The Beat Oracle

For over a decade, The Beat Oracle has thrived on presenting listeners around the globe with the best in Future Music. The show has its roots in the college-radio studios of ACRN in Athens, Ohio. In 1997, DJs Ted Knight & Johnny Carwash took over the Sunday night electronic and hip-hop music slot at ACRN from Johnny V. and Lemon-Lymon, who ran the longtime favorite “Universal Groove.” With the help of Keith “in-the-crates” Pishnery, they rebranded the show “The Beat Oracle.” For the next three years, they guided the show towards an underground and experimental direction, while also founding the successful “Headroom” collective.

In early 2000, Michael took over the controls of The Beat Oracle as ACRN began simulcasting globally through the worldwide web. Continuing the show’s long-running history, he incorporated his love for all things electronic and hip-hop, exposing listeners to the innovative sounds of influential labels like Warp Records, Ninja Tune, Morr Music, Stones Throw, Quannum, Rephlex, Planet μ, Kranky, and many more. Soon, co-hosts Ruckus Roboticus, and DJ Barticus came aboard, each contributing their own distinct flavor of dance and hip-hop tunes. Guest DJs would include future co-hosts Joseph and Kenny, both of whom were heavily involved at the ACRN studios. In 2003 Michael left Athens, turning the soundboard over to Ruckus Roboticus and DJ Barticus, who helmed the show for a year.

In the summer of 2004, Michael brought The Beat Oracle to KCSB in Santa Barbara, California, where he was joined by Noah. This era garnered a new level of attention for the show, and attracted a large following. Breakthroughs in technology allowed for greater listening potential in 2005, when The Beat Oracle embraced podcasting technology through their newly launched website at beatoracle.net. In celebration of the launch, electronic duo Ascona produced the show’s theme song, which epitomizes The Beat Oracle’s sound. Timing worked out well, and a few months later Apple added podcasting support through their iTunes software with The Beat Oracle as a featured music show. This new exposure led to a larger, global audience, garnering notoriety from various press outlets, including “Spin Magazine.” It was here that the show cemented its development to a two-hour sound collage of challenging music.

After a brief hiatus in 2006, the show returned to the airwaves in late 2007, this time in Columbus, Ohio. Grassroots community station WCRS offered The Beat Oracle a weekly one-hour timeslot on Tuesday nights. Michael, along with longtime friend Joseph, began producing the show out of the Sells Studio. Kenny joined the lineup soon after, and the collaboration continues today.

By mid-2008, the show had attracted a new legion of dedicated listeners and was expanded back to its original two-hour format, moving to Thursday nights and later Saturday nights. This latest incarnation has seen its playlists expand to include even more experimental forms of music, as well as a diverse range of jazz, soul, and dub. Purveyors of experimental electronic, dubstep and ambient music, The Beat Oracle has offered Columbus listeners (and those abroad), an outlet for music previously unheard on their airwaves.

In the summer of 2009,The Beat Oracle played host at a weekly residence at Hal and Al’s in the Merion Village neighborhood of Columbus. The Beat Oracle live experience brings its brand of future music to a chill atmosphere for all. In the summer of 2011, The Beat Oracle began rebroadcasting weekly in Bali on 98.5 The Beat Radio Plus FM. Recent exposure from the likes of Allmusic, Zencast, and iTunes, has continued the dissemination of the Oracle’s message of futuristic, forward-thinking beats.

Contact: dj@beatoracle.net
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