Over the Edge (radio)
Encyclopedia
Over the Edge is a sound collage
radio program hosted and produced in the United States
by Don Joyce.
Joyce is also a member of the pioneering sound collage band Negativland
, members of which frequently make guest appearances on Over the Edge. A series of Over the Edge episodes have been released under the Negativland name. Critic Ned Raggett describes Over the Edge as "a merry trip into an alternate world," while critic Stephen Cramer describes Over the Edge as "the longest-running block of free-form radio in the history of radio ... essentially live performance art
."
Founded in 1981, OTE is broadcast live on KPFA
in Berkeley, California
, every second, third, and fourth Thursday morning from 12am to 3am. On the rare occasion of a month with a fifth Thursday OTE runs an additional two hours, from 12am to 5am. The show is also available on-line, streamed live from KPFA.org (where you can also podcast the show), or from Negativland.com, where many older episodes are available as well.
s, manipulating and mixing both found and original sounds to produce a new kind of audio animal. O.T.E. is always concerned with recycling existing cultural elements to some new, unintended effect."http://www.negativland.com/nmol/ote/text/getoshow.html
Joyce uses sound collage
techniques, weaving many sources together throughout the program to create a "conversational" form of audio presentation. Sources might include recordings of other radio programs (including old time radio shows, commercial
s, talk show
s, or news
programs), portions of documentary film
s, song
s and more, all typically -- but not always -- related to a pre-selected theme.
Joyce usually plays a "bed" of unobtrusive background music, and adds reverberation
or other special effects to sound sources. He also employs the "Booper" to create electronic and synthesized tones that he incorporates into the show.
O.T.E.'s theme music is the track "12 O'Clock (in two parts)" from Heaven and Hell
(1975), by Vangelis
. Most of the time, this song begins each show, though in some cases other sounds may play over it, and the song may be slowed down or sped up, depending on the shows theme. At about two thirds of the way through the song during a natural pause in the music, the song stops and Joyce plays a teaser, which indicates a topic or theme he'll explore for the episode.
Following the theme music, Joyce will usually announce the theme of the show, and when appropriate, say a few words that relate to previous or upcoming events. Usually at the top of the hour Joyce will perform a Legal identification for KPFA, and near the end of the show will make a similar closing announcement. At the very end of each episode Joyce plays a recording of a woman's voice reading a statement attributed to photographer Man Ray
: "To create is divine. To reproduce is human."
Throughout most shows, regardless of content, Joyce will play spots that identify the show as being part of the Universal Media Netweb. This is part of an on-going plot that connects the majority of Over The Edge broadcasts.
Occasionally, Over The Edge will subvert or toy with established OTE formats when it suits the theme of the show. Joyce (or others) will feign personas or characters, and will sometimes even skip the theme music and other show conventions, to better create the feel and sound of another kind of show. There have even been cases where fans have become quite confused, which is ironic given that the collage nature of the show tends to confuse the average radio listener.
al content and late hour of the broadcast attract a variety of colorful callers.
According to Joycehttp://www.negativland.com/nmol/ote/text/getoshow.html, Receptacle Programming is, ideally, a collaboration:
There are only two rules for callers: (1) When the phone stops ringing, you're on the air; (2) Don't say "Hello."
Many fans and regular callers of the show have home-brewed their own electronic devices to aid in sending sound over the phone.
issues and the CIA; one episode each was devoted to Ken Nordine
and to radio comedy team Bob and Ray
.
Usually only a few times a year, Joyce does an episode in a series called "Another UFO". Each episode examines one facet of the unidentified flying object
phenomenon, such as alien abduction, cattle mutilation
, or the Roswell UFO incident
. These episodes are a fan favorite, and a subject that Joyce himself is continually fascinated with.
In 2006 Joyce began two on-going series: "How Radio Isn't Done" (about pirate radio
and other broadcasting renegades and / or bloopers), & "How Radio Was Done" (about the history of radio as a cultural phenomenon, with recorded samplings of what that sounded like).
, and emerges every four years to run for President on the Universal Party ticket.
", which was also the only primary color to have its own unique scent. A list of unknown colours can be found here.
's creativity. The group participated in many of the shows, a few of which have been released as edited-down CDs:
Sound collage
In music, montage or sound collage is a technique where sound objects or compositions, including songs, are created from collage, also known as montage, the use of portions of previous recordings or scores...
radio program hosted and produced in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by Don Joyce.
Joyce is also a member of the pioneering sound collage band Negativland
Negativland
Negativland is an experimental music and sound collage band which originated in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1970s. They took their name from a Neu! song, while their record label is named after another Neu! song...
