rubcity slickers
Glasgow’s dance-music orientated student station. SubCity Radio. is the best in Britain. according to judges at the first ever Radio I Student Radio Awards. At a ‘glittering’ (aren’t they always) ceremony in London the Glasgow Uni students experienced their golden hour. beating over 50 UK entrants in the race to become Radio 1’s Best Student Station 1996. Industry and Beeb pros. including director of BBC Radio and controller of Radio I. Matthew Bannister and managing director of Virgin Records, Paul Conroy. described SubCity as: ‘stunning and resourceful with an innovative schedule. and had an awareness of their environment’. The student broadcasters were also congratulated for their 2 ' marketing skills and status as official radio station of Scotland’s biggest music festival T In The Park. Praise indeed from the big guys. Returning to the airwaves this February. the prizewinncrs can now look forward to several visits from the Radio 1 crew who will be broadcasting from their studio and running workshops for students.
Back at SubCity the mood is buoyant 'lt’s
fantastic because it’s the first time Radio 1 have \ run the competition' says station manager Jo Coomber. ‘It’s a great thing for student radio as a whole.‘ So what separates SubCity from the rest of the student radio crowd? ‘We really try to market ourselves as a dance station.’ Coomber says. ‘We’re not just a student radio station.‘ Anyone requiring proofof this need only check the station’s output. Top Scottish DJs and clubs like Dominic (Sub Club. Glasgow). Twitch and Brainstorm (Pure. Edinburgh). Cool Lemon (Glasgow) and Glasgow record label Soma have all found their way into Glasgow homes. cars and workplaces via the SubCity signal. Despite tight budgets and broadcasting restrictions (SubCity only goes ottt twice a year). Coomber reckons student stations have some advantages over their mainstream and commercial cousins. ‘We lSubCity] don’t have a playlist.‘ she says. ‘I find that really ties the commercial stations down. I suppose that’s why we’re an alternative. We’re putting on Dls who only play the stuff they love.‘ (Ellie Carr) SahCitv is back on the airwaves 24 hours a day front Sat [5 Fel)~-Fri [-1 Mar on /()5.4 FM (look out forfliers nearer the time it.sj/i'e(/ii('tie\‘ may change). See e/nhsfor detai/s ol'SuhC'ity is launch night on Sat 25 .Ian. Also. listen out/or (‘lnh ('it_\‘. a new thCity programme in assoeiation with The List
getting out and about on the (i/asgow club scene.
Knowing the score
When it was composed in l945. Benjamin Britten’s ‘The Young Person’s Guide To The Orchestra‘ was written as an educational piece using variations on a theme by Purcell to throw a spotlight on the individual instruments that make up an orchestra — music as an interactive prototype.
This piece is the natural choice for conductor Sir Simon Rattle (recently seen ploughing through 20th century classical music in Channel 4’s Leaving Home) to use on Orchestra. a CD-ROM guide to the structure and function of the modern symphony orchestra. A video image of Rattle steers us through musical history and introduces musicians from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra who describe their specific roles. Elsewhere we can sample the sounds of individual instruments and use the mouse to position them as we build our own orchestra.
As well as a superb video performance of the Britten piece (literally highlighting the orchestral sections playing each line). the CD-ROM also includes a new variation on the Purcell original by Scottish composer Judith Weir. which draws upon instruments ignored by Britten. The overall result is
fascinating and fun. a brilliant means for expanding a
child’s instinctive enthusiasm for music. (Alan Morrison)
Orchestra is available in the PC format from Attica. priced £34. 99
Judlth Weir: premletlng her new work on cn-aon
media and technology
Bits and bytes
Last issue. bits and bytes went wobbly at the knees after its brush with ‘vibrating’ virtual reality backpack and cushion. Aura lnteractor — ‘the machine that shook America’.
So now for something completely different but just as wobbly. In a bid to become the gadget seen in the pockets of switched-on clubbers. Vodapage Ltd is adding a new free infomiation service to its Vodazap! pager (prices start at £69.95). Designed handin to quake in your trouser pocket each time it logs a new message. the pager will now receive dance chart updates. gossip. and a regional weekend club guide direct from UK club kings The Ministry Of Sound. At last a way to impress cool friends on the dancefloor with your in-depth knowledge of chart positions and DJ goss.
From goss to gloss. the battle to create a female Loaded hots up this month with news of the launch of Fresh 10 (El .95). a new 37311“,
aged 18—26. Already . hum; . occupying this coveted ' ’ corner of the newstand is Minx (also £l.95). making inroads into the market with its cheeky coverage of subjects such as oral sex and hunkxfireman calendars for the office wall. As far as Fresh editor Deirdre Forbes is concerned though. Minx has still not filled the gap (ooh-er missus). Fresh intends to step into the breach with a mix of features and celebrity interviews on fashion, beauty and men for ‘single. earning women who know what they want’. Sounds about as Loaded as Woman is Weekly to us. but let’s wait till it rolls of the presses to see if it’s as hot as promised. (Ellie Carr)
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The List 24 Jan-6 Feb I997 93