Deep Feedback is hosted by Elijah, a London-based writer and DJ, having expansive conversations across Black British Culture, Electronic Music, The Creator Economy and Pro Wrestling. Built for a post-follower, post-like internet, the show is rooted in the idea that the only response that matters long term is what your work creates next, the art it sparks, the behaviours it shifts, and the conversations it starts.
Produced by New Strange (https://www.newstrange.com)
eli1ah.substack.com (https://eli1ah.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)
David Rodigan on 50 Years of DJing, the history of Jamaican music on radio and the love of Reggae
David Rodigan has been playing Reggae on British radio for fifty years. I spoke to him about his new compilation ‘House of Roots’ (https://defected.com/news/post/david-rodigan-mbe-announces-house-of-roots-with-defected)for Defected Records at their office in London, where Shy FX, Clipz and Prince Fatty reimagine house music classics. I asked him about his beginnings representing Jamaican music on commercial radio, and how different music communities have embraced him across the decades.
If you have never seen him in sound clash mode. Watch these:
Get full access to Elijah 🟨 at eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe (https://eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
21 Sept 2026
Ruby Justice Thelot on new aesthetics, AI slop and if enshitification is real
Ruby Justice Thelot (https://substack.com/@beingonline) is a cyberethnographer & artist living in NYC. His work is a commentary on how we live online, taste, aesthetics and culture backed by a deep knowledge of art history.
We met in London after his lecture ‘Why are there no new aesthetics?’ and we discussed AI slop, enshitification, and his personal media consumption rules and how they shape his worldview.
Ruby’s work on YouTube has an amazing mix of lectures, interviews and art. This is my favourite: The content creator as (algorithmic) folk artist
Deep Feedback is produced by New Strange (https://www.newstrange.com/)
Get full access to Elijah 🟨 at eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe (https://eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
7 Sept 2026
Namesbliss on breaking as a DIY artist, how he writes, how to choose cadence and ADHD
Namesbliss (https://www.instagram.com/p/DPPCrkLjFOb/) is a rapper from London and his debut album Where's Bliss? Is out now. I Interviewed him in the Patta store in London in August 2026 in front of some of his supporters, and we spoke about the project, how he writes, breaking through on his own terms and ADHD.
He came onto my radar in 2022 dropping freestyle videos on Instagram, and his approach mirrored one of my 🟨's: New Music Won't Blow Through Old Distribution. He was using Reels and Tik Tok to break through and build an audience in a way that centred the music. I went to his debut headline show in 2024, and it was special to see that what had been developing online, was also connecting in person.
It completes a mini internal series of interviews with break through rappers as part of this podcast, following episodes with Kibo (https://eli1ah.substack.com/p/kibo-on-kwenglateriansim-world-building) and Ceebo (https://eli1ah.substack.com/p/talking-with-ceebo-about-blair-babies). Across all of these conversations you can learn about their different approaches to writing, scene building, and where they see themselves in the contemporary landscape. My connection to MC culture is rooted in my beginnings as a Grime DJ on Rinse FM (http://rinse.fm/shows/elijah-2/)in 2008, and I wanted to use the podcast as an opportunity to connect with the next generation.
Get full access to Elijah 🟨 at eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe (https://eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
24 Aug 2026
Kibo on Kwengletarianism, world building, sets vs cyphers, Grime generations and WWE
Kibo is a rapper from Harrow, London and has just released his debut project Kwengletaria:Ragamyff. I spoke to him in front of a live audience in Finsbury Park in July 2026 about how he writes lyrics, world builds, how he approaches Grime sets vs Rap cyphers and how WWE influences his work.
I reference this set in the conversation. 18 mins of Kibo in action for Victory Lap
Last year I did a set with him using WWE themes on Rinse FM:
If you enjoy this conversation, check out one I released with another rapper on the rise, Ceebo earlier this year. (https://eli1ah.substack.com/p/talking-with-ceebo-about-blair-babies)
Get full access to Elijah 🟨 at eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe (https://eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
10 Aug 2026
Candice Carty-Williams on writing characters for best selling books and television
Candice Carty-Williams is a best selling author and showrunner. She has recently released 'Queenie's working on it', the follow up to the 2019 best seller 'Queenie'. She worked with Swindle (https://eli1ah.substack.com/p/swindle) on the soundtrack for the TV adaptation of Queenie, and a musical drama ‘Champion’ created with the BBC.
I am knee deep in writing ‘book 2’ and ‘book 3’ and I wanted to speak to Candice about character building, writing for television and how music is embedded within her work.
We also spoke about how our second home Jamaica received her work and the state of black British publishing in 2026.
Deep Feedback is produced by New Strange
Get full access to Elijah 🟨 at eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe (https://eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
27 Jul 2026
Symeon Brown on the black British middle class, and what people mean by 'the culture'
Symeon Brown is a journalist and broadcaster for Channel 4 News. We discuss his new book (https://symeonbrown.substack.com/p/why-i-wrote-about-britains-hidden) ‘The Good, The Black & The Boujee on the black middle class.
Deep Feedback is produced by New Strange (https://www.newstrange.com/)
Get full access to Elijah 🟨 at eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe (https://eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
1 Jun 2026
Jayden Ali - Turning images, sound and performances into steel, bricks and timber
Jayden Ali is the founder of JA Projects, an architecture and design studio with offices in London and New York. We discuss how art and architecture exist together, and how Grime has shaped that, his work for V&A East, the differences between New York and London and how he is drawn to performance as a vessel to showcase new ideas.
