Delia Derbyshire

Sound

Biography

Delia Ann Derbyshire was an English musician and composer of electronic music. She carried out pioneering work with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop during the 1960s, including her electronic arrangement of the theme music to the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who.

Born: May 5, 1937

Place of Birth: Coventry, West Midlands, England, UK

Known For

80% Match2006HD

Masters of Sound

Documentary on the sound effects of Doctor Who in the 1960s.

75% Match2020HD

Delia Derbyshire: The Myths And Legendary Tapes

A true pioneer in audio exploration and psycho-acoustics, Delia Derbyshire conceived one of the most familiar compositions in science fiction, the Doctor Who theme, while working in a BBC basement. Her soundscapes felt like they connected to another realm. Kicking off with the discovery of 267 tapes in an attic, along with a treasure trove of journals hidden in her childhood bedroom, this film tunes in to Derbyshire’s frequency; that of a life-long non-conformist, whose peals of laughter in an archive interview tickle with delight and eccentricity. Featuring a rich archive, interviews, fictional embodiment and Cosey Fanni Tutti’s psycho-sonic channelling, director Caroline Catz traces acoustic pathways on her archeological dig into Derbyshire’s resonant life.

69% Match2021HD

Sisters with Transistors

Think of early electronic music and you’ll likely see men pushing buttons, knobs, and boundaries. While electronic music is often perceived as a boys' club, the truth is that from the very beginning women have been integral in inventing the devices, techniques and tropes that would define the shape of sound for years to come.

65% Match2003HD

The Alchemists of Sound

A documentary about the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, responsible for creating some of the most memorable television and radio music in British popular culture, including "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and Doctor Who (1963).

60% Match2009HD

The Delian Mode

A Genie Award winning documentary about electronic music pioneer Delia Derbyshire, primarily remembered for the original realization of Ron Grainer's theme for Doctor Who and her work with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.

Filmography

2021

Sisters with Transistors

as Self (archive footage)

2020

Delia Derbyshire: The Myths And Legendary Tapes

as Self

2009

The Delian Mode

as Self (archive footage)

2006

Masters of Sound

as Self (archive footage)

2003

The Alchemists of Sound

as Self