Radio, humour and design: Interview with Òscar Dalmau
You can hear his inimitable voice on the radio, see him on TV from time to time, and read about his life in this interview.
In Òscar Dalmau's aesthetic world nothing is casual. You will hardly ever see items from IKEA or Tiger in his house, but you will find ceramics from Sargadelos or furniture of Joe Colombo. If you rummage through his wardrobe, you won't see H&M shirts, but lots of tweed and vintage ties. And her Instagram is an encyclopaedia of mid-century architecture and vinyl rarities, such as those that can be discovered in his -little updated but always up to date- blog, Phil Musical's Lounge Corner.
Tell us about yourself and your work. Where did your vocation start? Any first memories?
I have a degree in Audiovisual Communication from the UPF. For most of my professional career I have worked daily in radio. For the past 13 seasons I have co-directed and co-presented The Competitionthe leading programme in our time slot (from 12pm to 1pm). My vocation was born from some radio workshops we did in high school, when I was 16 years old. I loved the medium and it was clear to me that I would like to earn a living from it.
What do you find most satisfying about your work?
What I find most satisfying about the work is making people laugh. After writing, rewriting and shooting a joke, to feel that people laugh is fantastic and is proof that the job is well done.
What is your creative process like, what are your sources of inspiration, any particular music while working?
My sources of inspiration have been the great radio comedy programmes. The ones I used to listen to when I was a child, while I was studying: El Terrat on Ràdio Barcelona, Pasta Gansa, on Catalunya Ràdio, Arús con Leche on SER, Gomaespuma...
I don't usually play music while I'm working because it throws me off.
Favourite colour, book, film and record - in that order!
Babar Green.
El per què de tot plegatby Quim Monzó (editorial Quaderns Crema).
Land as you can.
John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman.
Your favourite decorative object or fetish piece of furniture?
My favourite piece of furniture is the music system: the Castiglioni brothers' rr226-0 radio phonograph, made by Brionvega.
If you could buy anything right now and take it home, what would it be? Anything!
I wouldn't buy one thing. I would buy a house. John Lautner's Elrod House. And I'd go all the way to Palm Springs for weekends.
A great plan at home always includes...
The best plan, at the moment, is for the kids to sleep after lunch and for me to have a two-hour nap. Practically impossible for all of that to coincide.
Do you have a signature dish?
Rice with mushrooms, sausage and artichokes.
Where is your favourite place in your city and abroad?
The Mauri cafeteria in Barcelona, for an afternoon snack.
And all the establishments of this kind with a history around Europe: Laduree in Paris, Cova in Milan, Cafe Sacher in Vienna, Pastelaria Versailles in Lisbon, Caffè Greco in Rome?
