Hackney’s Total Refreshment Centre (TRC), a former Edwardian chocolate factory, became a celebrated and highly influential hub for UK music prior to the closure of its live music venue in 2018. The roots of the new London jazz scene are wound up in the history of the venue, which created a physical space for emerging artists like Nubya Garcia and Shabaka Hutchings to hone their craft before they became internationally acclaimed artists. Writer, cultural commentator and Total Refreshment Centre family member Emma Warren joins us to present an afternoon of attentive listening and conversation. Drawing upon her recently published book, ‘Make Some Space: Tuning into Total Refreshment Centre‘,  Emma will delve into the history of TRC, its cultural impact and her wider manifesto about the importance of creating physical spaces for community and culture to thrive. Alongside the talk Emma will play records that punctuated and shaped the story of TRC through the highest grade audio equipment. She’ll be joined for part of the presentation by TRC studio manager Kristian ‘Capitol K’ Robinson, who will also select some records.

Emma Warren will be joined by musician and producer, Kristian Craig Robinson a.k.a Capitol K who has spent over two decades working within London’s DIY, experimental, electronic, global and underground music scene. With formative experience in studio environments from tape through to digital and back with the analogue renaissance, he established an independent recording studio at Total Refreshment Centre in 2013 tracking recent albums for Trash Kit, Comet Is Coming, Rozi Plain, Alabaster DePlume, Flamingods, Cykada, Ibibio Sound Machine, Neue Grafik, BAS JAN & John Johanna. He also runs the record label Faith & Industry and released his 7th solo album as Capitol K ‘Goatherder’ in 2018.

Presented in partnership with the Analogue Foundation. Founded by Audio-Technica, Russell Elevado and Soundwalk Collective, Analogue Foundation is a curator of experiences, helping us all to understand and appreciate the value of analogue now and long into the future

Analogue Foundation Equipment Setup:

Audio-Technica AT-ART9 cartridge (TBC)
Jelco SA-250ST tonearm
Technics SP10 turntable with custom plinth
Chord company Clearway interconnect cables
Whest Audio phonostage
Cambridge Audio Edge A Integrated Amplifier
Chord Clearway speaker cables
Cambridge Audio Edge Speakers

Images: Alessandro Ruggieri

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Emma Warren has been documenting contemporary culture for over two decades. Her writing has appeared in national and international platforms and her documentaries have appeared on BBC Radio. She worked for six years on Brixton's youth-run Live Magazine and she has a monthly radio show on Worldwide FM. She published her first book, 'Make Some Space: Tuning Into Total Refreshment Centre' on her new imprint, Sweet Machine.  She also released a pamphlet 'Steam Down: Or How Things Begin' on Rough Trade Books.

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