Piece Comment

Review of Julie the Amtrak God


This radio experiment is unlike anything else you'll hear on the airwaves. It's a refreshing example of what can be accomplished when someone with an artistic mind (and a penchant for abstraction) approaches the radio medium as a blank canvas. Producer Jenny Asarnow manages to evoke a wide range of emotional responses from us, ranging from melancholy to hilarity, by simply attempting to conduct a philosophical conversation with a computerized voice-recognition system.

Some listeners might be put off by the non-linearity of this piece, but a patient listen will restore your faith in the power of the abstract in radio.