#new bbc radiophonic workshop

[downthetubes]

bluedot Festival includes Doctor Who celebrations and premiere of new BBC Radiophonic show, "Dawn of the Doctors"

Get set for a special celebration of Doctor Who at Jodrell Bank Observatory, and the premiere of a new BBC Radiophonic Workshop show

A special Sunday celebrating 60 years of Doctor Who takes place at Jodrell Bank in July featuring panels, performances, screenings and much more, as part of the bluedot Festival. With panels curated by Doctor Who expert Toby Hadoke, and music from Delia Derbyshire Day, the Manchester-based developing organisation which celebrates the work of Delia Derbyshire, and the live premiere of a new show…

[geronimomo-spd]

here is a list of what was in this show, and in what ways they updated/changed the pieces of music they played, and what they never played before. with a dash of commentery:

i am the doctor is the first track, neat, they did the Proms version, which combines the Pandorica speach theme right at the end

all the strange strange creatures, which yeah another Proms staple, it had a few touches of fresh violins in the end we did not hear before

they did a suite for the entire classic who themes they did play that night, apperently the two people behaind the rediophonic workshop were there to play it as well! that's neat, the 60s cyberman theme, (i love it dearly, got obsessed with it pretey recently lol), they also did some stuff that i would not know to recognize if there is anything new about them: the sea devils theme, the city of death, and the 5 doctors! the same classic who themes they played i the proms 2013, either way they sound very nice, the orchestra really nicely blends in with the syntonizer and it feels like a loving hug.

oooh and they have a mini interview with mark and peter from the radiophonic workshop!

Abigail's Song (Silence Is All You Know) is very neat as well, no changes but its very nice. and they dedicated the piece to Michael Gambon, that's sweet

omg Steven Moffet hello, i did not remember seeing him on the cast list. they are using the season 4 intro as like an in between piece to welcome guests on stage by the way, his interview in nice but short, mostly talking in short about his time as a show runner and the diffrence between Matt and Peter.

sylvester mcCoy is here in the audiance apperently!

This is Galiffray is next, pretty standard but again beutifully played

the long song is next, no child singer, the same singer as Abagail's song as well, but gosh!! they included in it the part of the theme of this song that played when 11 regenerated?? and the new singing then payerd over it. it is the same theme part that played when the actual speech of the long song played, in front of the living planet, but without the speech itself it really takes you back to his regeneration in my option, they then layerd the singing part over it in a very nice harmony that made me tear up 😭 . once again just like they did in the proms 2013, but this version feels very updated

the companions suite, they went Rose - Amy, which sad no clara, bill or any other companion, but its nice to hear those themes again, also Martha's theme got a little bit more Wind Instruments and violins then usual! which extended it a little and that was very nice. it also felt like Donna's theme was a little bit quieter then usual, they also combined Amy's theme little starting notes to fuze organicly into the theme itself, the xylophone very imbeded into the theme instead of it standing out like in earlier performances. and gave it a little bit of extra notes right at the end.

Emily Cook interview! she apperently played in the orcestra in the show as well with the saxophone. and talking about the doctor who lockdown project! (i cannot believe i never knew about this thing's existance??? holy shit,)

Doomsday, had a fancy and really funky gaiter solo, much similer to when it was preformed at the proms in 2008, but this time its very distinctive, not playing along singing at all, just pure gaiter goodness, really enjoyable

Vale Decem was really funky! nothing new but as bombastic as ever, screaming its way to your ears

Am i a good man!! very nice to see a Peter theme finally making its way to the fold, though a lot of them were preformed at Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular 2015, it was a much smaller scale as to the proms and this show is definitly bigger, god i used to be so obsessed with this themeee its not even funny, the version is very similer to there and you can reallly feel the drums punping at the start and its really energetic

omg twice upon a time?? damm, actual music released from something past season 9??? insane about this actually, oh i have never heard this before, its so gentle and remenicit of am i a good man in such a beautiful way, giving them theme a call back with emotinal and more action based end, it also adds the known and notable singer and some stuff from rtd era doctor theme?? and some funky violins from i am the doctor?? all leading to a fine finish?? i am in shock and aw. its like a finishing theme from Marry Gold to his era of the show. damm (if you are worried about The Shepherd's Boy, that will come later!)

a chris chibnall and Segun Akinola interview! Chris talking about the scrutiny he got for his era, and excitment about the whole thing, and Segun Akinola talking about the stress of the job and the freedom he got. THEY ARE ALL SO EXCITED FOR THE FACT THAT HIS THEMES FOR DOCTOR WHO ARE FOR THE FIRST TIME BEING PREFORMED AND I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT IT AS WELL HOLY SHIT

