Quick facts:ANANSI Radio Club
The ANANSI Radio Club is a monthly radio show hosted by the ANANSI Revolutionary Collective, aired on the Pan-African internet radio station Oroko Radio. It serves as a sonic extension of the collective’s commitment to radical imagination and shared cultural production.
Purpose[edit]
The ANANSI Radio Club exists as a space for members of the collective to share their audio art with a global audience. Many members of ANANSI are DJs, producers, poets, sound artists, and writers. The ANANSI Radio Club allows this diversity of expression to take form within a communal, pan-African context. It also serves as a space for deep listening and dialogue, including conversations on topics such as African Personhood and the impact of technology on our communities.
Format and Content[edit]
Each show is 1 hour long and broadcasts on the last Friday of each month at 2PM EST. The most common format is a DJ mix curated by a member of the collective. Other episodes have included spoken word, recorded conversations, and recordings of live performances from members of the collective. Most content is created or co-created by members of the ANANSI, and priority is always given to internal contributions.
Episodes are archived on the Oroko Radio website.
Hosting and Curation[edit]
Curation and hosting duties are decentralized and operate on a volunteer basis. Different members step forward to organize each show depending on interest and availability. Recently, member Nardja Owens (aka Vorbi Ogg) has taken on a recurring role as host, often providing custom radio stings and sonic transitions to build a more authentic radio experience.
Visuals accompanying each show typically include a portrait or self-submitted image of the featured performer.
Platform and Alignment[edit]
Oroko Radio was chosen as the host station due to its alignment with pan-African values and its broad network of diasporic creatives. Several comrades from the Nairobi creative scene had already began programming on the station prior to us joining, making it an organic fit for ANANSI's transnational ambitions.
Internal Process[edit]
The ANANSI Radio Club is coordinated through ongoing threads in the collective’s Matrix and Loomio channels. Scheduling, proposals, and technical needs are managed collaboratively, with no fixed hierarchy. This approach mirrors ANANSI's broader commitment to communal resource-sharing and shared responsibility.
Episode Archive[edit]
| Episode Number | Date | Host | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 1, 2024 | KJ Karuga | For the inaugural episode of the ANANSI Radio Club, we're bringing you an amazing mix from KJ Karuga exclusively featuring tracks from members of the collective, and a conversation between SUNJIR0 and Vorbi Ogg about the collective's latest techno-creative invention. The set was recorded during the Kilele Summit, East Africa's first music and technology symposium. |
| 2 | March 29, 2024 | KJ Karuga and Coco Em | In our second episode of the ANANSI radio club on Oroko Radio, we’re introducing you to some of the talented members of our collective and their music. Our community of artists and producers share tracks they are currently working on or are vibing to. This session was recorded live in Nairobi by KJ and Coco Em.
To wrap up the show, we feature a captivating excerpt from a live teleperformance by SUNJIR0 and Phantom Wizard, performed live between Nairobi and Amsterdam for an audience at The Mist, Nairobi. The otherworldly performance made use of a full studio of acoustic instruments, musical-coding with Sonic Pi, synths, and live production in Ableton. |
| 3 | April 26, 2024 | KJ Karuga | With Guest: KJ is a DJ and visual artist based in Nairobi.
Tracklist:
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| 4 | May 24, 2024 | KJ Karuga | Anansi Radio Club - May 2024 |
| 5 | June 21, 2024 | Ondieki | Conversations - Anansi Radio Club. Featured a conversation about digital independence and the impact of technology on communities. |
| 6 | July 19, 2024 | Ondieki | Featuring a generative music piece by SUNJIR0 and a spoken word piece by Jay Jay. |
| 7 | September 13, 2024 | SUNJIR0 | In this episode of the ANANSI Radio Club, the ARC members Nabalayo, Kadallah, Ndibo, Emma, and Jabez dive into a thought-provoking discussion, exploring the concept of personhood, African identity, and what it means to identify as African. The conversation ebbs and flows with musical selections curated by Coco Em, featuring tracks from Amadou et Mariam, Toto La Momposina, Nihiloxica, and more.
