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Laura Barton's Notes from a Musical Island

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Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media: Arts

Laura Barton takes a close listen to music found in different landscapes around Britain.

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Laura Barton's Notes from a Musical Island: Series 3

Laura Barton's Notes from a Musical Island: Series 3: Pirates and Agitators

24/07/2018

Pirates and Agitators

Series 3

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Music writer Laura Barton takes a close listen to the music of Bristol.

Music writer Laura Barton takes a close listen to music created in Bristol and finds a city where music is made with the roguishness of pirates and agitators.

The music writer Laura Barton heads west to listen to the music of Bristol. Surrounded by hills and divided by the River Avon, she finds a city where music is made with the roguishness of pirates and agitators. 

In the south of the city, Laura's invited into the tranquil new home of Invada Records, the studio of music producer and Portishead instrumentalist Geoff Barrow. Down on the Harbourside, neo-soul singer China Bowls busks with the band Snazzback and talks to Laura about the sense of freedom moving back to Bristol has given her music. Japanese-born artist Yoshino Shigihara has similarly found a home there, drawing energy for her band Yama Warashi from the nearby M32 motorway and late night reggae sessions in St Paul's. Laura finds Tom Friend leafing through the Bristol section in his record shop, Friendly Records, on North Street. Together they try to put their finger on the source of the "Bristol sound". And Joe Talbot, the singer in post punk band IDLES, muses on how the city's lines, tunnels and hills have led to a more accepting place to live and make music today.

Produced by Andrea Rangecroft
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

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Pirates and Agitators

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