FINALLY the woman who fell to earth suite! confirmed to have: the woman who fell to earth, spyfall, power of the doctor, and a few suprises?? 👀 god i am once again becoming emotinal, i love 13's theme so much. the spyfall theme is so recognizable for its bond influence and so fun!! 13 era loves will know a lot more then me on the rest of it but god its so fun. DEMONS OF THE PUNJAB!! TRADITINAL INDIAN MUSIC WITH A FANTASTIC SINGER, god i wish we could watch this visualy. 13s regeneration theme is so GOOD IM CRYING, what can i even say, they didn't have the libraty of changes as this was the first and might be the only preformance of these themes, as little changes as possible for what i've noticed, but still, what a rollercoster of emotions

The Life of Sunday (Ruby's Theme) ...oh? piano? a lone and qiuet piano? a quiet and sad sounding theme? oh it expands! omg the slowely building violins?? the violins are truly the stars of this evening, and then the hopeful theme ends and now the violins are not celebrating the piano, they are moving towards a sad but nice main part. oh we are jumping forwad a little! oh wow, this is truly like a valce. the piano is the star but to what end? its slightly hopeful but very mournful existance

a lot of the versions had a little bit of a rytham change in most of the peices, little bits where you would think "oh is it out of rythem?" but no, its just a slight change in tempo, i guess to make the versions played here to stand out a little.

Marry Gold interview! hello! omg its so weird to hear his voice again. talking about his new era and coming back to who.

Fifteen, WHAT THE HELL THIS IS STARTING LIKE A SUPERHERO THEME?? oooh we are leading to an action based middle, the bassons are controling the theme! the trumpets!! its bloody danceable!! i am stimming all over the room! its fucking danceable!! it feels very action based very much like i am the doctor, a lot of rising violins, usually singeling hope, this feels like... such a fresh and new doctor. but it doesn;t sound... excited, it feels like a man on the run, it has a very clear dessperation going in, and i am neglecting to find any quiet moment if and they exist at all. the rising of the hope comes very sparadicly, much like Ruby's . it feels like they are contredicting each other simply by nature, but both of them are constantly searching for hope and i guess happines? accept he feels like he is searching for... quiet, peace, DAMM i gotta relisten to this to get more understanding of it

russel t interview! ok talking about his his history with who and coming back, mostly about appreciating the music in the show overoll

The Shepherd's Boy!!! FIRST TIME PREFORMING. god i am emotional once again, you can clearly hear the diffrent instruments individually at the start, the violins are lovely the chelos and everything else is really beautifully building up itself, the drums. the choir! all rising! they added the chior to the part right before the end!! added chior overoll andmakin it much more stand out as opposed to the soundtrack version. the drums were eceptinal!! in all of peter's era music. god its great

Doctor Who Theme (2023 version), lets go! the pianos! the quiet violins!! people have pointed out its similer to the movie middle eight and that's very true, the piano is truly the star of this theme and it shows!(edited) i am buzzing this was as great and better then i expected

[pandoramsbox]

Sci-Fi Saturday: The Man in the White Suit

Week 30:

Film(s): The Man in the White Suit (Dir. Alexander Mackendrick, 1951, UK)

Viewing Format: Streaming - Kanopy

Date Watched: 2022-02-18

Rationale for Inclusion:

Given that Ewan McGregor has been playing Obi-Won Kenobi in live-action Star Wars media off and on since 1999, would anyone under 30 years-old be able to place Alec Guinness by me saying, "You know, Obi-Won Kenobi in Star Wars?" To Millennials and older geeks this lack of cultural touchstone would hurt our brains, but the knighted, most accomplished character and dramatic actor himself would be relieved that Star Wars (Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope, Dir. George Lucas, 1977, USA) may not be what he is remembered most for in 2024, as it was not his favorite role despite the financial stability it enabled for him. Granted, I don't know what other example of Guinness' filmography I would use for someone under 30 who doesn't attend classic cinema film festivals. Star Wars is still better known than Lawrence of Arabia (Dir. David Lean, 1962, UK) or Kind Hearts and Coronets (Dir. Robert Hamer, 1949, UK) by the mainstream populus of the United States.

I begin on this note because this week's film, The Man in the White Suit (Dir. Alexander Mackendrick, 1951, UK), stars Sir Alec Guinness in a comedic role, which while not unusual for him, especially in the 1950s, is not the work for which the mainstream consciousness most remembers him. A chance to witness more of Guinness' incredible range was part of the reason for selecting this film, as was the fact that the last British sci-fi satire that we watched for the survey, Once in a New Moon (Dir. Anthony Kimmins, 1935, UK), has been one of the great discoveries by my partner and I on this cinematic journey thus far. Plus, according to the British Film Institute, The Man in the White Suit is the 58th greatest film to come out of its country.

