Proforma

You, 7 albums, some books, a film and the void…

Returning from a solo mission to a distant star system, light years from our own, your space craft loses its warp drive as it passes through the Heliopause from interstellar space and encounters the Termination Shock of our Solar System.

Beyond even Pluto there is no hope that you will make it back to Earth before complete depletion of the energy and supplies of your ship. Also, you calculate, it would take more than 40 years.

With all of your skill and experience you manage to land your stricken vessel on Deep Space Gideon where there is bountiful food and water and a fantastic old stereo – a turntable, amplifier and pair of top quality speakers.

As you set the SOS signal to repeat, allowing the faintest hope of rescue, you are alone save your limited personal possessions: the complete works of Douglas Adams, another book of your choice, a ‘luxury item’ (that may be neither alive nor an aid to escape), a favourite film and seven of your favourite albums, on vinyl. The good news is that in 2318 an amazing, non-toxic, odourless gas, Nitrous Roxide, has been synthesised. To mitigate one of the hardships of solitude and travel across the universe, when Nitrous Roxide is inhaled in tiny, controlled doses, (as it will be in your new home), it renders the listener immune to the dreaded familiarity contempt of repeated listening. You will never get tired of your favourite film or music…

Thank-you for your bravery!

I want to know more about you.

The inspiration for the journey we are to take together is a 75+ year old British radio institution. Since 1941, notables from all walks of life have allowed their memories and stories to be explored via the singular medium of music; their lives framed by the choices they have made in bringing eight recorded pieces to Radio.

Our recording will follow a similar format except for the following:

You have seven choices.

These may be albums rather than songs.

Only one song per album will be played.

The entire song may be listened to by you and I during recording of our interview, (although it may not). Only a fragment, if that, will make it through to the final podcast or sound file.

The choices should ideally resonate with periods, events, places or people of your life or should have some meaning to you, thus enabling the discussion we will have together to relate these memories.

The final edit and mix of our interview will be necessarily shortened from the total period recorded. Then again, if it’s too good to lose…

This is a chance for you to reflect, remember and relax.

Enjoy!

This explanatory text has been given to you ahead of our meeting that you may have time to compile the list of albums or songs you will choose. In some cases, and with the utmost respect, there will be little online about you for me to research ahead of our interview. (In fact, my initial inspiration was to record ‘ordinary’ friends and family that we might get to know each other a little better, and perhaps learn a little more about ourselves). It would help me greatly, therefore, if you would use the form below to write down the following information (which I will not broadcast should you stipulate):

 

  • DD slash MM slash YYYY
  • Grandparents: If you have any stories or information about any of your grandparents you would like to share, or discuss, please tell me here.
  • Parents names, DOBs (if known), origins, occupations and a little about their lives (if known). Sorry to ask but please tell me, if they have passed, when that was.
  • Sibling(s), if you have anything you would like to share about them, here’s where you do it.
  • A brief biography of your life: place of birth, house(s) and school(s), education beyond school, travel, work, life, love(s), children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren.
  • And now, your songs or albums, and please, with a little explanation as to why they made your list.
  • Hard, isn’t it!

    Now finally, along with all Douglas Adams’ written works (Google if you’re not familiar with him), please tell me:
  • Please sign the form (at time of interview). In signing you give me permission to broadcast our recorded conversation in whichever format I can manage to work out. Podcast is the plan, but I’ll need technical help even for that. Please let me know how you would like to be identified online. Initials, first name only, nickname (that I will assign) are all completely OK.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.


 

Finally, Thank-you!

Chris Mobbs

0412 037 587

mobbsy@hotmail.com