Best Decom Podcasts (2025)

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Roadtrip to Burning Man 2025 1:57:29

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2M ago1:57:29

1:57:29

Roadtrip to Burning Man 2025 The Annual Pre-Playa Planner™ It’s that time again, kids! The Pre-Playa Planner is the yearly tradition where Arash delegates all the actual research to his way-more-responsible guests. This year’s dialed-in crew to help you mentally prepare for your adventures ahead: Esquire, founder of Bubble Lounge Saffron aka Sara B…

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Welcome Home 2:14:08

4M ago2:14:08

2:14:08

And on his seventh Burn, Tyler Williams truly came Home For his first six Burns, musician and professional Las Vegas community builder Tyler Williams attended Burning Man the millionaire way — flying in late, partying big, and heading out before the Temple burn. After the tragic death of his friend and boss, Zappos founder Tony Hsieh, Tyler returne…

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Talk to Tony 1:42:33

6M ago1:42:33

1:42:33

Anthony Bondi refuses to let Las Vegas’s arts history disappear For over two decades, Anthony Bondi has been a living archive of Las Vegas’ arts and counterculture movements. From his large-scale tactile installations at Burning Man to his massive independent archive, Las Vegas Arts in Print Media, 1990–2015, Tony has tirelessly documented the ephe…

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The Dispatch | With Music Producer Joman 25:39

6M ago25:39

25:39

Burner Podcast Presents The Dispatch Joseph Mancuso, better known as Joman, is the producer behind the Burner Podcast theme song, a remix of America’s “Horse With No Name.” In this Dispatch, Arash and Joman catch up about dance music culture, his move from Denver to Austin, and his latest evolution as a video content creator. From viral bootlegs to…

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The Dispatch with Rat Lady of Mobility Camp 15:33

7M ago15:33

15:33

The Dispatch – Episode 002: Rat Lady Guest: Rat Lady Recorded on: 2/28/25 Arash hops on a call with Rat Lady of Mobility Camp to discuss practical ways we can all practice Radical Inclusion by making our Burns more accessible for participants with disabilities—and how to bring that mindset into the default world. Fun takeaway: No one gets to be a s…

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The Dispatch with Public Menace 15:24

7M ago15:24

15:24

The Dispatch – Episode 001: Public Menace Guest: Jonny aka Public Menace Recorded on 2/25/25 Jonny, also known as Public Menace, shook up Reddit with his independent 180-page audit of Burning Man. In the inaugural episode of The Dispatch, Arash and Menace hop on a call to chat about some takeaways. Transparency, Transparency, Transparency Burners a…

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CoLab - San Diego’s Maker & Community Space 1:59:59

7M ago1:59:59

1:59:59

📅 2/29/2025 The importance of physical community spaces has never been greater. In this episode, we dive into the story of CoLab, San Diego’s maker space—where it started, what it took to get to where it is now, and why spaces like this are essential for the future of our communities. The go-live day of this episode marks CoLab's 11th birthday! CoL…

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Burn Perimeter 1:21:21

8M ago1:21:21

1:21:21

Burn Perimeter Dispatch from the LA Fires In this episode, we take a very personal look at the devastating LA fires, Burners stepping up to help, and the way our community shows up in moments of crisis. Today’s episode features a conversation with Burner Podcast regular Dr. Kim Perkins and her husband Ranger Philtopia, both Black Rock Rangers, as t…

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Blame Halcyon - The Burning Man 2024 Recap Episode 1:34:58

11M ago1:34:58

1:34:58

Arash reconnects with Halcyon for a lively and candid conversation about Burning Man 2024. In this episode, they kick off by reflecting on Burner culture at large and frustrations with the growing toxicity in online spaces like the Facebook group. From there, they dive into some favorite art pieces, highlights from the playa, and a bit about attend…

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Roadtrip to Burning Man 2024 2:00:01

1y ago2:00:01

2:00:01

The Annual Pre Playa Planner™ For this year’s annual Pre Playa Planner, Arash joins Dusty Bottoms, Fantastic Sam, Nikki Darling in Long Beach, CA to geek out about all things Burning Man 2024. As always, this is the episode where Arash outsources all the real work to the his guests. The group chats about art projects we’re eager to see, dance floor…

