In an age of streaming music through services like Spotify and algorithm-driven sites like Pandora, the radio DJ has become an antiquated holdover of a bygone age. The only problem is, that age was kind of great.
The ability to choose from literally any band you can think of and hear its music in an instant is a welcome advance, but there’s still something to be said for letting someone else take control, a trusted supervisor like Laura Wilson, a.k.a. Mistress Laura, the longtime host of the goth-themed “Bats in the Belfry” show on WMBR-FM (88.1; Mondays from 8-10 p.m.). The program celebrates its 20th anniversary this Saturday at the Magic Room Gallery in Brighton with a lineup of bands drawn from throughout its history.
“Internet radio has certainly changed the landscape a lot,” Wilson says. “But I still believe in the power of live radio, college radio, noncommercial radio. Even though I’m aware people have all sorts of options for getting turned on to new music, I still really believe in the medium of radio, I’ve been a real champion for that. There’s nothing like having a live human being on the radio bringing you music and all the current happenings.”
It’s like having an embedded reporter on the ground, she says, bringing back real-time reports from the musical front.
Paradoxically, the show and others like it may owe a lot of their staying power to the very technology that has endangered terrestrial radio’s existence, she says.
“It’s amazing. People can listen all over the country, or all over the world.” And they do.
“I hear from people who have moved out of range, they still listen on the Web, which is great. It’s a great way to stay in touch with people.” All of the shows are archived online as well.
That idea of staying in touch and fostering a sense of community has a lot to do with the type of music she plays: gothic, dark, and ambient. That these niche genres have largely flown under the popular radar for so long is a testament to their staying power, and few other outlets have shown such a dedication to exposing their broad depths to a popular audience. There’s a sense of ownership and investment in the music for the listeners who rally around the program.
One longtime fan who’s become close with Wilson over the years as a result of the show is Cheryl Wanner, one half of Dreamchild, the harp-based, theatrical, operatic duo who’ll perform at the anniversary show.
The expanse of Wilson’s approach to the genre concept makes it a big umbrella for all corners of the dark music worlds.
“I have to say she is one of the only shows that plays such an eclectic mix of different types of dark music,” Wanner says. “There used to be a fair amount of shows that were goth, ethereal, dark ambient, or moody music, but at this point there are very few that have survived. In part that’s because Laura really makes a point of talking about the music. She’s not one of those DJs who plays 10 tracks, comes on and says what they were, then goes back and plays more. She will really comment extensively on what she’s playing. There are so many CDs I’ve procured over the years that I would not have if not for her show. That’s a service.”
For Wilson’s purposes, “goth” doesn’t just mean dour black-clad fetish types sullenly dancing to industrial beats. She reaches all the way back through the centuries to set the tone for her show as well, playing traditional styles with classical, or choral roots.
“I try to expand the genre a lot,” she says. “It’s gothic but it’s expanded into the precedence of goth, what influenced it, going back to early music, and up into the newest stuff, goth industrial. I kind of describe it as a sanctuary. I try to build up a mood, a vibe, an atmosphere with the music. It just has to fit the vibe.”
That can mean anything from Gregorian or Byzantine chants to crossover standard bearers like Depeche Mode, to haunting, hard-to-place soundscapes from the likes of Dreamchild.
There’s even room in between for more post-punk, rock-oriented bands like Nisi Period. The long-disbanded Boston favorites from the 1990s were persuaded to reform for the first time in almost 20 years for the show. Members of the well-regarded 1990s goth shoegaze act Opium Den will perform as well, alongside formerly local darkly ethereal indie guitarist Cober.
“Laura asked us to consider reforming for the anniversary event because she wanted to have the anniversary event reflect some of the history of her show,” says Kris Thompson of Nisi Period on their decision to reform. “Bats in the Belfry” premiered the same year that their 1992 album “Soon the Love Balloon Will Pop,” which they recently remastered, was released. “I’m pretty sure that Laura has played us more than any other DJ,” he says.
A lot of bands can probably say the same.
“I love playing stuff people wouldn’t hear anywhere else but my show,” Wilson says. “I love turning people on to obscure stuff, and getting artists heard that would otherwise never get heard.”
Luke O'Neil can be reached at lukeoneil47@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @lukeoneil47.