, members of which frequently make guest appearances on Over the Edge. A series of Over the Edge episodes have been released under the Negativland name. Critic Ned Raggett describes Over the Edge as "a merry trip into an alternate world," while critic Stephen Cramer describes Over the Edge as "the longest-running block of free-form radio in the history of radio ... essentially live performance art
Performance art
In art, performance art is a performance presented to an audience, traditionally interdisciplinary. Performance may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without audience participation. The performance can be live or...
."
Founded in 1981, OTE is broadcast live on KPFA
KPFA
KPFA is a listener-funded progressive talk radio and music radio station located in Berkeley, California, broadcasting to the San Francisco Bay Area. KPFA airs public news, public affairs, talk, and music programming. The station signed on-the-air April 15 1949, as the first Pacifica Station...
in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
, every second, third, and fourth Thursday morning from 12am to 3am. On the rare occasion of a month with a fifth Thursday OTE runs an additional two hours, from 12am to 5am. The show is also available on-line, streamed live from KPFA.org (where you can also podcast the show), or from Negativland.com, where many older episodes are available as well.
History
Joyce has broadcast OTE since June 1981, usually solo, but sometimes with collaborators, who are often members of Negativland, too. OTE began as a rather conventional music show, though Joyce gradually experimented with the format, due to his disapproval for what he saw as radio's primary function (encouraging listeners to buy music recordings). The show has changed time slots a few times, but now broadcasts in the Thursday 12 - 3 AM slot. Due to various obligations on the part of Joyce and the KPFA DJs on before and after him, the show is sometimes not aired at all, or is sometimes much longer. Usually these kinds of scheduling changes are announced the week previous, or in the closing minutes of the previous show.Format
Joyce declares that with OTE, he and his collaborators "create 'direct-reference' collageCollage
A collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole....
s, manipulating and mixing both found and original sounds to produce a new kind of audio animal. O.T.E. is always concerned with recycling existing cultural elements to some new, unintended effect."http://www.negativland.com/nmol/ote/text/getoshow.html
Joyce uses sound collage
Sound collage
In music, montage or sound collage is a technique where sound objects or compositions, including songs, are created from collage, also known as montage, the use of portions of previous recordings or scores...
techniques, weaving many sources together throughout the program to create a "conversational" form of audio presentation. Sources might include recordings of other radio programs (including old time radio shows, commercial
Radio commercial
Commercial radio stations make most of their revenue selling “airtime” to advertisers. Of total media expenditures, radio accounts for 6.9%. Radio advertisements or “spots” are available when a business or service provides valuable consideration, usually cash, in exchange for the station airing...
s, talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
s, or news
News
News is the communication of selected information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :...
programs), portions of documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
s, song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s and more, all typically -- but not always -- related to a pre-selected theme.
Joyce usually plays a "bed" of unobtrusive background music, and adds reverberation
Reverberation
Reverberation is the persistence of sound in a particular space after the original sound is removed. A reverberation, or reverb, is created when a sound is produced in an enclosed space causing a large number of echoes to build up and then slowly decay as the sound is absorbed by the walls and air...
or other special effects to sound sources. He also employs the "Booper" to create electronic and synthesized tones that he incorporates into the show.
O.T.E.'s theme music is the track "12 O'Clock (in two parts)" from Heaven and Hell
Heaven and Hell (Vangelis album)
Heaven and Hell, released in 1975, is the fifth solo album by Greek electronic composer and artist Vangelis. It got worldwide recognition through the use of "Movement 3" as the theme for the television documentary series Cosmos....
(1975), by Vangelis
Vangelis
Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou is a Greek composer of electronic, progressive, ambient, jazz, pop rock and orchestral music, under the artist name Vangelis...
. Most of the time, this song begins each show, though in some cases other sounds may play over it, and the song may be slowed down or sped up, depending on the shows theme. At about two thirds of the way through the song during a natural pause in the music, the song stops and Joyce plays a teaser, which indicates a topic or theme he'll explore for the episode.
Following the theme music, Joyce will usually announce the theme of the show, and when appropriate, say a few words that relate to previous or upcoming events. Usually at the top of the hour Joyce will perform a Legal identification for KPFA, and near the end of the show will make a similar closing announcement. At the very end of each episode Joyce plays a recording of a woman's voice reading a statement attributed to photographer Man Ray
Man Ray
Man Ray , born Emmanuel Radnitzky, was an American artist who spent most of his career in Paris, France. Perhaps best described simply as a modernist, he was a significant contributor to both the Dada and Surrealist movements, although his ties to each were informal...
: "To create is divine. To reproduce is human."