Tracklist:
|
| 8 | October 11, 2024 | SUNJIR0 | A live performance at Metropolis in Nairobi, performed using Ableton Live and a virtual reality headset.
With Guest: SUNJIR0 is a trans-disciplinary artist, designer, creative technologist, and the catalyst of the ANANSI Revolutionary Collective. As a solo audio artist, they create immersive soundscapes and docu-fictional work that exists in the realm of science-fiction, Afrofuturism, and techno-politics. |
| 9 | November 8, 2024 | KJ Karuga | Featuring Afro House, Afro Tech, and Gqom, whether you're getting ready to dance or just want to vibe, this is your weekly dose of energy, culture, and sound. With Guest: KJ Karuga is a DJ and visual Artist based in Nairobi Kenya. |
| 10 | January 31, 2025 | K_DALLA_ | Due to recent events, K_DALLA_ has come out of retirement.
Tracklist:
|
| 11 | February 28, 2025 | Coco Em | On the 11th installation of the ANANSI Radio Club, the ARC invites Coco Em. Serving 60 minutes of though provoking ideas, percussion & bass, every vibration African inspired and spanning the globe. Opening with a funny anecdote by Julius Nyerere and diving into a funeral dirge by Gang Oling, enjoy sounds like African Drum machine by innovative African electronic powerhouse Afrorack, Wtchcrft, Angle of Re-Entry, Guedra Guedra from North Africa with Seven Poets, East Africa's bass guru Slikback's KOROSHIMASU, Society of Silency's Baghdad. Are you 'Sick and Tired of the Bullshit' (Si Begg), waiting for 'Poki to Return' (Culoe de song), screaming OMG OMG at Omaqoqa's 'Batman' or looking to enjoy your ' Umgqibelo' (Saturday) w/ SA's DJ Sandiso - tune in and enjoy. |
| 12 | March 28, 2025 | Vorbi Ogg | For our March installation of the ANANSI Radio Club (ARC) we buckle up for a sonic voyage into Vorbi's universe as they take us on a deep dive into their latest release 'Layer 8 Issue Vol 3', now available on Bandcamp. Also featured on the show are sublime selections to get you grooving and reflecting. Enjoy Rien Ne Va Plus by Funk Factory, IRL (Dva's Hi Emotions Remix) by Girl Unit, the mesmerising and relaxing sounds of Idjah Hadidjah with their song 'Tonggeret' and much more. Karibu! |
| 13 | April 25, 2025 | Coco Em | For this installation of the ANANSI Radio Club (ARC) be prepared to be immersed into an hour of pulsating rhythms from Congo to Angola, Angola to Ghana and the continent over, curated by ANASI collective member, Coco Em.
With Guest: Coco Em, aka Emma Mbeke Nzioka, is a multidisciplinary artist and DJ from Nairobi, Kenya. She has curated a three-day Boiler Room event, was the artistic director at the 13th edition of the Norient Festival in Bern, debuted at Sonar, Barcelona in 2024 and has performed in over 27 cities worldwide. Following her successful EP "Kilumi," Coco Em is currently working on her debut album to be released at the end of 2025 with InFiné music, with its first single release 'Kwa Raha Zangu' available now on all streaming platforms. Dubbed ‘the hardest hustling DJ’ by Okay Africa, Coco Em advocates for marginalized people and artists, using her platform and the Pass Pass initiative to highlight systemic inequalities in outlets like Pan African Music, The Guardian, and the BBC. |
| 14 | May 23, 2025 | Vorbi Ogg | This installment of Anansi Radio Club features a bumpin mix by Vorbi from deep within the hard-drive. This mix includes tracks the works of Leonce, KOROstyle, and 3asic After the mix, vibe to a top 5 groovy playlist selected by Coco Em. Lay back, standby, and relax to the sonic journey of ANANSI Revolutionary Collective.
With Guest: Vorbi is a DJ & producer who love of dance transcended into soon Djing & making club music. From his early days of street dancing to producing his own music, he draws together the distant corners of his soul into one entity. |