1

THE BELGRANO DIARY

"Tasteful, evocative sound design and hypnotic original music"

- The New Yorker

I was invited to create the music and build sound design for this six-part series for the London Review Of Books.

It examines what happened when an Argentinian ship called The General Belgrano was sunk during the Falklands war.

In this clip from the second episode, we hear from the people who were on the submarine that fired the torpedoes.

I wanted the music to conjure the fear, anticipation and excitement that the crew would have felt in that moment.

The Belgrano Diary was named the #2 podcast of 2024 according to New Yorker magazine.

2

BIBLE JOHN: CREATION OF A SERIAL KILLER

I created the music for this ten-part podcast, which tells the story of what came to be known as the 'Bible John' murders in 1960s Glasgow.

Through conversations with the producer, I was told that the sound of Glasgow at the time was Big Band Jazz in the city's dance halls.

I wanted to create music that evoked that time period, but felt modern at the same time.

Being in charge of the mixing process meant that, rather than just handing over some music and saying goodbye, I could adapt the music to each twist and turn of the story.

3

DANIELE DAVOLI FOR THE BBC WORLD SERVICE

One of my regular clients is the BBC World Service programme Outlook, which features "extraordinary life stories from around the world".

They wanted me to add some magic to an interview they'd recorded with Daniele Davoli, one of the men behind the hit song Ride On Time (you'd know it if you heard it!).

In these three excerpts, you'll hear the start of the programme as well as Daniele talking about how they grappled with early sampling technology to put the song together.

I scoured the internet for old clubbing videos from the 90s to recreate the atmosphere of that era, while the effects I applied to the music created dramatic tension to suggest that something wasn't quite right.

4

DOCUMENTARY SCORING FOR CLIPPED WINGS

"This powerfully insightful and moving programme ... touched a nerve as Joel Cox's transporting sound design took you among the trees and to the open road."

- Review in The Sunday Times

This documentary for BBC Radio 4 explored the dangers women are exposed to while taking part in outdoor pursuits like bird-watching and running.

I created bespoke music and added subtle sound design to bring its stories to life.

It even got me a mention in the papers, a rare moment of fame for a sound designer!

5

SOUND DESIGN FOR LONDON COMPASS RADIO

For the series, London Compass Radio, I really went to town and created musical soundscapes with foley effects to tell stories that were like movies for your ears.

Here's a few excerpts, starting with hedonist and part-time witch 'Scorpio'. Then we take in someone undergoing mind control, a shipwreck hunter and for good measure a group of football players attempting to save the life of their friend.

I think they show how subtle music and a well designed atmosphere can create maximum impact.

WARNING: Contains strong language.

6

PRODUCING THE BBC'S DEATH IN ICE VALLEY

Although my work now focuses on sound design and music, I still occasionally return to my role as a Radio Producer.

So when I was asked to produce the latest episode of the BBC World Service's hit podcast Death In Ice Valley, I wanted to aid the storytelling by creating immersive soundscapes and integrating evocative music.

This time, I was on the other side of the relationship, working with composer Phil Channel to evoke everything 1960s Italy to a wartime Ukraine.

7

MUSIC FOR A FUTURE MADE

A Future Made was a podcast project from Herriot-Watt University that showcased its research to prospective students.

They needed music that was inspiring, modern but also reflected their standing as an historic and world-leading institution.

Here are a couple of excerpts where you can the main themes I composed and recorded in action.

8

MIXING CALL ME MOTHER

I regularly perform mixing duties for podcasts, using existing music to help tell stories and engage the listener.

Call Me Mother was a podcast that told the stories of LGBTQ trailblazers and the team at Novel wanted me to polish the fantastic stories they had collected into a finished product.

Often guests had to record themselves with their phones, so naturally the audio needed improving.

This is the beginning section of an episode and shows how music can help draw the listener in.

Hear more of my work

9

SECRETS AND LIES FOR THE BBC

A serie's theme music can create a personality for a podcast quicker than anything else.

For the BBC World Service series Secrets And Lies, I aspired to create a classy and intriguing soundtrack that could tie individual episodes into a greater whole.

Here you you can hear the music I created in action, as part of a trailer that was used to promote the series across the BBC.

10

SCOTTISH BALLET'S HALF HOUR CALL

Scottish Ballet needed an energetic introduction to their podcast Half Hour Call that captured the excitement of being backstage moments before a ballet performance.

The only problem was, the country was on lockdown and there were no performances to record!

I worked with the team to arrange a visit to record their rehearsals and collaborate with their backstage staff to create a dynamic start to each of their podcast episodes.

11

COMPOSING FOR RADIO 4'S BLACK HILL BLEAK SUMMER

The documentary Black Hill Bleak Summer looked at the foot and mouth outbreak's effect on a rural community twenty years ago.

The stories I heard were bleak and often dystopian so I wanted to create a soundtrack that reflected that - but that also was sensitive to these intimate and personal stories.

In these two clips, you can hear the introduction to the programme as well as a particularly bleak moment that blends existing music with my own composition.

12

MUSIC FOR THE LOCAL ZERO PODCAST

Here's a suite of music I made for Local Zero, a podcast from Strathclyde University about community solutions to climate change.

Taking inspiration from a piece of library music they had chosen, I created a selection of stings, beds and tones that felt dynamic, modern and hopeful.

I continue to mix the podcast on a regular basis for the team as well as recording interviews on location.

13

STINGS FOR ENTALE

I was commisioned by the podcast publisher Entale to create some short stings to introduce and enhance their productions.

The brief was to create something 'fresh' and 'young' but also with a neutrality that could be used regardless of the tone of the story.

We used the existing brand's existing audio 'swoosh' alongside the voices of the Entale office to create a classy intro to their podcasts.

About me

JOEL COX

I hope you've enjoyed listening to a few samples of my work. I began to create sound design and music for podcasts after being inspired by the work of shows like Radiolab and Love & Radio. I also have many years experience as a Radio Producer for BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio Scotland and the BBC World Service.

With so much competition for the ears of listeners these days, creative sound design can add the required edge that a podcast needs to reach that next level.

I can create bespoke music and scoring for your project as well as embellish it with dynamic and tasteful sound effects to add another dimension to your story.

I'm based in Glasgow but can work remotely on any production.

I would love to hear about your project, whether it's an entire series or a short segment, a small piece of music or an entire score, I'd love to help you out. Email me directly at hello@joelcoxsound.com.

I look forward to hearing from you.