Sound + Direction

Beyond the screen, this work explores how music operates within real-world contexts: retail, podcasting and Sunday morning radio.

Cassandra Goad

In-Store Soundtracks

Taking the eclectic, global inspirations of the brand and applying them in the physical space of its Sloane Street boutique. I crafted Cassandra Goad’s first in-store soundtracks to add another layer to the whole experience of the brand: an established fine jewellery company, independent and still founder-led. Each playlist follows campaign narratives and moves with the space, shifting in tone while maintaining a timeless, eclectic sense of luxury.

Everyday

The go-to, evergreen soundtrack.

Softer

For moments that require a bit of sensitivity.

Lively

For client events, sunny days or hump day pick-me-ups.

First Press

Monthly Radio Show

On the first Sunday morning (or very late evening) of the month, First Press soundtracks your wake-up through the world of one record label. We take a selection of our favourite releases from each label as a starting point, and build an hour that captures their sound and spirit.

The show moves fluidly between moods, some to ground you, some to wake you… Venturing deper into our libraries to dust off some of our favourite tracks we’ve not already had the opportunity to share, with more of a focus on home-listening than some of our more club-ready mixes already out there.

  • FP05 Smalltown Supersound

    This month we take you on a journey through the weird and wonderful world of Oslo’s Smalltown Supersound. Expect cinematic soundscapes, textured rhythms and plenty of beeps and boops. They’ve consistently pushed some of the most exciting sounds of jazz, techno, disco, modern classical and everything in between, including one of the best releases of last year: Barker’s Stochastic Drift.

    Music from rRoxymore, Bjørn Torske, Todd Rundgren, Colin Stetson and even more from Carmen Villain and Kara-Lis Coverdale who are quickly becoming part of the FP furniture.

    Listen: FP05

  • FP04 Royal Oak

    Returning First Press back towards more club-focused territory. This month’s episode is on Clone’s Royal Oak label. We flesh out their unique take on all things house into one of the more groovy instalments of this series. Dub techno, deep house and weird scratchy noises.

    Music from: Gerd, Pancratio, Leon Vynehall, Fritz Wentink and Wax/Head High, the first person to appear twice in one show under different aliases: congrats.

    Listen: FP04

  • FP03 International Anthem

    Lots of delicious sounds for this month’s First Press. Hard to simmer down International Anthem’s catalogue into one hour, but that’s what we’ve tried to do.

    Music from: Jeff Parker, Carlos Niño, Photay, Jaimie Branch, Shabaka Hutchings and three from the many amazing releases of Jeremiah Chiu + Marta Sofia Honer.

    Listen: FP03

  • FP02 Sound Signature

    Taking a trip across the pond for a deep dive into the label run by Detroit legend: Theo Parrish. Sound Signature is filled with lots of deep, soulful cuts.

    Music from: Moodymann, Gil Scott-Heron, Leron Carson (with a challenging track title to say on air), Rick Wade and four from the man himself Theo Parrish.

    Listen: FP02

  • FP01 Balmat

    For our first-First Press we head to sunny Catalonia, exploring the serene sounds of Balmat. Expect hazy textures, left-field rhythms and etherial downtempo.

    Music from: Susumu Yokota, μ-Ziq, Loraine James, Julianna Barwick, Lord of The Isles and Minor Science who departs from his recently more hectic sounds.

    Listen: FP01

Who Cares?

Podcast Theme

‘Who Cares?’ a podcast opening up accessible conversations around care and young carers, providing a better understanding of what it can look like for different people.

The brief was for a DIY-indie sound with references to The Radio Dept. and Phoebe Bridgers. Lulu, the host, wanted to be able to speak over the introduction, with the option to layer excerpts from the show over the top as well.

Due to the nature of the podcast, there was a thin line to walk ensuring the sound did not trivialise, overpower or act insensitively in any other way to the show’s subject matter. There’s an hue of melancholy about the theme, but it never dwells on that too long, instead combining with optimistic, accessible sounds which build a, for lack of a better word, ‘caring’ atmosphere.

The result was built in an almost modular system to allow easy adjustments to the length of the quieter portion of the theme, in turn providing flexibility for the podcast editor.

A quiet and crackly piano sits behind the host’s introduction before the main theme plays where percussion and guitar tracks are added. The tape distortion and crackle heard throughout instantly softens the sound, both tonally and sonically.

An organic ending with a trailing guitar sound subtly allows for an organic transition into the start of each conversation, and works well in the version of the theme created for the show’s end credits.

Listen to the theme in situ below:

Sync + Supervision