Since 2005, I have been hosting and producing ESL, a bi-monthly experimental radio program that has fun with the radio medium, with a particular penchant for improvised live audio collaging and folky radio dramas.
listen to eSL’s PRAIRIE PEOPLE or the sex lives of the Saskatchewan people
See here for the radio show blog.
ESL has had, since its beginnings, in 2005, a mandate to experiment with the radio medium in a laboratory-like way, through the creation of radio art by its programmers, the airing of pre-produced radio and sound art by emerging and established artists, as well as occasionally inviting local and international artists to do live transmissions and performances in-studio. We do also interview artists, but the focus is on the sound and not the interview, desiring not to be too talk-heavy a show (hence Sound and notEnglish). Most of our creative work has thus far consisted of live mixes and manipulation of audio through collages, soundscapes and old-fashioned radio theatre serials. All of this is done, of course, with an easy-peasygoing, fun, unpretentious approach
ESL, which originally stood for Experimental Sound Lab, is well aware that its acronym is most commonly known for English as a Second Language and that this may cause some confusion. Luckily, ESL is not afraid of confusion and in fact, encourages it as an excellent path towards enlightenment. The deliberate play on the well-known acronym alludes to the fact that sound and not english is this radio program’s first language and that people get smarter whenever they learn to speak and understand any other language that is not english. Just think about it.
ESL has playfully morphed into a number of reincarnations including Easy Sonic Listeningand its most recent tongue-in-cheek moniker, Easy Sonic Living. By the way, almost everything we do on ESL is tongue-in-cheek, have you heard us on the air?
