The Great Bleep Forward

Episodes

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Another chance to hear Andrew Collins presenting a four-part series on electronic music.

Hear the first baby's cry of the moog synthesiser, embrace the difficult childhood of prog rock, grapple with the 'experimental' teenage years of the New Romantics and discover the middle-aged maturity and nostalgia of the present day.

The series features interviews with many of the key players in the development of electronic music including Robert Moog, Kraftwerk's Ralph Hutter, Radiohead's Johnny Greenwood, Factory's Tony Wilson, Thomas Dolby, the Human League, Primal Scream, A Guy Called Gerald, Zoot Woman and Grandaddy.

Andrew Collins explores the development of electronic music.

Andrew Collins explores the history and future of electronic music.

The Great Bleep Forward: Presented by Andrew Collins

As a follow-up to BBC Four's Synth Britannia programme there's another chance to hear a series made by 6 Music in 2004 in which Andrew Collins explores the development of electronic music.

The story of modern music is one of subversion and experimentation, of heroes and villains. But what if we've got it all wrong? What if the real subversives didn't wear leather and denim but smart suits and white lab coats? What if the true experimentation wasn't with LSD but with DX7's and S900s? What if the real heroes of music aren't John, and Paul, Mick and Keith, but Ralf, Florian, Robert and Wendy!

The Great Bleep Forward is a series four programmes, presented by Andrew Collins exploring the history of electronic music. Hear the first baby's cry of the moog synthesiser, embrace the difficult childhood of prog rock, grapple with the 'experimental' teenage years of the New Romantics and discover the middle aged maturity and nostalgia of the present day. You'll also get a sense of the sound of the future.

Andrew Collins explores the history of electronic music.

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20110419 (6M)
20111018 (6M)
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20150121 (6M)
20150729 (6M)
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20170719 (6M)
20180912 (6M)
20190717 (6M)
20200520 (6M)
20230406 (6M)
Another chance to hear Andrew Collins presenting a four-part series on electronic music.

The series continues with an in depth look at the end of the seventies, the end of punk. Kids who can't play the guitar well enough to get in a punk band start forming synth bands.

We hear how The Human League, Heaven 17, Thomas Dolby, Depeche Mode and New Order shaped the sounds of a generation. Synths then are everywhere and ultimately take over the world.

The DX7 is the world's first million-selling synth and we hear why. We also discover how synths joined the musical mainstream and paved the way for others to follow and emulate.

First broadcast in 2004.

Andrew Collins explores the development of electronic music.

Andrew Collins explores the history and future of electronic music.

The Great Bleep Forward (2/4) Andrew Collins explores the development of electronic music.

The series continues with an in depth look at the end of the seventies, the end of punk. Kids who can't play the guitar well enough to get in a punk band start forming synth bands. We hear how The Human League, Heaven 17, Thomas Dolby, Depeche Mode and New Order shaped the sounds of a generation. Synths then are everywhere and ultimately take over the world. The DX7 is the worlds first million selling synth and we hear why? We also discover how synths joined the musical mainstream and paved the way for others to follow and emulate.

Andrew Collins takes an in-depth look at the end of the seventies.

032009102120100728 (6M)
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20121213 (6M)
20140522 (6M)
20150122 (6M)
20150730 (6M)
20161208 (6M)
20170720 (6M)
20180913 (6M)
20190718 (6M)
20200521 (6M)
20230406 (6M)
Another chance to hear Andrew Collins presenting a four-part series on electronic music.

Tonight Andrew considers the late 80s.

As people grew tired of the Soft Cell and Thompson Twins' approach to music, the electronic genie leapt out the bottle to reveal how sampling would change what we hear.

In this third programme Andrew Collins explores the sampling boom and the way drum machines could never drive a Rolls Royce into a swimming pool but could redefine the beat of the late 80s.

We hear how technology became cheap, letting groups like M/A/R/R/S and White Town release singles from their bedrooms.

Andrew Collins explores the electronic music of the late 1980s.

Andrew Collins explores the history and future of electronic music.

The Great Bleep Forward (3/4) Andrew Collins explores the electronic music of the late 80s.

As people grew tired of the Soft Cell and The Thompson Twins approach to music the electronic Genie leaped out the bottle to reveal how sampling would change what we hear. In this third programme Andrew Collins explores the sampling boom and the way drum machines could never drive a Rolls Royce into a swimming pool but could redefine the beat of the late 80's. We hear how technology became cheap letting groups like M/A/R/R/S and White Town release singles from their bedrooms turning music into a democracy.

Andrew Collins explores the sampling boom and drum machines.

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20150123 (6M)
20150731 (6M)
20161209 (6M)
20170721 (6M)
20180914 (6M)
20190719 (6M)
20200522 (6M)
20230406 (6M)
Another chance to hear Andrew Collins presenting a four-part series on electronic music.

In the final part of the series, Andrew gives us a glimpse of the electronic future as it appeared to him in 2004, when this series was made.

As electronic music reaches maturity, new artists are going back to the original synthesizers and mixing them with the most up-to-date technology to create new fusions.

Computers rule the planet and music. You no longer need to be a musician to make music, you can be a programmer. And vintage instruments can be re-created on your laptop.

Electronics have also become sophisticated in the live environment, with bands such as Radiohead sampling and replaying vocals at their live shows.

You can buy a software singer and guitarist for under £200 each. Have we finally created Kraftwerk's Man Machine?

Andrew Collins provides a glimpse of the future of electronic music.

Andrew Collins explores the history and future of electronic music.

The Great Bleep Forward: Presented by Andrew Collins (part 4 of 4)

Andrew Collins provides a glimpse of the future of electronic music as it appeared to him in 2004.

In the final part of the series, Andrew Collins gives us a glimpse of the electronic future as it appeared to him in 2004. As electronic music reaches maturity, new artists are going back to the original synthesizers and mixing them with the most up to date technology to create new fusions. Computers rule the planet and music. You no longer need to be a musician to make music, you can be a programmer. Vintage instruments can be re-created on your laptop. Electronics have become sophisticated in the live environment with bands like radiohead sampling and replaying vocals during a live track. You can buy a software singer and guitarist for under £200 each. Have we finally created Kraftwerk's Man Machine?

Andrew Collins takes a look at the future of electronic music as it appeared to him.