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A NIGHT OUT WITH: LOUIE VEGA (320kbs-m4a/137mb60mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 17th April 2026
A pivotal figure in house music and one half of the iconic New-York duo Masters at Work, Louie Vega takes you on a night out with a 100% Vinyl mix, in celebration of Record Store Day. As he digs deep into his record collection you can expect to hear sounds from the likes of Blaze, River Ocean, Kenny Lattimore as well as uplifting Masters at Work remixes and Vega's live band Elements Of Life.
Produced by We Are Grape for BBC Radio 6 Music.
Blaze - Sapporo [Papa Ltd]
George Benson - El Barrio (MAW Mix) [Verve]
Antonio Ocasio (feat. Jainardo Batista) - Organic Energy [Kenlou]
Victor Davies - Hear The Sound (Louie Vega Remix) [Afro Gigolo]
Ralf GUM (feat. Jon Pierce & Kafele) - Never (Louie Vega EOL Mix) [GOGO Music]
E.O.L. Soulfrito - Soulfrito Burnin' [Vega]
"Little" Louie Vega - Thousand Fingered Man (Roots Mix) [Vega]
River Ocean (feat. India) - Love & Happiness [BMG Rights Management (US) LLC]
Afefe Iku - Mirror Dance [Yoruba]
"Little" Louie Vega (feat. Arnold Jarvis) - Life Goes On (Dub Goes On Mix) [RRNJ]
Kenny Lattimore - Days Like This (Latti Maw Soul House Mix) [Columbia]
PRINCE'S INFLUENCE ON RAVE 10.04.26 (320kbs-m4a/137mb/60mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 10th April 2026
A constant force in dance culture, Prince's distinct groove and signature funk have influenced the likes of Frankie Knuckles and the Ragga Twins to Luke Vibert and Felix Da Housecat. Expect a deep dive into tracks that sample and reimagine the music of Prince. Spend an hour exploring The Purple One's musical DNA in the rave with a mix of Prince-inspired electronic music.
Produced by We Are Grape for BBC Radio 6 Music.
Bomb The Bass - Beat Dis [BMG UK & Ireland]
Thundercat - Friend Zone (Ross From Friends Remix) [Brainfeeder]
Prince - Controversy (Kevin McKay Edit)
DJ Mehdi - I Am Somebody (Switch Mix) [Mixmag]
Felix da Housecat - We All Wanna Be Prince [Ministry Of Sound Recordings]
Justice - Genesis [Ed Banger]
Cybotron - Alleys Of Your Mind [BGP]
Frankie Knuckles & Director's Cut & Eric Kupper (feat. Jamie Principle) - Baby Wants To Ride [SoSure Music]
Green Velvet - Bigger Than Prince (Hot Since 82 Remix) [Circus Recordings]
Luke Vibert - Clap Sing [Hypercolour]
The Ragga Twins - Hooligan 69 [Shut Up And Dance]
DJ Die & Jenna G - 1000 Soul Songs [UKF]
Jessie Ware - Running [Universal-Island]
Moodymann - Lyk U Used 2 [KDJ]
Prince - I Wanna Be Your Lover (Dimitri From Paris Re-Edit) [Brooklyn South]
THE ART OF REMIXING: FOUR TET 14.03.26 (320kbs-m4a/137mb/60mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 14th March 2026
Celebrating the eclectic remix catalogue of Kieran Hebden, better known as Four Tet. Having kicked off his musical career as founder of post-rock band Fridge, Hebden shifted his sound into the electronic sphere as he established his solo project, Four Tet. He has since cemented himself as one of the most celebrated electronic producers for his creative and versatile productions which span indie, electronica, folktronica, Jazz, Hip-Hop and Pop. This episode of Rave Forever spotlights his artistry as a remixer, featuring his reimagined takes on tracks by PinkPantheress, Sia, The xx, Sigrid, CHVRCHES, and more.
Produced by We Are Grape for BBC Radio 6 Music.
Mura Masa & A$AP Rocky - Love$ick (Four Tet Remix) [Virgin EMI]
Sia - Chandelier (Four Tet Remix) [Sony Music]
Ultraísta - Smalltalk (Four Tet Remix) [I Am Fortified]
Two Banks Of Four - Street Lullaby (Fourtet Remix) [Sirkus]
Neneh Cherry & The Thing - Dream Baby Dream (Four Tet Remix) [Uncut]
CHVRCHES - Leave A Trace (Four Tet Remix) [Glassnote]
Daniel Avery - Quick Eternity (Four Tet Remix) [Phantasy Sound]
Rihanna - Kiss It Better (Four Tet Remix)
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - I Will Make Room For You (Four Tet Remix)
Sigrid - Sucker Punch (Four Tet Remix)
Eric Prydz - Opus (Four Tet Remix) [Virgin]
PinkPantheress - Illegal (Four Tet Remix)
Tangents - Jindabyne (Four Tet Remix)
Ellie Goulding - Easy Lover (Four Tet Remix Radio) [DMC]
The xx - Angels (Four Tet Remix)
BREAKAGE - THE SWEATBOX 12.04.26 (320kbs-m4a/68mb/29mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 12th April 2026
Stalwart of the drum and bass scene, Breakage, takes over the Sweatbox with 30 minutes of his own material.
Breakage & Shy FX & Cesco - Say Less [Digital Soundboy]
Breakage - Portland Rockers [Index]
Shy FX & KINGH - Nobu (Breakage Remix) [Digital Sound Boy]
Breakage - Deadly Rhythms [Index]
Breakage - Style [Unreleased]
Breakage - Most High [Index]
Breakage - CTRL [Digital Soundboy]
Shy FX & Breakage - Rastafari [Digital Soundboy]
Breakage - Settle [Index]
Breakage - Lickshots For Headshots [Index]
Shy FX - Shebeen [Digital Soundboy]
Breakage - Pattern [Index]
Breakage - Liff Up [Index]
Breakage - Dread [Index]
Breakage - Yeah [Self Released]
DERRICK CARTER - THE 6 MIX WITH MARY ANNE HOBBS 01.05.26 (320kbs-m4a/137mb/60mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 1st May 2026
Chicago house legend Derrick Carter in the 6 Mix, ahead of his appearance at the Brixton Disco Festival this weekend.
