Al Ritchie: Hipper than shit

By Jeremy B. Richards and Nick Coleman

Most of you are probably thinking something along the lines of "Al Ritchie, who the hell is that?" Well, uninitiated ones, Al is the host of the best-kept secret on the FM dial, a show called the Loud Music Seminar on WORT. The show runs from 7:30 to 11:00 on Monday evenings and features the newest and often best techno, industrial, ambient trance, and rocking rhythm-type music around.

Al graduated from West in 1988. He now sends a lot of the working with public television and radio when he's not doing the show on WORT. We got a chance to talk to the man recently.

Students Helping Out People: How did you become involved in WORT? Specifically how did you come about getting your own show?

Big Al Richie: I just called them up one day, it was early 1990. I was a big fan of the station and wanted to help out. I did busy work for a while, and then it was just luck that I ended up getting a show almost immediately. I started at 2am without a name... I guess I was just happy to have a show, I didn't care about a name.

SHOP: So what was your impression of West, back in the day?

BAR: Well, I was afraid of this question. I guess at first I was kind of proud to be a West student. As time went by, though, I began to see that there was a culture of superficiality led by the administration. It turned me off, but I can't say that I didn't get anything out of my experience. It's something I had to go through.

SHOP: How do you go about choosing the music for your playlist?

BAR: Throughout the week before the show I'll write down ideas. There are always some "hot singles" that I'll be playing, along with whatever ideas come to me. I take the list with me to the studio, and just go with it. I play the songs in an order that seems logical to me. It's much more fun than writing the list out in entirety beforehand. I'm not really making it up as I go along, but I'm definitely not pre-programmed.

SHOP: What new releases are you really excited about?

BAR: Front 242 has a new album out. I haven't had a chance to listen to it all the way through but I do like what I've heard. It's interesting, somewhat experimental stuff. It won't set the dance floors on fire, but there's a lot of depth.

SHOP: Speaking of experimental, what do you have to say about the evolving techno scene?

BAR: It's the experimental edge rising. It seems that the artists are tired of ptting out singles every other month, they seem to be concentrating on fully developed albums. People like Jeff Mills and Polygon Window are releasing really solid stuff. These groups are taking techno and distorting the hell out of it. I am a big fan of ambient techno. It's an interesting collage of dance music with free-form experimental music. That's why I've devoted the last half-hour of my program to playing the best ambient trance techno.

SHOP: Finally, do you have anything to say to West's large 92.1 audience to inspire them to move down the dial to WORT?

BAR: Oh, I don't think it's necessarily wrong to listen to 92.1 – at least it's a starting ground. Most people listen to it out of convenience, the same music 24 hours a day. With WORT, you have to approach it like television, you have to know when shows you like are on and tune in at that time. The music on 92.1 isn't that bad, bt I guess it just raises my ire that they think what they're doing is alternative. I could enjoy the station more if they'd quit with the facade that they're doing anything more than pre-programming. Our DJs know what they're playing, we choose the music ourselves. Also I know we're the only station in town that realizes there's more than one song on Nirvana's new album.

Try tuning in for Al's show, 89.9FM, Mondays at 7:30.