The Big Note

01/04/2026

For Episode #132 of The Big Note today at 3MDR 97.1 FM we briefly have a bit of fun with April Foolery then get right into some recent Australian artist's music that I have wanted to share with you for a while.

Later, I briefly introduce an amazing character named Harry Partch, a pioneer of modern microtonality. Instead of dividing the octave into 12 equal steps (12-Tone equal temperament, like a piano), Partch divides it into 43 unequal tones, all derived from simple ratios. This method is known as Just Intonation rather than Equal Temperament. He purpose built a number of interesting, sometimes almost sculptural instruments to realise this musical system.

EPISODE #132 PLAYLIST:

* Fool - Bridgitte Bardini [20-09-24] Ruby Valley Records Pty Ltd
* Love’s Fool - Leica Louise [30-03-26] Foghorn Record
* Five Easy Pieces - Azimuth James from “Alluvial Shores” [20-02-26]
* Deer Hunting Season - My Daydreams [27-03-26]
* 1000 Horses - Oscar Perrett [01-04-26] Rockford Records
* 110 - Hayden Lawson [11-02-26]
* The Whitest Bread - Billy Peril CHEERSQUAD RECORDS & TAPES
* Journey - Badinage from “Banter” [06-02-26] Behind The Beat
* Why Don’t Birds Suddenly Appear - Big League from “Windanswagger” [25-03-26]
* Colca - Soviet Dust from “Soviet Dust” [23-03-26] Bellissimo Fingers
* Walk the Dinosaur - Was (Not Was) from “What Up, Dog?” [1988]
* Creeping Evil - The Southern Edge from “Monkey Land” [05-03-26]
* Indefinite Hiatus - Off Chops [27-02-26]
* Till Death Do Us Part - Sh*tzulover07 from “Till Death Do Us Part “ [25-03-26]
* Delusion of the Fury: Chorus of Shadows - Ensemble musikFabrik from “Harry Partch: Delusion of the Fury. A Ritual of Dream and Delusion” [2022]
* Delusion of the Fury: The Quiet Hobo Meal - Ensemble musikFabrik from “Harry Partch: Delusion of the Fury. A Ritual of Dream and Delusion” [2022]
* Delusion of the Fury: The Lost Kid - Ensemble musikFabrik from “Harry Partch: Delusion of the Fury. A Ritual of Dream and Delusion” [2022]
* L’Aberek - Angine de Poitrine from “Angine de Poitrine Vol. 1” [2024]

Episode Image [from Wikipedia] "The Boo" - The Boo I (one of Harry Partch's many unique instruments) was first built in 1955. Some of the bamboo was replaced with larger-diameter pieces in 1963. It has a total of 64 bamboo resonators, organized into six ranks. The back ends of the tubes are sealed.

25/03/2026

Last Wednesday on The Big Note (Episode #130) on 3MDR 97.1 FM , I shared a prerecorded interview with two lovely chaps from India, Murthovic & Avinash, who are performing/presenting "Elsewhere In India" on the 28th of this month, from 4.45 to 7.30pm Bunjil Place in Narre Warren.
This week I present the last few segments of that interview as well as get to a backlog of Australian artists' music I have been wanting to play for a while.

PLAYLIST:

* Hard Act to Follow - Split Enz from “Corroboree” [1981]
* Astral Projection - Murthovic [2025]
* Tohogd - Angine de Poitrine from “Angine de Poitrine Vol. 1” [2024]
* Unga Bai - Midori Takada from “You Who Are Leaving To Nirvana” [10-06-2022]
* Winterlude - Damien Binder [19-03-26] Big Pop Digital
* 3 Month Blackout - Kaiyah Mercedes [05-03-26]
* Delusional - Rebma Rose [12-03-26]
* Outrun the Sun - JC and the Tree [19-03-26]
* Breathe - Jam on Raw Dough [03-02-26]
* Satisfied Man - Porcus vs Equus [13-03-26]
* You Treat Me Like an As***le - The Vors [19-03-26]
* Never Could - Charlie Rose [22-03-26]
* Home - JuzDan [10-03-26]
* To Survive - Liz Stringer from “The Second High” [28-03-25] Dot Dash recordings
* Ghost - Oscar the Wild [11-03-26]
* Grey Sky Day - Alice Night from “Culture How Could You” [01-01-19]
* IDIOM - KYPO from “Salon de Música. MMXXV” [21-01-26]

