Boogaloo Radio Portraits with the Lomo'Instant Automat

We talked to the founders of Boogaloo radio, a 24-hour radio station which broadcasts from a pub in London.

Hi Boogaloo, tell us a bit about yourself?

We are an online radio station based inside the infamous music hangout, The Boogaloo Pub in London. We are also the world’s first, and only, radio station broadcasting 24/7 from a pub. Boogaloo Radio launched in January 2018 and has very quickly made some serious waves in radio land (see what we did there?). All of our playlists are curated by the presenters themselves, and they have total creative freedom with their shows, which goes against the status quo of regular radio.

What made you want to set up a radio station in a pub?

Online radio is a booming platform, so we felt it’d be mad not to join the movement. Plus, the idea of inviting the world to join ours felt very exciting. We weren’t sure if it would take off, let alone become what it has today... but we’re chancers, so gave it our best shot. The story so far has been fuelled by chaos and love, which means Boogaloo Radio is unlike any other station.

How did you get on shooting with the instant camera?

The Lomo'Instant Automat is really easy to use which is perfect when shooting in such a helter-skelter environment like our studio. I’m no camera pro, but the little mistakes you make with instant photography are essentially what makes the images special. There’s only a few shooting options, which I love. No messing about- point, shoot and hope for the best. There’s definitely some parallels between the camera and the radio station!

What do you think is the appeal of instant film?

Vinyl records made a huge comeback a few years ago and outsold digital. Which is a sign of the times, that people want something that’s more ‘real’. Although platforms such as Instagram are hugely popular, in reality, we all know those amazing photos are edited and orchestrated within an inch. The Instant photo captures the moment there and then. It’s relatively expensive film, so you know that the photo was (probably) the only one taken. Their unpredictable character are what makes them unique. That’s why I chose to use that format for the Boogaloo Radio branding. They’re one of the same I guess!

What's coming up in the next 12 months?

We started in Jan 2018 and it’s been one hell of a year, essentially making it up as we’ve gone along. Thankfully, our presenters have the same rebel heart as us and have believed in this idea every step of the way. The studio has gone from an old bin shed, to a radio station, boasting a roster of people ranging from Shane McGowan, Bernard Butler and Alan McGee to Brix Smith and David Soul. Guests who’ve dropped by include Carl Barat of The Libertines, RUN DMC, Placebo, Bob Geldof… the list goes on… and why would these people give up their time to broadcast from a beer garden in North London? Simply put- the music!

Next year is set to be just as crazy. We’re launching podcasts, popping up at festivals and hosting events around London, plus a few other projects we can’t talk about just yet. The station has, in reality, only just begun. We want to bring more people into our community, spread the word about Boogaloo and establish ourselves as one of the biggest online stations.

Listen to Boogaloo Radio via their website.

2019-03-16 #culture #music #instant #community #london #lomo-instant-automat #boogaloo-radio