The Format

A hazy cloud of questions about our shared digital space sends me up the mountain to ask the radio towers.

Ascending questions ::

1. If our modern world has eradicated noise; then, what is that silence hiding? And why are things so loud?

2. How did we get here? And is the problem structural or cultural?

3. What’s your name and where are you right now?

1. Can audio be held inside a container?

2. How did this medium become more hostile to experimentation than the risk-averse public radio system that drove its rise?

3. Is it more hostile to experimentation?

4. Is money the root of all evil?

1. What am I talking about?

1. If the medium shapes the format, and the industry is increasingly ugly; increasingly lining the pockets of people who hate free and open communication, who hate expensive and impractical art; is it possible to create something beautiful in its shadow?

2. Who pays for beauty, and should they?

3. Is this cassette tape still a clue?

1. Is the only way to disempower the men who own the algorithms, to change the way we consume their output?

1. Is the medium the artform?

2. Can I learn from the radio, which flows one way and doesn’t keep a play count?

3. What do we want from this artform? What should we ask for?


The Wind is produced by me, Fil Corbitt. This is an independent podcast made possible by listener support. If you'd like to join the community, visit patreon.com/thewind This episode included a bunch of interviews with people whose art I deeply admire, During the off season I will post some of these long form interviews over on the patreon, where for $5/month you can get access to the bonus wind podcast feed.

Featuring:

Alex Sujong LaughlinDefector | Try Hard

Amber Devereux • Tin Can Audio | The Tower | Twitch

Dennis Funk • Written in Air | Bandcamp | Substack

Janus RoseWriting | Subvert | Soundcloud

Sevaintertapes.net 

Music : 

Strike Effect - (new EP) DIODE

Haana Lee - Like a River

Yclept Insan - Deville 

The Voice in the old village choir from the public domain

It also featured audio from Open Source, Julia Barton and the invisible clock of audio stories on Phonograph, and from the real life radio waves. 

Some more mentions and resources:
This is TV Now from Good Tape Magazine
Why Sound Matters - Damon Krukowski
The New Analog - Damon Krukowski
Dada Drummer's Almanac - Email newsletter from Damon Krukowski
Continuous Wave -  Email newsletter from Julia Barton
Mood Machine - Liz Pelley
Figures in Air - Micah Silver
Plan for the Artist-Owned Internet - Subvert Manifesto 
Resonate Podcast Festival