Episode Image - Murthovic looking very Cyberpunk when I met him unexpectedly earlier this evening & Jake (aka Puscha), Murthi & I (at MESS Ltd ) 📸 - C. J. Stephen, G. B. Stephen

24/03/2026

Last Wednesday on The Big Note I played a prerecorded interview with two lovely chaps from India, Murthovic & Avinash, who are performing/presenting "Elsewhere In India"** on the 28th of this month, from 4.45 to 7.30pm Bunjil Place in Narre Warren, joined by special guest, Vinod Prasanna on the bansuri flute. It's a one night only immersive audio-visual experience, the performance blends electronica, cinematic 3D game worlds, generative AI, classical dance, and remixed archival footage, into a vivid cinematic journey.�
This week I present the last few segments of that interview as well as get to a backlog of Australian artists' music I have been wanting to play for a while. Please join me tomorrow morning from 0900 - 1100 am.

** Bunjil Place have kindly offered two double passes to give away for this fantastic show if you text into the studio between 9am and 11 am on 04 971 02000 with your contact details during the Big Note.

19/03/2026

On March 18, for the 130th episode of The Big Note on 3MDR 97.1 FM, I have a wonderful chat with Murthovic & Avinash, two amazing creatives from India who together are Murthovic & Thiruda. They are appearing at Bunjil Place on the 28th of March as part of "Elsewhere In India" from 4:45 - 7:30pm and share some of their influences, what they do and some of what we can expect from their audio-visual immersive show.
https://www.facebook.com/events/4350993298558172

PLAYLIST:
* Rico Suave Bossa Nova - J Dilla from “Welcome 2 Detroit” [26-02-2001]
* Oru Break - Murthovic
* Cyborg's Lullaby (Modular Flip) - Murthovic
* A Spark from the Infinite (part 1) - Terry Riley from “No Man's Land” [1985]
* Dorset Perception - Shpongle from “Tales of the Inexpressible” [2001]
* Cosmosis - Murthovic
* Reconnaissance - Murthovic
* Stones of Years - Emerson, Lake & Palmer from "Tarkus" [1971]
* The Fantastic Life of Mr Adonis the Peacock - Simon Posford, Raja Ram & Shpongle from “Improvisations for Piano & Flute” [2024]
* The Fantastic Life of Mr Adonis the Peacock - Simon Posford, Raja Ram & Shpongle from "Improvisations for Piano & Flute" [2024]
* Sunbeams - J Dilla from “What’s Up Doe Sessions” (Unofficial Release) [1996]

Episode Image: Avi & Murthi (courtesy of the elsewhere-india.com website)

17/03/2026

For tomorrow morning's episode of The Big Note on 3MDR 97.1 FM, I have a wonderful chat with Murthovic & Avinash, two amazing creatives from India who together are Murthovic & Thiruda. They are appearing at Bunjil Place on the 28th of March as part of "Elsewhere In India" from 4:45 - 7:30pm and share some of their influences, what they do and some of what we can expect from their audio-visual immersive show.

'4A.I.: Elsewhere in India' presents the Indian artists Murthovic and Thiruda, collectively known as Elsewhere in India, who explore digital repatriation and...

04/03/2026

Sunday the 8th of March is International Women's Day, so on 3MDR 97.1 FM this morning I played music by some amazing women for much of the show to celebrate. Later on I indulge myself with a few new musical revelations from AMRAP as well as a couple of my favourite tracks because I can (and yesterday marked another trip for me around the Sun so I'm indulging myself).

PLAYLIST:

* Slave To The Rhythm - Grace Jones from “Slave To The Rhythm” [1985]
* I’ll Never Abandon Myself Again - Liz Stringer from “The Second High” [28-03-25] Dot Dash Recordings
* Upside Down Standing On The Ceiling - Suzana Poljak [25-02-26] Wild At Heart
* Made For You - G Flip from “Drummer” [2023]
* Astrojet - Xani from “An Inaccurate History of Electronic Dance Music” [2023]
* Quarter Life Crisis - Bec Jean from “Quarter Life Crisis” [15-10-21]
* Woman - Clare Bowditch [2019]
* Harmony - In Constance [20-02-26]
* Underground - Abbie Cardwell Music (2022-10-16)
* Desire - Georgia Knightt [20-02-26]
* Rooms For The Memory - Adalita from “Rooms For The Memory” [2023]
* Black Napkins - Frank Zappa from Zoot Allures [1976]
* Silence As/Bombs Fall Down - Matt Rai Matt Rai Music from “Silence As Bombs Fall Down” [26-02-26]
* Ready For It - The Remotes The Remotes [26-02-26] Hobbledehoy Records
* Wrapped In Grey - XTC from “Nonsuch” [1992]
* Cirrus Minor - All India Radio from “On Pink Floyd” [2022]
* MATA ZYKLEK - Angine De Poitrine [28-11-25]

Episode Image: Bec Jean & friend at the Bergy Bandroom 📷 - C J Stephen.

