S5 Ep7: Mark Reeder on "Heroes" (Part Two)

Berlin calling... it's September 1978 and young Mancunian punk musician, Joy Division/Factory Records associate and Germanophile Mark Reeder has hitchhiked to Berlin, the city where he would make a name for himself as a producer, DJ, musician, impresario and manager, responsible for firing up the West Berlin underground music scene during the 1980s. (For a vivid immersion into this era, check out 'B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin 1979-1989', the 2015 documentary chronicling Mark and the key and not-so-key players in the West Berlin post-punk scene). In this episode, we explore more of "Heroes", the most Berlin of Berlin albums, the city of darkness and division as refracted through the unique Bowie prism, aided and abetted by an assorted cast of maverick musicians, egg-head theorists, rock'n'roll, techno, experimentation and Iggy Pop. Mark and I take in the mood of the times, from his own personal memories of discovering Berlin with a Walkman and Side 2 of "Heroes" to the lingering influences of Krautrock, Isherwood, Albert King and Bolan. Thanks to Mark Reeder for his time and generosity for this episode, as well as to Thilo Schmidt for organising our previous visit to Hansa Studios and as ever, a massive thanks to Leah Kardos for composing and gifting the opening music to this episode.