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A Burning Man Audio Time Capsule 1:25:41

1y ago1:25:41

1:25:41

A collection of voices recorded at Burning Man 2016 Cabina Exuro was a Burner Podcast-sponsored art project designed by Ramiro Martinez Jr. that went to Black Rock City in 2016. Externally, it appeared as a triambic icosahedron sculpture, adorned with intricate laser-cut patterns and LED lights. Upon closer inspection, participants discovered an en…

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An Ego Can’t Build a Temple 1:27:33

1+ y ago1:27:33

1:27:33

An Ego Can’t Build a Temple Glitter Kitty embraces community and shadow work in her vision for Burning Man 2024’s Temple of Together Lebanese-bred and Brazil-born Caroline Ghosn learned to place a high value on deep connections from an early life lived in a larger variety of cities than your average childhood. The “activist entrepreneur” became Gli…

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Ten Years: A Burner Podcast Memoire 1:25:06

1+ y ago1:25:06

1:25:06

Ten Years: A Burner Podcast Memoire Arash reflects on a decade of Burning Man, the Burner community and Burner Podcast Arash recorded the interview portion of the very first episode of Burner Podcast before attending his first Burning Man. With the transformative nature of Burning Man baked into the show, Arash reflects on a decade of growth, adven…

1
Scientifically Proven Quantum Manifestation? 1:59:28

1+ y ago1:59:28

1:59:28

Scientifically Proven Quantum Manifestation? Dr. Kim Perkins and Arash talk spirituality and science For the first new episode of 2024 Arash welcomes back one of the Kims (from episode 140) for a fun conversation about the intersection of spirituality and science. In addition to holding the honor of being Arash’s previous housemate, Dr. Kim Perkins…

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Christmas in Vegas 1:59:49

1+ y ago1:59:49

1:59:49

Episode 148: Christmas in Vegas A Dispatch from Las Vegas with Snarky Santa Arash gets to know a different side of Las Vegas with Randy Winsett AKA Snarky Santa. A father, anarchist, cancer butt kicker and host of Shouting Fire’s SIR Radio, Randy brings a mix of deep insight and irreverent humor to this episode, serving as the de facto co-host for …

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Sarge’s Orders 1:45:44

2y ago1:45:44

1:45:44

Episode 147: Sarge’s Orders Torrey Pines Smith of Sextant fame goes full tech bro Join Arash for a delightful reunion with Torrey Pines Smith, affectionately known as Sarge from Sextant camp. Life's taken some turns for Torrey since his last appliance on Episode 72. He's embraced being family man and launched into entrepreneurial life with his star…

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Black Astronaut 1:49:56

2y ago1:49:56

1:49:56

Episode 146: Black Astronaut Kamal X on love, rage and photography Dive into the world of photographer Kamal X. In this episode, host Arash sits down with Kamal in after as showing of one of his pieces to discuss his powerful book, "Black Astronaut," a culmination of three years of deep work capturing America’s chapter of protest. Kamal shares his …

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Stupider Than Burning Man 1:59:51

2y ago1:59:51

1:59:51

Episode 145: Stupider Than Burning Man Bat Country blazes a trail of mischief through Black Rock City Gather for a summit with the infamous Bat Country, a camp that emerged from the dust and has grown into a global community. Arash is joined by Handful, Begley, and Kip as they embark on a journey back to their crew’s beginnings, from the Mad Max-es…

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The Burn You Need 1:48:47

2y ago1:48:47

1:48:47

Episode 144: The Burn You Need The Super Official Post Burning Man 2023 Official Recap with Halcyon Mud Man, Raining Man, Mud Burn or whichever other remix of the name you’re into, it is pretty much collectively agreed that Burning Man 2023 was a doozy! Arash and Halcyon reunite for their annual post Burning Man recap. Topics include the privilege …

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From Austin to Black Rock 1:41:55

2y ago1:41:55

1:41:55

Episode 143: From Austin to Black Rock The Burning Man 2023 Pre-playa Planner with Monday and Maria Gotay Arash is joined by Monday and Maria Gotay to geek out about Burning Man 2023. Monday, a member of the Placement Committee for Burning Man, and Maria, co-leading the massive art project called 1000 Hands, share their anticipation and excitement …

