Earliest Recorded Voice from 1878 Discovered and Restored

[Amy Jeanne]

Decasia is so pretentious, though!! I have a bit of pretentious-love in me, gotta admit. I prefer the cornball-ness of El Brendel, though

I'd like to hear that Carl broadcast if you can send it. I'll listen to it at work. If it's anything like the 50th Anniversary of the Phonograph I don't think it would bother me too much. The Albanian thing, though, I think I want to hear that one, too if you could send it. Again -- listen to it at work and it softens the scariness! Thanks!

 

[davidraphael]

Decasia reminds me very much of modern 'hauntology' electronica artists who take old audio, such as 1920s 78rpms, and rework them to create either disquieting or calming ambient moods. They often have analog audio that gradually 'decays' during the track.
I've posted stuff here before by 'The Caretaker'. See here:
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/show...listening-to&p=1530142&viewfull=1#post1530142

Other artists include 'William Basinski' who, in addition to using 'found sounds', also uses shortwave radio in his works. One famous work is called 'The Disintegration Loops', which includes almost deteriorated cassette tapes.
[video=youtube;qYOr8TlnqsY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYOr8TlnqsY[/video]

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Queen Victoria? (circa 1888)
Recording believed to be that of Queen Victoria

[video=youtube;TNsQRkHjoGQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNsQRkHjoGQ[/video]

 

[Espee]

"The Sinking of the Titanic" by Gavin Breyars has some nearly-buried voices. At one point I hear two ladies in conversation, but I have no idea what they're saying.
And there's a fellow i take to be a retired British officer... I expect him to mention his service in "IN-jiah" at any moment, but he never becomes intelligible to me.

 

[W4ASZ]

A couple of years ago I purchased a National HRO, which is perhaps the most famous of the WWII intercept radio receivers. They were used with great effect in Britain and elsewhere to pick up Morse code signals from primarily German sources. The German Enigma machine message traffic was sent in four or five letter groups, I don't recall which. Anyway, one of the first transmissions I picked up with my "new" radio was a string of five-letter Morse groups, apparently "cut" numbers. This radio has not forgotten its roots, or the signal had been trapped in there since the War and finally leaked out when I turned it on.

Now that made me feel a bit odd.

As for maybe the most creepy regular shortwave broadcasts, Radio Tirana in the 1960s and 1970s took the cake. This was when Comrade Enver Hoxha was at the helm of his officially atheist state. Who can argue with Stalinist/Maoist pronouncements accompanied by one of the nastiest power supply hums ever ? And, R. Tirana offered Radio Peking relays to boot. ("Imperialists and their capitalist running dog lackeys !")

The German Gong Station sounds especially disturbing because it's a single sideband signal - at least I think it is. :eeek:

 

[davidraphael]

Does anyone know if there are any software or USB radio devices that can work with a PC to receive shortwave radio signals?

I found some open source software that decodes shortwave radio signals, morse code, broadcasts etc. And I'm fascinated!

 

[W4ASZ]

Does anyone know if there are any software or USB radio devices that can work with a PC to receive shortwave radio signals?

I found some open source software that decodes shortwave radio signals, morse code, broadcasts etc. And I'm fascinated!

Google "Software Defined Radios." (SDR's)

I have a Winradio which has performed properly. You might look at the Perseus and the Bonito. There are others, but the names don't spring immediately to mind.

 

[Amy Jeanne]

Finally listening to Numbers Stations (the BBC doc). Interesting. Not creepy within the format of a documentary.

 

[Effingham]

It's not an "early recording" per se, but I love to inflict Florence Foster Jenkins on people.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtf2Q4yyuJ0

 

[davidraphael]

I know Florence well, so I'll decline to click the link - it's too early in the morning.