Public Service Broadcasting (band)

Public Service Broadcasting are a London-based pseudonymous musical duo consisting of J. Willgoose, Esq. on guitar, banjo, other stringed instruments, samplings and electronic instruments; and Wrigglesworth on drums, piano and electronic instruments.^[3] The band have toured internationally and in 2015 they were announced as nominees in the Vanguard breakthrough category of the fourth annual Progressive Music Awards, staged by Prog magazine,^[4] which they won.^[5]

History

At first, the band consisted solely of Willgoose. He made his public debut at The Selkirk pub in Tooting, London, England in late 2009. Shortly afterwards he issued EP One. Teaming up with Wrigglesworth on drums the band played its first festival in September 2010, Aestival in Suffolk, and work began on a second EP, The War Room, which was released in May 2012. Since then, the band has released two albums, Inform-Educate-Entertain (2013); and The Race for Space, released on 23 February 2015. While writing The War Room the band formed a close relationship with the British Film Institute, using their material during live shows.^[6]

Music style and live performances

The band plays instrumental music, with Willgoose noting that "singing is never going to work. I'm not going to be happy with it, I'm not going to be comfortable playing it to other people."^[6] They take samples from old public information films, archive footage and propaganda material, attempting (with tongue firmly in cheek) to 'teach the lessons of the past through the music of the future'.^[7]

For live shows the pair are augmented by visuals expert Mr. B and bass guitarist and flugelhorn player JF Abraham, who also features on The Race for Space.

Discography

Albums

• Inform-Educate-Entertain (2013) UK no. 21
• The Race for Space (2015) UK no. 11
• The Race for Space / Remixes (17 June 2016)^[8] UK no. 59

EPs

• EP One — 7 August 2010.^[9]
• The War Room — 28 May 2012 ^{[10][11][12][13]}
• Signal 30 — 15 April 2013

Singles

• "ROYGBIV" — 5 March 2012 ^[14] which won the BBC Radio 6 Music Rebel Playlist.^[15]
• "Spitfire" — 26 March 2012 ^{[16][17][18][19]} which won the BBC Radio 6 Music Rebel Playlist.^[20] The song sampled dialogue and sound from the 1942 film "The First of the Few", and the video incorporated footage from the same film.
• "London Can Take It" — 13 August 2012 ^[21][22]
• "Everest" — 12 November 2012 only for digital downloading. The song is based around The Conquest of Everest, a 1953 film charting Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay's first successful ascent of the mountain.^[23]
• "Signal 30" ^[24]
• "Night Mail"^[25]
• "Elfstedentocht" (Record Store Day single; 11 November 2013)^[26][27]
• "Gagarin" - 1 December 2014 (first single of the album "The Race For Space")
• "Go!" - 23 February 2015
• "Sputnik/Korolev" - 20 November 2015 #4 UK Physical ^[28]

References

Notes

Citations

External links

• Official website
• Public Service Broadcasting on BBC Music
• Public Service Broadcasting on MusicBrainz