Llwybr Llaethog, the long‑running experimental Welsh-language band from Blaenau Ffestiniog, have been actively subverting genres since 1985. Their music, a heady mix of hip‑hop, dub, punk, reggae, and sharp political commentary, remains one of the most distinctive sounds to come out of Wales.
Back on August 4, 2002, they performed a live session for Adam Walton’s BBC Radio Wales show, a programme known for giving airtime to some of the country’s most innovative underground acts. But unless you happened to catch that particular broadcast, you’re out of luck. That session, like so many others, is now buried deep in the BBC archives. Not available to stream anymore, not on YouTube, not even listed in most session databases.
Whereas a John Peel session holds the reverence it deserves, I find it criminal that these recordings on Adam's show—important cultural documents—are locked away and rotting in obscurity. These aren't just old tapes. They're snapshots of musical history, capturing the raw, (often) live energy of artists at pivotal moments in their careers.
So why can’t we hear them?
Is it a resource issue? A lack of staff or funding to digitize and release them? Or is it purely about copyright control? The BBC typically owns the rights to these sessions, and that ownership may extend to restricting access, possibly even from the artists themselves.
Whatever the reason, it’s frustrating. Personally, I would happily volunteer my time to help digitize and share these sessions, officially or otherwise, if only I could get my hands on them. There are hundreds, possibly thousands, of unique recordings gathering dust while fans, historians, and curious listeners remain locked out.
In a digital age where music discovery is everything, it’s time to open the vault.
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