Within the Wires Season 1
"Listen. Remember. Comprehend." - Relaxation Cassette #1: Stress, Shoulders
Within the Wires is a Found Audio anthology podcast. The first season "Relaxation Cassettes" is written by Jeffrey Cranor and Janina Matthewson and narrated by Janina Matthewson. The scoring is done by Mary Epworth. WtW is one of the first podcasts produced by Nightvale presents coming out at the same time as Alice isn't Dead.
Whether it's filmmakers getting lost in the woods (Blair Witch Product(1999)) or a news reporter discovering a zombie outbreak (Rec(2007)) found footage always seems to find its way to the silver screen but what if you found something that didn't seem to come from this universe. Some things are the same like Siouxsie and the Banshees and the smell of Cedar but there are many things which are different. Imagine a world without nationality, or cultural heritage. Imagine a world without parents or siblings living your life without the ties that bind. Imagine forgetting everything that happened before you were ten. Imagine being alone. WtW is a found audio podcast that takes place in a alternate universe where tribalism or really any sense of identity politics is non-existent. A world were racism, jingoism, nationalism, and chauvinism are erased just like the memories of children are on their tenth birthday.
Being an anthology each season focuses on a different set of audio set in the universe. The first season features a 10 cassette "Relaxation" Program presented by an orwellian medical organization known as the Institute. The program is reminiscent of AlanTutorial having a sense of verisimilitude in the creation but with an execution leading to the bazarre. Cranor is well known for his surrealism and his influence can be easily seen. The early episodes seem bizarre and confusing but provide an excellent amount of subtext. The story can seem near subliminally sometime going from visualization to monologue until finally she finally reveals a kernel of truth that we are looking for. Within the Wires tells a story in the periphery, the narrators restricted by their medium but always wanting to talk about something else. The second half of the season picks up the pace, providing both a better sense of the institute and a more intense experience as the purpose of the cassettes become less to relax and more to survive.
The acting is fantastic unlike Nightvales taciturn Cecil Palmer, Within the Wire's Hester Well is much more emotional. There are quite a few moments that make the series memorable such as Side A of Cassette 4 and the ending of Cassette 9 where Matthewsons character brings the show together. Some audio dramas rely on intense dialogue or foley work to sell its story. Within the Wires is personal and
has some of the best voice acting that I have heard in the field.
Mary Epworth's contribution to the podcast is excellent. One episode Cassete 6: For Oleta provided an almost humorous usage of the scoring showing both Epworths range and creativity. Overall the music featured in the podcast is memorable and iconic.
Within the Wires is an excellent Audio Drama and one of the best of the genre. To this day it is still one of my favorite podcasts and deserves the hype it gets. If you are interested in Audio Dramas, enjoy found audio podcasts or are interested in listening to more great podcasts in the vein of WtNV check out Within the Wires, the half-hour long episodes are perfect for a morning commute or a evening jog.
Our time is done is You time now, time to draw a bath, play some music, and light an aromatic candle.
Todays Scented Candle is "Persistent Mail Carrier"
Todays Relaxing Music is "The Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth"
Todays Bath is filled with "Old Tabloids"
Within the Wires is a Found Audio anthology podcast. The first season "Relaxation Cassettes" is written by Jeffrey Cranor and Janina Matthewson and narrated by Janina Matthewson. The scoring is done by Mary Epworth. WtW is one of the first podcasts produced by Nightvale presents coming out at the same time as Alice isn't Dead.
Whether it's filmmakers getting lost in the woods (Blair Witch Product(1999)) or a news reporter discovering a zombie outbreak (Rec(2007)) found footage always seems to find its way to the silver screen but what if you found something that didn't seem to come from this universe. Some things are the same like Siouxsie and the Banshees and the smell of Cedar but there are many things which are different. Imagine a world without nationality, or cultural heritage. Imagine a world without parents or siblings living your life without the ties that bind. Imagine forgetting everything that happened before you were ten. Imagine being alone. WtW is a found audio podcast that takes place in a alternate universe where tribalism or really any sense of identity politics is non-existent. A world were racism, jingoism, nationalism, and chauvinism are erased just like the memories of children are on their tenth birthday.
Being an anthology each season focuses on a different set of audio set in the universe. The first season features a 10 cassette "Relaxation" Program presented by an orwellian medical organization known as the Institute. The program is reminiscent of AlanTutorial having a sense of verisimilitude in the creation but with an execution leading to the bazarre. Cranor is well known for his surrealism and his influence can be easily seen. The early episodes seem bizarre and confusing but provide an excellent amount of subtext. The story can seem near subliminally sometime going from visualization to monologue until finally she finally reveals a kernel of truth that we are looking for. Within the Wires tells a story in the periphery, the narrators restricted by their medium but always wanting to talk about something else. The second half of the season picks up the pace, providing both a better sense of the institute and a more intense experience as the purpose of the cassettes become less to relax and more to survive.
The acting is fantastic unlike Nightvales taciturn Cecil Palmer, Within the Wire's Hester Well is much more emotional. There are quite a few moments that make the series memorable such as Side A of Cassette 4 and the ending of Cassette 9 where Matthewsons character brings the show together. Some audio dramas rely on intense dialogue or foley work to sell its story. Within the Wires is personal and
has some of the best voice acting that I have heard in the field.
Mary Epworth's contribution to the podcast is excellent. One episode Cassete 6: For Oleta provided an almost humorous usage of the scoring showing both Epworths range and creativity. Overall the music featured in the podcast is memorable and iconic.
Within the Wires is an excellent Audio Drama and one of the best of the genre. To this day it is still one of my favorite podcasts and deserves the hype it gets. If you are interested in Audio Dramas, enjoy found audio podcasts or are interested in listening to more great podcasts in the vein of WtNV check out Within the Wires, the half-hour long episodes are perfect for a morning commute or a evening jog.
Our time is done is You time now, time to draw a bath, play some music, and light an aromatic candle.
Todays Scented Candle is "Persistent Mail Carrier"
Todays Relaxing Music is "The Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth"
Todays Bath is filled with "Old Tabloids"
Comments
Post a Comment