Voidwave: Women of BBC Radiophonic Workshop
07.31.25
Voidwave presents sounds created by women of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, a section of the BBC that created soundscapes, sound wonders, and whole new alien worlds for the BBC radio and tv. This episode includes interview material from some of these women created by the BBC, as well as electronically created sound effects, sound design, soundscapes, backing tracks, theme songs, interval signals, and other Radiophonic sound experimentations. The workshop was a collaboration between sound-makers and engineers. As a workshop team, they created their own electronic Radiophonic equipment and techniques including innovative uses of tape players, turn tables, telephones & telegraph, synths, oscillators, noise generators, and manipulated analog recorded samples. At its inception, this was a new specialization in creating sounds and sound technologies.
During WWII, women were increasingly called upon to fill jobs ranging from factory to technical work in the UK, and by the end of the war, there were hundreds of women trained as engineers and entering broadcasting professions. They continued working in many of these jobs after the war, and their pioneering contributions in sound design led to the development of synthesizers and digital equipment. The Radiophonic Workshop started in 1958 and closed in 1998. During that time, many women were central to the work on air and off air. Some were credited for individual works, and others’ work remain uncredited. While the BBC was still male-dominated, the prominence of women made The Workshop distinctly different from other collective sound projects around the world, where contributors and producers were almost exclusively men. The Workshop had a policy of crediting sound work to ‘BBC Radiophonics’, resulting in anonymity of many individual contributions. Even so, several women from the Workshop were influential alongside their male counterparts. Here is a list of women who were sound designers of BBC Radiophonics: Daphne Oram, Jenyth Worsley, Delia Derbyshire, Maddalena Fagandini, Glynis Jones, Elizabeth Parker, Margaret Etall, Janet Gibson, Bridget Marrow, Sue Cassini, Trina Hughes, Val Doulton, Amanda Alexander, Isobel Sargent, Gill Pell-Hilley, Diana Howell, Sue Thomas, Alison Taylor, Anna Antoskiewicz, and likely others. There were also many other female producers and managers of directing programs and programming. Included in this episode are sound works from all the women that have work credited specifically to them, and there were likely other men and women who contributed to making these sound works and sound designs. Most (but not all) of the works included in this episode were created in the BBC Workshop.
Women being trained as technical assistants and engineers. 1941. Image Credit: BBC Oral History Collection.
Tracklist:
Power Tools (1965) Daphne Oram “World of Sound Broadcast” (Originally Broadcast November 13, 1962, BBC tv) created while recording Private Dreams and Public Nightmares. Including Delia Derbyshire, Desmond Briscoe, Dick Mills. Workshop included Jenyth Worsley, Maddalena Fagandini Private Dreams and Public Nightmares: A Radiophonic Poem (Originally aired October 7, 1957) – composed by Daphne Oram & Frederick Brandnum; produced by Donald McWhinnie, Actors: Joan Sanderson, Andrew Sachs, Fredrick Treves. One of the first experiments of sounds created by the workshop. Contrasts Essconic (from 1967) – Daphne Oram + Ivor Walsworth Episode Metallic (1965) with the use of 4-channel magnetic tape, in conjunction with a metal sculpture by Andrew Bobrowski – Daphne Oram Interview excerpts with Daphne Oram – all from the “The Same Trade As Mozart” – (Originally broadcast August 3, 1969) – BBC Archives Beauty and the Beast, Pt 1 (1968-69) – A Ballet composed by Daphne Oram + Thea Musgrave Tumble Wash (1962-63) – Daphne Oram Rololock (1968) – Daphne Oram Lego Builds It (1965) – Daphne Oram Saving Noises, for the feature film The Innocents (1961) – Daphne Oram + Georges Auric Time Beat – BBC Television’s Interval Signal (1962, Parlophone, UK) – Ray Cathode (Maddelena Fagandini + George Martin) The first commercial release from the BBC Workshop A-side of the vinyl single Interval Signal (1960) – Maddelena Fagandini Ideal Home Exhibition (1979) – Maddelena Fagandini Waltz in Orbit (1962, Parlophone, UK) – Ray Cathode (Maddelena Fagandini + George Martin) released on the B-side of the 7” vinyl single ‘Time Beat’ The Chem Lab Mystery (First Broadcast January 5, 1963, BBC tv) – Maddelena Fangandini Outside (1959, first Television Drama) – Maddelena Fagandini + Desmond Briscoe Blue Veils and Golden Sand (1967, for TV documentary by the same name) – Delia Derbyshire Interview excerpts of Delia Derbyshire from Original Masters Series (1997, BBC Radio Scotland) Interview by John Cavanagh, with Delia + Drew Mulholland Interview excerpts of Delia Derbyshire from Tomorrow’s World (Originally Broadcast December 9, 1965) – BBC Archive Celestial Cantabile (1972) – Delia Derbyshire + Brian Hodgson + Don Harper Doctor Who Original theme Music (1963) – composed by Ron Grainer and produced/recorded/arranged by Delia Derbyshire Mattachin (1968) – Delia Derbyshire Door to Door (1968) – Delia Derbyshire Know Your Car (Originally Broadcast on June 4, 1964) – Delia Derbyshire Falling, from The Dreams (Radio version Broadcast January 5, 1964) – Delia Derbyshire + Barry Bermange Ziwah Ziwah OO-OO-OO from the program Out of the Unknown, episode The Prophet (Originally Broadcast in January1968) – Delia Derbyshire Pot au Feau – created from fragments of other programs (1968) – Delia Derbyshire Nightwalker (1961)- Delia Derbyshire + Brian Hodgson Music for The Magic Carpet, from the ‘Music & Movements’ series (1961) – Jenyth Worsley Veils and Mirrors (1975, BBC/Rephlex) – Glynis Jones Crystal City, from the sound effects album ‘Out Of This World’ (1976, BBC Records and Tapes) – Glynis Jones Electronic Storm, from the sound effects album ‘Out Of This World’ (1976, BBC Records and Tapes) – Glynis Jones Magic Bird Song, from the sound effects album ‘Out Of This World’ (1976, BBC Records and Tapes) – Glynis Jones Nénuphar, from the album The Radiophonic Workshop (1975) – Glynis Jones + Malcom Clarke Spring Tide, from the sound effects album ‘Out Of This World’ (1976, BBC Records and Tapes) – Glynis Jones Schlum Rooli, from the album The Radiophonic Workshop (1975) – Glynis Jones Space Bells of Ceremonial Room, from Blake’s 7 (1978-1981, BBC Science-Fiction Sound Effects, BBC Records) – Elizabeth Parker Future Perfect, created for ‘The Living Planet’ (1984, BBC tv First broadcast on August 19, 1985 – released on an LP titled Future Perfect in 2023) – Elizabeth Parker Interview with Elizabeth Parker at the Radiophonic Workshop about effects and theme music for ‘The Living Planet,’ from the program ‘General Studies’ (Originally Broadcast May 23, 1984) BBC Archive Glow from a Mysterious Ghost who Haunts the Liberator, from Blake’s 7 (1978-1981, BBC Science-Fiction Sound Effects, BBC Records) – Elizabeth Parker Glass Tower, released on the album Poisoned Planet (1994, Cavendish Music) – Elizabeth Parker Himalayas 1, released on the album Poisoned Planet (1994, Cavendish Music) – Elizabeth Parker Dawn of Emptiness, from Blake’s 7 (1978-1981, BBC Science-Fiction Sound Effects, BBC Records) – Elizabeth Parker A Drop in the Ocean, released on the album Poisoned Planet (1994, Cavendish Music) – Elizabeth Parker New Worlds, Closing Theme from ‘The Living Planet’ (1984, released on the Living Planet OST, 2016, BBC Records) – Elizabeth Parker Radio Blackburn (released on BBC Radiophonic Workshop – A Retrospective, 2008, Mute Records, BBC Worldwide)- Elizabeth Parker The Core, A Huge Evergrowing Pulsating Brain which Rules from the Centre of Untraworld, from Blake’s 7 (1978-1981, BBC Science-Fiction Sound Effects, BBC Records) – Elizabeth Parker Federation Ship Laser Explosions, from Blake’s 7 (1978-1981, BBC Science-Fiction Sound Effects, BBC Records) – Elizabeth Parker Alien Gun, from Blake’s 7 (1978-1981, BBC Science-Fiction Sound Effects, BBC Records) – Elizabeth Parker, The BBC Radiophonic Workshop
BBC Radiophonic Studio at Maida Vale, West London. 1960’s. Image Credit: Paradigm Disc.
BBC Radiophonic Workshop Studio at Maida Vale, West London. 1961. Image Credit: BBC Archives
Voidwave is a web of experimental voices, sounds, and interviews with a focus on work by femme, gender non-conforming, and queer folx. Embedded in these sound practices are rebelliousness and longing, hunger for new subversive futures, irreverence, determined perseverance, political potency, uncompromising processes, and includes a celebration of lineages that spans across time and the globe. Voidwave is a 2-hour radio show that features work from artists who use experimental sound and music, performance, field recording, spoken word, sound art, sound poetics, and other disobedient audio speculations – adventures into sound and conversations with the people who made them.
Voidwave is a collaboration by multidisciplinary artists Melissa Vogley Woods in Ohio, Liz Roberts in San Francisco, and Kim Zumpfe and Katya Urban in Los Angeles, with occasional guest collaborators and hosts. Voidwave was formed by Melissa, Liz, and Gina Osterloh. All designed images by Melissa Vogley Woods.
