Twenty Thousand Hertz is anything but your conventional music podcast. Creator and host Dallas Taylor doesn’t delve into the usual music or artist-related topics.
His podcast reveals the stories behind the world’s most recognizable and interesting sounds.
Do you find yourself humming along to the familiar fanfare that introduces every 20th Century Fox movie? A recent episode of Twenty Thousand Hertz featured interviews with Academy Award-nominated composer David Newman and film historian Aubrey Solomon who discuss this enduring piece of music, which was first composed almost a hundred years ago.
One of my favorite episodes is “808,” which is the name of arguably the most iconic drum machine ever made. Apparently, it’s present in lots of hit songs, and performed by the likes of Usher, Whitney Houston, Phil Collins, and Marvin Gaye.
DJ Jazzy Jeff, who is featured in this episode, said, “There was nothing that was more distinctive and sought-after than an 808.” He and Paul McCabe from Roland Corporation, a manufacturer and distributor of electronic musical instruments, trace everything that happened from the time this drum machine was released in the eighties to the period when everybody was trying to get their hands on it and DJs expanded its possibilities.
Throughout the episode, snippets of the various instruments, sounds, and songs are as entertaining as the smooth voice of the host.
May 2021 Issue
