We also hear a potted history of the DSA, consider the particularities of Left Populism as a contemporary political tendency, spend time with Bernie and de Blassio, and appraise a couple of the incoming mayor’s early rap tracks.

Tim and Jeremy recount the emergence of Zohran as a political figure, his background and parents, his democratic socialist politics and what his election means for the Left and anti-imperialism more broadly.../

On the music side of things, we hear a potted history of the conga drum, some drum and bass, electric thumb pianos, handmade amplifiers and an African cousin to footwork./

They also unpack the ‘resource curse’ of the DRC’s mineral stocks, the activities of companies like Apple and Tesla, and finish with a reflection from the great Franz Fanon.../

Beginning with the overthrow of Lumumba, they discuss the colonial and imperialist dynamics that have buffeted the country for the last half century, cycles of violence this engenders and the role of nations like the US, China, Rwanda have played in destabilising the country.../

To hear the full episode and dozens more like it, visit patreon.com/LoveMessagePod and become a patron from £3 a month.

Elsewhere in the show we hear a post-punk Fela cover, a classic piece of Sharon Jones funk soul, Highlife guitar, the price of vinyl, a shoutout for the humble 7”, Afrofuturist mythology and… Alan Partridge.../

Tim pulls extensively from the bag he packed for a recent Lucky Cloud party, including selections from SAULT and Cotontete, while Jeremy shares a modern slice of Bukem-esque DnB and an end-of-the-night dreamy deep cut..../

Also included in this show: Fantasia, the Military Industrial Complex, the Kennedy assassination and some speculative White House tripping.

We hear about Louis Armstrong in Ghana, Dizzy Gillespie’s tours to West Asia and revisit Max Roach from our previous show, alongside Brubeck, Stravinsky and… Bing Crosby.../

We get a brief history of the emergence of the CIA in the post-war USA, NATO, and detail a few of the great many instances of US interference in newly decolonised states around the globe.../

a group of mostly black US musicians sent around the world to (unwittingly) promote American soft power during the Cold War.../

Become a Patron from just £3 a month to hear the full episode and dozens more like it.

Patreon.com/LoveMessagePod

Along the way they discuss Soviet Realism, Modernism, formal experimentation in the arts, Stalin, the Monro Doctrine and the CIA. Elsewhere in the episode we hear about George Formby, Peter and the Wolf, the Red Army Choir, and ask whether any of us really like orchestral music.

and spend some time reflecting on how these imperial legacies resonate today. On the music front, we hear listen to Roach behind the kit, cue up a series of Congolese rhumbas and boleros, and close with seminal civil rights singer Nina Simone.

On this show Tim and Jeremy discuss mid-Twentieth Century decolonialism, resistance and the activities of black jazz activists in America. We hear the history of the colonisation of Congo by Belgium, introduce Lumumba as a unique historical figure.../

We've also released dozens of supplementary shows for our Patreon supporters, going even deeper on our material, with mini-series on Walter Gibbons, Heavy Dub Theory, Afro-Futurism, Glam Rock, Kneecap, crucial pieces of Cultural Studies literature and much more!

Patreon.com/LoveMessagePod.

We've recorded six series of podcasts on the legacy of David Mancuso's Loft, Afro-Psychedelia, NYC, Disco, Drugs, Funk, Feminism, Marxism, Colonialism and a whole lot more. Dig into our archive to explore almost 150 hours of conversation and music.