Relatiiv interview + BPM Pod album release - a podcast by BPM Pod

One year. Doesn’t seem possible, right? But that is how long BPM Pod has been running – just me, my guests, and this crappy 300-euro Packard Bell laptop pumping out episodes every two weeks. I did not think we would last a year. Yet here we are.

And while I am certainly content with the limited success of BPM Pod so far, the fact I have proved to myself that I can do this only gives me more drive for the future. There will certainly be more promotional stuff from BPM Pod in the next year, as I aim to get to at least 1,000 listeners per episode, up from the average 100 listeners today.

This week, we have a special episode then as we release the first BPM Pod Acoustic Album (called ‘Stripped Sessions’; more on this in a minute), and we talk to some of the most aware, self-reflective and honest guests we have heard on BPM Pod.

Relatiiv: A journey to vulnerability

This balance between contentment and ambition is a feeling shared by my guests this week – the wonderful Laura and Markus from the hip-hop funk-electronic duo, Relatiiv.

In all professions, there are people with some kind of act. We all act at times. But real power lies in breaking down your act, removing the mask, and being yourself. It’s this openness and transparency that Laura and Markus really have nailed. And being content and open does not mean a lack of drive.

“The fact that we are content does not mean that we do not have goals. In fact, because you are detached from your ego, you approach music with a much more free mindset,” says Laura. “It is about keeping your mind in balance and enjoying the moment and what you do.”

Drawing inspiration from artists including Tom Misch, Mahalia, FKJ and Jordan Rakei – all the way through to Fredrik Chopin, no less – Laura and Markus have developed a downtempo beat common ground with love, laughter and longing at its core. It’s pretty mesmerizing stuff all in all from Relatiiv, and it’s doubtlessly one of the best episodes of BPM Pod. A great way to mark the one-year anniversary indeed.

To find out more about Relatiiv, go to SoundCloud, Spotify or Facebook.

BPM Pod: Stripped Sessions release

Most episodes end with an acoustic version of an original song from the artist in that episode – it’s become pretty standard stuff here on BPM Pod.

But what if all of those songs were recorded and released in one package?

Well that’s exactly what I’ve done with BPM Pod: Stripped Sessions. Free to download from Bandcamp, I’ve compiled some of your favourite tracks from across the episodes.

Sure, the sound is not always amazing (I am recording live with two mics only) but you get at least a taste of the magic I experience first-hand at the end of each episode.

So go to Bandcamp and check it out and, as always, do spread the love far and wide.

Full track listing:

• Manono – I Want You


• Chris Winhardt – Spookghetti Western


• Ben Osborn – The Only Thing


• Promis – Will I Get A Chance To Sing My Songs One Day (Before I’m Dead)


• Otari – Escapade


• Maria Mørk – Let Me Float


• Blake Farha – For All The Good It’s Done Me


• Adamore – Dreamer, Believer


• Molly’s Peck – You Should Know


• Lisa Akuah – Bubbles


• Iadora Johnson – Improv jam session


• SCARS – Scars of Life


• Ohad Leev Roage – I Got It All


• Ella Fuchs – Berlin


• Heavy Heavy – High Rise Vultures

Listen to the album by clicking here, or by going through the player below.

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