Throughout most shows, regardless of content, Joyce will play spots that identify the show as being part of the Universal Media Netweb. This is part of an on-going plot that connects the majority of Over The Edge broadcasts.
Occasionally, Over The Edge will subvert or toy with established OTE formats when it suits the theme of the show. Joyce (or others) will feign personas or characters, and will sometimes even skip the theme music and other show conventions, to better create the feel and sound of another kind of show. There have even been cases where fans have become quite confused, which is ironic given that the collage nature of the show tends to confuse the average radio listener.
Receptacle programming
The audience phone participation ("Receptacle Programming") is another element of the format: listeners are encouraged to call in, and are placed on-air, sometimes two or three at a time, with no prior screening. Listeners can then play their own recordings for OTE, offer commentary or non-sequiturs, or, less often, converse with Joyce. People are allowed to remain on the air as long as Joyce judges their contributions valuable, from a few seconds to several minutes or more. The highly improvisationImprovisation
Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or...
al content and late hour of the broadcast attract a variety of colorful callers.
According to Joycehttp://www.negativland.com/nmol/ote/text/getoshow.html, Receptacle Programming is, ideally, a collaboration:
- Receptacle programming is there to deposit ideas and sounds from the real, live, simultaneous life outside our broadcast studio. Real-time participation allows a direct interaction with our mix as it is happening. Thus, musicianMusicianA musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s can join in with an over-the phone instrument and follow our live beat or provide a responsive bed for our elements. This, as we like to say, is best accomplished by listening to the show on stereoStereophonic soundThe term Stereophonic, commonly called stereo, sound refers to any method of sound reproduction in which an attempt is made to create an illusion of directionality and audible perspective...
headphones tuned to KPFA when you call, and holding the telephone like a microphone. Then the caller is "in" the mix, hearing his or her own real-time sounds being broadcast right along with our mix in headphone stereo. Some callers have their own mixers which they connect to their phones and send in their own rather elaborate mixes of music and tapes with their own effects added.
There are only two rules for callers: (1) When the phone stops ringing, you're on the air; (2) Don't say "Hello."
Many fans and regular callers of the show have home-brewed their own electronic devices to aid in sending sound over the phone.
Topics
Joyce typically follows one theme for an entire program. Topics vary wildly, from motion pictures, to various music and copyrightCopyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
issues and the CIA; one episode each was devoted to Ken Nordine
Ken Nordine
Ken Nordine is an American voiceover and recording artist best known for his series of Word Jazz albums. His deep, resonant voice has also been featured in many commercial advertisements and movie trailers. One critic wrote that "you may not know Ken Nordine by name or face, but you'll almost...
and to radio comedy team Bob and Ray
Bob and Ray
Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding were an American comedy team whose career spanned five decades. Their format was typically to satirize the medium in which they were performing, such as conducting radio or television interviews, with off-the-wall dialogue presented in a generally deadpan style as...
.
Usually only a few times a year, Joyce does an episode in a series called "Another UFO". Each episode examines one facet of the unidentified flying object
Unidentified flying object
A term originally coined by the military, an unidentified flying object is an unusual apparent anomaly in the sky that is not readily identifiable to the observer as any known object...
phenomenon, such as alien abduction, cattle mutilation
Cattle mutilation
Cattle mutilation is the apparent killing and mutilation of cattle under unusual or anomalous circumstances...
, or the Roswell UFO incident
Roswell UFO incident
The Roswell UFO Incident was the recovery of an object that crashed in the general vicinity of Roswell, New Mexico, in June or July 1947, allegedly an extra-terrestrial spacecraft and its alien occupants. Since the late 1970s the incident has been the subject of intense controversy and of...
. These episodes are a fan favorite, and a subject that Joyce himself is continually fascinated with.
In 2006 Joyce began two on-going series: "How Radio Isn't Done" (about pirate radio
Pirate radio
Pirate radio is illegal or unregulated radio transmission. The term is most commonly used to describe illegal broadcasting for entertainment or political purposes, but is also sometimes used for illegal two-way radio operation...
and other broadcasting renegades and / or bloopers), & "How Radio Was Done" (about the history of radio as a cultural phenomenon, with recorded samplings of what that sounded like).
Characters & Story
Over The Edge often uses personas and characters, created by Joyce and his cohorts, to give the show a textual depth and continuity over time. The show purports to be part of the "Universal Media Netweb," a broadcasting entity that offers any number of shows, and specializes in Receptacle Programming. The UMN employs a number of people, including Joyce, and is responsible for the UMN spots that Joyce plays throughout his shows. While new developments in this storyline ebb and flow as Joyce's interests shift and change over time, there are recurring characters that crop up fairly often.C. Elliot Friday
UMN is supposedly funded by a wealthy recluse, C. Elliot Friday, who lives in a secret retreat on Howland IslandHowland Island
Howland Island is an uninhabited coral island located just north of the equator in the central Pacific Ocean, about southwest of Honolulu. The island lies almost halfway between Hawaii and Australia and is an unincorporated, unorganized territory of the United States. Geographically, it is part...
