ATSIC S05E01 - Keep Going

Season 5 of After the Smoke is Clear is here. I keep seeing FB reminders of posts when I was promoting episodes from season 1 and 2, and they seem so distant. It’s incredible how much has changed while staying the same. DJ Dice has been a huge addition to the show roster, bringing his decades of skill to every mix he touches. I’ve become more and more invested into finding artists across Canada, and the result has been an ever expanding network of dope artists dropping music constantly.

I had a lot going on this week, but suffice it to say that this mix is boom bap heavy, and that Dice put in work to bring my picks from the past couple weeks to you in their finest form. There’s a few songs from late December that I didn’t want to overlook, but a major chunk is newly released in the new year. I might come back and break it down like I do on each mix normally, talking a bit about each song/artist featured, but for now I’m going to be brief and hope I can find more time next week to put in some work typing. I’ll still post the playlist down below, so check that out if you want to know what you’re getting into.

Thanks for checking in.

Season 3 of my interview series Fly in Formation is underway as well. The Jan/Feb schedule is posted down below, and it’s full of artists I’m excited to talk to. Check the promo below to see who else is coming up. Make sure to hit follow on Twitch or subscribe so you don’t have to watch the ad breaks during interviews! Help build a community by popping up in chat and asking questions to me or the guests.

Every week, I buy every song I play, unless the artist sent it to me, saving me a buck. I believe in buying music to support independent artists. Making music is time-consuming and expensive. Streaming doesn’t pay much at all, and since streaming has become the way most people consume music, it’s even more important to make sure to buy tickets, buy music (physical or digital), and buy merch from artists you want to hear more from. Streaming pays next to nothing, so if you want artists working on more music instead of working more shifts at their day job, you need to show them love by opening your wallet and giving them financial support.

Independent shows like After the Smoke is Clear also need support. If you enjoy the music; if you enjoy learning more about artists; if you want to see the Canadian Hip Hop scene documented; if you enjoy discovering new artists without digging and navigating the algorithms yourself; please consider supporting the show.

If you don’t have the funds to support right now, that’s fine. You can listen for free because other people who do have the money have donated. You get a free weekly show, I get paid for the work I spend the hours of my week doing.

Telling a friend is another great way to support the show, I appreciate everyone who helps spread the word immensely.

For those wanting to support the show financially, you can donate through PayPal. It's safe, requires no recurring sign-up, and puts money directly in my pocket. I use these funds each week to purchase all the music featured in the show. Supporting ATSIC is supporting indie artists, and that includes me personally. Thanks to the folks who help out.

Happy New Year!

Stay Up.