Reactions:

Being familiar with Guinness' dramatic work, it came as no surprise to me or my partner that the actor turned in a brilliant performance as Sidney Stratton, a research chemist bent on creating an indestructible fiber. The number of lab explosions and subterfuge Stratton undertakes gives his comedic timing ample opportunities to shine.

The emphasis on chemistry led to the inclusion of the "Guggle Glub Gurgle" song to accompany the chemicals burbling, moving and bubbling. My partner and I assumed that it must have been the work of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, who created the music and sound effects for Doctor Who and both the radio and television versions of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. To our surprise, the experimental and pioneering electronic music and sound production company was not formed until 1958; 7 years after the release of The Man in the White Suit. Instead, the creative composition was created by sampling sounds made by actual equipment, which may make it the most widely heard example of musique concrète.

The slapstick humor transitions more into satire when Stratton successfully completes the first batch of his indestructible, radioactive fiber, and makes it into the suit of the title. The viability of cloth that does not stain or wear out causes a panic amongst everyone from capitalists, to textile workers, to little old ladies who take in others' washing for a bit of money. The economy and culture would be upended by it in a way that was too massive for people to handle. Luckily for the conservative minded, a flaw in the formula causes the cloth to gradually break down over a few weeks. With Stratton's firing, the threat seems to be neutralized. Except, Stratton has a revelation whilst looking at his formula notes, and at the end strides off, presumably to seek out a means of creating a second version of the indestructible cloth.

Stratton continues the tradition of the mad scientist, but instead of upending morals and religion like his predecessors, he upends capitalism and commerce. Given the post-World War II industrial boom many countries experienced, and the Cold War being configured on communist versus capitalist lines, it's an evolution keeping with the times in which the film was created. He is nevertheless just as antisocial and obsessive as his predecessors Henry Jekyll and Victor Frankenstein.

He also carries on the mad scientist tradition of experimenting on himself by wearing a suit made of his indestructible fiber. Stratton is not merely daily driving his cloth, the way new products are tested for their practicality, because the fiber includes radioactive elements. The long term damage of radiation exposure through patent medicines containing radioactive elements and working with radioluminescent paints was known by the 1930s. It is entirely possible that Stratton could have developed a version of the formula where the cloth would not deteriorate, but the person wearing it would do so horrifically. At that point his cloth would not only be a direct economic threat, but a direct threat to public health.

My speculating and interpreting of the invention central to the film aside, The Man with the White Suit is a fun piece of sci-fi and satire, managing to be equal measures funny, smart, and thought provoking. It's widely available on streaming and home media formats, and definitely worth a watch.

[drwhosoundtrackshowdown]

Doctor Who Theme: Round 1

Seasons 1-4

"Although Ron Grainer has always received sole credit for the theme music, Delia Derbyshire with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop was responsible for all the arrangements for Seasons 1 through 17. She was given the composition by Grainer and asked to create the music. The method she chose was to create each sound from scratch using a variety of methods from pure tones to piano strings. Each sound was then changed in pitch and duration using purely analogue equipment. The final arrangement of the theme was made by making a recording of each section (bass line, melody, etc.) and putting them together to form the final mono track."

Seasons 4-17

"With Patrick Troughton now playing the Second Doctor in Season 4, came a new title sequence and another request for Derbyshire to change the arrangement of the music. This arrangement would be used for by far the longest. She returned to the first arrangement and added what has been called a "spangle" sound effect. Again, this arrangement was just faded out as needed for the opening title sequence. This third arrangement formed the basic theme from mid-Season 4 through Season 17, although [...] there were some modifications."

[bandcampsnoop]

6/29/24.

I know I've admitted to this before, but I use Monorail Music's frequent emails as a tool for hearing new music. A couple of days ago, the email touted a reissue of Sternpost "Ulrika".

Sternpost is the solo project of Petter Herbertsson (Malmö, Sweden) - a librarian and baroque musician. Here is an excerpt from the Monorail email:

"Ulrika is utterly breathtaking work, some deep Robert Wyatt collabing with Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci slanted and decanted arrangements, some oblique songwriting that sounds like Zombies’ Odyssey & Oracle by way of BBC Radiophonic Workshop and plenty of playing that sounds like that sweetspot in say, 1970, before prog rock and after psyche. This is music you HAVE to hear...it almost makes us think of The Pastels circa NOW baby...Ulrika...presses those Euros Childs buttons along with the bleeps and bloops on whatever vintage synth they’re using."

Wow. I listened and everything said is true. I would add this reminds me of The High Llamas. This is wonderfully interesting and catchy in places, but it is also experimental. So when thinking of all the above sounds, think of the experimental side.

This is a reissue on Portland label Concentric Circles (responsible for the Moonlove reissue a few years back).

[stillbornedprincess]

I’ll never forgive the BBC for closing their radiophonic workshop it should reopen again the world needs more sounds but seeing that they won’t do that anytime soon I’ll just have to take matters into me own hands . New sound never heard before in history coming time soon enuff ..