, and emerges every four years to run for President on the Universal Party ticket.
Crosley Bendix
Crosley Bendix is a radio personality (played by Joyce) for a series of commentaries. Bendix was touted as the Cultural Reviewer, and typically greets listeners with a cheery "Good hello!". Bendix introduced listeners to "squant" the fictitious "fourth primary colorPrimary color
Primary colors are sets of colors that can be combined to make a useful range of colors. For human applications, three primary colors are usually used, since human color vision is trichromatic....
", which was also the only primary color to have its own unique scent. A list of unknown colours can be found here.
Discography with Negativland
Throughout the '80s and '90s and beyond, Over the Edge has also been an outlet for NegativlandNegativland
Negativland is an experimental music and sound collage band which originated in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1970s. They took their name from a Neu! song, while their record label is named after another Neu! song...
's creativity. The group participated in many of the shows, a few of which have been released as edited-down CDs:
- Over the Edge Vol. 1: JAMCON'84Over the Edge Vol. 1: JAMCON'84JAMCON '84 was the first volume in the Over the Edge series, which distills portions of Negativland's radio program Over the Edge, broadcast on KPFA...
(1985) - Over the Edge Vol. 1½: The Starting Line with Dick GoodbodyOver the Edge Vol. 1½: The Starting Line with Dick GoodbodyThe Starting Line is composed of two program presentations, both of which are highly edited versions of shows that were originally broadcast on KPFA's Over the Edge radio show, hosted by Don Joyce weekly and featuring members of Negativland...
(1995, partial reissue) - Over the Edge Vol. 2: Pastor Dick: Muriel's Purse FundOver the Edge Vol. 2: Pastor Dick: Muriel's Purse FundPastor Dick: Muriel's Purse Fund was the second volume in the Over the Edge series, which distills the best moments from Negativland's radio program Over the Edge, broadcast on KPFA...
(1990) - Over the Edge Vol. 3: The Weatherman's Dumb Stupid Come-Out LineOver the Edge Vol. 3: The Weatherman's Dumb Stupid Come-Out LineThe Weatherman's Dumb Stupid Come-Out Line was the third volume in the Over the Edge series, which distills the best material from Negativland's radio program Over the Edge, broadcast on KPFA...
(1990) - Over the Edge Vol. 4: Dick Vaughn's Moribund Music Of The '70sOver the Edge Vol. 4: Dick Vaughn's Moribund Music of the '70sDick Vaughn's Moribund Music Of The '70s is a collection of recordings edited from a wealth of material broadcast on KPFA's Over the Edge radio show, hosted by Don Joyce weekly and featuring members of Negativland, as well as material recorded at a Live Negativland show just after the "U2 Scandal."...
(2001, expanded reissue) - Over the Edge Vol. 5: Crosley Bendix Radio Reviews (1993)
- Over the Edge Vol. 6: The Willsaphone Stupid ShowOver the Edge Vol. 6: The Willsaphone Stupid ShowThe Wilsaphone Stupid Show is a two CD collection of recordings edited from two different broadcasts on KPFA's Over the Edge radio show, hosted by Don Joyce....
(1994) - Over the Edge Vol. 7: Time Zones Exchange ProjectOver the Edge Vol. 7: Time Zones Exchange ProjectThe Time Zones Exchange Project distills selections from Negativland's radio program Over the Edge, broadcast on KPFA. This CD was edited together from several different broadcasts recorded between 1989 and 1992....
(1994) - Over the Edge Vol. 8: Sex DirtOver the Edge Vol. 8: Sex DirtSex Dirt distills a single episode of Negativland's radio program Over the Edge, broadcast on KPFA.Unlike previous volumes of the Over The Edge series, this disc represents a live, improvisational performance by the group as a whole. Most Over The Edge Broadcasts do not include all of Negativland,...
(1995) - It's All in Your Head FM: Over the Edge Live on StageIt's All in Your Head FM: Over the Edge Live on StageIt's All in Your Head FM: Over the Edge Live on Stage is a 2006 album by the sound collage band Negativland. It was compiled from a series of live recordings made by the band in California in October 2005....
(2006)
Interviews
- Radio Feature, The Some Assembly Required Interview with Don Joyce (2001).