Interval Signals Online
July 14, 2008 10:20 AM Subscribe
Interval Signals Online is a site devoted to "Interval signals, signature tunes, airchecks and identification announcements from international, domestic, and clandestine radio stations around the world" such as Radio Tirana, AFAN Radio of Antarctica's McMurdo Station, and Radio Greenland. (Last three links are automatic downloads). Tip of the hat to mykescipark.
Context please. What's an interval signal?
posted by greenie2600 at 10:40 AM on July 14, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by greenie2600 at 10:40 AM on July 14, 2008 [1 favorite]
Thanks for indulging my laziness, jp :)
I was hoping they were some variation on numbers stations—encoding information in musical intervals, y'know. Well, okay, they do encode information in musical intervals, but only prosaic information. Not, y'know, super-secret spy information, which is way cooler.
This is still cool, though...some of these would make excellent sampler food. Time to dust off the Yamaha A3000, perhaps!
posted by greenie2600 at 11:01 AM on July 14, 2008
I was hoping they were some variation on numbers stations—encoding information in musical intervals, y'know. Well, okay, they do encode information in musical intervals, but only prosaic information. Not, y'know, super-secret spy information, which is way cooler.
This is still cool, though...some of these would make excellent sampler food. Time to dust off the Yamaha A3000, perhaps!
posted by greenie2600 at 11:01 AM on July 14, 2008
Voice of America used to have an awesome Yankee Doodle version around 1980. After the flutes and woodwinds, the snare drummers would carry the rhythm to a powerful close. All they have on that site is the wimpy <1977 version and stock 2000s versions.
posted by tinkertown at 11:51 AM on July 14, 2008
posted by tinkertown at 11:51 AM on July 14, 2008
Thanks for this.
The intro to the Radio Tirana signal is from an (original?) movie soundtrack. Can't think of the title or plot right now, but many communist-era soundtracks are actually not bad.
posted by preparat at 11:52 AM on July 14, 2008
The intro to the Radio Tirana signal is from an (original?) movie soundtrack. Can't think of the title or plot right now, but many communist-era soundtracks are actually not bad.
posted by preparat at 11:52 AM on July 14, 2008
I'm going to have to dust off my SW receiver. This brings back lots of memories!
posted by WyoWhy at 12:24 PM on July 14, 2008
posted by WyoWhy at 12:24 PM on July 14, 2008
BBC Radio 2 has these super-corny "jingle in a genre" station IDs that are just so sugary you can't help but love them. I think they're 100% HFCS.
One of them is in the style of a 90s-ish radio-friendly 'college' American pop rock band - think the Rembrandts or whatever - and it's just impossible to forget:
Eigh-ty eight point nine-ty one eff ehm!
Bee... bee... ceeeeeeeee - ray-dee-oh two!
Every time I hear it I think, I know they got paid for this - but how can people ever sound so happy? About a radio station? And still I smile.
I thought I had rid my mind of it for today, but this post reminded me again. I hope you're happy, jason's_planet.
Eigh-ty eight point nine-ty one eff ehm!
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 12:36 PM on July 14, 2008
One of them is in the style of a 90s-ish radio-friendly 'college' American pop rock band - think the Rembrandts or whatever - and it's just impossible to forget:
Eigh-ty eight point nine-ty one eff ehm!
Bee... bee... ceeeeeeeee - ray-dee-oh two!
Every time I hear it I think, I know they got paid for this - but how can people ever sound so happy? About a radio station? And still I smile.
I thought I had rid my mind of it for today, but this post reminded me again. I hope you're happy, jason's_planet.
Eigh-ty eight point nine-ty one eff ehm!
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 12:36 PM on July 14, 2008
Thanks for the credit, j_p.
In the interests of not self-promoting too heavily on the Blue, I will only say that there will be something very significant about this coming to MeFi Projects in the next 12 months.
posted by mykescipark at 1:01 PM on July 14, 2008
In the interests of not self-promoting too heavily on the Blue, I will only say that there will be something very significant about this coming to MeFi Projects in the next 12 months.
posted by mykescipark at 1:01 PM on July 14, 2008
I somehow triggered all three to play at once and thought I had been patched into WFMU.
posted by StickyCarpet at 2:06 PM on July 14, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by StickyCarpet at 2:06 PM on July 14, 2008 [1 favorite]
genghis: So you admit you're a spy?
posted by OverlappingElvis at 3:53 PM on July 14, 2008
posted by OverlappingElvis at 3:53 PM on July 14, 2008
Unless you're not talking about a numbers station. I like my version better.
posted by OverlappingElvis at 3:54 PM on July 14, 2008
posted by OverlappingElvis at 3:54 PM on July 14, 2008
OE: Wrong shortwave meme, sorry.
posted by mykescipark at 5:49 PM on July 14, 2008
posted by mykescipark at 5:49 PM on July 14, 2008
This is going to tie up too much of my free time tonight, and I'm not even sure what I'm looking for. But it's intriguing just the same.
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 7:37 PM on July 14, 2008
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 7:37 PM on July 14, 2008
Overlapping Elvis: something I recorded as a strictly-temporary news-in ident which they were supposed to replace the next morning, and which I can't bear to listen to, to the extent I turn the radio down when it came on... is still playing on the station in question a year and a half later, thirteen times per day. Hearing it on this site caused me to physically wince. Fortunately only I know it's me.
There's actually another seven-year-old clip in there from a now-defunct satellite station where you would hear me start a news bulletin if the clip ran for another one second. I feel one wince per day is plenty, though.
posted by genghis at 7:38 PM on July 14, 2008
There's actually another seven-year-old clip in there from a now-defunct satellite station where you would hear me start a news bulletin if the clip ran for another one second. I feel one wince per day is plenty, though.
posted by genghis at 7:38 PM on July 14, 2008
I somehow triggered all three to play at once and thought I had been patched into WFMU.
Like Trans-Pacific Sound Paradise? Yeah, I can see that.
Thanks to everyone who complimented and enjoyed this post! (and again, thanks to mykescipark!)
posted by jason's_planet at 12:09 PM on July 15, 2008
Like Trans-Pacific Sound Paradise? Yeah, I can see that.
Thanks to everyone who complimented and enjoyed this post! (and again, thanks to mykescipark!)
posted by jason's_planet at 12:09 PM on July 15, 2008
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posted by genghis at 10:38 AM on July 14, 2008 [1 favorite]