ADIDAS ORIGINALS FW’23: Time Wastin’ & Celebrating Musical Freedom

Within the musical landscape of Newcastle, there are individuals and movements making the much-needed push for marginalised voices to be heard, championing spaces for artists to explore creative freedom in their own unique and individual way. Time Wastin’, a monthly radio show ran by Samara Laboriel and Jacob Goff, is a key driver in championing this approach to musical enjoyment and creative celebration. “After bonding over our lament of the lack of authentic Black culture in Newcastle's music and nightlife scene, we decided to create a show on Slack’s Radio that would allow us to share songs and have discussions about things that are relevant to us and the people that look and think like us”, said Samara and Jacob, when telling us what Time Wastin’ is all about. The name itself is a reference to the time spent by People of Colour dealing with racism and the issues stemming from it: “The name Time Wastin’ comes from discussions around racism, and the time that we as POC must waste when dealing with it. We imagine what could have been achieved by the Black and Brown diaspora if our time was our own”.

Time Wastin’ is all about creating a unique, celebratory space in Newcastle’s sonic landscape; “while we have a clear appreciation for those heavy-hitter rap artists that populate current chart music, we enjoy bringing lesser-known, global music to the foreground, as we feel there isn’t anywhere to hear these sounds in the city”, said Jacob and Samara when touching upon their musical interests. It’s an approach that makes listening to Time Wastin’s shows a journey of musical exploration — a rich tapestry of genres from across the globe. “You can’t really quantify the musical movements that influence us because there are so many! In any one show you might find Neo-soul from North Carolina, Amapiano straight from South Africa, rap from North London and Baile Funk from São Paolo”, said the duo, when speaking about the musical movements pivotal to Time Wastin’.

In order for alternative voices like Samara and Jacob to be heard, the infrastructure and support from governing bodies is something that’s crucial, and fundamentally often lacking throughout the country. “We feel that there aren’t many, if any, other people playing the type of music here that we do, but we think that speaks to the homogenisation of nightlife and the music industry in general, rather than Newcastle specifically. It’s really sad to see genuinely exciting bars and clubs that offer interesting and varied experiences close down when those that do the bare minimum — if anything — to include alternative communities thrive and profit. Newcastle has a vibrant creative energy that has inspired us to make something out of nothing, but it needs support from governing bodies to ensure people like us have places to go and develop”.

Crucial to Newcastle’s alternative scene is the community spirit that connects people together, where like-minded creatives collaborate to drive change and celebrate each other’s own individuality. When speaking about the originality of Newcastle’s musical scene, it’s this community that comes to the forefront for Jacob and Samara: “We’ve been really lucky to be involved with a number of authentically grass-roots, original communities in Newcastle that are producing exciting and unconventional events. Organisations like Sister Shack and Navii Media aim to curate safe spaces for marginalised communities to hang out and enjoy the city. Events like Bend&Shake and Queer Prom NE (which we both DJ at) are some of the most exciting nightlife experiences we’ve had in Newcastle.” For Samara and Jacob, venues and initiatives that enable the pursuit of sounds from outside the mainstream are paramount; “we’re also really appreciative of Slack’s Radio for allowing us to continue to explore what Time Wastin’ is, untethered and in any way we please, as it does with the dozens of DJ’s who have shows on there. By extension, The Lubber Fiend is a completely independent venue that’s allowed us and others to try out alternative event ideas. Their programme is consistently packed with unorthodox nights. It’s these people who are really pushing Newcastle forward in terms of a unique music scene”.  

Beyond their work under Time Wastin’, both Samara and Jacob are heavily involved in the creative and cultural sphere of Newcastle and beyond, both academically and professionally. Samara currently works at Smart Works, a UK charity that exists to give women the confidence they need to reach their full potential, secure employment and change the trajectory of their lives, as well as having completed a Masters in Cross-Cultural Communication. Jacob is a Menswear Designer and Lecturer at Northumbria University, in addition to also being a member of FACE (Fashion Academics Creating Equality), a group that works to challenge higher education and the fashion industry to be more inclusive, unified and equal.