radio art

atmospheric shows for  'radio art' broadcasts

jimmy peggie composes custom 'radio sound art' works which are broadcast on many radio stations around the world including:

'sound across distance' a monthly, hour long sound art radio show on CAMP Radio composed by jimmy peggie

'sub-atmosphere' a monthly, hour long radio show on Radio UAP composed by jimmy peggie

'atmospheria' a monthly, hour long radio show on Minerva Radio composed by jimmy peggie

'arid' - hour long radio show by radioart106 composed by jimmy peggie

radio work also featured on radio programing including Radiophrenia, Framework Radio, Resonance FM, Diffusion FM, Radio Rabe, Radio Campus Paris, Radio Tsonami, TT Node, Reboot FM, USMA Radio, Radio Campus, Noise Radio, Wave Farm, Resonance Extra.

More sounds on Mixcloud

Radio - A Space for Sonic Art

For over a century, radio has served as a vital conduit for news, entertainment, and music. But beyond its utilitarian and commercial uses, radio also exists as a powerful, often under-appreciated medium for sonic art which is an expansive field that merges sound, performance, and conceptual experimentation. In the static between stations, in the rhythm of talk and silence, in the manipulation of frequency and noise, artists have long found fertile ground for expression that transcends traditional boundaries.

Radio’s potential as an artistic medium was recognized not long after its invention. In the early 20th century, as broadcasts became more widespread, avant-garde artists and composers began to explore its possibilities. Futurists like Luigi Russolo, known for his Art of Noises, envisioned sound as a new frontier of artistic expression, a vision perfectly suited for a medium that communicated solely through the ear.

The early experiments in radiophonic art especially those by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop (founded in 1958) pushed boundaries in music and storytelling. Pioneers like Daphne Oram and Delia Derbyshire blurred the lines between music and noise, using tape loops, oscillators, and early synthesizers to create immersive sonic experiences. These were not just compositions but audible environments that were abstract, emotive, and entirely new.

Traditional art often privileges the visual, but radio refocuses attention on listening which is a skill that modern life often marginalizes. Unlike television or film, which demand full visual attention, radio allows sound to infiltrate daily life in a more intimate, mobile, and ambient manner.

In this way, radio becomes more than just a delivery method; it is a space and a site of experimentation where sound, voice, rhythm, and silence can be composed as deliberately as paint on a canvas. This is especially true in free form radio, community stations, and pirate broadcasts, where the constraints of commercial formatting fall away, and artists can shape soundscapes that range from meditative to chaotic, from abstract to deeply narrative.

With the rise of streaming, podcasts, and digital radio, the landscape of audio has undergone a seismic shift. Yet, even amid this digital transformation, the spirit of radio art persists and evolves.

Artists and collectives now use online platforms to transmit experimental broadcasts across time zones and continents, forming networks of sonic expression that are as fluid and border-less as the medium itself. Platforms like Resonance FM (London), Wave Farm (New York), Radio Sound Art and Radio Art Zone (Luxembourg) serve as living archives of contemporary radio art, providing artists with the tools and the airspace to challenge, provoke, and inspire.

Radio art thrives in ambiguity. It can be as structured as a musical score or as spontaneous as a live improvisation. It plays with distortion, repetition, echo, and interference—not as technical flaws, but as aesthetic elements. The hiss of a detuned station or the feedback of a mic can be as expressive as a violin string or a brushstroke.

Moreover, radio’s ephemeral nature is central to its artistic value. Unlike a painting or a sculpture, a live broadcast can disappear as soon as it is heard, making the act of listening a temporal, participatory experience. This impermanence gives sonic art a sense of urgency and presence, often lost in more static forms.

In an age dominated by screens and visual noise, radio invites us to slow down and listen and to hear stories in static, find rhythm in randomness, and discover art in the act of tuning in. As both a historical and contemporary platform for sonic creativity, radio remains a potent space for artistic expression and a boundless canvas painted with sound.

Whether through experimental broadcasts, immersive soundscapes, or abstract compositions, radio art challenges us to engage with sound in deeper, more imaginative ways. It reminds us that the airwaves are not just for information or entertainment and that they are a playground for the ears, and a space where art can truly speak.

© 2025 Jimmy Peggie