Frank Ocean – Channel Orange

02/05/20 • 55 min

A tornado blew around the Aural Fixation recording studio before we came, and, well, excuse the mess it made! Ok, that analogy can only go so far, but nonetheless, the memorable opener from Frank Ocean’s “Thinkin Bout You” has endured since it’s 2012 release on Channel Orange.
At the time, a ground-breaking hip hop album documenting the lost loves of a 23 year old finding out who he is, Frank had us shook with the mainstream explosion of queerness in a traditionally not-very-queer music scene. Or, so it seems. Eight years later, Drew and Andy venture not too far down memory lane to assess how well this early-10s masterpiece has aged, and the current state-of-play in queer hip hop today.
This fortnight, we’re asking you to like or follow us on Facebook! Yes, some people in 2020 still actually use Facebook, and we’re expanding our presence in Mark Zuckerberg’s world. Our Spotify companion playlist is as intriguingly diverse as ever, and you can also follow the pod on Instagram at @auralfixationpodcast, while the boys are on @drew_down_under and @andrewdoyouthinkyouare. Or email us god bless ya! It’s [email protected].

Previous Episode

Spice Girls – Spiceworld (feat. Rebecca Gibbs)

It’s hard to believe that the Spice Girls were active for less than two years during their initial run as a (Spice Force) five-piece. Hot on the heels of their ground-breaking 1996 debut Spice, the gals were on a roll when they put out both Spiceworld (the album) and Spice World (the movie) in 1997. By this point they were cooking with gasoline-soaked platforms, overtaking the globe with their trademark Girl Power at a rate the music industry (and impressionable young music stans) had never seen before.
On 31 May 1998 Geri peaced out, breaking our hearts and sending us into a pit of depression. But their work had already been done. Because in just two years, the Spice Girls had recruited an army that would grow up to become feminists, freedom fighters and queer celebrants.
In this episode, Andy and Drew welcome entrepreneur, PR maven and Drew’s boss (!) Rebecca Gibbs on to the pod to discuss how the Spice Girls planted seeds of hope, celebration and authenticity into an entire generation of young people, the trees of which are still bearing fierce fruit nearly 25 years later.
Our Spotify companion playlist begins with Eminem, but gets better from there, we promise. Follow the pod on Instagram at @auralfixationpodcast, the boys on @drew_down_under and @andrewdoyouthinkyouare, or Rebecca at @rebeccalouisegibbs. Or email us god bless ya! It’s [email protected].

For further reading, please enjoy When Kathy Acker met the Spice Girls by aforementioned Kathy Acker.

Next Episode

Diana Ross – diana

We’re coming out, and we want the world to know... that not all gay men are born with an innate, all-encompassing love for disco, ok!? In fact, only 50% of Aural Fixation was, as we discover on a glitter ball-guided tour through 1980’s diana, by Diana Ross.
Released in the disco revolution’s twilight years, diana was the Boss breaking free from the shackles of Motown, the record label which made her in the 60s, and was starting to break her. Helping her out were CHIC’s very own Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, taste-making producers riding the wave of hit after hit, and when we say helping... if you ever wondered what a CHIC album would sound like with Diana Ross vocals, you’re in for quite the treat.
This episode we look through a queer lens at one of pop culture’s biggest queer icons putting her spin on arguably the queerest sub-genre of music, ever, featuring a song literally written about people being their complete, authentic selves. Even if the singer wasn’t completely aware of that fact. Jump on in, we’re out-queering ourselves!
Special thanks to Raymond Day for sharing so many valuable resources on the Disco Demolition/Disco Sucks movement, of which we would encourage you to explore yourself: