September 25 , 2005 (#32)- The Transmissions Show

Listening at the Border
Jay Needham- Producer

The airwaves are a tangle of transmissions: some people are cryptically saying something and others are desperately trying to decrypt it: our government agencies, other goverment agencies, spies, and who knows who else. Listening at the Border introduces us to someone -- of course he remains nameless -- who, for years, spent everyday, all day, trying to decipher scratchy transmitions from North Korea for the US government.

Atencion: Seis Siete Tres Siete Cero: The Shortwave Numbers Mystery
David Goren- Producer

If you tune into the the shortwave signals hidden in between the AM and FM band on frequencies from 3 to 30 Mhz, you can hear voices reciting endless streams of numbers, in numerous languages, all day, every day for decades on end. These "number stations", as they're called by ham radio operators and military communications experts, contain no information about where they are transmitting from or who they are trying to reach. Some of these mysterious transmissions have even been affectionately nicknamed, The Babbler, The sexy Lady, Bulgarian Betty and just plain Cynthia. (Lost & Found Sound, 2000)

Max Neuhaus
Roman Mars- Re:sound Producer

Basically, radio is a one-way medium.  We talk, you listen. Sure, there are call-in shows that are meant to sound live but more often than not, they are highly edited and pre-produced  -- listeners hate to hear it but it’s true. But there have been brief moments in the history of the medium where the airwaves really were a free-for all and completely new forms of sound were born.  Max Neuhaus makes sound works that are neither music nor events. He coined the term “sound installation” and has been the engine behind all sorts of new ways of thinking and experiencing sound.

Pirate Station
Emily Botein- Producer
Sherre DeLys- Producer
John Lurie- Narrator
Rick Moody- Author, Producer

Aside from the liscensed radio stations, the citizens band, and shortwave operators, there are those who believe that the airwaves are public space and belong to everyone. They’re often called ‘pirates’ and they want a little piece of airspace --whether the FCC wants to give it to them or not. This is an ode to a mythical pirate station. (PRI's The Next Big Thing, 2005)

Featured Music

Odd Nosdam, “Untitled #2,” No More Wig for Ohio (Anticon, 2003)
Miwon, “When Angels Travel,” Pale Glitter (City Centre Offices, 2005)
Odd Nosdam, “Untitled #3,” No More Wig for Ohio (Anticon, 2003)
Miwon, “No Needs for Sanity [Miwon Version],” Pale Glitter (City Centre Offices, 2005)
Odd Nosdam, “Clouded,” Burner (Anticon, 2005)
Minotaur Shock, “Twosley,” Maritime (4AD/Ada, 2005)
Odd Nosdam, “11th Avenue Freakout,” Burner (Anticon, 2005)
Wall of Voodoo, “Mexican Radio,” Call of the West (IRS, 1982)

Extras:

Max Nauhaus' Auracle: A networked sound instrument. Become a player with just your voice.
Learn more about Max Nauhaus' pioneering work in sound.

September 18 , 2005 (#31)

Name All the Animals
Alison Smith- Author
Roman Mars- Producer

Author Alison Smith reads from her beautiful and unsentimental memoir Name All the Animals. In this excerpt, she takes on her Catholic school class in a public debate which is much more personal than anyone knows.

Note to Sixth-Grade Self
Julie Orringer- Author
Roman Mars- Producer

Author Julie Orringer reads a story from her amazing collection How to Breathe Underwater. “Note to Sixth-Grade Self” is a coming-of-age story set at an age where you never know what’s coming.

Both stories originally aired on KALW’s Invisible Ink.

Featured Music

Hauschka, “Long Walk,” The Prepared Piano (Karaoke Kalk, 2005)
Minotaur Shock, “Muesli,” Maritime (4AD/Ada, 2005)
Tony Schwartz, “Nancy Grows Up,” How to Record the Sound of Children (Capitol, 1967)
Hauschka, “Firn,” The Prepared Piano (Karaoke Kalk, 2005)
Azure Ray, “Sleep,” Azure Ray (Warm, 2001)

Extras:

Hear another story from Invisible Ink also concerning the trials of a young woman: "Confessions of a Child Beauty Queen."
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