Public Service Broadcasting
Propulsive drums and shimmering synths woven around mid-century archival voices. It is history you can dance to, perfect for deep focus or late-night curiosity.
Propulsive drums and shimmering synths woven around mid-century archival voices. It is history you can dance to, perfect for deep focus or late-night curiosity.
Public Service Broadcasting sounds like a dusty film reel discovered in a basement and brought to life by a modern rhythm section. The music is defined by its use of archival audio from public information films and documentaries, which provides a human, narrative backbone to their driving instrumental compositions. It is a sound that balances the crackle of the past with the sleekness of contemporary electronics.
What makes them truly distinctive is how they treat these historical voices as lead instruments. Instead of using samples as mere texture, they build entire emotional arcs around the cadence of a 1940s broadcaster or a NASA mission controller. The interplay between J. Willgoose, Esq.'s staccato guitar or banjo work and Wrigglesworth's precise, motorik drumming creates a sense of forward motion that feels both academic and deeply moving.
Start with 'The Race for Space' if you want to feel the tension and triumph of the moon landing, or 'Every Valley' for a more somber, atmospheric look at the decline of the Welsh mining industry. They are the rare band that makes learning feel like a visceral, cinematic experience.
Public Service Broadcasting is a British rock band formed in London by J. Willgoose, Esq., in 2010. They consist of four members known mainly by their stage names: Willgoose Esq. (guitar, banjo, strings, samples and electronics), Wrigglesworth (drums, piano and electronics), J F Abraham (flugelhorn, bass guitar, drums and vibraslap) and Mr B (visuals and set design for live performances). Initially a solo project of J. Willgoose Esq., he released "EP One" in 2009. Shortly thereafter Wrigglesworth joined on drums and the band adopted a conceptual approach, using archival footage from old films and documentaries. They released a second EP The War Room and their first studio album, Inform-Educate-Entertain (2013). They subsequently released The Race for Space in 2015. J F Abraham joined the band officially in 2016, having previously worked as a session musician. The band has since released three albums: Every Valley (2017), Bright Magic (2021) and The Last Flight (2024). The band has toured internationally and in 2015 was announced as a nominee in the Vanguard breakthrough category of the fourth annual Progressive Music Awards, staged by Prog magazine, which they won.
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