BBC SOUNDS: INSTRUMENTAL
By Reform Radio
on Tue Apr 29 2025
If you enjoy sticking on a good playlist just as much as a great podcast, then this is the series for you!
We’re proud to have produced this 5 part series recognising Black artists’ contributions to Britain’s best loved music genres. Packed with music that you know and love, we spotlight the stories of instrumental people whose legacies have been sidelined, but without them British music would not be the same.
Hosted by Northerner and creative Mia Thornton, each episode she delves into a different music genre, exploring classical, punk, folk, dance and pop. Mia takes us on a journey within each, using intriguing storytelling, high profile interviews with contributors such as Craig David and Jaguar Bingham, and rich archival content to touch on important themes such as erasure and re-telling, breaking stereotypes plus legal and economic challenges. Listen to the full series on BBC Sounds.
We had a lot of fun recording with many contributors, often travelling across the UK to capture visual content too…
In the pop episode, broadcaster Clara Amfo discusses stereotypes, colourism and what is considered ‘desirable’ within pop’s power structures. Check out a snippet below.
In the punk episode, Benji Webbe, lead vocalist of Skindred, reflects on how being brought up by his Rastafarian brother shaped the sound he creates today.
Mia spoke to DJ Paulette, a trailblazer who played at Manchester’s iconic Hacienda nightclub, who discusses overcoming sexism, ageism and racism in the dance episode.
Instrumental also made history, being the first podcast for the BBC to make use of a new music rights agreement called SORP, allowing us to feature longer music extracts than the usual BBC documentaries you hear!
This podcast was produced under the Audio Lab 2024 scheme, an annual programme aiming to amplify the next-generation of audio creatives. You can learn more about Mia and her experience here.
A few more BTS pictures, including Mia with producer Aisha, folk singer Angeline Morrison, and the one and only Craig David during recording.