Get full access to Elijah 🟨 at eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe (https://eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
18 May 2026
Dr Aleema Gray on 500 Years of Black British Music + the modern connection between the UK & Jamaica
Dr Aleema Gray is a Jamaican - British historian who co curated the British Library's exhibition 'Beyond The Bassline: 500 Years of Black British music in 2024. I visited when I was being publicly critical (https://www.theguardian.com/profile/elijah) of BBC 1xtra, Capital Xtra and now Kiss Xtra's representation of our music in their daytime selection, and I credit this exhibition as one of the sparks behind my writing at that time and the phrase I use - 'What The Man Dem Put Up The Aerials For' 🟨. A salutation to those that built the foundations that we are still working on top of today.
We speak about the starting point for the exhibition, John Blanke (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Blanke), what curating and archiving is, the term ‘Black British’ and it’s evolution and the modern connection between the UK and Jamaica. Dr Gray also runs a research studio House of Dread (https://www.instagram.com/houseofdread_/), and lives between London and Jamaica
Deep Feedback is produced by New Strange (https://www.newstrange.com/)
Get full access to Elijah 🟨 at eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe (https://eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
4 May 2026
Swindle on releasing music for 20 years independently
Swindle has been producing and releasing music for over 20 years, and we've been working together on and off for 16 of those. I talk to him about his artistic journey, and his current skill stack he uses to produce music today for film and tv, developing artists and teaching his children how to make.
Get full access to Elijah 🟨 at eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe (https://eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
20 Apr 2026
Max Lee breaks down how booking agents work
Max Lee is a booking agent from United Talent Agency, and has represented DJs and live acts for over ten years. He gives us an insight into how agents, bookings and the live circuit works.
Get full access to Elijah 🟨 at eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe (https://eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
6 Apr 2026
Hagan is widening the aperture in British Electronic Music
Hagan is a British-Ghanaian electronic music producer and DJ from London. His music and visual world have inspired me for the last 6 years. My introduction to his work was through his film with Mike Calandra 'Yenki Taxi' which documents the beginning of his journey into fusing Ghanian traditional styles like High Life and Hip Life with British styles like UK Funky. The development of these ideas is captured on his debut album 'Textures'.He's recently resurfaced with new work, recorded in the British countryside at Devon Analogue Studios, and we spoke about creating music with a full time job, his creative community and making music with likeminded artists in the global diaspora.Deep Feedback is produced by New Strange🟨 https://eli1ah.substack.com (https://eli1ah.substack.com)
Get full access to Elijah 🟨 at eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe (https://eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
23 Mar 2026
Charisse C educates us on Amapiano, Afro House and how South African culture went global
Charisse C, a DJ, Producer and Writer gives us an insight into Amapiano and the Southern African impact on global electronic music.
Produced by New Strange. (https://www.newstrange.com)
Get full access to Elijah 🟨 at eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe (https://eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
9 Mar 2026
W.David Marx's Five Ways To Fix Culture
I spoke to W.David Marx in a karaoke bar in Tokyo about his new book Blank Space (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blank-Space-Cultural-History-Twenty-First/dp/0593833996) which examines the last 25 years of pop culture. We touched on Simon Reynolds influence on music writing and the five steps to 'fix everything'.
Produced by New Strange. (https://www.newstrange.com)
Get full access to Elijah 🟨 at eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe (https://eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
22 Feb 2026
Jesse Bernard on London Gentrification, Sound Systems and Documenting Culture
DEEP FEEDBACK Episode Three: Jesse Bernard & Elijah - London Gentrification, Sound Systems and Documenting Culture
This conversation is a response to his article on sound system gentrification:
https://marginaleras.substack.com/p/even-sound-systems-are-being-gentrified (https://marginaleras.substack.com/p/even-sound-systems-are-being-gentrified)
Produced by New Strange. (https://www.newstrange.com)
Get full access to Elijah 🟨 at eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe (https://eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
9 Feb 2026
Can music make you sick? Talking to Dr George Musgrave about the state of arts education, 'Sustainable' Music Careers & Geographic Privilege
DEEP FEEDBACK: Episode Two: George Musgrave & Elijah - Can Music Make You Sick? Sustainable Music Careers & Geographic Privilege
Buy the 🟨 book: https://velocitypress.uk/product/elijah-close-the-app-make-the-ting/ (https://velocitypress.uk/product/elijah-close-the-app-make-the-ting/)
Produced by New Strange. (https://www.newstrange.com)
Get full access to Elijah 🟨 at eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe (https://eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
1 Feb 2026
Talking with Ceebo about Blair Babies, Music Journalism, The UK Underground, The Union Jack and Kayfabe
I speak to London rapper Ceebo about his new project Blair Babies, Music Journalism, his Substack Liberation Library, The Union Jack and UK Rap, and kayfabe.
Produced by New Strange. (https://www.newstrange.com)
Get full access to Elijah 🟨 at eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe (https://eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
21 Jan 2026
Deep Feedback with Elijah - Trailer
Elijah speaks to artists about London, Black British Culture, Electronic Music, The Creator Economy and Pro Wrestling. Rarely in that order. Sometimes one at a time, sometimes all at once.
Get full access to Elijah 🟨 at eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe (https://eli1ah.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
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