The 6 Mix is the flagship mix on BBC Radio 6 Music, curated by Mary Anne Hobbs.
Each week, Mary Anne Hobbs introduces a one-hour mix from a past, present & future icon of electronic music - artists, DJs, labels, and clubs.
Others who've played 6 Mixes include: Roni Size, Beatrice M., Doc Scott, I.Jordan, Quiet Husband, Chloe Robinson b2b Paleman, Kahn & Neek.
Mustafa Ismaeel & Alaa Jazaeri (feat. Kali B) - Never Enuff [MDLBEAST]
MU - Let's Get Sick [DFI]
Sparks - Beat The Clock (Cratebug's Edit) [Elektra]
Pirupa - Get Funky [Cécille]
Green Velvet (feat. Russoul) - Millie Vanilie [Relief]
Luther Vandross - Never Too Much (Zach Witness Luther Lives Forever Remix) [Epic]
Harry Romero - Feels Good [Cécille]
Doubleplusgood - The Winding Song Acapella [Sire]
Cardi B - Up (Nonfiction Remix) [Atlantic]
Leikeli47 - Bad Guy (SRCSMC Edit) [RCA]
Doja Cat - Get Into It Yuh (Chainsnatcher's East Side Boogie) [RCA]
Azealia Banks - New Bottega (DC's BHQ Bonus) [Sweat It Out]
Leonel Castillo - When You're Jumpin' [Aux-Rec]
George Kranz - Trommeltanz Acapella [Metronome]
Limelife - Baby Can You Reach [TNT]
Martha Wash - Runaround (Todd Terry Freeze Remix) [RCA]
Martha Wash - Give It To You (Kerri Chandler Remix) [RCA]
Lisa M - Rock To The Beat (Miles's Edit Of DJ Pierre's Remix) [Jive]
RONI SIZE - THE 6 MIX WITH MARY ANNE HOBBS 24.04.26 (320kbs-m4a/137mb/60mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 24th April 2026
The beloved Bristol icon Roni Size on the 6 Mix, to celebrate his new single with Vikter Duplaix - 'My Story' out May 24th on Mansion Sounds.
The 6 Mix is the flagship mix on BBC Radio 6 Music, curated by Mary Anne Hobbs.
Each week, Mary Anne Hobbs introduces a one-hour mix from a past, present or future icon of electronic music - artists, DJs, labels, and clubs.
Others who have played 6 Mixes for Mary Anne in the past include: Beatrice M., Introspekt, Leon Vynehall, Goldie, Chloé Robinson, Doc Scott, Andy C, Pinch, I.Jordan and MJK.
Wheel Up & Size - Loving You
Flex FM - B Side
Jumping Jack Frost - Cosmic Bounce [V Recordings]
Digital - Deadline [Function]
Crissy Criss & T.C (feat. Dynamite MC) - BpB (Remix)
Roni Size / Reprazent - Brown Paper Bag (Instrumental) [Talkin' Loud]
Friction - Rzor (Friction Remix) [Shogun Audio]
Roni Size - Snapshot (Vocal Mix) [Full Cycle]
Roni Size - Snapshot (Drumsound & Bassline Smith Remix) [Full Cycle]
3 Way - Dictation
Roni Size - It's Jazzy (Blade Runner Rework) [Full Cycle]
DJ Hype & Heist (feat. MC Fats) - Peace Love & Unity (Remix)
JJ Frost & Killa P & Inja - No Supper
Vikter Duplaix & Roni Size - Story So Far
Wheel Up & Size - The Crown
RISC - Free Time
RISC - Reward
Heist - Dub Untitled
Unknown - Better Days
Kit - For Now And Forever
Social Security - Sensational [Booty]
GROOVERIDER - CLASSIC ESSENTIAL MIX (1997) (320kbs-m4a/276mb/2hrs)
BBC Radio 1 broadcast: 19th April 2026
Revisiting the D&B Godfather Grooverider's Essential Mix from January 1997.
Boymerang - The River (VIP Mix) [Regal]
PFM - Crusing Detroit [Moving Shadow]
Matrix - Fluid Motion [New Identity]
The Quartet - Nevada (Peshay Remix) [Pivotal]
Krust - Soul In Motion [Full Cycle]
Boymerang - Mind Control [Regal]
Dom & Optical - Time [Moving Shadow]
Future Forces Inc. & Fierce - Constant [Renegade Hardware]
Codename John - Warned [Prototype]
Lemon D - City Lights [Prototype]
DJ Die - Special Treat [V Recordings]
Alex Reece - Out Of Time [Island]
Matrix - Mute [Prototype]
Optical - Sever [Virus Recordings]
Cybotron (feat. Dillinja) - Light Years [Prototype]
Photek - Ni-Ten-Ichi-Ryu [Science]
Decoder - Fuse [Elementz]
Blu Mar Ten - Shadow Boxing (Remix) [31 Recordings]
Lemon D - Going Gets Tuff [Prototype]
Bally Sagoo - Tum Bin Jiya (Grooverider Dub) [Higher Ground]
Dillinja - Paradise [Hardleaders]
LTJ Bukem - Music (Peshay Rework) [Nexus]
Subject 13 - Jazz Style [Creative Source]
Matrix - Junk [New Identity]
Krust - Brief Encounters [Full Cycle]
Optical - What's The Difference? [Virus Recordings]
JANE WEAVER - HOLY SHIVERS FREAK ZONE PLAYLIST (320kbs-m4a/137mb/60mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 2nd April 2026
Singer and musician Jane Weaver presents her alternative Songs of Praise, tracks of dedication and devotion, mantra and meditation.
Expect music from Yoko Ono and Broadcast, trips to Georgia and Brittany and a visit to the Church of Hawkwind.
