Itch Radio Takes Over the Museum of Youth Culture

Itch Radio brings six hours of live music and broadcasting to the Museum of Youth Culture

Itch Radio took its live broadcast out of the studio and into the Museum of Youth Culture. There, DJs, music and young broadcasters came together for a day of live radio in Camden.

On Saturday 12th September, Itch Radio went live from the Museum of Youth Culture, with six hours of broadcasting featuring Z Dawg, Baby Cey, DJ Paydro, DJ Sammy Jay, 210 Presents and Daron.

For two of our Future On Air workshop graduates, the day was also a new step in their broadcasting journey.

Baby Cey and Z Dawg Live at the Museum of Youth Culture

Baby Cey and Z Dawg both began developing their broadcasting skills through Itch Radio Future On Air workshops. The day gave them the opportunity to take their live shows into a public space for the first time.

Rather than broadcasting from the familiar surroundings of the Itch Radio studio, they were on the mic and behind the decks in a museum dedicated to documenting youth culture and its history.

Z Dawg opened the day’s broadcast at 12pm with Smooth Z, bringing some Hip Hop, Soul & R&B alongside a recorded interview with legendary UK Hip Hop artist Roots Manuva.

Baby Cey followed at 1pm with La Femme Club, taking to the decks with a selection of R&B, Garage, House and Reggae vibes.

Baby Cey | La Femme Club

Z Dawg Talks Itch Radio and Music with Roots Manuva

As part of the live broadcast, Z Dawg also sat down with legendary UK Hip Hop artist Roots Manuva to talk about his memories of Itch Radio and his own journey through music.

Roots Manuva remembered Itch as a Hip Hop station with good music, good energy and good people.

From there, the interview moved back to his early days making music, including his first experience at a community music project with a drum machine and keyboards. He also talked about the UK and American Hip Hop and Ragga that influenced him, and how he first got his music heard through tapes and small gigs.

The interview also touched on building a career in music, staying focused and consistent, the realities of touring and the importance of not giving up when things get difficult.

Asked what advice he would give to a young artist starting out, Roots Manuva’s message was simple:

Never give up and stay true to yourself.

Z Dawg | Smooth Z with Roots Manuva

A Day of Music, Interviews and Broadcasting

The afternoon continued with live shows and interviews, with friends and family there to support the DJs and presenters as different sounds filled the museum floor.

Sammy Jay Interviews King Kashmere Live at Museum of Youth Culture

Sammy Jay followed Baby Cey with Xposure Show, bringing her UK Hip Hop, Grime and Boom Bap sounds before welcoming live guest King Kashmere for an in-depth interview.

Kashmere spoke about his new High Focus Records album, Zero Point Modulations Vol. 1, including his experiments with 140 BPM while keeping his sample-based production style.

He also discussed working with different MCs, his use of the MPC and SP-404, the creative process behind the album and its videos, and plans for Volume 1.1 and Volume 2. The interview also touched on his long-running connections within the UK Hip Hop scene and his decision to focus fully on production.

DJ Sammy Jay | Xposure Show with King Kashmere

The Afternoon Continued with 210 Presents, Daron and DJ Paydro

Next, 210 Presents brought Trackside Burners to the broadcast, with raw Boom Bap and underground Hip Hop.

210 Presents | Trackside Burners

Daron then took over with A Bronx Tale, taking listeners back to the foundations of Hip Hop with Electro, early Hip Hop and 70s and 80s Soul.

Daron | A Bronx Tale

Finally, DJ Paydro closed the six-hour broadcast with his Breaks and Soul Show, bringing an eclectic mix of Garage Music.

DJ Paydro | Breaks and Soul Show

From the Studio to the Museum

Taking Itch Radio outside the studio gave the station’s DJs and young broadcasters the chance to bring their shows into a completely different environment.

DJ Paydro, DJ Sammy Jay, 210 Presents and Daron all brought their own sounds to the Museum of Youth Culture, while Baby Cey and Z Dawg took their live shows into a public space for the first time.

The setting added another dimension to the broadcast. The Museum of Youth Culture brings together music, creativity and the experiences of young people, creating a backdrop that connected naturally with the mix of broadcasting happening on the day.

For Baby Cey and Z Dawg, the broadcast was another step from developing their skills in the Itch Radio studio to putting them into practice at a live event. It also brought established Itch Radio DJs and workshop broadcasters together in the same space, connecting different sounds and generations through music and radio.

Big shout out to Gigi, the engineer from the Museum of Youth Culture, for holding down the technicals on the day.

The Itch Radio Future On Air workshops that helped develop Baby Cey and Z Dawg’s broadcasting skills were courtesy of Young Camden Foundation.

The Museum of Youth Culture is at 51 St Pancras Way, London NW1 0PU.

Listen back to the broadcasts above and hear how the day sounded from the museum floor.

Check out the Museum of Youth Culture website.