Listening to the Northern Lights
Series: Lost & Found Sound
From: The Kitchen Sisters
Length: 00:08:32
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- Listening to the Northern Lights
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- The Kitchen Sisters
Natural Radio recordist Steve McGreevy was in Canada last year for the Northern Lights: not to see them, but to hear them. You can do that, if you have the right equipment. And Steve's got a van full. Producer Barrett Golding introduces us to Natural Radio -- the sound of earth's magnetic field. Like the auroral lights, Natural Radio effects tend to be stronger around the spring and fall equinox, and near the earth's poles. So whenever Steve gets a chance, he heads north, into the wilderness, away from electrical interference, where the listening is best. There's a double CD of Steve's Natural Radio recordings called "Electric Enigma," put out by Dutch East India Trading.
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Piece Description
Natural Radio recordist Steve McGreevy was in Canada last year for the Northern Lights: not to see them, but to hear them. You can do that, if you have the right equipment. And Steve's got a van full. Producer Barrett Golding introduces us to Natural Radio -- the sound of earth's magnetic field. Like the auroral lights, Natural Radio effects tend to be stronger around the spring and fall equinox, and near the earth's poles. So whenever Steve gets a chance, he heads north, into the wilderness, away from electrical interference, where the listening is best. There's a double CD of Steve's Natural Radio recordings called "Electric Enigma," put out by Dutch East India Trading.
Broadcast History
NPR's All Things Considered on 3/26/99.
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Susanna Bolle
Posted on May 06, 2009 at 11:34 AM | Permalink
Tuning in Radio Earth
I've long been a fan of Stephen McGreevy's wonderful recordings of the songs of the earth's magnetic field. It's wonderful to actually hear him talk about the history and technology behind his evocative recordings of whistlers and growlers. Fantastic stuff!