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Bioelectrical signal from plants, hearing aid soundscapes and free thinking. Daphne Oram’s legacy honoured in 2023
> The awards ceremony that celebrates the legacy of one of the most important women in music of the 20th century is quietly becoming a hotbed for creativity in its own right.
You might know the name Daphne Oram from her pioneering work with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop back in the early days of electronic experimentation. Or as the (only latterly) credited author of some of the James Bond series’ most memorable retro ambient sounds. Her style was so distinctly her own she coined her own technique, ‘Oramics’.
But since 2017, the fondly remembered audio engineering titan’s legacy has been passed down to new generations in the form of the Oram Awards which “celebrates women, trans, non-binary and gender expansive artists who are pushing the envelope of creativity in sound, music and related technology”.
And very much in keeping with Oram’s esoteric, experimental ethos – which lay behind her endearlngly straight-laced school ma’am exterior – this year’s awards honoured some truly creative ideas.
This year’s winner’s list of eight musicians include Cecilia “Cil” Morgan aka afromerm, with her motion-sensitive ‘Juniper’, a MIDI instrument that reacts to movements and Helen Anahita Wilson’s use of bioelectrical signal data from plants tells unique stories about human health.
Elsewhere the awards honoured Natalie Roe’s unique blend of modular synthesis and acoustic experimentation as well as Hannan Jones’ take on musique concrète. Meanwhile London-based producer, composer, and vocalist Geo Aghinea was recognised for their work which represents a musical landscape through the prism of a hearing aid.
The awards have previously helped launch the careers of names such as Loraine James, Klein, Venus Ex Machina, Francine Perry aka La Leif, and Amy Cutler.
Director and lead producer Karen Sutton emphasises that support for programmes such as these are vital if the music industry is serious about finding a space for diverse talent: “Aft