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Candids and Consent 1:32:09

2y ago1:32:09

1:32:09

Episode 142: Candids and Consent With Texas-based Photographer Mike Whitten Join Arash for a captivating conversation with photographer Mike Whitten, as the two explore the culture of photography at regional Burns and Burning Man. Having recently resettled in Austin, Texas, Mike shares his experiences shooting since the film days and reflects on hi…

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A Particular Set of Skills 2:08:01

2y ago2:08:01

2:08:01

Episode 141: A Particular Set of Skills SDCAP Board President Cable King In this episode, Arash delves into an insightful conversation with Cable King, the board president of San Diego Collaborative Arts Project (SDCAP). As the non-profit organization behind YOUtopia, San Diego's regional Burning Man event, and CoLab, the region's Burner maker spac…

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Addiction to Certainty 2:47:19

2+ y ago2:47:19

2:47:19

Episode 140: Addiction to Certainty Psychologists Dr. Mayra Gomez Padua and Dr. Mia Sarno on Burner life and mental health Arash sits with psychologists Dr. Mayra Gomez Padua and Dr. Mia Sarno to explore a Burner community perspective on personal mental health. The discussion taps into just some of the challenges and obstacles folks often face when…

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A Conversation on Commodification 2:49:28

2+ y ago2:49:28

2:49:28

Episode 139: A Conversation on Commodification with business owners Jon Ray, Dawn Sardinas and Francisco Serna Arash is joined by a group of talented business owners who are passionate and active contributors to the Burning Man community. Entrepreneurs Jon Ray, Dawn Sardinas, and Francisco Serna share their perspectives and reflections on how to ba…

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Profiles in Dust 3:29:39

2+ y ago3:29:39

3:29:39

Emmy Award winner Terence Pratt always has a camera with him For episode 138, (mr)Arash interviews Terence Pratt, a two-time Emmy Award-winning director of cinematography and co-founder of Profiles in Dust. Terence shares his fascinating experiences filming art projects and docuseries in far-flung locations ranging from magical fire-lit nights in B…

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Episode 137: Stuck in Customs 3:39:57

2+ y ago3:39:57

3:39:57

Internationally renowned photographer Trey Ratcliff and a Robot Heart sunrise set from The Scumfrog Arash catches internationally renowned photographer Trey Ratcliff in Hollywood on one of his recent visits to the United States. Trey’s iconic travel photos have made a lasting impact on the international photography community and his images of Black…

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Episode 136 Accidentally Spiritual 4:09:50

2+ y ago4:09:50

4:09:50

An interview with the legendary designer and architect Gregg Fleishman followed by a Robot Heart sunrise set by the legendary Lee Burridge In the latest episode of Burner Podcast, Arash has a captivating conversation with artist Gregg Fleishman, the highly influential designer, architect and inventor whose creations have played a significant role i…

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Episode 135: What the Fudge Just Happened at Burning Man? 2:39:23

3y ago2:39:23

2:39:23

Buck AE Down ponders this question in his viral Medium think piece Artist, musician, writer, one of the gate perimeter and exodus managers and 24 year Burning Man veteran, Buck AE Down, might be the first of us to seemingly be able to answer the question that's been gnawing at all our craws since the 2022 exodus: What the #$%& just happened back th…

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Episode 134: Burning Man 2022 Recap with Halcyon 3:13:16

3y ago3:13:16

3:13:16

Halcyon and Arash reflect on the first official Burning Man since The Before Times Pink Heart founder John Halcyon joins Arash for their almost annual tradition of recapping the year leading up to and their annual pilgrimage to Burning Man. This year's chat includes the obligatory wining about how hard this year was, exploring consent and photograp…

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Episode 133: The Burning Man 2022 Pre-playa Planner 1:48:53

3y ago1:48:53

1:48:53

Athena Demos, Ginger Fox and Haley Who geek out about Waking Dreams The annual Pre-playa Planner returns after a two year hiatus. Athena Demos, Ginger Fox and Haley Who share which art projects they're eager to see, some thoughts on what they're excited about experiencing at Burning Man 2022 and a few insider tips and tricks on elevating the whole …

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Episode 132: Un[censored] Your Burn with Wolverine 2:46:28

