By Michelle V. Gonzales
DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR
[email protected]
The UCLA campus is filled with secret hideaways and unknown
territories. The UCLA radio station is a part of these unknown
resources and outlets of which students are unaware and have yet to
utilize.
Stephen Larkin, a fourth-year political science student, is the
main DJ for “The Magnetik Spacelab” which airs
Wednesday nights from 11 p.m. ““ 1 a.m. on the UCLARadio Web
site or on Channel 29 in the dorms.
The show features guest Jungle/Drum “˜n’ Bass DJs
from the Los Angeles area as well as UCLA students who also spin on
the show.
“(The show is here) basically to bring music down here
that anybody can listen to or watch for free,” Larkin said.
“It gives exposure to different people and different kinds of
music that people might otherwise not listen to.”
According to Larkin, electronic dance music in Los Angeles has
its own unique scene, influenced by the variety of local producers.
Los Angeles has a definite Jungle/Drum “˜n’ Bass niche,
but it is less popular than other electronic music scenes like
House and Trance. Those at UCLARadio attempt to mirror the
diversity of the L.A. music scene by playing a wide range of
musical genres.
“UCLARadio features a wide variety of different kinds of
music,” Larkin said. “You’re going to hear punk
shows, hard rock, heavy metal jazz, world beat. As far as a radio
station goes, we cover a (large) spectrum.”
Like many students, Larkin only became aware of the radio
station through word of mouth and other classmates. As a student in
the History of Electronic Dance Music class taught by Professor
Robert Fink, Larkin met other students who had an interest in
electronic music and an opportunity to spin.
“There aren’t very many outlets for that kind of
music,” Larkin said.
In addition to the lack of on-campus resources and student-known
outlets for electronic dance music, the means to increase its
awareness are also limited. The station doesn’t have the
budget to advertise extensively, which hampers its ability to
spread the word about its existence.
“I just want to let people know that we do have a radio
station” Larkin said. “Even if it’s not my show
that they want to listen to, there are other students that they
might want to listen to. I think people are going to find that they
like a lot more than what just gets played on the radio.”