Jane Weaver & The Focus Group & Susan Christie - The Circle And The Square Pt 2 Bird [Fire]
Kathy Larisch & Carol McComb - Wonderous Love [Rhino/Elektra]
Alejandro Jodorowsky - Violence Of The Lambs [ABKCO (US)]
Yoko Ono & John Lennon - Song For John [Secretly Canadian]
Eiko Ishibashi - Evil Does Not Exist [Drag City]
Hawkwind - The Last Messiah [Atomhenge]
Broadcast - Follow The Light [Warp]
Rustavi Choir - Tsintskaro (Song From Kartli-Kakhetia) [St Petersburg Classics]
Kitaro - Seiun [Canyon Inc]
Cavern Of Anti‐Matter - Mannequin Metric [Duophonic]
Suzanne Ciani & Jonathan Fitoussi - Coral Reef [Obliques/Atmospheric]
Donovan - The Song Of The Wandering Aengus [BGO]
Alan Stivell - Broceliande [[PIAS] Recordings Catalogue]
Jane Weaver - Hud A Llefrith [Fire]
Kristen Noguès - Pinvidik Eo Va C'hemener [Nevenoe]
NEVIL SHUTE - ON THE BEACH (320kbs-m4a/261mb/1hr53mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 21st & 26th March 2026
**** This programme was suggested by Marilyn Grant and Margaret Hopkins as part of BBC Radio 4 Extra's All Request Weekend ****
Starring Claudia Harrison and Richard Dillane.
Nevil Shute's compelling account of the aftermath of a nuclear world war.
Dramatised in two parts by Mike Walker.
Director: Toby Swift
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2008.
**** To nominate a programme from the archives that you would like to hear again, please email radio4extra@bbc.co.uk ****
NEVIL SHUTE - ON THE BEACH - 1. AFTERMATH (320kbs-m4a/130mb/57mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 21st March 2026
A cloud of deadly radioactivity is moving slowly towards Australia, one of few places on Earth where life has survived.
Mary .... Claudia Harrison
Moira .... Indira Varma
Dwight Towers .... William Hope
Peter Holmes .... Richard Dillane
Tim Osborne.... James Gordon-Mitchell
The Admiral .... Jonathan Tafler
Ryan .... Inam Mirza
A Farmer .... Stephen Critchlow
Other parts played by:
Jill Cardo
Gunnar Cauthery
Robert Lonsdale
Chris Pavlo
Dan Starkey
NEVIL SHUTE - ON THE BEACH - 2. MISSION (320kbs-m4a/130mb/57mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 26th March 2026
As the deadly radioactive cloud approaches Australia, a desperate submarine mission is launched.
Moira .... Indira Varma
Mary .... Claudia Harrison
Peter Holmes .... Richard Dillane
Dwight Towers .... William Hope
Tim Osborne.... James Gordon-Mitchell
The Admiral .... Jonathan Tafler
Ryan .... Inam Mirza
Swain .... Stephen Critchlow
Other parts are played by:
Chris Pavlo
Dan Starkey
Gunnar Cauthery
Robert Lonsdale
ALAN BLEASDALE - HAVING A BALL (320kbs-m4a/184mb/80mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 14th March 2026
1981. Four men are awaiting vasectomies at a private clinic specialising in cosmetic and social surgery.
But they soon find themselves contemplating far more than just the prospect of birth prevention...
Starring David Ross.
Written by Alan Bleasdale.
'Having a Ball' was created as part of a 1981 BBC/Arts Council scheme to commission new drama for radio and theatre.
Bleasdale would go on to write BBC TV's 1982 BAFTA winning 'Boys from the Blackstuff'.
Broadcast on 4 Extra to celebrate Alan Bleasdale's 80th birthday (Born: 23rd March 1946)
Lenny .... David Ross
Nurse .... Jeffrey Longmore
Surgeon .... Judith Barker
Anaesthetist .... Ian Mercer
Malcolm .... Cliff Howells
Doreen .... Lesley E. Bennett
Ritchie .... Andrew Hay
Old Man .... Ted Morris
Jean .... Lesley Nicol
Director: Caroline Smith
First broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in May 1981.
TRACY SPOTTISWOODE - SOLO BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN (320kbs-m4a/101mb/44mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 5th March 2026
Actor Robert Vaughn, famous at the time as 1960s TV spy Napoleon Solo, is making a movie in Prague with several other Hollywood stars.
Filming stops abruptly, however, when Russian tanks roll into Czechoslovakia.
Cast and crew find themselves trapped.
The Man from UNCLE must find a way to escape, and quickly.
Robert Vaughn stars as himself.
Tracy Spottiswoode's thriller is based on real events in 1968.
Robert Vaughn ...... Himself
Pepsi ...... Vesna Stanojevic
George Segal ...... Robert Glenister
Ben Gazzara ...... John Guerrasio
Bradford Dillman ...... Richard Laing
David Wolper ...... Garrick Hagon
Honzo ...... Robert Luckay
Sadovsky ...... Rad Lazar
Director: Kate McAll
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2007.
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 10th to 13th February 2026
Starring Leslie Phillips.
Jules Verne's classic story, first published in 1872.
Dramatised in four parts by Terry James.
Original music by Wilfredo Acosta.
Director: Janet Whitaker
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1991/January 1992.
AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS - 1. AN OVER-HURRIED DEPARTURE (320kbs-m4a/64mb/28mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 10th February 2026
A bet is made, the Bank of England is robbed and the gas is left on.
Eccentric gentleman, Phileas Fogg's new valet Passepartout had been hoping for a quiet life...
Phileas Fogg .... Leslie Phillips
Passepartout .... Yves Aubert
Sergeant Fix .... Jim Broadbent
Lord Albermarle .... Ronald Fraser
Mr Flanagan .... Ronald Herdman
Mr Stuart .... John Church
The Doorman .... Mark Straker
Consul .... Terence Edmond
Forster .... Nicholas Murchie
Beggarwoman .... Joanna Myers
AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS - 2. DISTRACTIONS IN THE JUNGLE (320kbs-m4a/64mb/28mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 11th February 2026
In which Phileas Fogg rides an elephant, Sergeant Fix loses sight of him and Passepartout saves the day...