3y ago2:46:28

2:46:28

A Physical Health Rundown with the founder of RGX Medical It's been almost 15 years since Richard Gottlieb aka Wolverine found himself working in the festival medical space. It was a passion for people that brought him here. We get to know Wolverine a bit for the first half hour of the show before getting into a quick and dirty primer on this year'…

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Episode 131: A Mental Health Roundtable with Two Kims 2:51:55

3y ago2:51:55

2:51:55

Dr. Kim Perkins and Kim Eisenberg LCSW Organizational psychologist Dr. Kim Perkins and sex-positive therapist Kim Eisenberg join Arash for a chat about various mental health topics and how they pertain to the Burner community. Subjects of exploration include depression, suicide, organizational psychology, consent culture and dealing with potentiall…

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Episode 130: A Brand New Day with Mark Day 2:48:50

3+ y ago2:48:50

2:48:50

Mark Day's 24 Hours at Burning Man videos are there for you when you need that final push From the comfort of YouTuber Mark Day’s Northern California living room, this episode begins with dissecting silliness versus comedy, before following Mark from his childhood in Scotland to the inception of his first ever 24 Hours at Burning Man video series, …

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Episode 129: From Playa to Playa 2:12:41

3+ y ago2:12:41

2:12:41

Eleven year French Algerian burner Reda Briki was inspired to begin his DJ career through dance. He has explored, played at and been present for many iconic moments in dance music history and played with some of the biggest names on a journey that lead him through San Francisco, New York, Burning Man and most recently, Playa del Carmen and Tulum in…

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Episode 128: Responsible Hedonism 2:34:46

3+ y ago2:34:46

2:34:46

Episode 128: Responsible Hedonism New York Dangerous camp co-founder Leon Feingold runs on all cylinders The co-founder of New York Dangerous, Leon Feingold, runs one of the largest all volunteer charities in New York. He shares stories of his upbringing, the founding of their Burning Man camp and the very emotional and powerful backstory of how th…

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Episode 127: I’m Not Dead Yet 2:55:46

3+ y ago2:55:46

2:55:46

Susanna Eggli is 69, has been burning for 18 years and is the sole member of Camp Tragique. A product of "free range parenting," Susanna solo trekked through Europe at 15 and doesn't pack anything for Burning Man she can't lift on her own. Closing set by Bamboom (Mystical Misfits) facebook.com/susanna.eggli soundcloud.com/djbamboom facebook.com/djb…

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Episode 126: Destination Destiny Lounge 3:34:47

3+ y ago3:34:47

3:34:47

Camp founder Dave Taylor is joined by 3D artist Debi Cable to share the story of Destiny Lounge. We'll learn the evolution of the camp over almost two decades, back story of how they became Destiny Lounge 3D and their most recent year where the entire camp almost didn't make it after an accident on the way to the burn. Closing set by Gold Dust Diva…

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Episode 125.5: Call Me Afternoon Kitty 3:09:54

3+ y ago3:09:54

3:09:54

On his journey navigating dance floors around the world, Steve aka Afternoon Kitty was inspired to elevate the experience of festival gifting into its own unique art project which is evolving to a sustainable fashion line. We follow his years of compulsive gifting through various festivals, Burning Man and his travels to Berlin and a hilarious tres…

1
Episode 125: DanceSafe 4:15:24

4y ago4:15:24

4:15:24

A 2.5 hour deep dive with the leadership team of DanceSafe, the national drug education and risk reduction 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Mitchell Gomez, Madalyn McElwain, Kristin Karas, Rachel Clark and Jessica Breemen share DanceSafe’s history, initiatives and discuss the political implications, as well as social and racial justice components…

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Episode 124: Renegade Burn 2021 Recap 2:12:26

4y ago2:12:26

2:12:26

Pink Heart founder John Halcyon joins Arash for their almost annual tradition of recapping the year leading up to and their annual pilgrimage to Burning Man. The conversation explores our community navigating the pandemic (on and off playa) and mental health in the time of Covid-19 balanced with some fun stories of joy and synchronicity in the dust…

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Episode 123: What a Journey 2:30:23

