The Invitation | After HOurs
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The Invitation | After HOurs
October 2, 2026
with Mickey Fingers & Celeste Violet
Velvet Umbrella Radio | After Hours
By Mickey Fingers & Celeste Violet
THE INVITATION
Velvet Umbrella Radio | After Hours
September ended somewhere between an orchard, a corn maze, a few days off, and the moment somebody finally said, Fuck it, we’re dancing.
Then October knocked.
Or perhaps it had already been waiting.
Mickey Fingers is alone in the studio when a black envelope appears on the console.
No stamp. No return address.A dark wax seal.
Inside:
You are expected.
And just like that, the first door of ROCKTOBERRR opens.
The Invitation begins our October descent into darker rooms, familiar symbols, loose threads, corridors that seem longer than they should be, and stories that may not have finished when we thought they did.
For now, there is only an envelope.
And Mickey has already decided to open it.
BEFORE WE CROSS THE THRESHOLD...
We did actually take some time off.
Sort of.
We wandered Wisconsin, got lost in a corn maze, took ridiculous pictures, ate good things, gave our brains somewhere else to go for a little while, and tried the radical experiment of not working every second of the day.
Naturally, some of it became radio anyway.
But before October pulls the curtains closed and the stories get darker, here’s one last little piece of September.
Truth is, Moon Pie needs to stand on a crate. She almost lost her balance trying to make it look natural. 😂
Height differences remain one of our least responsibly explored comedic resources.
SEPTEMBER, TIED WITH A BOW
September gave us strange transmissions, road trips, stories, new experiments, questionable directions, and enough radio to make time itself slightly unreliable.
If you missed any of it, the September Newsletter gathers the month together in one place.
Consider this the last postcard before we turn out the lights and start ROCKTOBERRR.
SOMEWHERE PAST THE ORCHARD 🍎🌽
If you want more of the story behind our week off, the wandering, the corn maze, the road trip, and how all of that somehow became radio, start here.
Somewhere Past the Orchard is the longer version of the adventure, with photos, Mickey’s V.O.s, the music, and all the little detours that didn’t fit anywhere else.
Basically, this was the last long afternoon before October started knocking.
Somewhere Past The Orchard |Eclectic Wonderland
AND THEN WE NEEDED A RELEASE VALVE... 🪩
There is apparently a limit to how much work three people can do before somebody removes the remaining adult supervision.
That is how we got:
Petals & Hooks: Fuck-It, We’re Dancing.
A Mixcloud-only dance party full of new wave, alternative dance, electronic weirdness, cookies, cupcakes, questionable decisions, and the moment we collectively stopped trying to accomplish anything useful.
Nothing was solved.
We danced anyway.
Fuck It, We're Dancing | Petals & Hooks
No Work Challenge
Mickey and I often have little fun challenges and writing assignments, journal questions, mix CDs, etc., that are all part of our creative process. This week we decided to share our video scavenger shoot. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
—Celeste
Click Here for Video Playlist for Keep Scrolling
Dimension 5 Snacks
Because apparently a dance party also requires snacks.
THERE MAY BE MORE FOOD HIDING IN HERE...
Not every recipe is going to sit politely on the counter.
Some of them are going to be tucked into shelves, hidden in videos, buried under strange objects, or waiting behind whatever button looked least responsible to push.
The 5th Dimension Snacks vending machine is becoming one of those places.
Insert curiosity.
Receive wonder.
Possibly receive cookies.
No guarantees. 🍪📡✨
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
October has arrived, which apparently means the radio gets haunted and the kitchen starts smelling like cinnamon.
This week’s Dimension 5 detour is Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes, tucked into the page for anyone who believes spooky season requires snacks.
We do.
Obviously.
🎃🧁
Velvet Umbrella Radio Page....
🎬 This Week’s Promo Video
The Listening Room: Playlist + Mickey’s Moments
The Invitation | After HOurs
THE ENVELOPE IS STILL ON THE CONSOLE.
Vacation is over.
September is behind us.
The lights are lower now.
Put your headphones on.
The Invitation begins here.
🕯️
Harold Budd & Brian Eno – First Light
Brian Eno & Harold Budd – Against the Sky
Brian Eno & Harold Budd – The Silver Ball
Brian Eno – Not Yet Remembered
David Sylvian – Darkest Dreaming
This Mortal Coil – Another Day
Cocteau Twins – Lazy Calm
Dead Can Dance – In Power We Entrust the Love Advocated
Tones on Tail – Movement of Fear
Collide – Haunted When the Minutes Drag (Alleged Remix)
The Chameleons – Soul in Isolation
Dimension 5 Snacks: Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
October has arrived, which apparently means the radio gets haunted and the kitchen starts smelling like cinnamon.
This week’s Dimension 5 detour is Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes, tucked into the page for anyone who believes spooky season requires snacks.
We do.
Obviously. Part 2 Dead Can Dance – The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove (Remastered)
The Sisters of Mercy – This Corrosion
Bauhaus – She’s in Parties
Peter Murphy – Cuts You Up
Clan of Xymox – A Day
The Cure – Plainsong
Dead Can Dance – Cantara
Brian Eno & Harold Budd – Lost in the Humming Air
Dead Can Dance – The Carnival Is Over
Velvet Umbrella Radio
Who Keeps Doing This?
Welcome To The Wacky World Of Velvet Umbrella Radio
Yes.
We’re all real.
We’re just real weird.
Left to Right:
✨ DJ Tea (Celeste Violet)
✨ Mr Announcer Man
✨ Mickey Fingers
Together we create radio shows, playlists, videos, stories, artwork, strange investigations, accidental mythology, and the occasional kitchen experiment.
[Click The Art Above To Visit Our Home Page]
Thank You For Visiting
More portals, hidden rooms, strange broadcasts, companion shows, stories, and weird worlds are currently under construction.
Some delays may be related to ongoing corridor expansion projects.
Some may be related to Gerald.
No official statement has been released.
More doors, stories, visuals, playlists, and companion shows can be found at VelvetUmbrellaRadio.com.
DJ Tea (Celeste Violet) | Mr Announcer Man | Mickey Fingers
Celeste Violet and Mickey Fingers are part of a Creative Collaborative of Spoonie Artists that Create together. When they are not creating with Gala Violet, they create weird worlds, music, kitchen experiments and Radio shows together... To help spread joy... and give people an alternative to Doom Scrolling. Sometimes we even get Mr Announcer Man to play along.
From The Vault:
September Newsletter:
Thank you for listening 💋
Mickey Fingers
Celeste Violet
🦇 Stay with us… or come back when the lights go out.
Part of the Velvet Umbrella Radio: After Hours series. Originally developed alongside Eclectic Wonderland on WDRT 91.9FM Viroqua
Petals & Hooks is part of the Velvet Umbrella Radio After Hours series, produced by DJ Celeste and Mickey Fingers for the Eclectic Wonderland universe.
Art Direction & Visual Design:
Celeste Violet | DJ Tea
Playlists Curated By:
Celeste Violet | DJ Tea
& Mickey Fingers
Voice Overs & Incidental Music:
Mickey Fingers
Show Notes & Storyworld Elements:
Celeste Violet | DJ Tea
& Mickey Fingers
Video Editing:
Celeste Violet
Sound Engineering & Production:
Mickey Fingers
& Celeste Violet
Eclectic Wonderland:
DJ Tea | Celeste Violet
Mr. Announcer Man
Mickey Fingers
radio, stories, art, playlists, strange investigations, accidental mythology, creative detours.
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