Phileas Fogg .... Leslie Phillips
Passpartout .... Yves Aubert
Sergeant Fix .... Jim Broadbent
Hong Kong Policeman .... Jonathan Adams
The Clerk .... Ronald Herdman
Bombay Police .... John Church
The Guide .... Mark Straker
The Judge .... Terence Edmond
The Conductor .... Nicholas Murchie
Indian Woman .... Joanna Myers
Aouda .... Diana Quick
Brigadier Cromarty .... Garard Green
Elephant Driver .... Lyndham Gregory
AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS - 3. THE MISSING ACROBAT (320kbs-m4a/65mb/28mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 12th February 2026
Phileas Fogg fights a duel and the Pacific railroad nearly collapses…
Phileas Fogg .... Leslie Phillips
Passepartout .... Yves Aubert
Sergeant Fix .... Jim Broadbent
Batuclar .... Jonathan Adams
Sailor .... Ronald Herdman
Captain Busby .... John Church
Engineer .... Mark Straker
Japanese Assistant .... Joanna Myers
Princess Aouda .... Diana Quick
Colonel Proctor .... William Hootkins
AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS - 4. BURNING TO GET HOME (320kbs-m4a/65mb/28mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 13th February 2026
In which Fix gets his man, Passepartout's watch is nearly on time and Phileas Fogg takes drastic action.
Will he get to the Reform Club in time?
Phileas Fogg .... Leslie Phillips
Passpartout .... Yves Aubert
Sergeant Fix .... Jim Broadbent
Mr Ralph .... Jonathan Adams
Mr Flanagan .... Ronald Herdman
Mr Stuart .... John Church
The Doorman .... Mark Straker
Princess Aouda .... Diana Quick
Captain Speedy .... Peter Marinker
Mudge .... Terence Edmond
CALIBRE - THE 6 MIX WITH MARY ANNE HOBBS 17.04.26 (320kbs-m4a/137mb/60mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 17th April 2026
The legendary Belfast DJ and producer Calibre on the 6 Mix, to celebrate the release of his new album 'Tricklemore Sea' out May 1st on his own imprint Signature Records.
The 6 Mix is the new flagship mix on BBC Radio 6 Music, curated by Mary Anne Hobbs.
Each week, Mary Anne Hobbs will introduce a one-hour mix from a past, present or future icon of electronic music - artists, DJs, labels and clubs.
Others who have played mixes for Mary Anne in the past include: Four Tet, SHERELLE, Helena Hauff, Blawan, Goldie, Chloé Robinson, Randall, Pet Shop Boys, Ben UFO, Rainy Miller, EMA, IMOGEN, Richie Culver and Azu Tiwaline.
Calibre - Mizzle Mine [Signature Recordings]
The Necks - Blue Mountain [Ideologic Organ]
Son Of Chi & Arthur Flink - Part Two [Astral Industries]
Mess Montage - Bebo's Dream [Ministry of culture, sport and youth of Georgia]
ASC - Falling From The Sky [Auxiliary]
Hoavi - Music For Six Rooms [Balmat]
Calibre - Pigeon Luncheon [Signature Recordings]
emer - Below Altitude [Short Span]
Terekke - 2 The World [Plant Age Digital Sound]
Trevino - Both Worlds
Harlan Silverman - Forever Geren [Mississippi]
Mark Ernestus' Ndagga Rhythm Force - Khadim [Ndagga]
Bas Dobbelaer - Movement [Trule]
Pub - Summer [Vertical Form]
Thought Leadership - IX [Be With Limited]
Klaus - Delta [Tanum]
Calibre - Able Son Dub [Signature Recordings]
Sindh - Saptura [IDO]
Winsome - Tab [Tanum]
QUIET HUSBAND - THE 6 MIX WITH MARY ANNE HOBBS 10.04.26 (320kbs-m4a/137mb/60mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 10th April 2026
Quiet Husband is the DJ and producer alias of British multidisciplinary artist Richie Culver. Rooted in the rave culture of Hull, his music draws on industrial techno and noise, and has been released on Drowned By Locals and Industrial Coast. He has played Berghain and Berlin Atonal, and collaborated with Rainy Miller, Blackhaine, Moor Mother and Space Afrika.
Others who have played mixes for Mary Anne in the past include: Four Tet, SHERELLE, Helena Hauff, Blawan, Goldie, Chloé Robinson, Randall, Pet Shop Boys, Ben UFO, Rainy Miller, EMA, IMOGEN, Richie Culver, and Azu Tiwaline.
Ferai & Spekki Webu - exitlude (Floating Version) [Aube Rouge]
Floid - Gizuh [Omen Wapta]
Gui & Adhi - Desiran [Omen Wapta]
Gui & Adhi - Turiya [Omen Wapta]
Feral - Spell [Hypnus]
Loek Frey - Atone [Omen Wapta]
Archypness - Rog [Bluegold]
Floid - Kazipé [Omen Wapta]
LANDSCAPE WITH CANALS AND MACHINES: THE LEGACY OF LTC ROLT (320kbs-m4a/64mb/28mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 10th February 2026
Hermione Cockburn and Timothy West investigate the writer LTC Rolt, and his passion for the industrial landscape.
LTC Rolt achieved something remarkable - he changed the character of the British, for the better, by altering their perception of their land and history. Before he began writing, and campaigning, our industrial landscape was regarded a desecration of a rural idyll.
It was Rolt who taught us to value it, to appreciate its beauty and to appreciate the achievements of those who created the great engines, viaducts, lighthouses, ships and railways that revolutionised Britain - and the world.
The father of industrial archaeology, Rolt wrote definitive biographies of the Stephensons, Brunel, Watt and Telford. He wrote about railways, aeronautics and cars (his 1920s Alvis is still going), and 'High Horse Riderless' is an important early work of environmental philosophy. Plus he wrote fiction, including ghost stories.
His book 'Narrowboat' led to the establishment of the Inland Waterways Association and the canal network's navigation channels, structures, towpaths, bridges, tunnels and aqueducts were saved in the nick of time.
Rolt is now recognised as a pioneer of the leisure industry. He went on to rescue the bankrupt Talyllyn narrow-gauge railway and taught volunteers to restore, then run it. Such an endeavour had never been attempted before but now this is a model for renovation and conservation schemes all over contemporary Britain, and all over the world.
