Hi there and welcome to a) the strangest of all possible timelines and b) another episode of Calling in a Favour – a monthly program dedicated to artistic beauty, human interaction and big tunes.

This month’s guest is Thomas Venker. Thomas has been a pivotal figure in Cologne’s music scene for years and years. He famously ran Intro magazine, now he’s in charge of Kaput magazine, teaches at Folkwang University, and manages Dublab faves like Lena Willikens and Marie Davidson. Somewhere in between he found the time to travel the US from coast to coast with his photographer friend Jonathan Forsythe. The result of that trip, “Talking to Americans,” is a beautiful collection of portraits and random-yet-intimate conversations with strangers they met in each city they drove through.

For the full escapist effect, Thomas gave us a couple of songs that capture his experience on the road. And if you listen carefully, you’ll notice soothing jungle sounds and field recordings by Lucrecia Dalt and Aaron Dilloway underneath our chat.

Stay safe, stay inside, and please stay positive.