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Verity Sharp shares an exclusive mixtape from the Lou Reed Archive, celebrating the work of the influential American musician, singer, songwriter, and poet. A leading figure in New York’s underground music scene, most famously as leader of The Velvet Underground, Reed is celebrated for his avant-garde approach to rock as well as his lyrical storytelling and love of sonic poetry. This year he would have turned 80, and to mark it the Lou Reed Archive is releasing a previously unheard collection of demos and recordings, including the earliest known versions of some of his most famous songs.

For Late Junction, the overseers of the Lou Reed Archive Don Fleming and Jason Stern have curated a mixtape of some of these 1965 demos, as well as early recordings of Reed talking about and performing his poetry, and some of his favourite tracks from artists like Ornette Coleman and Scott Walker.

Elsewhere in the show, Verity pays tribute to field recordist and founder of The London Sound Survey, Ian Rawes, with a live performance from sound artist Iain Chambers and poet Kayo Chingonyi recorded at an event at IKLECTIK in London celebrating Rawes’ life.

Produced by Katie Callin and Gabriel Francis
A Reduced Listening production for ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 3