25/02/2026

For Episode #127 of The Big Note yesterday on 3MDR 97.1 FM, we explore microtonality further, after briefly touching on it last week. We also discuss politics both in music and in life, seeing as I touched on that subject last week as well (and got a bit of feedback) 😆
~ Microtonality is the use of microtones in music — that is, intervals smaller than a semitone. These are sometimes called microintervals.
The idea can be broadened to include any music that uses intervals outside the standard Western system of twelve equal notes per octave. In simple terms, a microtone is a note that falls “between the keys” of a piano tuned in equal temperament.

Down Below - Gusto Gusto [10-02-26] Nathan P
* What Was She Thinking? - BenKonarov [10-02-26]
* Harmony - In Constance [20-02-26]
* Coming Undone - mkDubby [27-02-26]
* If You Wanna Stay Alive - Tom Woodward from “Come, Come, KARMA!” [28-01-26]
* Blow Up The Pokies - The Whitlams from “Love This City” [29-05-2000]
* The Holes In Our Heads - Cam Eric from “This World Below” [14-10-25]
* Fabienk - Angine De Poitrine [05-02-26]
* Sleep Drifter - King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard from “Flying Microtonal Banana” [2017]
* Gleam - Sevish from “Harmony Hacker” [2017]
* Sacrificial Code - Kali Malone from “The Sacrificial Code” [2019]
* Iket Adjen - Tinariwen from “Amatssou” [19-05-23]
* Politics - Dragon from “O Zambezi” [1978]
* Apolitical by Worker & Parasite from “POLITICS: A Case Study of the Nexus between Populism, Apathy & Exploitation” [08-09-22]
* The Slime - Frank Zappa from “Over-nite SensaOon” [1973]
* Nuclear Fusion - King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard from “Flying Microtonal Banana” [2017]

Episode Image: Looking for notes between the notes [C.J. Stephen]

23/02/2026

18/02/2026

This mornings episode of The Big Note on 3MDR 97.1 FM sees us explore some classical influences in modern music but mostly, after our theory heavy show last week, we will chill. I do however touch on microtonality briefly, just to mix things up a bit. I also annoy some (hopefully only a few) people with my opinions/beliefs that love, understanding & acceptance is better for the world than division, hate & racism. I make NO apology for that!

PLAYLIST:
* Fanfare for the Common Man - Emerson, Lake & Palmer from “ Works Volume 1” [27-05-1977]
* Fire On High - Electric Light Orchestra from “Face the Music” [1975]
* The Sky - Mannheim Steamroller from “Fresh Air III” [01-09-1979]
* Karijini (iron.spinfex) - IKSRE from “expansion a (south)” [06-11-25] Imprisma Records
* “Conversations of Healing” Frances Cameron [12-12-25]
* The Oracle - Faux Purr [14-02-26]
* Northern Star - Ainslie Wills, James Knight from “Northern Star” [01-10-21]
* MATA ZYKLEK - Angine De Poitrine [28-11-25]
* Good Kisser - Charlie & Co [16-09-25]
* Pauline - Skyscraper Stan from “Those Were Days” [14-02-25] Cheersquad Records and Tapes
* Sun Sun [pt.I] - Tasha Zappala [10-10-25]
* Fingers Crossed - Annabelle Grace [08-12-25] GYRO Records
* Destiny Doesn’t Just Happen - Gillson [05-02-26]

Episode Image: Birds On A Wire discussing the merits of Microtonality. [C. J. Stephen]

17/02/2026

Good morning peoples, I'm here at 3MDR 97.1 FM ready to share some excellent eclectic music, share some thoughts and hopefully just relax and enjoy the cooler weather this morning, I would love it if you could join me! 😁
From 9 - 11am ❤️