Hermione Cockburn, with help from Timothy West (who also has a narrowboat) and Rolt's widow, Sonia, tells the story of this remarkable engineer and author and reveals how his work shapes our thinking today - not just about our past but how we deal with it for the future.
Producer: Julian May
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2010.
COOK AND GREENAWAY: IN PERFECT HARMONY (320kbs-m4a/130mb/56mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 7th March 2026
Celebrating the incredible careers of the song-writing duo Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway.
Born in Bristol, the award-winning partnership wrote some of the biggest songs in music history, for some of the biggest names.
Cook went on to have phenomenal success in Nashville and Greenaway with the Drifters in the UK.
Together they've enjoyed an unbelievable career spanning seven decades.
Producer: Tom Ryan
Made for BBC Radio Bristol and first broadcast in 2021.
THE GHOSTS OF MAIDA VALE (320kbs-m4a/131mb/57mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 28th March 2026
In 1934, the BBC bought a roller-skating rink in west London and turned it into a home for the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Walk around Maida Vale studios today and it still feels like a makeshift conversion - no architect in their right mind would design a building in which the main access route is a 120 metre corridor down which two people can barely pass. And yet, for 92 years, the world's greatest musicians have been coming here to perform and record for the BBC.
From now on, they will do so for new owners.
In The Ghosts of Maida Vale, we hear rock and pop musicians and presenters, past and present, including Jarvis Cocker, Annie Nightingale, Squeeze, Beyoncé, John Peel, Adam Ant and The Beatles.
Writer and presenter Matthew Sweet, alongside like-minded artists, conjures the spirits and echoes of Maida Vale studios with reminiscences from the worlds of classical music, radio drama, wartime propaganda and the electronic music pioneers of the world famous BBC Radiophonic Workshop.
Many of the recordings made here since the 1930s have been preserved on disc. In the 1960s the Beatles recorded 52 editions of their show Pop Goes The Beatles!, many from Maida Vale. These programmes capture the evolution of their style. In 1977 Bing Crosby made his last ever recording in Studio 3. Between 1967 and 2004, John Peel's sessions laid down an immensity of work by artists including Led Zeppelin, The Slits, Fairport Convention and Nirvana.
The story of the BBC at Maida Vale has been told many times – this programme brings that story to a close.
Writer/presenter: Matthew Sweet
Producer: Debbie Kilbride
Editor: Sukey Firth
A Mighty Real production for BBC Radio 4
CONCORDE: THE FUTURE WE FLEW AWAY FROM (320kbs-m4a/129mb/56mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 28th February 2026
Everyone thinks they know Concorde. The champagne… the glamour... the mach numbers... the delta wing and droop-snoot... and Phil Collins doing two concerts in one day for Live Aid.
Concorde was an instantly recognisable aeroplane - a beautiful, streamlined dart which could fly a hundred passengers across the Atlantic faster than a rifle bullet.
But for behavioural science guru Rory Sutherland, Concorde isn't just an aircraft. For him it was also a hugely expensive experiment in human psychology. It was about what we think we need contrasted with what we actually want. In this Archive on 4, marking the 50th anniversary of its first commercial flight, Rory discovers that Concorde satisfied a hunger which had nothing to do with transport.
When it was first mooted in the 1950s it was meant to usher in an exciting, new, supersonic age. Yet fifty years after that first commercial flight – and nearly 25 years after its last – Rory asks why we still fly to New York more slowly than the generation before us. Rather than a sparkling new era of supersonic travel, was Concorde always doomed to be just a brief, fever dream? Were we actually more in love with the idea of supersonic travel - and what it represented - than the reality?
As he explores the broadcast archive, Rory considers just what the Concorde story says about us, as a society, as a nation, as human beings. He discovers a story of pride and propaganda, inspiration and aspiration. Our obsession with speed accelerated in the early 20th century when the 100 mph barrier was first broken by a racing driver and the Futurist Manifesto was published by the Italian poet F.T. Marinetti. The Manifesto celebrated machinery and industry, youth, progress and, above all, speed. In the succeeding decades, human beings pushed the boundaries of technology to travel faster and faster, culminating in Concorde. But often the reason for pushing those boundaries was simply "because we can".
Rory also considers Concorde as an exercise in nation-building. In the wake of the Second World War, as Britain's empire and influence waned, it needed a way to signal – both abroad and at home - that it was still a world-beater. And creating the world's first supersonic airliner seemed a perfect way to do that.
Rory turns to the archive to compare it with another project which was almost exactly concurrent with the development of Concorde - the United States' Apollo programme to put a man on the Moon. At the height of the Cold War, President Kennedy needed a big statement to reassert his nation on the world stage and an astronaut planting an American flag in lunar soil was the very biggest.
Concorde halved the time it took to fly from London to New York. But Rory asks what we actually achieve by "saving time". Did any business ever stand or fall by being able to cross the Atlantic in three hours rather than seven? Or was it more about prestige for those who could pay - or whose companies could pay - for a ticket on the Speedbird?
Along the way we meet Concorde's pilots, passengers and crew, its supporters, its detractors and those who see it as a valuable lesson. With new supersonic ventures emerging just as climate politics tell us to slow down, we revisit Concorde to understand what we learnt from our experiment with supersonic passenger travel. The archive reveals the truth we never said out loud - Concorde proved we can go faster, but it also proved we have absolutely no idea why we want to.
Presenter: Rory Sutherland
Producer: Jeremy Grange
Executive Producer: Michael Surcombe
An Overcoat Media production for BBC Radio 4
ARCHIVE ON 4 - WHAT’S GOING ON NOW? (320kbs-m4a/129mb/57mins)
Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 9th May 2021
In 1971, Motown legend Marvin Gaye released What's Going On - a landmark album that forever changed the sound and subject matter of popular music.
Emeli Sande explains why the album still has relevance and resonance in the 21st century, both musically and politically - an enduring art form that continues to make a statement on behalf of a disenfranchised generation.
