Dean Austin’s Equaliser: Unearthing Under-Appreciated Music on Denmark Street Radio

Denmark Street Radio has a brand new show for under-appreciated music: Equaliser, with Dean Austin. The fortnightly 2-hour show looks to turn up the volume on tracks that deserve more attention, from old cult classics that never broke into the mainstream to brand new singles from independent artists and unsigned bands, and everything in-between.

Equaliser is Dean’s first ever radio show, but for him it feels like the perfect opportunity to share his lifelong love of music. “I’ve just finished recording my first episode, and through the whole process I felt like I’d found the perfect outlet for my audio obsessions”, he said. “Everything about it just felt right.” 

Dean has immersed himself in music from as early as he can remember, with a borderline-unhealthy desire to hear new music at every available opportunity. Starting out as a bedroom producer in the late ‘90s, Dean got a mention in Kerrang! magazine for his first experimental EP “The Science of Self-Realisation”. Years of being a musical hermit led him to venture into live performances, when he focussed on the intimate expression of acoustic song-writing. Playing his first ever gig in a bar in New York back in 2004, Dean realised he had to make music a major part of his life for good.

After building a band around his solo project, The Strangerhood was formed and although they never really broke through, they performed alongside artists such as Pulled Apart By Horses, The Holloways, and even collaborated with members of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Dipping back into performing as a solo act, Dean began experimenting more and more, using loop pedals and other effects, making a name for himself locally and supporting acts such as Nick Oliveri (Queens of the Stone Age), Tankus the Henge and even, bizarrely, members of S Club 7.

Dean went on to form Jargon Lynch, a raucous but short-lived band that garnered attention from Sony Music and others, before he became the noise generator for live performances of electronic rap act Giant. Alongside rapper 24vision, they supported Archive at Alexandra Palace Theatre and L’Aeronef in Lille, France.

When Covid struck and live music was forced into hibernation, Dean focussed his creativity on a film project, capturing Super 8mm footage of the band Archive as they worked on an album through the trials and tribulations of the pandemic. The project took on a life of its own and became a feature-length music documentary which he co-directed with long-time friend and fellow artist Ben Sommers. The film premiered in Paris and was praised for its artistic capture of a previously secretive band.

Now working on electronic project Atomic Lake, as well as a gothic post-punk act with former Jargon Lynch band-mate Rich Panrucker, and a collection of piano pieces written through lockdowns, Dean still spends the majority of his life absorbing music and noise-mongering. New film projects are lined up with Archive too and ongoing work in the audio-visual industry continues to keep Dean busy, but a good busy.

Dean is very excited to find a new home on Denmark Street Radio and share an eclectic mix of treasures waiting to be discovered.

Don’t miss Dean Austin w/Equaliser this Phatt Tuesday Feb 21st – 12 – 2pm