How a sci-fi dystopia became a personal utopia (ft. Arc Iris)

How a sci-fi dystopia became a personal utopia (ft. Arc Iris)

Author: Switched on Pop June 6, 2026 Duration: 12:39
A sci-fi ballet imagined a 2080 where AI strips people of purpose, and the day before its New York premiere, an actual dystopia arrived. Arc Iris, the trio of Jocie Adams, Zach Tenoriom and Ray Belli, built iTMRW as a concept record set in a future ruled by a mega-corporation that shares its name. In its world, AI has taken most jobs and even the thinking left inside them, so the corporation offers pods where anyone can live any dream in virtual reality. The piece premiered in Cambridge in January 2020, then its New York show collapsed the day before the lockdown. What follows is the story of a project that outlasted its own premise. When venues closed, they left Providence for Los Angeles, rebuilt a dilapidated house, spent eight months in a 120-square-foot shed, and constructed their own studio and stage. The dystopia they wrote became, in their telling, a personal utopia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever wondered how a pop song gets its hooks into you? Switched on Pop digs into that question, peeling back the glossy layers of mainstream music to explore the craft and theory that make hits work. Hosted by musicologist Nate Sloan and songwriter Charlie Harding, this podcast is a conversation that feels like eavesdropping on two friends who are deeply passionate about the music everyone is hearing. They break down the mechanics of a track, from a surprising chord progression in a Taylor Swift bridge to the rhythmic patterns driving a Dua Lipa anthem, all while keeping the discussion accessible and engaging. Each episode focuses on a specific song, artist, or trend, treating pop not just as entertainment but as a rich subject worthy of serious, playful analysis. You’ll hear audio examples that illustrate their points, making the musical concepts tangible even if you’ve never read a note. It’s for anyone who has ever found themselves humming a tune and then stopped to ask why it’s so compelling. By connecting music theory to cultural impact, Switched on Pop offers a fresh lens on the soundtrack of our daily lives, revealing the intelligence and intention behind the music on the charts. Tune in and you might just find your listening habits forever changed.
Author: Language: en-gb Episodes: 100

Switched on Pop
Podcast Episodes
Generation Taylor: Gracie, Maisie, Phoebe (with Jensen McRae) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:39
Taylor Swift isn't just a world-conquering pop star at the top of her game, her approach to songwriting has also proven massively influential for an up-and-coming generation of singer-songwriters. Gracie Abrams, Maisie P…
Music's New Success Model [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:43
Specialized platforms and social media have empowered musicians to tap into niche audiences, igniting a quiet revolution in the music industry. Despite the dominance of viral hits, a new wave of artists, labels and busin…
Miley Cyrus goes avant-garde [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:35
Miley Cyrus just released three singles from her ninth studio album, Something Beautiful. Inspired by Pink Floyd's The Wall—specifically the 1982 feature film based on the album—Cyrus is not just sharing new music but a…
Chappell Roan is giving country... and hair metal? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:27
Why was Chappell Roan's band dressed like an 80s hair metal act during her Grammy performance? The answer unlocks the surprising secret behind her #1 country hit "The Giver." This musical detective story connects glam ro…
Writing The Who’s ‘My Generation' With Pete Townshend [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:15
The Who's "My Generation" wasn't born from inspiration—it was commissioned. In a rare interview, Pete Townshend reveals how six fans at London's Goldhawk Club in 1965 directly asked him to write an anthem for their post-…
Lady Gaga's Monster Return [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:58
In 2022, Lady Gaga embarked on The Chromatica Ball – a stadium tour featuring a stage that Gaga herself referred to as her "museum of brutality." Three years later, this idea of a brutalist enshrining of all things Monst…
How Missy Elliott and Timbaland Freaked the World [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:22
When the song “Get Ur Freak On” hit radio in 2001, it set the world of popular music on fire. Missy Elliott and Timbaland’s first crossover hit sounded nothing like the chart-topping bluesy rock of Aerosmith or Lenny Kra…
Playing "Hide and Seek" with Imogen Heap [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:09
It may be hard to believe it in this technology-driven day and age, but one of the most pervasive sounds in popular music came about when a computer STOPPED working. In 2005, artist and innovator Imogen Heap released "Hi…
Learning to love: Tate McRae [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:00
Tate McRae's billions of streams and perfectly crafted hits can feel almost algorithmic, like an AI trained on 20 years of pop music. In anticipation of McRae’s third album So Close to What, out this Friday, we dissect M…