The programme combines archive interviews with Motown legends who worked with Marvin Gaye, including Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Lamont Dozier and Mary Wilson, with contributions from artists inspired by his masterpiece, such as Bruce Springsteen, John Legend, Lionel Richie, Nitin Sawhney, Seal and Corinne Bailey Rae.
There's no contemporary piece of music or art which does more to reflect the emotions and situation of a generation with as much clarity and power as What's Going On and, five decades after its release, Marvin Gaye's opus remains one of the most acclaimed and influential albums recorded.
A Zinc Media production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in May 2021.
DIGITAL - THE 6 MIX WITH MARY ANNE HOBBS 03.04.26 (320kbs-m4a/137mb/60mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 3rd April 2026
Ipswich-based producer and DJ Digital takes over the 6 Music Mix to celebrate three decades of the iconic Drum & Bass label Metalheadz, ahead of tomorrow's anniversary party at Brixton Electric in London.
The 6 Mix is the new flagship mix on BBC Radio 6 Music, curated by Mary Anne Hobbs.
Each week, Mary Anne Hobbs will introduce a one-hour mix from a past, present or future icon of electronic music - artists, DJs, labels, and clubs.
Others who have played mixes for Mary Anne in the past include: Four Tet, SHERELLE, Helena Hauff, Blawan, Goldie, Chloé Robinson, Randall, Pet Shop Boys, Ben UFO, Rainy Miller, EMA, IMOGEN, Richie Culver, and Azu Tiwaline.
Seba & Olski - Big Ting [Function]
Lennie De Ice - We Are I.E. [Distinctive]
Calibre (feat. MC Fats) - Drop It Down [Signature Recordings]
Spirit - International [Function]
Spirit - Dial Up [Metalheadz]
Commix - Be True [Metalheadz]
Tim Clay & J Flux - Superior Minds [Function]
Digital & MAD VIBES & Funke - This Jungle Is Too Dark [Function]
IP - Ninety Nine
HLZ - Roadblock [Metalheadz]
MAD VIBES - Big Data (Outrage Remix) [Function]
Olski - Lukkha
Digital & Response - Whisper In The Wind [Function]
Benny L & Cleveland Watkiss - Metaphors [Metalheadz]
Kiat - Vapor
Digital & Bailey - Deadman
Marcus Intalex & ST Files - Universe [Metalheadz]
IP - Assassinator [Function]
Tim Clay - Let It Move [Function]
Skeptical - Soundclash [Unreleased]
Seba & Olski - OG [Function]
DJ FLIGHT - THE 6 MIX WITH MARY ANNE HOBBS 20.03.26 (320kbs-m4a/137mb/60mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 20th March 2026
DJ Flight is a pioneering drum 'n' bass DJ, producer and broadcaster. She is widely regarded as one of the foundations of Drum & Bass and a pioneer of dance music. She has been at the forefront championing underground music and eclectic sounds. She heads up her own label play:musik and co-founded EQ50, a collective working towards fairer representation for women in dance music.
Others who have played mixes for Mary Anne in the past include: Four Tet, SHERELLE, Helena Hauff, Blawan, Goldie, Chloé Robinson, Randall, Pet Shop Boys, Ben UFO, Rainy Miller, EMA, IMOGEN, Richie Culver, and Azu Tiwaline.
Dillinja - Majestic B-Line (B2) [Deep Jungle]
X-Rave - Evil Forces [Unreleased]
Fez The Kid & BRUK - Northwest Passage [Rupture LDN]
Double O - Corsica Jungle [Rupture LDN]
Codename John - Warned [Prototype Recordings]
Sl8r - Callisto [play:musik]
Fox & Lenzman & Satl - We Blessy [Unreleased]
Satl - Closer [Unreleased]
Nectax - Unknown [Unreleased]
DJ Die - Clear Skyz ('96 VIP) [Gutterfunk]
Sl8r - Unknown [Unreleased]
AMIT & Outrage - Zulu [Unreleased]
DJ Sofa - Boiling Point [play:musik]
Concord Dawn - Say Your Words [Metalheadz]
Sweetpea - Peace & Unity [Unreleased]
Skeptical - Bad Generation [RUBI]
Unknown Face - Unknown [Soul In Motion]
Alegria & Voitek Noir - Oceans (J:Kenzo Remix) [Artikal]
Lemon D - (Going Gets) Tuff VIP [Unreleased]
The Untouchables - Ganges River [Unreleased]
Kuttin Edge - Fandango [Krunchtime]
Unknown - Unknown [Unreleased]
GREAT LIVES - GERALD SCARFE ON WALT DISNEY (320kbs-m4a/64mb/28mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 12th February 2026
Satirical cartoonist Gerald Scarfe nominates Walt Disney.
He joins Matthew Parris to discuss the life of a complex cultural icon.
With guest experts Brian Sibley and Richard Williams, creator of Roger Rabbit.
Gerald spent much of his childhood in his sick bed, so it's not surprising that Disney cartoons and feature films meant so much to him. He can still recall the thrill at the prospect of seeing Pinocchio at the cinema, and then the agony of being led away again in the rain because the tickets were too expensive.
Walt Disney came from a working family. His god-fearing father Elias, said by one writer to have 'hated Capital, and favoured Labour, but really needed to make a buck', found work where he could. So Walt lived a peripatetic childhood, and sought solace in drawing and play acting.
Hard times early on did not make Walt frugal with money in adulthood, and despite the huge successes of the golden era of Disney, it was only with the opening of Disneyland that Walt attained any substantial personal wealth.
You don't have to look far to find myth surrounding Walt Disney.
Even after his death, rumours that his body had been cryogenically frozen spread so widely that they soon slipped into folklore.
He'd actually been cremated, but the readiness with which the cryogenic claim was accepted perhaps bears witness to a man who was terrified of dying, who believed in the white hope of technology and who, some might say, had been searching all his life for an escape into an immortal, fairy-tale world.
A man who was seemingly unpretentious, and did not fit the image of movie mogul with his scruffy tweed jacket and awkward demeanour, yet a man who was accused of being a tyrannical egomaniac.
The son of a socialist who ended up naming names at the House of Un- American Activities committee. Above all else perhaps though, they discuss the life of a man who strove tirelessly for perfection and who changed the cultural landscape of a little boy called Gerald, and arguably of the world, for ever.
