With another solid month of broadcasts behind us, it’s once again time to take stock and honor some of the artists who help make Blast Radio a dynamic and engaging community. 

Whether it’s through the music you play, the creativity you share, or the vulnerability you risk by being heard, Blast Radio is nothing without the artists who help give it contour and life.

As a reminder: 

• The Grant program runs through March of 2022. Grant recipients are determined democratically by the Blast Radio community, based on total listener count at the end of each month. 
• The artists with the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th highest listener counts receive $1,000, $300, $200, $150, and $100 respectively.* 
• The program is specifically built to help artists, so venues, pre-programmed radio stations, blogs, and Blast Radio employees are not eligible to receive grants.
• We added a Production Grant to assist one artist with kicking off or improving their Blast Radio broadcasts. 

Roy Molloy

Grant Amount: $1,000

Once again, Roy Molloy was the broadcaster to beat as the Illegal Radio Drive Time Power Hour continued its dominance of the Blast Radio airwaves. Roy remained at the top of the charts through his wildly entertaining material, breathless promotion, and ongoing commitment to championing a positive ethos within the Blast Radio community.

Going live nearly two dozen times, Roy kept the conversational spark alive in his Discord by posing thought-provoking questions to his rambunctious listeners, reading and responding to listener emails in real time, and continuing to deliver on his promise of flawless listener-generated request radio.

But even with his and Alex Cameron’s new record Oxy Music dropping this month, and the accompanying tour looming on the horizon, Roy is far from slowing down. Between daily activity across social media, his personal moderation of an ever-lively Discord channel, and tireless procurement of fresh hot tracks, there’s no wonder listeners keep coming back.

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Hotwaxx

Grant Amount: $300

Securing a grant for the second month in a row, Hotwaxx continued to be a frequent presence in the community. Through her recurring Hotwaxx Radio mixes, single-artist-only sets, and utilization of Featured Broadcasts, Hotwaxx worked hard to keep her name in the spotlight.

Going live nearly 30 times throughout the month, Hotwaxx stayed busy off the Blast Radio airwaves as well: between helping rock an all-night party for dweller festival’s triumphant return, and speaking with Detroit’s Underground Music Academy on the intersection of house music and education, Hotwaxx continues to focus on the future of her craft.

But despite the world once again cautiously reopening, Hotwaxx has remained a stalwart of the Blast Radio community. And with Detroit’s legacy looming larger than ever, being able to tune in to one of its pioneers is a true blessing.

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Osunlade

Grant Amount: $200

Prolific producer, DJ, multi-instrumentalist, and founder of the internationally recognized dance label Yoruba Records, Osunlade was again embraced by the Blast Radio community for his near-daily presence and eclectic offerings.

Transferring the institution of WYRB: Yoruba Soul Radio to the Blast Radio airwaves has given the St. Louis, MO-based musical polymath a new avenue by which to reach listeners, and continue championing the artists and sounds he’s worked to cultivate through his record label, as well as his expansive, genre-bending mixes that capture a wide array of stylings.

While consistency is the theme of the day for many of this month’s grant recipients, Osunlade’s eclectic tastes and dexterous selections make a strong argument for also subverting expectations. With so much of today’s music curated by black box algorithms, WYRB still remains out of reach for even the most precocious machine learner.

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Yann Tiersen

Grant Amount: $150

Renowned producer and composer Yann Tiersen continued to transport listeners to the Eskal – a multi-room studio, performance space, and cultural center converted from a once-vacant discotheque – that has become Tiersen’s creative hub for a series of weekly and impromptu broadcasts.

With his ongoing Saturday show, My Studio Is a Disco, an homage to parties past where the last track of each set becomes the first track in the next, Tiersen has been embracing the solitude of winter with additional ambient and deep listening sets that aim to take a break from the relentless pulse of the dancefloor.  

But with February always marking the anniversary of three of Tiersen’s albums – All, Good Bye Lenin!, and Le Phare each claim the shortest month – it's possible these impromptu broadcasts harken back to the sense of peace that must trail in the wake of a musical achievement.

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Elijah Bossenbroek

Grant Amount: $100

Despite being a recent addition to the Blast Radio airwaves, Gig Harbor, WA-based pianist and composer Elijah Bossenbroek’s highly-personal and enchanting broadcasts have invigorated listeners looking for alternatives to the dancefloor.

Running a mixture of organic and synthetic piano sounds through a balanced array of effects and filters gives Bossenbroek the freedom to wend effortlessly through his creative and emotive impulses. 

With new evocative live performances available on a near-daily basis, and a featured broadcast that managed to make the most out of unforeseen circumstances, the community is responding enthusiastically to the fresh sounds Bossenbroek continues to bring. 

Follow Elijah Bossenbroek

Testu Collective

Production Grant Amount: $250

NYC-based intermedia art group Testu Collective have been bringing their show, CINEMA FOR THE EAR, a weekly audio-cinematic broadcast curated by members Serena Stucke and Dan Tesene, to the Blast Radio airwaves since the beginning of the new year.

By removing the spectacle of a light show which prescribes patterns, colors, and formations to a given set of music, Serena & Dan offer an immersive and liberating opportunity for audiences to build and visit new worlds within the privacy of their mental theaters.

Now, after two months of programming that has sought to give a space for sonic aesthetics that invite listeners to immerse themselves in a process of active imagining, we’re thrilled to announce Testu Collective as the Blast Radio Production Grant recipient of February 2022.

Follow Testu Collective

Blast Radio Artist Grants for March 2022 are currently available. Download Blast Radio (iOS / Android), and follow and tune in to your favorite artists to help them secure financial support.

*Anyone found in violation of community guidelines will not be eligible for an Artist Grant and is subject to permanent ban from the platform.