4y ago2:30:23

2:30:23

Arash visits with Dan Reeves and Lee Hemingway of The Journey Project from episode 59. The conversation dives into stories of their experiences building on playa, where the project went after Burning Man 2017 and very personal reflections on mental health and community. Facebook.com/tjp midcenturystore.com facebook.com/Umee soundcloud.com/umeedee I…

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Episode 122: Perky Parts Unknown 2:59:45

4y ago2:59:45

2:59:45

Trav Mo, Felisha and Jesse Severns of Perky Parks camp recount their ridiculous adventure bringing a camel art car named Humpty to Burning Man and reflect on other adventures in burning including the year they villaged with Playground. Closing set by Gutto Serta (Favela) Trav Mo, Felisha and Jesse Severns of Perky Parks camp recount their ridiculou…

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Episode 121: invisible Gates 3:03:54

4+ y ago3:03:54

3:03:54

Dr. Amanda J Lucia's life long adventure through India, yoga festivals and academia eventually brought her to Burning Man and made her an active citizen of Black Rock City. Dr. Lucia is the author of White Utopias: The Religious Exoticism of Transformational Festivals. Closing set by Navjeet Sarna (Alkaline Podcast) amandajeanlucia.com profiles.ucr…

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Episode 120: Someone Brought a 747 to Burning Man 3:07:21

4+ y ago3:07:21

3:07:21

On this jumbo jet sized episode, we get to know Ken Feldmen and follow him through his post college days throwing some of the earliest bigger production raves in Austin while exploring aerospace, telecom entrepreneurship and rockets. Life eventually brings him to Burning Man, leading to the the creation of one of Black Rock City's most beloved art …

1
Episode 119: Wings of Glory 3:01:29

4+ y ago3:01:29

3:01:29

Adrian Landon, the artist behind the flaming steel pegasus that lived in front of Center Camp at Burning Man 2019, shares his story. Arash and Adrian chat about New York, art theory and horsies. Closing set by Gorgon City (Playground) adrianlandon.com facebook.com/adrian.landon facebook.com/adrianlandonmetalsculpture youtu.be/9N28OL0Hat4 soundcloud…

1
Episode 118: Truckers on Speed 2:43:50

4+ y ago2:43:50

2:43:50

Miva CEO, author of Dragonproof Ecommerce and host of Dragonproof Ecommerce Podcast, Rick Wilson, co-founded Playa-Q and has been burning for 15 (or 22) years. Arash picks his brain about professional lessons learned from running a Burning Man camp, stress management and leadership in the time of Covid-19. Closing set by Muloka (Burner Podcast) fac…

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Episode 117: Lights in the Sky 3:15:46

4+ y ago3:15:46

3:15:46

Arash nerds out in New York with Brandon Robinson, art-car creator and co-founder of Icarus. A Burning Man biography in three acts, Brandon shares his evolution from a wide-eyed 21-year-old attending his first burn and culminates with his taking part in the creation of one of Black Rock City's most noteworthy mutant vehicles. Closing set by Beat Ki…

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Episode 116.5: I'm Not Really a Burner 2:55:52

4+ y ago2:55:52

2:55:52

Arash interviewed John Reynolds (aka Bass Exotic) last year and learned about his upbringing, his adventures navigating fatherhood and cancer and his eventually ending up at Burning Man with a reinvigorated passion for music. This interview was originally intended to be content for a brand new podcast which was never actually launched but, since al…

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Episode 116: Camp Camp Camp, a Camp 3:13:33

5y ago3:13:33

3:13:33

Arash chats with Nick Bourbeau (Bobo Saurus), Courtney Maltais (Puppies) and Bradon Young (Pickles) of Camp Camp Camp about wisdom received from traveling abroad, leadership development and useful tips for protecting camp members' emotional health on playa. Closing set by Fitta (Camp Camp Camp) instagram.com/camp.camp.camp instagram.com/theclearbot…

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Episode 115: Knotty Love 2:56:29

5y ago2:56:29

2:56:29

Knotty Boy and Cylon reflect on meeting in the burner community and forging their relationship in the punishing heat and dust while working for Burning Man’s Gate Department, culminating with their recent wedding in the time of Covid-19. Closing set by Massio (Hoomidaas) facebook.com/karaghil facebook.com/djknottyboy burningman.org/event/preparatio…