published on
•••
Delia Derbyshire is an english musician and composer, part of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, a music/sound effects unit for the BBC back in 1958. the sounds of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, including Delia's output is mostly based around tape manipulation techniques and musique concrète - recording everyday sounds, household objects and editing them into music, by shortening, cutting, stretching, reversing sounds etc... (they also used a lot of oscillators)
Delia is probably best known for the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NPJ6GMXM3E">original theme of Doctor Who</a> (composed by Ron Grainer, but the story goes that upon hearing Delia's electronic version, he asked "Did I really write this?", to which Delia replied "Most of it")or even her song <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ6eOQsFvxg">Air</a>. obviously I am fascinated with her works and those of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. it was at a time where the imagination of musicians or, more precisely in this case, electronic musicians was beyond the technology available at the time, unlike now. after the BBC Radiophonic Workshop closed, Delia made a record in a band called White Noise, along David Vorhaus, a classical bass player; and Brian Hodgson, also from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. they released one album - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__-lpvXfI6E">An Electric Storm</a> - that i've been playing on repeat lately. not only is Delia's work innovative, absolutely ahead of it's time, showing the possibilities and potential of electronic music even at it's earliest stage, but it has a particular charm and sensitivity, resonating her own world she built with sound.
this song is based around two short songs from her
oranges and lemons
&
fresh aire
and, except for part of the beat, everything else is also sampled from other of her works (cookies for anyone who can guess one)
also <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDX_CS3NsTk">this</a>, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-MCEK8G5Tw">this</a>
- Genre
- oranges