Documentary: Alchemists of Sound

Alchemists of Sound (BBC). The BBC's Radiophonic Workshop was set up in 1958, born out of a desire to create 'new kinds of sounds'. Alchemists of Sound looks at this creative group from its inception, through its golden age when it was supplying music and effects for cult classics like Doctor Who, Blake's Seven and Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, and charts its fading away in 1995 when, due to budget cuts, it was no longer able to survive. 

There are interviews with composers from the Workshop, as well as musicians and writers who have been inspired by the output. Great archive footage of the Workshop and its machinery is accompanied by excerpts of the, now cult, TV programmes that featured these sounds.

Although not directly related to acoustic ecology, this six part sequence will be of interest to those who are fascinated by sound design and recording. 

Part One (10:00)

Part Two (9:59)

Part Three (9:58)

Part Four (9:36)

Part Five (9:39)

Part Six (9:05)

Source: YouTube