[marginalia-music]

The British seemed to have gotten the head-start on bedroom pop. If you believe Todd in the Shadows, it came from the DIY, lofi but tight and catchy Your Woman by White Town (1997). But by sifting through the historical record, Solid Space seems like a solid antecedent a full fifteen years prior. 

Formed in 1980 by childhood friends Dan Goldstein (keyboards, vocals) and Maf Vosburgh (guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals), they released their only album, Space Museum, in 1982 through In Phaze Records. While bootlegs have circulated throughout the years, Space Museum finally got its first official vinyl release in 2017 by reissue label Dark Entries. 

What I’ve always loved about digging through any early obscurities of a particular genre is seeing how it places itself within the genre’s history, at the fork in the road between an (older) genre and a newly-emergent one. Space Museum is right at the apex between late 70s post-punk and synth-inspired new wave. It’s far too dark and dreary to be new wave, but too experimental to be firmly rooted in the more recognized post-punk scene of the time. It sounds like nothing; a hazy dream, intoxicated by BBC reruns and pubescent troubles finally etched into the physical world. It’s not hard for me to imagine Dan & Maf on a gloomy, rainy day messing around with their Wasp synthesizer and Casio MT-30 in their room, seeing what sounds would come out and trying to replicate what they had just seen on the TV.  

(Source)

It’s bedroom pop at its weirdest, creating eerie, cold, and lonely landscapes paired with monotone vocals, representing their sci-fi source material in a wholly transformative way. Destination Moon and Tenth Planet are the real stars of the record: the former encapsulating the loneliness and ennui of space travel, and the latter duly recounting the plot of a Doctor Who episode of the same name where the narrator destroys an entire species and their planet but “didn’t really care”.  I also really love Radio France. It’s less gloomy and electronic than the rest of the album, being a more grounded stab at a post-punk song. It talks about getting over a cruel ex-girlfriend, but still featuring fun synth rhythms, being reminiscent of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop at times.  The opening track,  Afghan Dance, is also really interesting, being “warmer” than many of the tracks on the album. There’s still some distance though, each note awkwardly jerking from the last in a mysterious, alien rhythm, unable to decipher the music’s source. (I would love to know if this is actually based on a traditional Afghan song.)

Defining “pop” is a difficult challenge. Is two guys’ weird experimental album that only ever got circulated on a couple hundred cassettes really “pop”? I’d say so. The DIY, lofi aesthetics of Space Museum are equally reminiscent of old 60s sci-fi shows, 70s-80s punks, and 2010s lofi indie musicians. It’s punk filtered through the BBC Radiophonic; two guys reliving 60s sci-fi right when such works were becoming old enough to be seen as “classic”. It mends a fracture in time, with the original “spirit of 76” punk fading out in favor of its offspring, going off in a million wild directions.  (You can see more photos & vids on the Instagram)

[coochiequeens]

“I have stated in a public post, that I stand for JK Rowling and Kathleen Stock and I’m against calling women ‘menstruators,’ ‘birthing people’ and other dehumanizing slurs. Consequently, I was told I’m a transphobe and homophobe, which is absolutely untrue.” 

By Bryndís Blackadder. October 8, 2023

An award-winning Polish electronic and noise musician has found herself “canceled” after speaking out against gender ideology. Ewa Justka, a musician and electronics teacher, has spoken exclusively to Reduxx about her experience becoming the target for harassment and abuse because of her views.

Justka’s ordeal began on July 1, when she posted on her Instagram in support of Harry Potter creator JK Rowling and professor Kathleen Stock. Justka uploaded multiple screenshots, including one with the definition of “lesbian” as a “female homosexual,” and another of a Telegraph article which denounced the term “TERF” as “the ultimate slur against women.” TERF is an acronym meaning “trans exclusionary radical feminist,” but has been applied more broadly to any woman who criticizes gender ideology, often accompanied with threats of violence.

“Are you a woman who experienced sex-based discrimination? Have you been canceled for expressing your views regarding recent misogyny and hatred towards feminists like JK Rowling, Kathleen Stock, and other brave women having the balls (metaphoric ones) to speak out?” Justka began her Instagram post, continuing that she wanted women who fit her description to contact her.

But shortly after the post was uploaded, Justka found herself the target of a cancellation campaign intended to penalize her for her views.

Following her post on Instagram, Justka received hate mail in her direct messages and emails, angry comments on her post, a removal from a pending compilation album, and the cancellation of workshops and gigs.

One of her shows, which had been arranged at The Old Hairdressers in Glasgow, was cancelled, and Justka began to receive intense online and in-person harassment from local musicians. One local establishment, Stereo, even refused her service due to allegedly making patrons “feel unsafe” because of her views.

