Listening to the Flickerman episode presented to me radio listening in a narrative setting – separate from the almost cliche world of music presentation that has been presented to me. Although music plays a heavy role in the momentum and mood of the story, the use of foley and sound effects and narration is a lot more present and become the focus of putting music in the background.
The narration is the driving force behind the narrative whilst the music is used to set the scene, often accompanying the voice matching the pace of the voice, using stings and stabs to emphasise certain words. There is space and silence and build ups to create tension – something we see often in musical pieces, but its different here. The pairing of the paced narration with the immersive music creates something very unique separate from music and regular audiobooks.
The use of silence can be seen as vital in the introduction of the explosion scene within the episode. It is used purposefully and with intent to enhance the incoming whooshing sound – created by the reversal of a gunshot – almost like a riser before a drop in trap/electronic music. Panning is used to create audio movement, as well as the narration of “and then the whole world is ripped to peices” – which is without any music backing emphasising the words used. The explosion itself is roaring and dramatic and matches the build up used for it.