A/V Radio is a radio station and studio with fully functioning turntables and outdoor speakers in a curated shipping container along the Atlanta Beltline.
It is a part of Art on the Beltline 2022 and its purpose is to play an array of music for the walkers, bikers and skateboarders on the Beltline until June 30.
The studio is designed to “give deejays an opportunity to play music that they normally couldn’t play at their DJ gigs” while “exposing the general public to new genres of music,” owner and manager Ree de la Vega said.
Each deejay is allotted two hours for their show and is allowed complete creative freedom for the duration. They are encouraged to play songs that reflect their musical niches as they are all volunteering to showcase Atlanta’s diversity. These niches have come to include soul, funk, techno, Latin club music, rock and roll, jazz and disco, to name a few.
In addition to playing for their Beltline audience, the station also live streams its shows from inside the container giving a behind-the-scenes glimpse of deejays spinning records and manning the soundboard.
The camera shows the scene of listeners who come up to chat with the deejays throughout the day and gives insight into the unique nature of the studio. These streams are available on their website as well as their iOs application, A/V Radio.
De la Vega was able to develop this studio with the help of architectural and technological companies such as Dash Studio and Arc Design. Arc Design fabricated the striking appearance of the studio container including the fuchsia pink LED lights bordering every edge, making a statement beyond the diverse music that comes out of it.
A/V Radio is currently open on Fridays from 4-10 p.m., Saturdays from 2-10 p.m. and Sundays from 1-7 p.m. at 830 Willoughby Way near the Historic Fourth Ward Skate Park and underneath the John Lewis Freedom Parkway bridge.
The turntables and sound system within the studio are all run by a generator to ensure the outdoor experience remains, however, de la Vega “would like [A/V Radio] to be eventually solar-powered.” The station manager also has plans to grow their outreach and open more slots for new music and even podcast shows in the coming months.
Submissions for deejay slots and show ideas are open on their Instagram. De la Vega urges anyone with a love of music to apply as the station is looking for more variety beyond professional deejays and as she believes “the weirder, the better” when it comes to their shows.
De la Vega has been DJing professionally for ten years and has connected with other disc jockeys all around Atlanta. Since cultivating A/V Radio, she has been able to hear others’ work, at the same time as the station’s audience.
