In this episode of Xennials, host Charlotte Kan dives into the concept of ‘neural nostalgia’ to explore how the music we listened to as teenagers left an indelible mark on our brains. She welcomes Claude Grunitzky, founder of global media brand Trace, who shares how music helped shaped his life and career. They discuss Claude’s multicultural background, his early influences, and his move from London to New York – from trip-hop to hip-hop. The conversation touches on the globalisation and hybridisation of music in the 90s, from Massive Attack to Afrobeats, and how technology and AI are impacting the music industry today. Recorded June 2024

In the seventh episode of this 10-part series, Xennials creator & host Charlotte Kan welcomes back Professor James Brooke-Smith, a leading authority on the 90s, as well as teacher of English and Film Studies at the University of Ottawa and author of ‘Accelerate! A History of the 90s’. In this episode, they discuss the highlights of the decade, zeroing in on the UK and its role in the 1990s: Britpop, New Labour and the thriving YBA art scene are just some of the topics covered. Recorded October 2023

During this episode of Xennials, host Charlotte Kan explores the pivotal decade of the 1990s with Gernot Wagner, climate economist at Columbia Business School and a fellow xennial. Together, they explore the release of the first IPCC report that sparked a global wakeup call about the escalating dangers of greenhouse gas emissions and the critical steps needed to curb global warming.

Gernot reflects on the 1989 Los Angeles Times headline that framed global warming as the decade’s hot issue, a prediction that was frighteningly accurate yet insufficiently heeded. We dive into the highs and lows of the 1990s’ climate initiatives, including the ambitious yet ultimately inadequate Kyoto Protocol. Gernot shares his personal evolution from a precocious teen grappling with the economic impacts of environmental policies to a leading expert navigating the complex interplay between economic growth and environmental sustainability.

Recorded March 2024