Derbyshire, Delia/Barry Bermange – “Inventions For Radio: The Dreams” – [Psychic Sound Recordings]

lexi glass   11/7/2016   12-inch, A Library

This LP is a 2014 release of the first installment of the 1964 BBC program Four Inventions for Radio, a series of sound pieces by Barry Bermange with accompaniment by electronic musician Delia Derbyshire (both of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop; Derbyshire is perhaps best known for her music for the original Dr. Who). Bermange recorded men, women, and children describing their dreams, and then cut and pasted the tapes together to create five collages exploring common themes: running away, falling, landscapes, color, and water (especially drowning). From the depths of Derbyshire’s eerie electronic drones, voices surface and passages loop and repeat. Together, the work offers a glimpse of the subconscious mind spinning freely, and the deep loneliness that lies at its core. Disturbing and fascinating.

Note: the track listing on this LP packaging is incorrect– our station copy has the correct track names marked.