time “ALIGNED” closes the record, the journey feels complete. Not because all questions have been answered, but because the search itself has become meaningful. The Goddess in the Room succeeds through its commitment to authenticity and vision, establishing Mané as an artist unafraid to follow her own path, wherever it may lead.
TOUR DATES
- JUNE 3rd – Les Docks, Lausanne (CH)
- JUNE 5th – The Waiting Room, London (UK)
- JUNE 27th – Basel Pride, Basel (CH)
- JULY 25th – Garden Parties, Lausanne (CH)
- AUGUST 6th – Zurich Music Week, Zurich (CH)
- AUGUST 15th – Château Festival, Bourgogne (FR)
- AUGUST 29th – Festival Rikiki, Neuchâtel (CH)
Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Spotify, Website | PR: Decent Music PR
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