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PODCASTS
TWENTY THOUSAND HERTZ
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The wonderful world of sounds keeps Dallas Taylor’s podcast ticking along. Claire Sawers talks to him about people who share his name and how he escapes the din
PICTURE: STEPHEN VOSS
Dallas Taylor is creator and presenter of Twenty Thousand Hertz, a fascinating podcast that goes behind the scenes of ‘the world’s most recognisable and interesting sounds’. Since 2016, Taylor has geeked out over blockbuster movie sound effects as well as noises from Speak & Spell toys, home appliances and 808 drum machines. Podcast guests are often asked about their favourite sounds. ‘I’ve noticed a trend,’ says Taylor. ‘Most answers are nature or human. Laughter comes up a lot. And the ocean. Personally, it’s the voices and laughs of my kids or wife. I adore those.’ In episode 140 from February, Taylor tracked down people with his name and stumbled on some freaky coincidences. ‘“Being Dallas Taylor” started with the notion that the sound of our own name is the sweetest we can hear. The really surprising thing was when I interviewed a names expert about commonalities people named Dallas Taylor might share. I’d already interviewed the other Dallas Taylors by then so it was a really profound thing essentially hearing her predict what we would discover.’ When Taylor is not doing the podcast he’s a sound artist for clients including Google, Disney and Nike, making sounds heard by millions of people. ‘I started Defacto Sound design studio 12 years ago. Last year we made 800 trailers for Netflix. The projects that really get me jazzed have inspiring people behind them. Almost Holy was a 2015 documentary about a Ukrainian pastor, a vigilante helping get kids off the streets. That one was really emotional for me. He’s in Mariupol right now so he’s back in the news.’ The podcast is lovingly made, with passionate attention to detail on the tiniest of noises. Twenty Thousand Hertz has also heard from deaf activists, describing life without sound. In his profession, does Taylor ever worry about hearing loss? ‘A certain amount of hearing loss is normal as we get older; children hear 20,000 hertz,’ he explains, revealing where the podcast’s name comes from. ‘I’m down to around 15,500. I’m more worried about cultural hearing loss: the idea that loud equals fun. I strongly disagree with that. I don’t want to go to a bar or restaurant where I’m struggling to hear. There is so much nuance and performance in the voice. I also don’t want to go to a concert of a band that I love and have to put in earplugs; I want it to be at the proper level.’ When Taylor’s ears need a break, like many guests, nature is the soothing balm. ‘I get very overwhelmed with loud sounds, so going for a walk in nature, hearing the wind, birds, just trying to focus into the now is really important. If my kids are screaming, sometimes a walk around the block to recalibrate can really help.’ Episodes available at 20k.org
PREVIEWS
BINGE FEST
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Our alphabetical column on viewing marathons reaches F
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A fter the sad death of P aul R itter, watc hing F riday N ight D inner ( A ll 4) will be a bittersweet expe rienc e for anyone c atc hing up or sampling the c haos of the weekly oodman family gathering for the very first time. ach cast member is note perfec t, from the four main players to M ark H eap as oddball neighbour J im and his faithless B elgian S hepherd, W ilson, to R osalind night also sadly departed in ) as ‘horrible grandma’. T here’s sadness, too, in going bac k over 264 episodes of F rasier ( A ll 4) with J ohn M ahoney having passed away four years ago while his sideki c k Moose who played ack ussell Terrier, ddie) e pired in , two years after the original show ended. The dog may be easier to recast when the sitcom returns later this year. The ma or death that nags at your mind as you fire through si seasons and a 20 reunion spec ial of T he F resh P rince O f B el-A ir ( B B C iP layer) is ill mith’s career after lapgate. ee him in his breakthrough role as streetwise teen W illiam ‘ W ill’ S mith ( imagination running rampant there) and wonder how it all eventually went so wrong in the most public manner possible. rian onaldson) Other F binges: Fargo (Netflix), Fortitude (NOW TV), Feel Good (Netflix).
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