PODCAST · music
Primer
by Maximum Fun
Primer is a music podcast about translation and illumination. Host Christian Dueñas is joined by a different co-host each season to explore a genre of music from outside the English-speaking world. In its debut season, music writer Yosuke Kitazawa (PBS SoCal, Light in the Attic) joins Christian and special guests to explore Japanese City Pop. They celebrate the lives of its artists, explore the cultural and historical context of the songs, and reflect on the impact that music had on listeners everywhere - including personally, as fans. Primer invites both newcomers and crate diggers alike to find their next favorite album and learn more about the music they already love.
Episodes
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12. What We Slept On (teaser)
Christian, Producer Richard Robey and Senior Producer Kevin Ferguson all sit down to talk a bit more about the process of making Primer and get into a few artists we didn't get to cover during the regular season. This is a teaser for our bonus content! If you want the rest of the episode, please...
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11. What We Learned (Christian & Yosuke)
C & Y sit down in the studio one more time to discuss some of their favorite moments, songs the wish they covered, and finally take a crack at the question "what is city pop?" Featuring brand new clips from past episodes! Thanks for rockin' with us, listener! We really appreciate you! Spotify...
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That's a Wrap! For Now
A special announcement from Christian Dueñas! If you enjoy Primer please support the show and help us reach our goal so we can produce a second season! Follow Primer: Instagram | Twitter | TikTok
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10. Frogs, Insects, Birds, Harry (Pearl & The Oysters // Haruomi Hosono & Co.)
A few songs from Pacific, the album we're discussing today, have made it onto city pop playlists and algorithms on all types of streaming services. It might sound a little loungier, a little jazzier than what you might expect from a city pop album, but the names in the credits should be familiar…
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09. Music for the Dirt Roads (Wyatt Cenac // Tome Asagami)
Tome Kitagawa, accomplished percussionist and session musician, created an alter ego for only one album, Yuwaku. Alter ego Tome Asagami was sensual, poppy, and loved hot sake. Although Yuwaku never really garnered much critical or commercial success, the single Hot Sake made it into DJ crates all...
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08. Smells Like Fireworks (Jayson Chun // Tatsuro Yamashita)
In the late 1970s a young Tatsuro Yamashita was making a name for himself as a prolific session musician and songwriter. He launched his solo career, but didn't see big commercial success at first. Yamashita took a trip down to the US and learned some tips from Western producers and began…
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07. They Lied to Us (Oscar Montoya // Anri)
We're covering a banger of an album today, folks. Timely!! is the sixth studio album from singer Anri and has a couple of her signature songs, Cat's Eye and I Can't Stop the Loneliness. Cat's Eye was the opening for the 1983 anime of the same name and would go on to become one of the highest...
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Lost Notes: How Fela Kuti Found Afrobeat in LA
We're doing a feed swap today! We would like to introduce you to Lost Notes from KCRW. A music documentary podcast that we feel is in conversation with Primer. This episode focuses on Fela Kuti's time in LA and the creation of his legendary Afrobeat sound. If you like the show, subscribe and tell...
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06. Missed Connections (Mark "Frosty" McNeill // Yukihiro Takahashi)
New Romantic: A subculture movement that originated in the UK in the 1970s and early 80s that focused on a more androgynous and glamorous style. Artists and bands like Boy George and Roxy Music popularized the look and feel of the New Romantic style. Neuromantic: Yukihiro Takahashi's 1981 solo...
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05. Nature Speaks Simply (UMI // Seiko Matsuda)
Seiko Matsuda, Japan's "Eternal Idol", started her career way back in 1980 with her debut record Squall. The albums and accompanying singles saw massive success, selling hundreds of thousands of copies within a week of release and it's easy to see why. Squall perfectly encapsulated the summery,...
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04. Very 94.7 The Wave (Dam-Funk // Hiroshi Sato)
In 1982, Hiroshi Sato released the album Awakening; a synth-heavy, mostly solo record featuring Canadian-born singer Wendy Matthews. He had a few solo records out by then, but they didn't really pay the bills. He was a working studio musician, laying down piano/keyboard tracks for other artists.…
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03. I Hate the City (Patrick St. Michel // Taeko Onuki)
Singer-songwriter Taeko Onuki released the landmark album SUNSHOWER in 1977. Taeko and this album where maybe a little ahead of their time. This jazz fusion pop record sold pretty poorly when it first came out and audiences weren't too keen on this new, strange music. As time has gone on, it...
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02. Gravy Is Shaped Like a Heart (Devendra Banhart // Yasuko Agawa)
Singer and actress Yasuko Agawa released the album Gravy in 1987. It was a bit of a departure from her smooth jazz, bossa nova roots, but she created an unforgettable record with the help of arranger Augie Johnson. It may have flown under the radar when it was first released in Japan, but the...
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01. Crying in the Club (Linda Marigliano // Miki Matsubara)
On November 5th, 1979, Miki Matsubara's debut pop single "Mayonaka no Door/ Stay with Me" was released in her home country of Japan. It was a huge hit and remained her biggest and most beloved work throughout her entire career. Over 40 years after its original release, it soared in popularity…
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Coming soon from Maximum Fun: Primer
Primer is a music podcast about translation and illumination. Host Christian Dueñas is joined by a different co-host each season to explore a genre of music from outside the English-speaking world. In its debut season, music writer Yosuke Kitazawa (PBS SoCal, Light in the Attic) joins Christian…
more
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Primer is a music podcast about translation and illumination. Host Christian Dueñas is joined by a different co-host each season to explore a genre of music from outside the English-speaking world. In its debut season, music writer Yosuke Kitazawa (PBS SoCal, Light in the Attic) joins Christian and special guests to explore Japanese City Pop. They celebrate the lives of its artists, explore the cultural and historical context of the songs, and reflect on the impact that music had on listeners everywhere - including personally, as fans. Primer invites both newcomers and crate diggers alike to find their next favorite album and learn more about the music they already love.
HOSTED BY
Maximum Fun
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Primer have?
Primer currently has 15 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Primer about?
Primer is a music podcast about translation and illumination. Host Christian Dueñas is joined by a different co-host each season to explore a genre of music from outside the English-speaking world. In its debut season, music writer Yosuke Kitazawa (PBS SoCal, Light in the Attic) joins Christian and...
How often does Primer release new episodes?
Primer has 15 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Primer?
You can listen to Primer on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Primer?
Primer is created and hosted by Maximum Fun.
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