Page 8 - Katherine Ryan press pack

inside and outside of black communities, while also bringing their personalities to
the fore as they chat about their quarantine hobbies. Hannah J Davies

Producer pick: GABA

Chosen by Madeleine Finlay (audio producer)

If, like me, you spend a good part of the day reading and listening to coronavirus
related content, you’re probably finding yourself less than relaxed when it gets to
bedtime. Switching off and falling into a peaceful slumber has never been a forte of
mine, and recently it has presented a particular challenge. Enter GABA – a strange
but absorbing meld of soundscapes, spoken word, and meditation.

Thankfully, the show manages to escape the tropes of each of those elements. Host
Adam Martin gestures towards a narrative, poetically describing scenes and feelings
while samples from films, news footage, interviews, and old songs meander in and
out. It’s not always that calming, but GABA will lift you from wherever you’re sitting
(or lying in my case) and take you into its world.

It’s meditation for people who don’t like being told to visit their ‘happy place’ or
listening to the sort of ambient music you’d expect to hear playing in your local
health spa. Several episodes in and there’s yet to be even a whisper of panpipes. The
only complaint? A serious overuse of birdsong - although perhaps that’s coming
from outside my headphones.

Talking points

 Love the sound of your own voice? Why not turn your latest group Zoom chat
into a podcast with Spotify’s Anchor.
 Why not try: Miriam and Youssef | Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe’s
Lockdown Parenting Hell | Homeschool History