SEM was recently given the opportunity by Reform Radio to do a fortnightly School of Electronic Music show on the Manchester-based station. We caught up with SEM student Charlotte Summers who will be joining the show as our music news presenter.
What made you apply for the position on Reform Radio?
I was hesitant to apply at first! I did a bit of amateur radio back in the day when I was 18 and I’ve been heavily into electronic music for a long time so I saw this as a great opportunity to put myself out there. I was an avid listener of Radio 1 and the essential mix over the years which always inspired me and I can talk about music all day long so I thought I would try it on air.
What should we expect from your new slot?
I’ll be joining Will Judd in hosting the show’s music news segment, giving listeners the lowdown on whats going on in the music world from here, there and everywhere. I also work within social media for larger mainstream record labels and festivals so I’ll be sharing some insider knowledge.
How did you become involved with the School of Electronic Music?
I was familiar with the School of Electronic Music back when I worked at Sankeys and was arranging student DJing opportunities with SEM Managers Damien and Lucy. A few years later and I joined the school as a student as I realised I needed to brush up on my Dj’ing skills and wanted a more professional approach to producing my own tracks. The School of Electronic Music is a great place to meet other artists, collaborate and hear music that others are creating. It’s made me realise there’s some great up and coming producers out there.
What sort of music are you interested in?
House mainly – be that Chicago, classic Deep House, Detroit. But I’m also into Breaks, Garage, Techno, Jazz and Hip Hop – you name it, I listen to as much music as possible every day.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
Thats a tricky one to answer, I’ve been to so many. We hosted a party with Virginia back in 2014/15 with Prosumer and Tamo Sumo where she did a live set which was quite memorable. She sang vocals whilst mixing on a rotary mixer so I was studying her every move. She had total control over the room and had everyone locked in with her singing, which was pretty epic to watch.
What are your thoughts on the Manchester music scene right now?
It’s changed quite a bit even in the past 4 years since I moved here. I’ve done my fair share of clubbing over the years in different cities and Manchester was always the top ravers destination, it was one of the reasons I moved here people knew how to party without filming it every minute and the music was always second to none. I’ve heard loads of crazy stories about parties such Electric Chair, Me and You and the time Aphex Twin even brought professional gurners onto the stage whilst he played in Boddingtons Brewery, thats a bygone era now you’d never see that today. Clubs and parties come and go for sure and I totally get how clubbers get nostalgic about the good days. People are getting younger and younger and so is the music which isn’t necessarily a bad thing as some people know their stuff and don’t just go out for the sake of saying they’ve gone to a club night. There are still some great nights in Manchester though like High Hoops, Zutekh and Meat Free who book great Dj’s which tick all the boxes for me.
The School of Electronic Music Show goes out live on Reform Radio every second Wednesday 2-3pm GMT starting 28th March. You can also listen to every SEM show on Mixcloud.
