‘Wide-ranging and insightful’ - Guardian (pick of the week, January 2024)
A show for anyone who has ever listened to, played, improvised, written, or just enjoyed music and wanted to know more about these mysterious sounds. Are they 'auditory cheesecake' as cognitive scientist Steven Pinker claims, or actually a fundamental part of what has made us into modern humans?
With an enormous variety of guests ranging from well-known musicians, producers and industry figures through to those for whom music is central but who rarely have a voice, this show is unapologetically broad in scope.
In 'entertaining noises', Steve has musicians explain and demonstrate their instrument, giving fresh perspective on everything from the piano to modular synthesizers, via lesser-known folk instruments from around the world.
And in the flagship 'genre tombola' section, Steve is assigned a randomly-chosen genre from the list of 1334 music genres on Wikipedia, which he then goes away and researches, often talking to an expert in that music, before frequently attempting to make some music in that style... Whether he succeeds or not, there's lots of fascinating stuff to learn along the way!
As fun as it is thoughtful, this show aims to help you hear and appreciate music in new ways.
http://www.originofthepieces.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
‘Wide-ranging and insightful’ - Guardian (pick of the week, January 2024)
A show for anyone who has ever listened to, played, improvised, written, or just enjoyed music and wanted to know more about these mysterious sounds. Are they 'auditory cheesecake' as cognitive scientist Steven Pinker claims, or actually a fundamental part of what has made us into modern humans?
With an enormous variety of guests ranging from well-known musicians, producers and industry figures through to those for whom music is central but who rarely have a voice, this show is unapologetically broad in scope.
In 'entertaining noises', Steve has musicians explain and demonstrate their instrument, giving fresh perspective on everything from the piano to modular synthesizers, via lesser-known folk instruments from around the world.
And in the flagship 'genre tombola' section, Steve is assigned a randomly-chosen genre from the list of 1334 music genres on Wikipedia, which he then goes away and researches, often talking to an expert in that music, before frequently attempting to make some music in that style... Whether he succeeds or not, there's lots of fascinating stuff to learn along the way!
As fun as it is thoughtful, this show aims to help you hear and appreciate music in new ways.
http://www.originofthepieces.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The original episode was taken down due to a copyright strike on the theme tune — even though I wrote and produced it myself. While I sort that out, you’re treated to a gloriously bad placeholder version.
Also, I’ve trimmed down the Clip n Mix segment — I was clearly having too much fun with firepits last time, and it got a bit… indulgent. This one gets to the good stuff faster.
And what is Tonás — the raw, unaccompanied flamenco style with roots in secrecy, survival, and soul?
In this episode, I launch a new segment called Clip n Mix, where I turn everyday sounds into music. This time? A campsite firepit. My son and I hit it with sticks, sample it using Ableton Note, and turn it into a crunchy little beat — which you’ll hear later in the episode.
Then we dive into one of flamenco’s most haunting styles: Tonás. My guest is the brilliant Josie Sinnadurai, a flamenco dancer based in Seville, who helps unpack the history, sound, and emotional depth of this unaccompanied vocal tradition.
👇 Full chapters and links below!
00:00 – Intro + why the theme tune sounds different
02:20 – Clip n Mix: sampling a firepit in Dorset
09:45 – What is Tonás?
10:20 – Interview with Josie Sinnadurai
34:50 – Why I didn’t make a Tonás track
35:20 – Turning firepit samples into music
49:15 – Sound, play, and curiosity
54:25 – Live shows + Patreon + sign-off
🎬 Watch the Tonás video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7vpU5zLl-A
👣 Follow Josie Sinnadurai:
Website: https://www.josielaurelflamenco.com/
Instagram: @josie_sinna
📱 Try Ableton Note (free app):
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/app/ableton-note/id1611814758
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ableton.note
🎧 Download the firepit samples + Ableton Note session:
https://www.patreon.com/StevePrettyOnTheOriginofthePieces
🎟️ Live at Wilton’s Music Hall – 24th Jan 2026
👨👩👧👦 Kids show (2pm):
https://wiltons.org.uk/whats-on/steve-pretty-and-friends-on-the-origin-of-the-pieces-kids/
🌙 Evening show (7pm):
https://wiltons.org.uk/whats-on/steve-pretty-and-friends-on-the-origin-of-the-pieces-2/
💬 Got a weird sound you’d like me to turn into music?
Drop it in the comments or email podcast@stevepretty.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.