One of the hateful messages Justka received included a threat from music journalist Peter Kirn who stated “…tell you what, Ewa- we’ll beat you. I’ll do my best to absolutely makes sure no one works with you. So you want to see the power of this patriarchal system you’re so upset about? Watch me.”

While she was immediately struck off from some events she had been scheduled at, one of her most pressing concerns was her appearance with an influential artist.

Justka was due to perform alongside British electronic musician Mathew Herbert in October of 2023 at the Gulbenkian Art Centre in Canterbury, an event associated with the Oram Awards. Worried the campaign against her would reach the Awards administration, she contacted them for support and assurance that they would not cancel her appearance. But she found that her invitation to perform was being rescinded.

Justka won the Oram Award in 2017 and is an alumna of the institution, having won the “inaugural” competition judged by Róisín Murphy and mastering engineer Mandy Parnell. As described by FACT magazine: “The PRS Foundation and The New BBC Radiophonic Workshop have announced a new awards initiative to celebrate women innovating in the fields of sound and music. The awards are named after BBC Radiophonic Workshop co-founder Daphne Oram and purport to “build on her legacy.”

Justka was offered the invitation in May to travel to appear in the October 7 event where she was contracted to run an audio-visual synth workshop, appear in a Q&A panel, and do a performance, with brochures for the event being produced.

In an email seen by Reduxx, Justka reached out to The Oram Awards on July 7 to ask whether they were planning on removing her from the event due to her opinions.

“I’m not sure if you are aware, but during the last few days I have experienced quite a big wave of harassment, attempts of intimidation, bullying and I lost numerous workshops and gigs,” Justka wrote. “I have stated in a public post, that I stand for JK Rowling and Kathleen Stock and I’m against calling women ‘menstruators,’ ‘birthing people’ and other dehumanizing slurs. Consequently, I was told I’m a transphobe and homophobe, which is absolutely untrue.” 

She then elaborated on her opinions on the political situation, linking it to the Oram Awards’ mission statement.

“Please let me know where you stand on that, as I won’t stay silent about this, and also I want to have an actual discussion with people about this topic, no matter what they identify as. Unfortunately I wasn’t given this opportunity yet.”

Days later, the Oram Awards responded:

“Thank you for reaching out to us about this. We weren’t aware of this situation and sorry to hear how this experience has affected you personally and professionally. We want to carefully discuss this and reply to you when the rest of the team comes back from holiday next week.”

Justka chased them up a week later as she had received no further communication, and finally received a reply on July 18.

“We are an organization fighting for women’s rights in the music industry by providing a much-needed platform for their work and supporting their creative development,” an Oram Awards organizer wrote. “Our position on trans rights is that trans women are women and we hope that everyone we work with responds to that respectfully.”

Confused, Justka asked for an elaboration, and inquired as to whether the Awards was suggesting that males could change their sex or identify into womanhood.

On July 20, Justka received a response condemning her “negative emails” towards the Awards, and stating that “it has become clear that we can no longer work with you.”

It continued: “This email is confirmation that the invitation to participate in our event at the Gulbenkian on October 7th has been revoked.”

Following the months-long ordeal, Justka continued to lose work, including a provisional arrangement to lecture for the London College of Communication at the University of the Arts in London. She has since moved to Italy in order “to escape” the situation.

While continuing her work in solitude, Justka has created an album in response to her cancellation and started a women-only project to encourage female musicians to create and build their own electronic synthesizers.

Speaking to Reduxx, Justka explained that her July comments came from a place of concern for the impact gender ideology was having on women’s rights.

“I’ve been listening to women’s voices and hearing about the discrimination so many of them went through just by stating biological facts and by sharing their concerns about having dangerous men in women’s prisons, and predators who take advantage of self id laws in UK,” she said. “Moreover, I’ve experienced domestic abuse throughout my life, I couldn’t stay silent anymore.”

Calling gender ideology “extremely dangerous,” Justka notes that the language employed by trans activists often dehumanizes women and erodes women-only spaces.

“This all damages women’s rights so many feminists fought for. The art scene that celebrates this ideology is, in my view, extremely hypocritical and I could not subscribe to their agenda anymore.”

Justka notes that her expulsion from the Oram Awards was the most hurtful incident in her ordeal.

“The Oram Awards claims to be a ‘women-supporting foundation,’ yet it clearly does not stand for women since, in their view, men can be women and they’ll drop a female artist in a whim if she dares to question gender ideology,” she says. “I moved to the UK from Poland as I believed I would be valued according to my work, knowledge, and capabilities. Clearly, I was wrong – it’s unfortunate, but in UK, if you’re a female artist and don’t subscribe to gender ideology, you will be cancelled, and your work opportunities will be taken away. It’s very clear to me, that this is vindictive, Stasi-like discrimination of women and girls and we must speak out against it and stand for women’s rights.”

