Speechification

Another layered, community-based sound piece, which seems to be becoming a bit of a Speechification speciality, this time from one of our favourite independent stations, Resonance FM.

One Southwark features "A tapestry of voices compiled from 15 individuals’ monologues", described as "a touching portrait of the London Borough of Southwark." [MP3]

Compare to How Macroom Remembers for another, gentler take on how radio docs create this sort of overlapping, shifting soundscape. One Southwark is a lot rougher and more noisy than Macroom - and perhaps more reflective of the bustling, noisy place it comes from.

We proudly present another episode of The London Ear, from, er, sometime in the past. Partly because if we don't stick them up here then they won't be anywhere. This one features the songs, stylings and thoughts of Mr Bonnie 'Prince'  Billy. Otherwise known as Will Oldham etc. The initial ramshackle microphone techniques add to the charm and intimacy - but, don't worry, fairly soon you can actually hear what they're saying. And it's worth listening to. A must for Will Oldham fans, and a probably should for everyone else. MP3 here.

I've been meaning to post another London Ear for ages, but to be honest I lost them. And then at the very time I was listening to Paul Morley interviewing Craig David I came across this show underneath a box of postcards. So it seemed apposite and here it is; Ben Thompson playing assorted records and then (at about 24 minutes) Mr Thompson and Mr Morley discuss how to pronounce Satie (does it rhyme with party or patty?) Mr Morley's Satie tribute band Infantjoy, how all modern music begins with The Monochrome Set, how Satie's The Source of Eno ("Music Not To Be Listened To"), how epic Simple Minds are, Bez + William Burroughs, and, of course, Blood, Sweat, Tears and Speed Garage. There's some lovely music in this programme. And some funny, clever chat. Good. MP3 here.

(I think this is from 2006ish, so don't assume you'll be able to catch Infantjoy at Big Chill, but you might.)

UPDATE: I liked all the music on this show so I asked Ben to do a track-listing of it. Here it is:

London Ear theme - "A Foggy Day" by The Nu Sounds (one of Sun Ra's pet doowop outfits, on the Sun Ra singles album)
Richard James - "Cathedral" (opening track from debut solo album Seven Sleepers Den)
Field Music - "You're Not Supposed To" (from Write Your Own History compilation)
Maher Shalal Hash Baz - "How's Your Bassoon, Turquoise" (one side of double a-sided Geographic records vinyl single with Bill Wells)
Richard Dimbleby - "this is the interior of Dimbleby transmitting"
Keiran Hebden and Steve Reid "Electricity Will Change Your Mind" (excerpt - can't remember which album it's from, possibly the Exchange Sessions Vol 1)
Richard Dimbleby - again
The Tomorrow People (original TV music, track 2) - "Lure of the Space Goddess"
Eighteen 18 - "Carole Patricia Kilner", from debut album by Eighteen 18 (not sure if that is how it's written, but the rapper's name is definitely Lexis Salinger)

Satie Enclave

Brian Eno & David Byrne - "Something with Tinfoil" - bonus track on My Life in the Bush of Ghosts reissue
"O Maria" from Stella Maris by Trio Medieval (ECM)
Infant Joy Satie tribute (track from 1st album - not the remix album - sorry I can't remember what the title is)
John Cage - "Inner Landscape" from Early Piano Music played by Hubert or Herbert Henck (also on ECM)
Miles Davis - In A Silent Way (from the album of the same name)
Blood Sweat & Tears - Variations on a theme by Erik Satie from their first album
Hubert Laws - Not sure of the name of this but it should be "The man who killed jazz with his big flute"
SFA (Sweet Female Attitude, not Super Furry Animals) - "Flowers"

Here's a further bid for timeliness from Speechification. It's another of Ben Thompson's interviews for Resonance - this time with Alex Ross, who's just won the Guardian First Book prize with The Rest Is Noise, which is magnificent. You see? Topical! You can hear Mr Thompson straying outside his comfort zone with all this classical stuff, and you can hear Mr Ross glancing around the Resonance studio feeling that he's a long way from NPR and The New Yorker, but it all works rather splendidly. Encore. MP3 here.

Here's another of Ben's Resonance interviews - cleverly scheduled to coincide with Bill Drummond's No Music Day. Which is today. MP3 here. (It starts a bit quietly, sorry)

Next up in our mini-series of London Ear interviews from Resonance.fm is Mr Green Gartside of Scritti Politti. Interviewing courtesy of Mr Ben Thompson. Things we hear include a Scritti Politti song about getting a train to Wimbledon, how Mr Gartside is unencumbered by associative reminiscence, how Derrida tried to steal his girlfriend* and Fixing A Hole by The Beatles. The sound quality isn't brilliant. Not sure why. Sorry. MP3 here.

* Or Deleuze or Guattari. See comments (thanks Igor)

Here's something first broadcast on Resonance FM - a history of electronic music around the world, made by Ian Helliwell and Simon James. It's broadcast every Friday evening at 7.30 on Resonance. Or you can get a podcast via Simon's blog. There are more links at Music Thing and the mp3 is here. Lovely stuff.