Raul Gonzalez

How long have you been involved with KAMP and how did you first hear about the station?

I started with KAMP in Fall 2021 after a friend told me about the College Radio organization on the Arizona campus. I was interested in starting a radio show and meeting interesting people and I was able to do both!

Tell us about the duties of your job and what part of it you love the most and what is most challenging.

I love being able to hang out at our station, it’s my favorite place on campus to be. At KAMP, we have different MDs for genres so getting to work with them is a great part of the job too. I get to sort through our physical media library which is great because I love that type of stuff. It’s also always fun to chat music with anyone visiting our station or with promoters over the phone. It can be challenging to keep up with all the new releases but it’s rewarding to be able to talk about it.

What advice can you offer other MDs regarding the ways you get your DJs to play the new music the station receives from labels and promoters?

Accessibility is the most important part. Our DJs are college students who are already low on time, so having resources like spreadsheets and playlists for them to check out new releases that interest them is important. Sometimes setting up and maintaining these can be time consuming but they are really helpful, especially with new DJs.

What are your career plans for the future? Would you like to pursue a career in music or do your work ambitions lie elsewhere?

I’m currently working on a Business Management degree. Working in the industry would be great but I’d be lying if I said I have a plan already!

What was your favorite album released in 2022 and why? Is there a 2023 release on the horizon you are eagerly awaiting?

My favorite albums in 2022 were Sometimes, Forever by Soccer Mommy and Amoeba by Gestalt Girl. They are both so replayable and they both defined a great Summer for me. In 2023 I’m most excited for Let Her Burn by Rebecca Black! The singles she’s been releasing lately have been great.

Do you have a favorite artist or album you never get tired of listening to?

Metric! I love their albums: Fantasies, Synthetica, Old World Underground, Formentera, are always in my playlists. They are also great live!

Who is an artist or band totally outside the realm of the music you play on KAMP that people might be surprised to know you love?

I really love late 90s/early 00’s metal and nu metal. Limp Bizkit, Static-X, and Zebrahead are some of my favorites. These are bands that I’ve really liked since I was a kid and I would check out on early YouTube. I always enjoyed having that energy around even after discovering a lot of new music throughout the years.

If you had the power to instantly change one thing going on in the world at the moment, what would it be?

I would give Kyler Murray one of my two healthy ACLs (who needs two anyways?)

What event or person in your life would you say has shaped you the most as a person?

I think choosing to go to UArizona really turned out to be a great decision as I’m glad I’ve been able to meet so many amazing people and have so many fun experiences! It’s also led to me joining KAMP which has become a big part of my life as of late! I like that I’ll be able to look back fondly on my College days and have so many memories in the forms of pictures and videos.

If you could choose, what time period in the past would you most want to travel back to visit and why?

I would choose the 1990s because so much of the music and media that I most enjoy comes from that time and I would’ve loved to see it all happen in real time. It’s the only time in history where you could’ve watched Randy Moss catch 3 touchdowns live then watch a low quality VHS of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Do you have a favorite restaurant in Tucson (dine-in or take out) that you recommend people try?

There’s lots of great food here! But I think El Güero Canelo is a spot that anyone new to Tucson should try. It’s been getting lots of recognition lately so I’m glad more people are checking it out. Its menu has great Sonoran dogs and carne asada burritos that you can’t find much further from the border!

What in your life brings you the most joy?

I really enjoy travelling! Experiencing new places by myself or with friends can lead to some of the best times! In 2022 I went to many different places like Minnesota and Perú and it left me with some of the best memories of the year!

Lightning Round:

Dog or Cat? Cat
Morning Person or Night Owl? Night Owl
City or Country? City
Beach or Mountains? Mountains
Watch TV or Read A Book? Watch TV
Sunny or Rainy? Rainy
Restaurant or Home Cooking? Home Cooking
Pants or Shorts? Pants
Warm or Cold drinks? Cold drinks

Do you have any current favorite TV shows you’re enjoying/binging? How about a movie (new or old) that you’ve watched recently that you would recommend?

Cyberpunk Edgerunners was really fun to watch! As far as movies go I always love watching a 2000s horror movie with a great soundtrack even if it might not be the best (House of Wax and Prom Night stand up).

Finally, with the new year upon us, did you make any resolutions for 2023? If so, have you kept them so far?

In order to better sustain my travel dreams, I started budgeting better and I’ve got a lot out of it so far! Hopefully I’ll be able to see the places I want to go soon such as Egypt, Greece, and Japan, although sometimes being a college student can be a black hole for spending.