Alchemists of Sound
I just want to take time out to mention a very influential person to my music and my approach to making it. She is Delia Derbyshire who worked for the 'BBC Radiophonic Workshop' in the 1960s. She never really got the credit she deserved for her creative work within the workshop.
In the early 1960s before the invention of the synthesizer and sampler, she created music and sound effects from tiny pieces of magnetic tape. This music was used in television and radio. The workshop created sounds people had never heard before.
By playing sounds back at different speeds she could create different notes and these could be pieced together in long tape loops. Mixing these tape loops played on multiple synchronized tape players, created futuristic sounds that still sound fantastic to this day. An example of her work is the original 'Doctor Who' theme, and she worked on a project called 'White Noise' that created the classic album 'Electric Storm'. Delia passed away on July 3rd 2001 in Northampton, England.
Unfortunately the BBC in their infinite wisdom closed down 'Room 13' which was used by the workshop. Now all that remains is miles and miles of tape loops and an archive of some of the most creative music ever made.
In the early 1960s before the invention of the synthesizer and sampler, she created music and sound effects from tiny pieces of magnetic tape. This music was used in television and radio. The workshop created sounds people had never heard before.
By playing sounds back at different speeds she could create different notes and these could be pieced together in long tape loops. Mixing these tape loops played on multiple synchronized tape players, created futuristic sounds that still sound fantastic to this day. An example of her work is the original 'Doctor Who' theme, and she worked on a project called 'White Noise' that created the classic album 'Electric Storm'. Delia passed away on July 3rd 2001 in Northampton, England.
Unfortunately the BBC in their infinite wisdom closed down 'Room 13' which was used by the workshop. Now all that remains is miles and miles of tape loops and an archive of some of the most creative music ever made.
2 Comments:
Thanks for this post. Very interesting. I remember seeing the Radiophonic worksop credit on so many things in my youth. I had never heard of Delie Derbyshire before. she was a obviusly a very talented woman who deserved far greater recognition
Thanks for the comment. The radiophonic workshop also did the sound effects and music for the Hitchikers Guide To The Galaxy television and radio series. The also did just about every local bbc radio jingles in the 60s and 70s. Check out http://www.delia-derbyshire.org/ for more information on Delia.
Post a Comment
<< Home