Episode 23 - Nightclubs and Mercenaries

When was the last time you thought about how public spaces smell? Or what scent palate you are culturally comfortable with? What is the scent of work and of play?

Jayanthan (Jay) Sriram is a PhD student at Concordia University in Montreal and a member of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation. He is in the Interdisciplinary Humanities PhD Program and coordinates the Exploration in Sensory Design research team. His research aims to highlight the importance of smell in aesthetics through functional scenting and perfumery. His PhD project, “The Life of the Ephemeral – Building Olfactory Aesthetics,” critiques the common disregard for physical and olfactory values, focusing on the perspectives of those who create and curate these experiences. Jay also has a music blog and an interest in reading Manga, which is reflected in the book choices for this episode.

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Fragrances mentioned:
Dior Homme - Christian Dior
Fourreau Noir - Serge Lutens
Terroni - Orto Parisi
Moth - Zoologist

Books mentioned:
The Haçienda: How Not to Run a Club - Peter Hook
Berserk (Deluxe Volume 1) - Kentaro Miura

Music accompaniment:
Jay has recommended some follow on listening for the books mentioned

For The Hacienda - Querido by DJ Anderson do Paraiso
For Berserk, Umbilical by Thou

The former pretty much as an extension of where club culture can go and where it might have never been reliant on one narrative as this is Bruxia from Brasil and the latter as a great aural experience to complement the heft of Berserk.

Read Jay’s research on Researchgate. You can also Find Jay on Instagram and explore his music blog.

Theme music for the show was created by Raul Sanchez I Jorge. Check out his solo work on Wild Animal Records