Gerald Scarfe himself is best known for his classic images lampooning the great and the good of politics, and also in his iconic animation for Pink Floyd's The Wall. He reveals in this programme that he also spent time working on the Disney production Hercules.
Producer: Miles Warde
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2010.
GREAT LIVES: SERIES 46 - 1. HANIF KUREISHI ON DAVID BOWIE (320kbs-m4a/64mb/28mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 8th january 2026
"Suddenly this light comes into your life" - says Hanif Kureishi, referring to his hero, his great life, David Bowie.
Hanif, an author, screenwriter and film maker, went on to become friends with Bowie in the 1990's after they worked together when Bowie wrote the soundtrack to Kureishi's TV adaptation 'The Buddha of Suburbia'.
For Hanif it was also Bowie who inspired him to become an author and filmmaker - he says for a "mixed race Pakistani kid living in a crummy terrace bored out of my mind, I wanted to get out - I wanted to explore, I wanted to express myself, I wanted to be free".
Hanif gives his personal insight into the life of David Bowie.
The expert witness is Dylan Jones - author of 'David Bowie A Life' and 'When Ziggy Played Guitar'.
Presenter: Matthew Parris
Producer: Perminder Khatkar
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2018.
KENNY EVERETT ON RADIO MERSEYSIDE (320kbs-m4a/63mb/27mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 22nd March 2026
**** This programme was suggested by Paul Phippin, Alan Galliott and Adrian Dayne as part of BBC Radio 4 Extra's All Request Weekend ****
A revealing interview with arguably Britain's most creative broadcaster first heard on his local station, BBC Radio Merseyside.
Thanks to 4 Extra, this is the first national airing of an episode of the weekly series 'Somebody In Particular', subtitled 'Whatever Happened to Maurice Cole?' (Kenny Everett's real name). The "wireless wizard" talks to Iain Mann about leaving school at 15, training to be a priest and joining pirate radio.
Kenny joined BBC Radio 1 for its opening in 1967 - but was sacked three years later after insulting the wife of a Government Minister.
He joined Capital Radio at the launch of Independent Local Radio in 1973. He had to give up the breakfast show after collapsing and saying he hoped to end his career on Radio 3 "drinking tea and slapping disc-jockeys' wrists" as "the naughty young old boy of the BBC".
At the time of the interview, Kenny was still broadcasting on London's Capital Radio at weekends having seemingly turned his back on TV after what he called "an awfully disastrous series" on London Weekend Television which "tore my soul apart", insisting "I'm a radio chap". The Kenny Everett Video Show ran until 1981 before he returned to the BBC later that year for the Kenny Everett Television Show and a Saturday morning programme on BBC Radio 2.
Kenny moved back to Capital, helping relaunch the full AM only service of Capital Gold in 1988. He was still working there shortly before his death from an AIDS-related illness on 4th April 1995, at the age of 50.
Presenter: Iain Mann
Audio supplied by Paul Rowley
First broadcast on BBC Radio Merseyside in February 1976.
**** To nominate a programme from the archives that you would like to hear again, please email radio4extra@bbc.co.uk ****
STEPHEN FRY ON THE PHONE (OMNIBUS) (320kbs-m4a/152mb/66mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 15th March 2026
Stephen Fry traces the evolution of the mobile phone.
From hefty executive bricks requiring a separate briefcase for carrying the battery to the smart little devices complete with personal assistant we have today.
There are more mobile phones in the world than there are people on the planet: Stephen talks to the backroom boys who made it all possible and hears how the technology succeeded, in ways that the geeks had not necessarily intended.
He also meets the men who first dreamt of creating a cellular network. Back in the 1960s, two Bell Labs engineers in the US thought perhaps a maximum of 50,000 people might use a cellular phone network.
Now, there are billions of phones in the world, all of them dependent on the networks based on their design. It was an enormous technical challenge that took decades to complete; but the main problems were political.
Motorola, for example, argued that phone calls were a frivolous waste of radio spectrum compared to more worthy causes like television.
Omnibus of five episodes.
Producer: Anna Buckley
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2011.
PROFILE - MACKENZIE CROOK (320kbs-m4a/39mb/17mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 28th February 2026
'Small Prophets' has quietly taken the world by storm. A whimsical, magical and gentle show providing a tonic to modern life. Its creator, Mackenzie Crook, could arguably be described in a similar way.
Born in Sutton-on-hone a village near Dartford in 1971, his creative brilliance was evident to friends early on but instead of drama school he started work at Pizza Hut. Moving to London in his early twenties he shared a flat where dry rot led to the stairs collapsing. But his luck began to change when he took his stand up comedy routine to Edinburgh. He caught the eye of comedian Bob Mortimer and shortly after was cast as Gareth in ‘The Office’ the oddball Territorial Army reservist with one of the worst haircuts on television.
Crook went on to star in quirky independent and blockbuster Hollywood films alike, but aged forty he decided he wanted to write his own material and move behind the camera to direct. His first offering was the critically acclaimed series 'The Detectorists'. So who is the man behind the magic?
Production team:
Presenter: Becky Milligan
Producers: Annabel Deas, Tom Gillett and Katie Solleveld
Production Coordinators: Maria Ogundele and Gemma Ashman
Sound: Neil Churchill
Editor: Justine Lang
Archive:
BBC Television
Treasure Trove Productions
Blue House Productions
Crooksite
TRACKS OF MY YEARS - BOB MORTIMER (320kbs-m4a/131mb/57mins)
BBC Radio 2 broadcast: 15th March 2026
Comedian and writer Bob Mortimer joins Vernon to select his Tracks Of My Years - with an in-depth conversation about his life and choosing ten songs which have soundtracked that time so far.
Born in 1959 and growing up in Middlesbrough, Bob says he was very shy for much of his childhood, and it wasn't until he moved to London and met Jim Moir (aka Vic Reeves) that he got into comedy. The two formed a beloved double act, with shows like Vic Reeves Big Night Out and Shooting Stars to name just a few. In more recent years, he's starred in Gone Fishing with Paul Whitehouse, Taskmaster and had show-stealing appearances in Would I Lie To You. This month, he's returning as defending champion for the second series of Last One Laughing UK on Prime Video, with a new cast including Romesh Ranganathan, Mel Giedroyc, Alan Carr & Diane Morgan.
A BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 2.
The Tams - Hey Girl Don't Bother Me [Connoisseur Collection]
Cream - Sunshine Of Your Love [Polydor]
The Beatles - Rocky Raccoon [UMC (Universal Music Catalogue)]
Steely Dan - Only A Fool Would Say That [UMC (Universal Music Catalogue)]
Free - My Brother Jake [Spectrum]
Faces - Ooh La La [Virgin]
Janet Jackson - When I Think Of You [A&M]
Vic Reeves & The Wonder Stuff - Dizzy [EMI]
Squeeze - Some Fantastic Place [EMI]
Pulp - Babies [Island]
Fatboy Slim - The Rockafeller Skank [Skint]
Led Zeppelin - Ramble On [Atlantic]
TRACKS OF MY YEARS - PET SHOP BOYS (320kbs-m4a/130mb/57mins)
BBC Radio 2 broadcast: 22nd February 2026
Another chance to hear Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe from Pet Shop Boys choose the Tracks of OUR Years, from June 2024.
Neil and Chris met in a London Hi-Fi store in 1981 and bonded over a mutual love for disco and electronic music, drawing inspiration from synth-pop pioneers like OMD, Soft Cell and Depeche Mode.
They have sold over 50 million records worldwide in an astonishing career spanning four decades. From their breakthrough hits "West End Girls" and "It's A Sin" to working with such luminaries as Dusty Springfield, Liza Minnelli, Madonna and Lady Gaga, their songs have been at the forefront of electronic music.
Pet Shop Boys began 2024 with a brand new single "Loneliness" from their most recent album "Nonetheless". They performed that single in Radio 2's Piano Room as well as a brilliant cover of Mott The Hoople's "All The Young Dudes" and then played five nights at London's Royal Opera House in July.
The Beatles - I Am The Walrus [Parlophone]
The Supremes - Stop! In The Name Of Love [Polygram Tv]
Irene Cara - Fame [Now]
The Temptations - Papa Was A Rollin' Stone [Motown]
Eddie & The Hot Rods - Do Anything You Wanna Do [Universal]
Sharon Redd - Never Give You Up [Prelude]
Kariya - Let Me Love You For Tonight [Sleeping Bag]
David Bowie & Pat Metheny Group - This Is Not America [EMI]
Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy [Now]
Roy Orbison - A Love So Beautiful [MCA]
TRACKS OF MY YEARS - JOHN BISHOP (320kbs-m4a/130mb/57mins)
BBC Radio 2 broadcast: 25th January 2026
One of Britain's best-loved comedians, John Bishop joins Vernon to choose his Tracks Of My Years this week - ten songs that tell the story of his life and career to date.
Born in Liverpool in 1966, John Bishop grew up dreaming of playing football for Liverpool FC. Whilst he didn't make it to Anfield, he did play semi-professionally into his 20s, then working in pharmaceutical sales. In his 30s, he was in the middle of divorcing his wife when he started stand-up comedy by accident. He signed up to an open mic night at The Frog and Bucket in Manchester to avoid paying the £4 entrance fee and loved it so much that he became a regular. His set included material about his separation, and one night he didn't realise his wife was in the audience. A conversation after the show led to agreeing to get counselling, and they got back together. After years working on his stand-up alongside a full-time job, he became a full-time comedian, later also branching out into presenting and acting, where his credits include playing companion Dan on Doctor Who and acting on-stage opposite Sir Ian McKellen. Last year, he celebrated 25 years since he started stand-up with a huge live tour, as well as playing a show where it all started, at the Frog and Bucket.
The story of John's start in stand-up has inspired the new film Is This Thing On? which comes to UK cinemas on 30th January. Directed and co-written by Bradley Cooper, the films sees Will Arnett play Alex Novak, who tries his hand at the New York comedy scene in the face of a failing marriage to Tess Novak, played by Laura Dern.
Produced by BBC Audio for BBC Radio 2.
Billie Jo Spears - Blanket On The Ground [Telstar]
The Real Thing - You To Me Are Everything [Now]
Fine Young Cannibals - Good Thing [London]
Chris Isaak - Wicked Games [London]
Robbie Williams - Let Me Entertain You [Now]
David Gray - Sail Away [East West]
U2 - You're The Best Thing About Me [Island]
Jack Savoretti - Soldier's Eyes [De Angelis]
Elbow - One Day Like This [Fiction]
Gerry And The Pacemakers - You'll Never Walk Alone [Premier]
THE FIRST TIME WITH... SERIES 35 - 4. JORDAN RAKEI (320kbs-m4a/139mb/60mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 29th January 2026
Matt Everitt sits down with musician, multi‑instrumentalist, singer and producer Jordan Rakei.
Matt and Jordan trace his journey from childhood in Hamilton, New Zealand, to Brisbane, Australia, and eventually to London. Jordan reflects on early experiments making up songs as a kid, producing beats at school, and releasing tracks online - culminating in his self‑released debut EP, Franklin's Room, in 2013. The conversation follows his evolution through albums Cloak, Wallflower, and his most recent project, The Loop, shaped deeply by his experiences as a new parent.
Along the way, Jordan shares stories, creative insights, and some of the music that has inspired him most - including Jeff Buckley, James Blake, Missy Elliott and Radiohead.
Jordan Rakei - Freedom [Decca]
Duran y Garcia - Round Midnight [Irma Unlimited]
Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke [Motown]
2Pac (feat. Big Syke) - All Eyez On Me [Amaru Entertainment, Inc./Interscope]
Stevie Wonder - My Cherie Amour [Polygram Tv]
James Blake - Digital Lion [Polydor]
Radiohead - Nude [XL Recordings]
Jeff Buckley - Grace [Columbia]
Missy Elliott - Pass That Dutch [Elektra]
Madison Cunningham - My Full Name [Verve Forecast]
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