Ironically, one of the judges who awarded Justka the Oram Award in 2017, pop-musician Róisín Murphy, also recently found herself being attacked for making a statement against gender ideology.

Murphy made international headlines after screenshots of a comment she made on her personal Facebook page began circulating on X (formerly Twitter). In the post, Murphy stated: “Please don’t call me a terf, please don’t keep using that word against women. I beg you! But puberty blockers ARE FUCKED, absolutely desolate, big pharma laughing all the way to the bank. Little mixed up kids are vulnerable and need to be protected, that’s just true.”

Murphy soon after penned an apology following some backlash from trans activists, and it is alleged that the BBC refused to play tunes from her chart-topping album as a result of her comments.

[iconuk01]

The BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the BBC Singers, conducted by Alastair King, will perform musical sounds of the iconic TV series in Doctor Who @60: A Musical Celebration.

The concert features world exclusive first live performances of the Doctor’s new companion, Ruby Sunday’s theme The Life of Sunday, the theme tune of the Fifteenth Doctor called Fifteenth, and the new version of the Doctor Who theme tune.

This has been reimagined by composer Murray Gold, who was interviewed on the night, as well as fellow composer Segun Akinola.

Also included, are I Am The Doctor, Abigail’s Song, This Is Gallifrey, The Impossible Girl, I Am A Good Man and The Shepherd’s Boy.

There are contributions from Russell T Davies, Steven Moffat and Chris Chibnall, and also a trip back in time to the classic years of Doctor Who from the 1960s, 70s and 80s featuring the vintage synthesisers of BBC Radiophonic Workshop veterans Mark Ayres and Peter Howell.

Yes!!

[docrotten]

THE STONE TAPE (1972) – Episode 227 – Decades of Horror 1970s

‘Before I forget, sir. Them conservation inspectors was here again. In there a long time, they was. They said there would be a summons. And before they went, one of them said, “Did you know about the room?”… Just that, sir. Just, “Did you know about the room?”’ Obviously, they didn’t know about the room. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Doc Rotten, Bill Mulligan, Chad Hunt, and Jeff Mohr – as they learn about the room in The Stone Tape (1972), a science fiction horror movie written by Nigel Kneale!

Decades of Horror 1970s Episode 227 – The Stone Tape (1972)

Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel! Subscribe today! And click the alert to get notified of new content! https://youtube.com/gruesomemagazine

Decades of Horror 1970s is partnering with the WICKED HORROR TV CHANNEL (https://wickedhorrortv.com/) which now includes video episodes of the podcast and is available on Roku, AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, AndroidTV, and its online website across all OTT platforms, as well as mobile, tablet, and desktop.

Synopsis: A research team from an electronics company moves into an old Victorian house to start work on finding a new recording medium. When team member Jill Greeley witnesses a ghost, team director Peter Brock decides not only to analyze the apparition, which he believes is a psychic impression trapped in a stone wall (dubbed a “stone tape”) but also to exorcise it, with terrifying results.

Directed by: Peter Sasdy

Writing Credits: Nigel Kneale

Produced by: Innes Lloyd (producer)

Sound Department: Desmond Briscoe (special sound effects: BBC Radiophonic Workshop)

Music Department: Desmond Briscoe (composer: electronic music) (uncredited)

Selected Cast:

Michael Bryant as Peter Brock

Jane Asher as Jill Greeley

Iain Cuthbertson as Roy Collinson

Michael Bates as Eddie Holmes

Reginald Marsh as William Crawshaw

Tom Chadbon as Hargrave

John Forgeham as Maudsley

Philip Trewinnard as Stewart Jessop

James Cosmo as Cliff Dow

Neil Wilson as Sergeant Paterson

Christopher Banks as Vicar

Michael Graham Cox as Alan

Hilda Fenemore as Bar Helper

Peggy Marshall as Bar Lady

Derek Chafer as Man in Suit (uncredited)

Leave it to Grue-Believers to identify excellent films the Grue-Crew knows little or nothing about. Such is the case with The Stone Tape (1972), a BBC TV film written by Nigel Kneale, directed by Peter Sasdy, and shown on Christmas Day in 1972.

Kneale, as can be expected, weaves an excellent story, blending science fiction and supernatural elements that solidify a subgenre of ghost stories. The Stone Tape overcomes the expected shortcomings of videotaped production and 1972 special effects through story and performances. Michael Bryant, Jane Asher, Iain Cuthbertson, and Michael Bates ain’t no slouches. Thanks again to all those who recommended The Stone Tape. Your 70s Grue-Crew loves this movie!

At the time of this writing, The Stone Tape (1972) is available to stream from Shudder, AMC+, and PPV Amazon. The film is scheduled for a December 9, 2024 release as The Stone Tape (1972) (Limited Edition), a standard Blu-ray formatted disc from 101 Films.

Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror 1970s is part of the Decades of Horror two-week rotation with The Classic Era and the 1980s. In two weeks, the next episode, chosen by Chad, will be The House of Seven Corpses (1974), starring John Ireland, Faith Domergue, and John Carradine. Yeah, baby! A haunted house, corpses, and ghosts!

We want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans: comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror 1970s podcast hosts at feedback@gruesomemagazine.com. 

Check out this episode!

[mondoradiowmse]

12/06/23 Mondo Radio Playlist

Here's the playlist for this week's edition of Mondo Radio, which you can download or stream here. This episode: Untitled ("Euphorique Evasion"), featuring early electronic music and more. If you enjoy it, don't forget to also follow the show on Facebook and Twitter!

Artist - Song - Album

Oskar Sala - Concertando Rubato From Elektronische Tanzsuite - OHM: The Early Gurus Of Electronic Music

Clara Rockmore - Tchaikovsky: Valse Sentimentale - The Art Of The Theremin

Edgard Varèse - Poem Électronique - OHM: The Early Gurus Of Electronic Music

Pauline Oliveros - Bye Bye Butterfly - New Music For Electronic & Recorded Media: Women In Electronic Music 1977

Richard Maxfield - Pastoral Symphony - The Oak Of The Golden Dreams: Works By Richard Maxfield And Harold Budd

Daria Semegen - Electronic Composition No. 1 - Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center 1961-1973

Priscilla McLean - Night Images - The McLean Mix & The Golden Age Of Electronic Music

Louis And Bebe Barron - The Monster Pursues-Morbius Is Overcome - Forbidden Planet (Original MGM Soundtrack)

E. Nordgren - Crazy Robots - Crazy Robots (Single)

Delia Derbyshire - Frontier Of Knowledge - Electrosonic

Nick Haeffner - You Know I Hate Nature - The Great Indoors

The Tornados - Life On Venus (German Version) - Vampires, Cowboys, Spacemen & Spooks: The Very Best Of Joe Meek's Instrumentals

Emil Richards - Moonstone (June) - New Sound Element "Stones"

Ray Cathode - Waltz In Orbit - Time Beat (Single)

Daphne Oram - Rotolock - Oramics

Daphne Oram - Tumblewash - Oramics

Raymond Scott - IBM MT/ST: "The Paperwork Explosion" - Manhattan Research, Inc.

Raymond Scott - Limbo: The Organized Mind - Manhattan Research, Inc.

Bruce Haack - Sing - The Electronic Record For Children

Bruce Haack - Echo - The Electronic Record For Children

The White Noise - Here Come The Fleas - An Electric Storm

The White Noise - The Black Mass: An Electric Storm In Hell - An Electric Storm

Walter Carlos - Timesteps (Excerpt) - Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange" (Music From The Soundtrack)

Walter Carlos - March From A Clockwork Orange (Ninth Symphony, Fourth Movement, Abridged) - Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange" (Music From The Soundtrack)

Perrey & Kingsley - Umbrellas Of Cherbourg - Kaleidoscopic Vibrations

Perrey & Kingsley - Carousel Of The Planets - Kaleidoscopic Vibrations

Gerhard Trede & His Electronic Instruments - Red Dog Fly - Phasing Drums & Electronic Sounds

Gerhard Trede & His Electronic Instruments - Collage - Phasing Drums & Electronic Sounds

The BBC Radiophonic Workshop - Vespucci - Fourth Dimension

The BBC Radiophonic Workshop - The Space Between - Fourth Dimension

Dick Hyman - The Moog And Me - Moog: The Electric Eclectics Of Dick Hyman

Dick Hyman - The Minotaur (Edited Version) - Moog: The Electric Eclectics Of Dick Hyman

Bernard Estardy - Emeute A Tokyo - Electro Sounds, Vol. 1

Bernard Estardy - Euphorique Evasion - Electro Sounds, Vol. 1

[llpodcast]

(Literary License Podcast)

The Rescue

​

02 - 09 January 1965

 On the planet Dido, the Doctor, Ian, and Barbara encounter Vicki and Bennett, two survivors of a space crash who are awaiting a rescue ship. They live in fear of Koquillion, a bipedal inhabitant who is stalking the area. The Doctor enters Bennett's room, and follows a trap door to a temple where he unmasks Koquillion as Bennett. Bennett reveals he killed a crewmember on board the ship and was arrested, but the ship crashed before the crime could be radioed to Earth. He has been using the Koquillion alias so that Vicki would back up his story, and had hoped the planet would be destroyed when his version of events was given. Just as Bennett is about to kill the Doctor, two surviving native Didonians arrive and force Bennett to his death over a ledge. With no living family and nothing left for her on Dido, Vicki is welcomed aboard the TARDIS.

