Hear Seven Hours of Women Making Electronic Music (1938-2014)

"The early era of experimental electronic music belonged to Delia Derbyshire. Derbyshire—who almost gave Paul McCartney a version of "Yesterday" with an electronic backing in place of strings—helped invent the early electronic music of the sixties through her work with the Radiophonic Workshop, the sound effects laboratory of the BBC."

"What gets almost completely left out of many histories of electronic music, as with so many other histories, is the prominent role so many women besides Derbyshire played in the development of the sounds we now hear around us all the time."

"Musician, DJ, and "escaped housewife/schoolteacher" Barbara Golden devoted two episodes of her KPFA radio program "Crack o' Dawn" to women in electronic music, once in 2010 and again in 2013. She shares each broadcast with co-host Jon Leidecker, and in each segment, the two banter in casual radio show style, offering history and context for each musician and composer."

Delia Derbyshire, composer of the original Doctor Who theme and member of the Radiophonic Workshop, was instrumental in creating early experimental electronic music of the 1960s. She collaborated with Paul McCartney and formed White Noise, one of the decade's most influential electronic acts. However, historical accounts often underrepresent the significant contributions of women in electronic music's development, focusing instead on male pioneers like Kraftwerk and Brian Eno. Musician and DJ Barbara Golden addressed this gap by dedicating two episodes of her KPFA radio program "Crack o' Dawn" to women in electronic music, featuring discussions with co-host Jon Leidecker that provide historical context and recognition for overlooked female composers and musicians.

Read at Open Culture