​

The Romans

 16 January – 6 February 1965

 The First Doctor (William Hartnell) and his new companion Vicki (Maureen O'Brien) investigate intrigue surrounding the death of a lyre player en route to perform at the palace of Nero (Derek Francis) in Rome, while companion Ian Chesterton (William Russell) travels to Nero's palace to save his fellow schoolteacher Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill), who had been sold to Nero's wife Poppaea (Kay Patrick) as a slave.

 Opening Credits; Introduction (1.27); Background History:  The Rescue (4.57); The Rescue: Plot Synopsis (5.22); Let's Discuss (7.43); Overall Thoughts (15.39); Let's Rate (17.10); Background History:  The Romans (19.38 ); The Romans:  Plot Synopsis (19.57); Let’s Discuss (22.52); Let’s Rate (34.18); Tune In Next Time (35.30); Closing Credits (37.11)

 Opening Credits– Doctor Who Theme. composer Ron Grainer and realised by Delia Derbyshire at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Copyright 1963 BBC World Music.

 Closing Credits:  Rescue Me by OneRepublic. Taken from the album Human. Copyright 2019 Interscope/Motley Records.

​

Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast. 

 All rights reserved.  Used with Kind Permission.

 All songs available through Amazon Music.

[m3anderlust]

Delia Derbyshire is considered by many as the ‘mother of electronic music’, as she made music using electronic sounds before the synthesizer as we know it was even born. In the video, Delia explains how shaping and molding basic wave shapes can lead to any sound you can possibly imagine. Sound itself is made up of overtones and harmonics, which are a combination of varying frequencies. Back then, in order to create the electronic sounds of the Doctor Who theme, Delia and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop used 12 oscillators, a plucked string, and tape manipulation to slow and speed up sounds to get different pitches. Delia was a true pioneer in changing the harmonics of electronic waveforms and building upon them to create new sounds.

[torley]

Grab a bite of that timeless BBC Workshop vibe! Explore the dark sound of experimental synthesis and FX sound scapes. Unlock a world of sonic marvels with our exceptional Repro-5 Synth Sound Pack, meticulously crafted to pay homage to the iconic sounds of the early 70's psychedelia particularly early BBC Radiophonic Workshop FX type sounds. You won't find any traditional Synth, Leads or Keys here. Instead you'll get early psychedelia fx type sounds with large echoes, crusty plate reverb emulations and all manner of sound weirdness that would fit right into any late 60s early 70s Sci-Fi tv show or Film.Inspired by the pioneering era of electronic music and avant-garde experimentation such as the BBC radiophonic workshop, this sound pack promises to take your music production to new dimensions. Immerse yourself in the nostalgic charm of classic radiophonic FX type sounds that revolutionized the audio landscape. This sound pack aims to capture the essence of vintage synthesis, ensuring your compositions evoke the same magic as the early experimental sound scapes. What's included? 64 Presets (sounds) for U-he Repro 5 Plugin Seamlessly integrate our sound pack into your favorite Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) and music production software via your Repro-5 Synth plugin.  Unlike other sound packs, our Radiophonic Synthesizer Sound Pack is entirely royalty-free. You're free to use these unique sounds in your productions without any legal worries. Embrace the nostalgia, embrace innovation, and embark on a sonic journey that harkens back to the golden age of electronic music. Elevate your compositions with the timeless charm of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop sounds, and stand out in the ever-evolving music landscape.

[drwhosoundtrackshowdown]

Doctor Who Theme: Round 2

Seasons 1-4

"Although Ron Grainer has always received sole credit for the theme music, Delia Derbyshire with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop was responsible for all the arrangements for Seasons 1 through 17. She was given the composition by Grainer and asked to create the music. The method she chose was to create each sound from scratch using a variety of methods from pure tones to piano strings. Each sound was then changed in pitch and duration using purely analogue equipment. The final arrangement of the theme was made by making a recording of each section (bass line, melody, etc.) and putting them together to form the final mono track."

Season 23

"Season 23 saw another new arrangement by Dominic Glynn. It was more haunting and ethereal than the previous themes, but very similar to Peter Howell's arrangement in most respects (enough so that the opening graphics remained unchanged from the final Howell season). The theme was in the E Minor key."

[gianttankeh]

Justice Yeldham / Lauren Sarah Hayes (solo & with friends) / Off Brand at The Waverley Bar, Edinburgh: 1/9/22.

TFEH presented this great line-up a few weeks ago, but didnae have opportunity to add it to this Tumblr page. However, Ali has opted to present the poster here anyway so that when it's time to do his tax return in Jan, then he'll remember to declare his measly earnings & expenses made/accrued on that muggy September eve. You can find out more about what transpired here.